Friday, October 29, 2010

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Police being taught to use Facebook to track killers

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Detectives will be taught how to track down killers and other criminals on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

Sweeping changes have been made to train thousands of student investigators to bring their work into the 21st century.

They include new information on how to track down suspects through social networking sites, where wanted people may reveal valuable clues.

Updated training exercises also examine how to gather the best information from computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices, reports the Telegraph.

Senior police officers have been forced to keep pace with the rapidly evolving online world to gather intelligence on suspects from street gangs to fraudsters.

Earlier this year, escaped prisoner Craig Lynch mocked police with clues about his whereabouts on Facebook during four months on the run.

In London, detectives are examining posts on Facebook and Twitter relating to the murder of 17-year-old Marvin Henry during a suspected fight between rival gangs.

Deputy Chief Constable Nick Gargan, acting head of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), said updated training is vital.

He said: "This programme is a vital part of the career pathway for detectives and the new training covers sensitive areas of policing where limited guidance existed previously.

"These improvements are exactly what detectives need to tackle the challenges and complexities of modern policing effectively."

Monroe, Kennedy's 'lovechild' loses right to JFK fortune

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The man who claimed to be a lovechild of Marilyn Monroe and President John F Kennedy doesn't have a right to the late president's fortune, a federal appellate panel has ruled.

John R Burton, 55, from Ridgewood, Queens sued the trustees of JFK's estate in October 2008, claiming he is the product of an affair between the late president and Monroe.

The five-page judgment by the three-judge appellate panel didn't consider whether Burton's lineage claims are true and ruled that the will is valid only for children born in wedlock.

"President Kennedy was my father. He was my father before he was president," The New York Daily News quoted Burton, who legally changed his name to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, as saying.

According to Burton, he lived with the Kennedys until age 12 but moved soon after his mother died and his father was killed.

Burton's claim followed an April 2008 Vanity Fair story about a Texas financier saying he was JFK's illegitimate son. Jack Worthington said his mother was introduced to JFK through Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and the two had an affair.

Dating site for ugly people celebrates first engagement

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A British couple, who met on the dating site set up for ugly people, has become the first to get engaged.

Tom Clifford, 36, and Janine Walker, 31, had met in person just a month ago, and they are planning to marry in December following a whirlwind online romance.

Clifford, a carpet fitter who admits he has a "face that makes children cry", and Walker got engaged after four dates and a mutual love of junk food and TV dinners.

"I've been a joke to women for years because of the way I look. I always thought that I was too ugly to meet Mrs Right, but my life changed when I met Janine," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"She's beautiful and I love her in every possible way. I still can't believe this is happening," he said.

Clifford, who had been single since 1998, spotted Walker in late August on www.theuglybugball.com, the dating site that had been set up a year ago for the 'aesthetically challenged'.

He had sent her an email, which read: "Dear Janine, Just seen your beautiful face on The Ugly Bug Ball and would love to meet up. You live near me, so this shouldn't be a problem.

"I've got a face that makes children cry but, as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and I think you'll love me too."

Walker, who is a shop assistant living with her parents, agreed.

"The rest, as they say, is history," she stated.

The two are now planning an intimate wedding for friends and family near their homes in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, and they have been offered a free honeymoon to Borth in Wales, courtesy of The Ugly Bug Ball.

"This is our first engagement, and we are obviously delighted for them both," a spokesman for the site said.

"We offered them the trip to Borth because we have a company caravan there and wish them every success in the future," he added.

Plagiarism lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey

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Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is facing a plagiarism lawsuit from an author who alleges he wrote the content of something she read aloud on her hit US talk show.

Charles Harris claimed he sent Winfrey 10 copies of his political booklet, 'How America Elects Her Presidents', when she began supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008, Contactmusic reported Harris claims never heard back from her but in an episode of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that aired in February 2009, the host asked questions from his political guide, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in the US District Court in Pennsylvania.

He insists the readings were plagiarised and constituted copyright infringement, which has "damaged (his) business reputation and goodwill." Harris is seeking Winfrey's profits or maximum statutory damages of up to USD 150,000 for each unlawful use.

'George Bush gave orders to shoot down planes on 9/11'

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Former US President George W Bush gave orders to shoot down planes on 9/11, his new book has revealed.

He also thought the hijacked airliner that crashed in Pennsylvania had been shot down.

The ex-president learned minutes later that brave passengers had forced terrorists to abandon their attempt to smash into the White House and crash land into a field.

Bush's memoir 'Decision Points' is due to be published next month, reports the Daily Mail.

He has also covered crisis from the September 11 attacks to Hurricane Katrina and the financial meltdown in his book.

But, according to the right-wing Drudge Report website, Bush takes very few shots at his critics and does not take aim at Barack Obama, who is battling his own plunge in popularity on the eve of America's mid-term elections.

The book starts with the words: ''It was a simple question, Can you remember the last day you didn't have a drink?''

It goes on to describe the ex-President's return to sobriety after problems with alcohol in his youth.

In the chapter 'Stem Cells', Bush describes receiving a letter from Nancy Reagan detailing a 'wrenching family journey.'

But ultimately, he wrote: "I did feel a responsibility to voice my pro-life convictions and lead the country toward what Pope John Paul II called a culture of life."

The Drudge Report also said that Bush would go on Oprah Winfrey's daytime talk show to promote the 'very personal' memoir.

Now, men's underwear that can 'firm and flatten' love handles!

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Men who hate to exercise but still want to look good have a reason to celebrate - they can now get their hands on a new brand of underwear that are designed to 'firm and flatten', keeping beer bellies in check.

"We applied our 10 years of knowledge and expertise in compression fabrics and transforming the body to this first-of-its-kind collection for men," The Daily Mail quoted Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, which launched the brand recently, as saying.

"The men in my life, and in Hollywood, have been asking me to make 'Spanx for men' for years," she said.

The cotton undershirt promises to "comfortably firm the chest, flatten the stomach, improve posture and eliminate bulk under clothes", while the 69 pound version claims to provide "maximum shaping with instant transformation."

And Spanx said of the briefs, "There's no chance of a sagging bum with this range as the long-lasting high-gauge Cotton Compression fabric contours to the body for a close fit."

Couple suspended from work after sex romp at Pizza Express

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Two workers of a Pizza Express in Britain have been suspended after they were spotted having sex inside the closed outlet by passers-by.

The two were so overcome by lust they forgot they could be seen through the window of the brightly lit restaurant in King Street, Manchester, and they never realised that witnesses were taking their pictures.

"They're mortified. The management have identified them and spoken to both. Now they fear for their jobs - and what their families will think of them," the Sun quoted an employee as saying.

"They never realised pictures were being taken. No one can believe that they were so brazen. They're both single - so at least they haven't got any explaining to do to partners," the worker added.

The lovers romped in the early hours of October 24 after other staff and customers had left.

"We can confirm that two employees have been suspended following inappropriate behaviour," a Pizza Express spokesman stated.

David Beckham gives sex education to son

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Just like an intelligent father, David Beckham had a talk about sex with his 11-year-old son Brooklyn.

The 35-year-old soccer player who is married to singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham, sat down with his eldest child to discuss the facts of life because he has started at a new school and has begun attracting interest from girls, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

However, David found the conversation so awkward he had to leave the room and leave it to his wife.

"Brooklyn is going to a new school. He is noticed and is getting attention from girls and he likes it, so we had the sex talk," said David.

"I had to walk out of the room because Brooklyn's looking at me at the corner of his eye, kind of laughing. It was a serious talk and I had to get out! I couldn't take it," he added.

Only young, pretty women need apply

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A good temperament might be an obvious requirement for a city warden. Good looks? Perhaps less so.

But authorities in Chengdu, in China's south-western Sichuan province, have said they will hire only attractive young women for the law enforcement jobs, hoping it will improve their district's image.

Others say it is a blatant example of widespread looks-based discrimination that hits women harder than men. Economists have noted the "beauty premium" in many places, but employment experts say it flourishes in China thanks to inadequate laws.

The Xindu district government's advertisement stipulates that candidates must be female, aged between 18 and 23, over 5 ft 2 in (1.6m) tall, attractive and with a good temperament. Their contracts will end when they turn 26.

Image cleansing

China's urban law enforcement officers, known as chengguan, have a bad reputation, with many regarding them as little more than thugs.

Xindu authorities said they created the women-only team to "present the soft side".

"Their main job is to present a good image so they have to be good looking," said the human resources director of the law enforcement bureau.

"And when they get older, they will get married and have children so it will not be convenient for them to do such work. Having them leave at 26 is for their sake."

Flower vases?

He insisted it was unfair to describe them as "flower vases" - a Chinese idiom for women who are decorative but of little use.

"They need a good temper and communication skills as well," he told a Chengdu news website
Lu Ying, former director of the Gender Centre at Sun Yat-sen University, said it was common for employers to pick out female candidates because they were prettier.

"The effect of looks discrimination is much bigger for women than men. What makes it worse is that for women, the job opportunities are less than for men already," she said.

"It is a very bad phenomenon. It is much worse when a government body does this because it will set a terrible example," she added.

Private companies are certainly not immune. A current advertisement for a sales assistant at the Zhengzhou Electric Bike Company requires a candidate with "a smile to topple the city" and even stipulates her vital statistics: 36-22.5-36.

'Law too general'

Li Fangping, a lawyer who has handled many job discrimination cases, said, "In the current employment law it only says that opportunities should be open and equal to everyone."

"It does not directly point out that employers should not include criteria such as looks and height it is too general to be implemented," she added.

Pushing It?

One Shanghai cosmetic surgery hospital estimated last year that half its customers were undergoing operations for career-related reasons. Most of those were women.

But the scorn that internet users have poured on Xindu authorities suggests that others in China have little tolerance for blatant discrimination.

In 2004, the Hunan provincial government dropped its requirement for women civil servants to have 'symmetrical breasts' after it was widely ridiculed.

'Berlusconi gave me cash gift after sex'

Posted:

A teenage Moroccan model has made this claim

A teenage Moroccan model has claimed she slept with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in return for a cash "gift".

The girl, identified only as Ruby and allegedly an illegal immigrant, claims that she had consensual sex with the prime minister at his luxury villa in Arcore, outside Milan, according to Italian press reports.

Prosecutors have reportedly opened a dossier on the claims but not a formal investigation. They stressed that Berlusconi is not under investigation and that they are trying to verify the woman's account of the alleged encounter.

But a newspaper owned by Berlusconi's brother, described the allegations as a potential sex scandal and another D'Addario case a reference to Patrizia D'Addario, the prostitute who last year claimed that she slept with the prime minister at his mansion in Rome.

Magistrates cautioned that the Moroccan woman's claims might be without foundation and could be part of a plot to blackmail the 74-year-old premier, or an attempt at self-promotion by the aspiring showgirl.

The teenager, who is now 18, claims that she attended several private parties thrown by Berlusconi at his home between last year and this spring, at a time when she was trying to break into modelling or television.

She was part of a circle of aspiring models and actresses who were allegedly introduced to the prime minister by a prominent show business agent, Lele Mora.


Putin 'black eye' sparks rumours

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Speculation rife whether Russian PM's black eye spotted during recent meeting with Ukrainian leaders was result of judo injury or plastic surgery

Vladimir Putin, who has carved out a strongman image by wrestling with tigers or judo opponents, raised eyebrows on Thursday as he was pictured caked in make-up, apparently to mask a black eye.

Journalists feverishly speculated that the Russian premier could have taken a punch during a judo session or even had a facelift, after he visited Kiev on Wednesday slathered in war paint.

"Ukrainian, Russian and Western journalists talked only of one thing: How did the Russian prime minister get a black eye?" reported Kommersant business daily's Kremlin correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov.

Easily noticeable

"Could it really be the result of some tough sparring? While it was carefully covered up, it was noticeable to everyone without exception."

While some leaders regularly wear make-up for televised meetings, Putin has always stayed barefaced in the past, journalists said.

Putin arrived for talks with Ukrainian leaders in a "bad mood" and with "something like a big bruise on his left cheekbone. He also had on his face a very noticeable swelling," reported Ukrainian television channel TCH.
"It was all badly covered up with make-up."

Journalists noted that a news conference where the leaders were expected to discuss talks in detail was cut short and a planned dinner was cancelled.

Ukraine's Levy Bereg weekly speculated that Putin could have had cosmetic surgery.

"Did Putin have a facelift?" it asked in a headline. The Russian premier could also have had teeth extracted, it added. "Or maybe he had an unfortunate judo session."

'Misunderstanding'

Putin's spokesman said the incident was a misunderstanding, claiming that the light had fallen awkwardly. He said Mr Putin was simply tired because he had recently "been working a great deal and was always travelling".

Putin's minders are sensitive to any suggestions that their charge might not be in full health as speculation builds that he may decide to run for president again in 2012.

Judo DVD

In a 2008 DVD titled Let's Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin, the Russian PM says, "The philosophy of judo envisages attaining the best possible result through small but effective efforts.

In a judo bout, compromises and concessions are permissible but only in one case: if it is for victory."

The DVD has the former Russian president sharing his favourite judo moves with viewers, who are intended to be young Russians learning the Japanese martial art.


Man claims to have 'sexsomnia'

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A Brit man who allegedly groped a woman told jury at Chelmsford Crown Court that he suffered from a rare medical condition called "sexsomnia".

Darren Greenwood, 33, insisted he must have touched the girl while asleep and could not remember doing it, reports the Sun.

Backing his bizarre defence, Medical witness Professor Matthew Walker said: "It was a good example of sexsomnia - no knowledge or control of his actions.

"It fulfils the criteria completely. It mostly occurs between partners and with a person in bed," Matthew said.

Greenwood had only just met the 21-year-old girl, one of a group who went to his home in Loughton, Essex, after a night out.

She claimed she woke to find him lying by her and committing a sex act on her.

Prosecutor Richard Potts said the girl had been asleep and could not have consented.

Window fitter Greenwood, now living in Bethnal Green, East London, denies sexual assault.

He said he let the girl sleep in his bed and she allowed him to get in with her.

But he did not wake until 11am and was "oblivious to anything that happened".

The jury heard he had "parasomnia" which involved punching a wall in his sleep.

Cigarette butts mean money in Chinese city

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A city in China has begun offering money to its residents who pick up discarded cigarette butts as part of a campaign to keep its streets clean. Over seven million cigarette butts have already been collected.

The unique initiative was launched in Xianyang city in Shaanxi province.

Hou Xi'an, an official, said: "We started the drive as part of an effort to make our city more clean and civilized, increase public environmental awareness and warn against the dangers of smoking."

Another official, Han Baofeng, told China Daily Wednesday that this effort won't stop until the end of December.

"We will improve the imperfect measures of the drive and continue our good efforts," said Han.

The drive, which began last month, offers locals 0.05 yuan ($0.0075) for each cigarette butt they pick up from city streets.

In one month alone, people have handed over a total of 7 million cigarette butts to the government. One person turned over 7,500 butts in one go.

China News Service said that some people turned out to be opportunists who resorted to fraud by collecting the butts from net cafes, restaurants or even garbage bins to get the reward.

Locals have welcomed the initiative.

Wang Guifu, who collected around 2,200 butts, said it is a good way to encourage locals to keep the city clean.

Another local resident, Zhao Ang, said he saw an old man pick up the cigarette butt that he (Zhao) had just thrown on the street.

"From then on, I stopped throwing anything away in public places," said Zhao.
Posted by Harshad at 7:17 AM

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