Thursday, November 11, 2010

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Kiwi teen charged with trying to have sex with a cow

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A teenager in New Zealand has been charged with trying to have sex with a cow.

The boy, 18, entered no plea to a charge of attempting to commit bestiality and was granted interim name suppression when he appeared in the Hamilton District Court, the Waikato Times reported.

He has been remanded on bail and ordered to complete a mental health assessment of the incident, which had occurred last month in Cambridge.

Defence counsel Gavin Boot said the forensic report would look at mental illness and insanity issues as well as the teen's fitness to plea.

In addition, the teen faces three counts of theft and 13 charges of using or obtaining a document for pecuniary advantage.

Tiny paper plane soars at 90,000 feet in space

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Who needs a multi-billion-dollar spacecraft to study the earth when you can use a paper plane? The plane, with a wing span of three feet and made of paper straws, was launched using just a large helium balloon.

The craft soared to 90,000 feet before the balloon exploded, after which the plane glided back to the ground, taking photographs as it descended.

Named Operation PARIS (Paper Aircraft Released Into Space), the project cost 8,000 pounds, reports the Daily Mail.

It was the work of space enthusiasts Steve Daniels, John Oates and Lester Haines, who said they came up with the idea after being inspired by an equally ingenious project - of sending a lump of cheese into space.

The team launched the balloon from a remote spot around 50 miles west of Madrid. It took an hour-and-a-half to climb to 90,000 feet, before bursting.

The team tracked the plane using a GPS navigation system as it took another 90 minutes to glide back to earth and landed in woodland 100 miles from the release point. But for a hole in a wing, their creation was undamaged.

Software consultant Daniels, 42, of Paignton, Devon, said the team had embarked on the project "for a laugh". Although they spent around 8,000 pounds to make it a success, he said he would happily do it all again

The married father of two added: "Somebody launched a bit of cheese out of a balloon, which we thought was a bit stupid. We thought we could do something more technical than that.

"We decided to launch a paper plane because nobody has done that before. It seems really silly but it was brilliant fun."

The three enthusiasts got together after discussing the project on tech website The Register, and were sponsored by Peer One Networking.

Fritzl planned to kill his dungeon family in acid bath

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Josef Fritzl, who raped his daughter up to 3,000 times over a 24 year period after locking her up in a dungeon, planned to kill his cellar family by dipping them in an acid bath, said the Austrian's prison cell mate.

Fritzl told his cell mate, 19-year-old Patrick Jakob that he was tired of living two lives and wanted to rest in his old age. Jakob spent three months locked up with Fritzl in St Poelten jail, Austria.

"He (Fritzl) said he had two choices - to let them all go and face justice, or kill them.

"He said he had considered how he would kill them and the best option would be an acid bath, so all traces of his secret family would be destroyed," The Sun quoted Jakob as saying.

"That way no one would ever know what he had done. He (Fritzl) could make them all disappear. He had all the details worked out."

Fritzl wanted to kill his daughter Elisabeth, now 44, and three of the seven children he fathered from her in the dungeon.

Fritzl locked Elisabeth in the dungeon basement at his home in Amstetten when she was 18, and told his wife Rosemarie that she had run away.

One of the seven babies he fathered with her died and he burned the body. Three others were locked up with Elisabeth. The other three were raised by Rosemarie and Fritzl. He told his wife that he found them abandoned.

Jakob said: "He (Fritzl) said he put Elisabeth in the cellar for her own protection, because he thought she was taking drugs.

"I was young and naive and I fell for his arguments at first. But with hindsight I could tell he was just manipulating me."

Fritzl was arrested in April 2008 and is likely to spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric institution.

"He never got to make the decision whether to free his cellar family or to kill them. But I have no doubt he would have done, given the choice. He is that evil. He tried to make out he was a good man because he hadn't killed his family and they had been set free. What nonsense," Jakob said.

Recalling the days he spent with Fritzl, Jakob said: "When I saw my new cellmate was Fritzl, I was scared, genuinely terrified. I'm not proud of my crime, but it was a teenage mistake. How could I be in the same cell as a monster?"

Fritzl told Jakob that his crime of burning down two farm houses wasn't so serious.

"I was stunned at how friendly he was. You would never know what he had done.

"There are two Fritzls - the upstairs Fritzl, the one who lived a normal life, and the downstairs Fritzl, who raped his daughter in the basement.

"Most of the time I saw the upstairs Fritzl, but over time I saw his other side. If he didn't get to see the news at 5 pm, he could turn nasty."

The former prisoner said that Fritzl used to get dozens of letters from fans.

"One day he showed me a photo sent to him. There was a woman standing next to a masked man. She was laughing. It was macabre. The fans saw him as the chief monster. They respected him."

Jakob said that Fritzl sobbed after listening to Elisabeth's testimony in court

"He was broken. He knew it was all over. He lay down on his bed and sobbed uncontrollably. He looked a pathetic old man.

"On his last day in St Poelten he rose at 7 am, packed his gear and left. We didn't say goodbye. I hope I never see him again."

Pakistanis chew up $64.7 mn worth of betel nuts a year

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Pakistan spent a whopping $64.7 million on import of betel nuts and betel leaves during 2009-10, a minister told the National Assembly.

Betel nuts worth $59 million and betel leaves worth $5.7 million were imported from various countries, Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim told the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Betel nuts were bought from India, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand while betel leaves were imported from Australia, Bangladesh, Central African States, China, Hong Kong, Mayotta, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, the daily Dawn reported on Thursday.

Speaker Fahmida Mirza asked why so much was being wasted on imports of betel nuts and betel leaves, especially since its consumption was harmful for humans.

"These items must be heavily taxed to discourage their imports and usage," Mirza told the minister.

Fahim said these were some of the highly demanded items of everyday consumption in the country.

"We have no issues on raising taxes on their imports. But the move will only trigger massive public outrage. These items are used in making Paan one of the highly demanded addictions in the country," the commerce minister was quoted as saying.

Musharraf wanted his photograph on currency notes

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Former president and military dictator Pervez Musharraf was keen to have his photograph on Pakistan's currency notes, a former prime minister has disclosed.

Former premier Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said that Musharraf wanted to replace Muhammad Ali Jinnah's photograph on currency notes with his own photograph.

Jamali told Hamid Mir in 'Capital Talk' of Geo News on Wednesday night that the change in the currency note didn't happen as he refused it.

He said he wasn't aware as to who advised Musharraf that currency notes carry his photograph.

Musharraf seized power in 1999. He stepped down in 2008 and left Pakistan. He now lives in London.

Responding to a question, Jamali said Musharraf was ready to hand over disgraced nuclear scientist AQ Khan to the US in 2004. An American plane had even arrived in Islamabad for taking Khan to the US, but Jamali said he blocked the move.

"I informed my cabinet that we cannot hand him (AQ Khan) over to the Americans," the News International quoted him as saying.

'Willing' women give Tiger Woods 'come on over' calls at Oz Masters!

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Sex-scandal hit golfer Tiger Woods was taunted by two ladies during the opening round of the Australian Masters at Victoria Golf Club.

The two women, dressed in white tops, skirts and sun visors with their mobile phone numbers on them, caught 34-year-old Woods' attention as walked from the 15th tee, the sixth hole for him.

"Call me Tiger!" the Sydney Morning Herald quoted one of the girls as saying as she got within earshot of Woods.

The other woman added: "Meet me outside Crown!"

Woods did not seem overly pleased with the attention, and it is believed an FM radio station had apparently put the women up to the task.

Reports have been going around that any spectator who heckles Woods over his well-publicised extra-marital affairs would be thrown out of Victoria Golf Club after just one warning.

But tournament director Marcus Gale denied there was a specific policy in place about taunting Woods.

"We expect all spectators to be courteous as they have always been here, a fact that Tiger commented upon last year," he said.

"He won't be treated any differently from any other player in this regard. We have the same policy for the 120th ranked player as for the top ranked player in this field," he stated.

Users write abusive posts about Camilla Bowles on Queen's Facebook Page

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Many Internet users have reportedly targeted Queen''s new Facebook page to post abusive messages about the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles.

The Queen's Facebook page - The British Monarchy - has attracted nearly 200,000 visitors since it launched.

Royalists and republicans alike have logged on to the social networking site to view images, videos and news about the British monarchy.

But moderators were forced to remove many abusive comments by anti-monarchist saboteurs who clicked the 'like' button in order to post anti-Royal messages.

In particular a number of offensive messages have been posted about Parker-Bowles with a number comparing her unfavourably with Princess Diana.

"Why she has album and Princess Diana doesnt(sic)? Monarchy out to be ASHAME for this!!!(sic)," the Daily Mail quoted Nadia Cecconi Sosa in one post as writing.

Another wrote to mock the Duchess' dress sense.

'Is this the maid dressing up for a Christmas staff party?' he wrote beneath an image of the Duchess meeting members of the RAF.'

Their views were outweighed by positive messages, however, with hundreds of supportive comments filling the site withing hours of it's launch.

One user defended the Duchess of Cornwall saying, 'Glad that Charles has found happiness with Camilla - let''s accept that they were meant for each other and draw a veil over the past.'

The page provides more than 191,700 users with information about royal events, visits and ceremonies, all searchable on a UK map.


Prince William to wed girlfriend next year?

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British royal Prince William is reportedly set to tie the knot with his girlfriend Kate Middleton next year.

"The engagement will be announced in 2011," usmagazine.com quoted a source as saying.

Katie Nicholl, author of the book "William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls", claims the couple made a secret pact to marry three years ago while on vacation in the Seychelles.

"Kate wanted assurances from William. William told Kate she was the one, but he was not ready to get married. She...agreed to wait for him," Nicholl said.

Another insider added: "He wants to spend the rest of his life with her."

A representative from the palace said it does not comment on the private lives of the couple.

India world's largest combat aircraft buyer: Report

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India is the largest buyer of combat aircraft in the world, with the US topping the list of sellers, a leading international think tank has said.

According to a report released Wednesday by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a total of 50 countries bought 995 warplanes during 2005-09, Xinhua reported.

India purchased 115 combat planes, the largest buyer in the world during the period, the Swedish institute said in the report.

"India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel are by far the largest recipients of combat aircraft. Together, these three countries accounted for almost one-third of all imports of combat aircraft between 2005 and 2009," the report said.

The US and Russia are by far the largest suppliers of combat aircraft accounting for two-thirds of all warplanes delivered during the period.

According to the report, between 2005 and 2009, the US sold 341 fighter jets, up from 286 planes sold during the previous five-year period, while Russia sold 219 planes, down from 331.

"While combat aircraft are often presented as one of the most important weapons needed for defence, these same aircraft give countries possessing them the potential to easily and with little warning strike deep into neighbouring countries," said Siemon Wezeman, a senior fellow at the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme and the author of the study.

Wezeman pointed out that acquisitions of combat aircraft thus clearly can have a major destabilising effect on regions.

SIPRI is an independent institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.


Woman gets killer relative's body after 189 years

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A woman in Britain has won the legal battle to bury her relative's body, which had been put on display at a university for 189 years after the person was hanged for a murder.

Mary Halliwell while researching her family tree discovered the skeleton displayed in Bristol University.

She launched a battle to be declared the legal owner of the remains of Jon Horwood, the son of her great-great-great grandfather's brother, who was executed after being convicted of murdering his ex-beloved in 1821, The Sun reported.

Mary, 67, wants to give the body a proper burial. She said: "It will give me peace of mind."

Horwood was sentenced to death for killing Eliza Balsom who died from a head injury after Horwood lobed a pebble at her when he found her with another boy. Three days after his 18th birthday, Horwood was hanged above the gates of New Bristol Gaol.

Richard Smith, the surgeon who treated Eliza, refused to hand the boy's body to his family. He skinned the corpse as he performed a dissection in front of 80 gawpers at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

The surgeon kept the skeleton on show at his house - with the hangman's noose. He used the skin to bind a book about the case after having it tanned.

Mary said: "I'm angry a human being could do something so barbaric to another person."

The 'Book of Skin' is currently kept at the Bristol Records Office.

Bra welcomes you to Japan

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As Japan hosts a Asia-Pacific summit this week, a women's underwear maker unveiled a bra that is meant to lift spirits as well as bust lines and support the country's tourism sector.

Triumph Japan showcased its bustier-style 'Welcome to Japan! Bra' that it said was inspired by a tour guide's uniform, features a display for images of sightseeing spots and can greet visitors in three languages.

A row of three electronic push buttons running down the centre of the garment triggers audio greetings in English, Chinese and Korean.

"Furthermore, tour guide flags are inserted on each side of the bra," the company said. "When not used to guide tourists, the flags act as a side stay, providing good support and creating an attractive bust line."

The most risque feature is a short skirt attached to the dark blue outfit that flips up to reveal a map of Japan.
Triumph said it hoped the design, the latest in a line of not-for-sale promotional bras it has launched to mark major trends and events, will help support Japan's goal of attracting 30 million foreign tourists a year.

Promising a lingerie boost for the country's hospitality industry, it said, "Identifying and making good use of abundant tourism assets that still remain untapped in Japan will contribute to stimulating the domestic economy."

Triumph released the model as Japan hosts an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and weeks after Tokyo's Haneda airport opened a new runway, an event Triumph honoured with a small aircraft attached to one bra strap.


Playboy mansion to open gates to public

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Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has been called many things over the years, but a modern-day Willy Wonka may not be one of them. That is about to change.

This Friday, tucked within the pages of some 200,000 Playboy magazines on US newsstands will be 10 'Golden Tickets' to the Midsummer Night's Dream Party.

The party, filled with Hollywood stars and Playboy models often wearing little but body paint, is one of the most sought-after invitations each year to the Playboy Mansion.

Generally, Hef picks the guest list. But for their December issue promotion, Playboy is opening the gates to 10 lucky winners who rip open the adult magazine.

"This is the first time we've literally swung the doors open to the public," said Playboy editorial director Jimmy Jellinek. "The average reader will go home with stories they can't tell their wives and girlfriends but will last forever."

Jellinek added that being at the Playboy Mansion for the Midsummer Night's Dream party is completely different.
"It really harkens back to another time when gentlemen were gentlemen, and you had to be invited to get in," he said. "Plus, it's sexy as hell."


Minister blames Michelle obama for handshake

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Indonesian Information Minister, known for his staunch Islamic beliefs, says he was forced to touch her; video proves otherwise

An Indonesian minister, who was criticised by Muslims for shaking hands with the US First Lady Michelle Obama, said on Twitter that the skin-to-skin contact was forced.

Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring was among the dignitaries to greet US President Barack Obama and his wife as they arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Sembiring, who is known for his conservatism and claims that as a Muslim he avoids touching women who aren't related to him, came under attack by the Muslim community after he was seen in the reception footage grasping Michelle's hands.

Sembiring sought to deflect criticism by claiming that the skin-to-skin contact was all Michelle Obama's fault. "I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched," Sembiring wrote on his Twitter account.

However, footage on YouTube shows otherwise, sparking a debate that has lit up Facebook, Twitter and other social networking websites.

In the footage of the official welcome, Sembiring appeared sharing his countrymen's enthusiasm. He smiled broadly as he shook the president's hand and then reached with both hands to grasp Michelle Obama's, the report said.

His denial was in response to the tweets from Indonesians who noted the handshake and questioned his long-standing claims that, as a good Muslim, he restricts his contact with women.

Controversial

Last year, Sembiring said Indonesians' sins were responsible for the earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters that had recently struck the nation, and linked the destruction of those events to the country's involvement in the production of pornographic videos.
Posted by Harshad at 7:37 AM

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