Mid Day International News

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• Raped, jailed Oz woman to sue Australian government
• Oz Defence Ministry's 'UFO sighting' files go missing!
• New York Congressman's sexting partners reveal lurid details of exchanges
• Iran court quashes death sentence of man accused of developing porn sites
• Scales of justice go missing from Brisbane Supreme Court
• Female war prisoners should be sex slaves for men, says female politician
• Future hotel rooms will offer virtual sex to guests travelling alone
• Lesbian blogger kidnapped by armed men
• Japanese astronaut to grow space cucumbers
• NZ mourns death of Shrek the sheep
• US Congressman admits sending lewd photos
• Kahn's 'not guilty' plea lost to TV
• Rana-Headley were a team
• Saudi king bans men from selling lingerie
• Nursery monster rapes two-yr-old girl
• Brit man escapes jail despite putting ham in shoes of Muslim worshippers

Raped, jailed Oz woman to sue Australian government Posted: A Brisbane woman imprisoned on adultery charges in the United Arab Emirates will sue the Australian government for not informing her that a rape claim could land her in jail, after the Brisbane Supreme Court accepted her petition Gali said she was drugged and raped by male employees at the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah, where she worked as a salon manager. Alicia Gali, 29, had spent eight months in a UAE prison on charges of adultery and drinking without a permit, before being pardoned in March 2009. Gali alleges she was not told that she could be charged with adultery if she made a rape complaint against married men. Gali''s lawyer and Maurice Blackburn principal Michelle James said the Australian government's failure to provide a consular advice led to Gali being jailed when she informed the police of her rape. "She should have been told, as a bare minimum, of the local laws that apply in the UAE. We say no advice was given at all. Alicia was merely told that she should reconsider her need to be in the country at that time, but the embassy was fully aware that Alicia''s employer was illegally holding her passport. They didn''t assist her to have the passport returned. They didn''t advise her to seek local legal representation" News.com.au quoted James, as saying.

Oz Defence Ministry's 'UFO sighting' files go missing! Posted: The Australian Defence Ministry has reportedly lost a large number of files containing details of the Royal Australian Air Force's investigation into an unknown number of UFO sightings reported all over the country Some of the files were marked as classified. The only file the Ministry was able to locate was titled "Report on UFOs/Strange Occurrences and Phenomena in Woomera". "We also discovered one [other] file, which had not been destroyed, but could not be located," The Age quoted the Ministry's Freedom of Information (FOI) Assistant Director, Natalie Carpenter, as saying. "In an effort to retrieve this file our office conducted searches of the Defence Record Management System, National Archives Australia [Canberra], National Archives Australia [Chester Hill], Defence Archives Queanbeyan and Headquarters Air Command, RAAF Base Glenbrook." "Despite searching these locations, the files could not be located and Headquarters Air Command formally advised that this file is deemed lost," she added. Last year, the British government had released a large part of its dossier on unidentified flying objects after significant pressure from FOI applicants. Over 4000 pages of the documents, detailing 800 reported encounters during the 1980s and 1990s were posted online.

New York Congressman's sexting partners reveal lurid details of exchanges Posted: A single mother from Texas, Meagan Broussard, has revealed the details of her month-long Internet affair with New York Democratic party Congressman Anthony Weiner Broussard says she first connected with Weiner on April 20 when she commented he was "hot" on a YouTube video he posted to Facebook, and he reached out "almost immediately". They began exchanging flirty messages "within an hour", she says, the nature of which was often sexual. "He was trying to get me to talk about myself sexually, and I said, straight up, I'm not an open book," The New York Daily News quoted Broussard, as saying in a statement. "He would ask me weird things, like 'Did you miss me?' I didn't understand that-how could I miss someone I hadn't met and didn't know?" she added. Meanwhile, Lisa Weiss, a 40-year-old blackjack dealer in Las Vegas, claims to be another of Weiner's online mistresses. She told RadarOnline that she sexted back and forth with Weiner for nine months, and that the Congressman used government resources to hide his bad behavior. She even claims he called her from his office for a 30-minute phone sex chat.

Iran court quashes death sentence of man accused of developing porn sites Posted: Iran's supreme court has rejected the death sentence for Saeed Malekpour, a web programmer who was facing execution on charges of developing and promoting porn websites Malekpour, 35-year-old Canadian resident was convicted of designing and moderating adult materials online. However, his family said he was a web programmer whose photo uploading software was used by a porn website without his knowledge. Defence lawyers said the conviction was quashed after they provided the court with expert evidence. He will remain in jail while a judicial review into his case is held, The Guardian reports. According to Malekpour's wife Fatima Eftekhari, a campaign by human rights groups in support of her husband was crucial in saving his life. "Never underestimate the power of such campaigns when you can save the life of an innocent somewhere miles away from you by clicking a button or signing a letter," she said. Students from some of the Iran's leading universities also wrote to the judges calling for his release.

Scales of justice go missing from Brisbane Supreme Court Posted: Queensland's justice system is suffering from a "perceived bias" after the scales of justice went missing from a statue of Lady Justice - a woman armed with a sword and scales outside the Supreme Court on George Street According to the Courier Mail, spokesmen for Queensland Justice and the Attorney General said the scales of justice had been taken away for cleaning and would be returned soon. One source told The Courier-Mail that the scales were not only dirty, but bent, and need reshaping. Lady Justice has her origins in Roman-Greek mythology. She is thought to be a combination of Justitia and Themis. Justitia, according to Roman mythology, was a virgin repulsed by the sins of humanity who became the constellation Virgo. Themis, according to early Greek mythology, was one of the Titans and symbolised the imposition of order. The scales of justice she holds symbolise fairness and balance in judgments. (ANI)

Female war prisoners should be sex slaves for men, says female politician Posted: A woman politician from Kuwait has sparked anger and disbelief by calling for legalization of sex slaves, saying it would protect men from adultery, and suggesting that female prisoners from war-torn countries should be purchased for the same, as it would be a "better life" for them, and they would not die of starvation. Salwa al Mutairi, who once ran for parliament, argued buying a sex slave would protect decent, devout and ''virile'' Kuwaiti men from adultery or being seduced by other women''s beauty because an imported sex partner would be tantamount to marriage, reports the Daily Mail. "There was no shame in it and it is not haram'' (forbidden) under Islamic Sharia law," Mutairi claimed. To justify her claim, she cites an 8th century Muslim leader Haroun al-Rashid, who is rumoured to have had 2,000 mistresses. Mutairi recommended that offices could be opened to run the sex trade in the same way that recruitment agencies provide housemaids. "For example, in the Chechnyan war, surely there are female Russian captives," she said. "So go and buy those and sell them here in Kuwait. Better than to have our men engage in forbidden sexual relations." Mutairi said that during a recent visit to Mecca, she asked Saudi muftis - Muslim religious scholars - what the Islamic ruling was on owning sex slaves. They are said to have told her that it is not haram. The ruling was confirmed by ''specialized people of the faith'' in Kuwait, she claimed. In an attempt to consider the woman''s feelings in the arrangement, Mutari conceded that the enslaved women, however, should be at least 15. Her remarks, made in a video posted on YouTube last month and carried by newspapers in the Gulf states in recent days, have sparked outrage in cyber-space from fellow Kuwaitis and others in the wider region. ''Wonder how Salwa al Mutairi would've felt if during the occupation (of Kuwait) by Iraqi forces, she was sold as 'war booty' as she advocates for Chechen women,'' tweeted Mona Eltahawy. Another tweeter, Shireen Qudosi, told Mutairi ''you're a disgrace to women everywhere''.

Future hotel rooms will offer virtual sex to guests travelling alone Posted: A look at future hotel rooms has revealed that they will enable guests to have virtual sex, check their emails using high-tech contact lenses, and also control their dreams. Budget hotel chain Travelodge hired futurologist Ian Pearson to predict just how much hotel rooms will change by 2030 due to cutting-edge technology, with the results released in the Future of Sleep report. According to TravelMole, Pearson said that augmented reality will transform the hotel experience, ensuring a good night's sleep as well as offering recreation, training, medical monitoring, rest and rejuvenation. "Remote virtual love making will be possible by 2030, allowing individuals to connect with their partner whilst away from home," the Daily Telegraph quoted the report as saying. "Couples will also be able to benefit from the ability to link peripheral nervous systems via active skin electronics together for enhanced love making. "This will enable both individuals to experience each other's feelings and emotions. "By wearing active lenses to change the image delivered to their retinas, individuals will be able to adjust how their partner looks whilst making love. "This will enable people to change the image of their partner on a regular basis, and only they will be aware as their lover will not be able to tell what they are looking at," it stated. The special contact lenses will also deliver 3D images directly to the retina, allowing guests to watch TV or check emails while drifting off to sleep. In an Inception-style twists guests will even be able to control their dreams. "By 2030 we will be able to manage the contents of our dreams as in the movie Inception," the report said. "Video, audio, smells and tactile experiences produced using our bed or bed linen will play a key role in helping to make our dreams feel real. "We will be able to replay our favourite dream from a menu just like choosing a movie. Also, we will be link into dreams with our partner or family and friends and enjoy a shared dream experience," it added. Pearson predicts that by 2030 it will be possible to diagnose some medical conditions through the monitoring of sleep patterns. Electro-responsive fibres in sleepwear will pick up on signals from the skin and measure skin conductivity, indicating stress, pulse and blood pressure.

Lesbian blogger kidnapped by armed men Posted: A popular Syrian-American lesbian author of the Syrian blog called "A Gay Girl in Damascus" has been kidnapped by armed men in Damascus Amina Arraf, who blogs under the name Amina Abdallah, was kidnapped while she and her friend were going to a meeting in the Syrian capital, Fox News reports. Her blog reportedly started in February and it featured poems along with criticism of the Syrian crackdown on protesters. A blog post from a woman who identified herself as Amina's cousin, indicates that Amina was kidnapped by three armed men in their early 20s. She wrote that the kidnappers are likely one of the security services or the Baath Party militia. "One of the men then put his hand over Amina''s mouth and they hustled her into a red Dacia Logan," Rania Ismail, the cousin, posted. Ismail wrote that it is unclear who to appeal to get the woman back and her kidnappers may be forcibly deporting her. Sandra Bagaria, the woman''s partner, said she was in email contact with Amina an hour before the kidnapping. "She was going to meet with two activists, and that was it; it was the last time I heard from her," said Bagaria. The US State Department said that it is looking into the issue. Amina, whose blog has drawn fans from across the globe, holds both Syrian and American citizenships.

Japanese astronaut to grow space cucumbers Posted: A Japanese astronaut is planning to grow cucumbers in space as part of an experiment to assess how gravity affects food cultivation. Satoshi Furukawa is due to blast into space today for a six-month stint on board the International Space Station (ISS). Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa plan to grow cucumbbers and tomatoes in space Preparing for his mission, the astronaut revealed he was planning to harvest cucumbers as part of an experiment focusing on the effects of gravity-free environment on food growth. The space experiment will most likely be welcomed by the cucumber industry back on earth, which has been hit badly by mistaken reports of connections with the E.coli outbreak. However, Furukawa lamented the fact that astronauts would be forbidden to eat the food grown on board the space ship because of strict controls on their diet. The cucumber project is the latest food-related initiative taken up by the Japanese space team, with fellow astronaut Soichi Noguchi making his own sushi while on board the ISS last year. In the latest space mission, Furukawa will not be the only green-fingered ISS resident experimenting with vegetables: fellow traveller Sergei Volkov, from Russia, will also be growing tomatoes. Volkov joked that he would like to be granted permission to make a cucumber-tomato salad with his Japanese colleague, adding,"To be honest, what I would really like is fried potato."

NZ mourns death of Shrek the sheep Posted: New Zealand is in mourning after the death of one of its biggest stars, a celebrity sheep called Shrek who was reckoned to be the woolliest in the world. The 17-year-old Merino sheep was put to sleep yesterday after a long and glamourous life that included TV shows, national tours, his own barn and a personal carer; he even made it into the pages of Playboy magazine. Shrek, with his owner John Perriam after being shorn in Cromwell before 200 onlookers and a live worldwide television audience Shrek captured the public's imagination in 2004 after he evaded the annual shearing round-ups for seven years by hiding in caves on his farm on South Island. When finally found, he was clad in an astonishing 27kg of wool. In a country where sheep outnumber people by nearly 10 to one, Shrek's story of stubbornness and guile appealed to many. After his capture, Shrek was shorn on live TV in a broadcast which was picked up around the world. His story inspired three books. "He was quite an elderly statesman," said owner John Perriam. "He taught us a lot." Until becoming sick three weeks ago, Shrek toured the country, commanding huge sums of money for appearances and getting the star treatment wherever he went. Perriam believes Shrek was able to survive the winters and avoid detection by moving about a series of sheltered caves and by munching on small native shrubs. "It's bizarre that we missed him seven years in a row," he said. "But from his point of view, it was the perfect environment." Since Shrek's death, tributes have been pouring in online, including on the Facebook page 'R.I.P Shrek the Sheep.' Perriam is planning a funeral service and will ask a friend to scatter Shrek's ashes on top of Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain. 27 kg The amount of wool Shrek was clad in when people found him hiding in the cave avoiding annual shearing

US Congressman admits sending lewd photos Posted: Anthony Weiner confessed that he sent obscene pictures of himself to admirers over Twitter then lied about being the victim of hackers when he was caught An indignant Anthony Weiner tried to dismiss it as a prank that played on his surname. When a photograph of a man's underpants complete with a bulging crotch was sent from his Twitter account to a college student in Seattle, the New York Democrat vehemently denied he had sent it, claiming his account had been hacked or hijacked. Anthony Weiner insisted that he would not resign as he broke no laws last night at a press conference "When you're named Weiner, it kind of goes with the territory," he had said, feigning good humour in one of several interviews last week in which he tried to douse the controversy. "Obviously, somebody got access to my account: that's bad. They sent a picture that makes fun of the name: Weiner. I get it. You know, touche Dr Moriarty, you got me." He insisted: "I can definitively say I did not send this." On Monday, as evidence was emerging of a series of lewd dispatches emanating from Weiner's Twitter and Facebook accounts, the congressman finally confessed to having sent explicit photographs to at least six women over several years. This had continued after he married Huma Abedin, a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton, last year. Teary confession In a teary confession to reporters, the 46-year-old admitted trying to cover up the scandal, which broke last month, apologising for his actions. While admitting to a "deep weakness", for which he may seek therapy, he insisted he would not be resigning, and had not broken any law. "I have made terrible mistakes that have hurt some of the people I care about most. I apologise to my wife and our family. I am deeply ashamed of my judgment and terrible actions." He admitted sending the now infamous "bulge" picture to the student, one of 67,000 people who were following him on Twitter and with whom he had "a cursory message exchange". He had meant to send it as a direct message as part of a joke. "Once I realised I posted it to Twitter, I panicked," he said. "I took it down and said that I had been hacked. I then continued with that story, to stick to that story, which was a hugely regrettable mistake." He added, "I regret not being honest about this. I was embarrassed: I was trying to protect my wife and to protect my family." Net relationship At the same time, a TV news report was identifying a 26-year-old single mother from Texas, Meagan Broussard, as having received the same picture as part of a month-long electronic relationship with the politician. She offered dozens of photos, e-mails, Facebook messages and mobile phone call logs as evidence, saying Weiner's jaunty messages would ask how she was, but also what she was wearing "you know, in the bedroom, that sort of thing". News of Weiner's risque Tweets was broken by blogger Andrew Breitbart, who has pasted some of the photos on his biggovernment.com website. Weiner faces an ethics investigation and could be forced to quit if it is shown that he used his taxpayer-funded office and mobile phone to send the lewd shots. Porn star Liaison Disgraced Anthony Weiner told a former porn star how to lie in order to cover up their online sexual relationship even offering her PR help from his team, according to reports.Weiner told the porn actress Miss Ginger Lee to deny that they'd been sending each other sexual e-mails.

Kahn's 'not guilty' plea lost to TV Posted: Electronic media covering the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case in New York, one of the most reported stories of recent years, missed his "not guilty" plea. His first words uttered in public since his arrest for sexual assault were not recorded because the sole camera permitted in court was not rolling. The operator had not received permission to start filming, French journalists reported from the scene. US print media wrote about the defendant's "thick French accent". The court camera did catch the former IMF chief's reply to Justice Michael J Obus's subsequent question about whether he understood the implications of failing to reappear in court. That was a simple "yes", delivered with eyes closed and a nod of the head. The New York Times noted that Strauss-Kahn's arraignment was being carried live on the two main French channels, TF1 and France 2, on domestic cable news channels and on France24, which broadcasts in French, English and Arabic. His arrival at the Manhattan courtroom was greeted by a media scrum and by scores of New York chambermaids in their work clothes booing and chanting "Shame on you". The publicity attaching to Strauss-Kahn's arrest after his alleged assault on a chambermaid on 14 May, including his "perp walk" before the cameras and his televised court appearance, caused some sections of the French establishment to react with outrage. Maid to testify The hotel maid who has accused former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault plans to testify at his trial. "She is going to come into this courthouse, get on that witness stand and tell the world what Dominique Strauss-Kahn did to her," her lawyer, Kenneth P Thompson said.

Rana-Headley were a team Posted: Pakistani-Canadian knew what his friend was up to, hears Chicago court Pakistan-born Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana and his boyhood friend Pakistani American David Coleman Headley "were playing for the same team", a Chicago court was told yesterday. Tahawwur Rana admitted on record before the FBI that he was aware that Headley had met Ilyas Kashmiri, the brain behind the Mumbai attacks, in Pakistan "Rana and Headley were playing for the same team," Assistant US Attorney Victoria Peters told the jury as closing arguments began in the trial of Rana, who is accused of providing material support to the Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack that claimed 166 lives. "He knows exactly who Headley is and what he is up to," said Peters of Headley, aka Daood Gilani, who has pleaded guilty to scouting targets for the Mumbai attack by using the cover of Rana's immigration business, a local TV channel reported. Peters said a taped conversation from September 2009 proves he knew about the terror attack. "You have to use your common sense," she told jurors. Rana waived his right to testify. But jurors got to hear from him on videotapes recorded shortly after he was arrested. Rana sat down with FBI agents in October 2009 after waiving his right to remain silent. Approximately 18 minutes of the nearly six-hour interview were played in court on Monday. During the interrogation, Rana mentions the names of suspected terrorists, including Ilyas Kashmiri, who was believed to be al Qaeda's chief of military operations in Pakistan until he was reportedly killed in a US drone strike. "And we also know that David has met Ilyas Kashmiri," an FBI official said to Rana during the recorded interrogation. "Yes," Rana said. "Ilyas Kashmiri is the leader of the Azaad chapter of Harkat-Ul Jihad Islami," the FBI agent responded. While Peters argues that "this recording alone proves Rana knew", Rana's defence attorneys say there is nothing on the tapes that proves Rana is guilty. "What did he say? 'I knew that he talked about those people.' Did he say, 'I know about any plots?' No. Did he say, 'I know what David Headley was doing?' No," Rana's Attorney Charlie Swift was quoted as saying. "And Doctor Rana wasn't going to testify any different than that."

Saudi king bans men from selling lingerie Posted: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah decreed that only women would be allowed to work in the kingdom's lingerie shops. The issue of Saudi women working in lingerie shops was at the center of a dispute three years ago between the labour ministry and the powerful religious authority, which issued a fatwa banning such jobs. The king's decree was part of a push to reduce high female unemployment in the conservative kingdom. Saudi women have long complained they feel uncomfortable having to buy lingerie from men and would prefer female sales assistants. Fatima Garub, the founder of a Facebook campaign called "Enough Embarrassment," welcomed the king's decision, saying that it would create about 6,000 jobs for Saudi women. "From now, embarrassment will end. We thank the king, who felt our problem and took the decision that we have been waiting for a long time," Garub said. Unemployment among women in the oil-rich Gulf state is estimated at about 30 per cent.

Nursery monster rapes two-yr-old girl Posted: Sick worker (20) admits to horrifying rape of toddler in his care and 45 other sex charges A paedophile nursery worker pleaded guilty yesterday to raping a toddler in his care and a string of offences linked to the online grooming of more than 20 other girls. Paul Wilson (20) pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape of a toddler and 45 other charges of making and distributing indecent images and inciting youngsters to engage in sexual activity on the internet. Police found images of the toddler's abuse during a raid on his flat. Beast: One of his victims said she felt violated and that her trust was betrayed. Representation pic/Thinkstock images Wilson also allegedly groomed more than 20 girls online -- using multiple identities to befriend them on chat logs and social networking site. The fiend, from Birmingham, faces an indeterminate sentence if convicted. He was charged with rape in January after his arrest on suspicion of child abuse prompted an investigation at the nearby Little Stars Nursery. Meanwhile, one of his online victims said she felt shocked, violated and ashamed by her experiences. Paul Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape of a toddler. Hatred The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, declared she felt "pure hatred" for him after he made contact over the MSN messaging site and web-based youth community Netlog. Wilson at first chatted normally with her but eventually pressured her into exposing herself using a webcam. When she discovered what he had done to others she said, "I felt violated -- it just betrayed all my trust." She also revealed that she was terrified he would distribute images he already had of her if she did not obey him " but said she was eventually so "exhausted" by his demands she deleted him from her account. The girl said, "I was really scared that he was going to send it to everybody else. It was the choice of carrying on doing this -- which I just did not want to do -- or going through a few months of total humiliation from these images." It took more than half an hour for Wilson at Birmingham Crown Court -- to enter his pleas to each charge, standing with his right arm folded across his chest. Judge William Davis QC remanded him in custody, telling him, "The public have to be protected from you. It is almost inevitable that there will be what is called an indeterminate sentence."

Brit man escapes jail despite putting ham in shoes of Muslim worshippers Posted: A British man who stuffed ham into the shoes of Muslim worshippers at a mosque has escaped a jail term Jamie Knowlson, 30, also draped slices of ham, which Muslims are banned from eating, on railings outside the mosque as his victims prayed inside. He pleaded guilty to causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment and could have been jailed for up to two years. But he walked free from Bristol Crown Court with a suspended six-month prison sentence because he had returned to the mosque to apologize for his actions, the Daily Mail reports. Knowlson targeted the Al-Baseera mosque in the St Judes area of the city, which is used by more than 2,000 Somali Muslims every week. His actions were caught on CCTV camera. Knowlson initially told police the stunt was a drunken joke but later admitted that he was fully aware of the offence his actions would cause. Knowlson was handed a six-month suspended sentence and 150 hours of unpaid work. A second man is due to stand trial in connection with the incident later this month.

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