£315m of Abacha's loot to return to Nigeria from The State Of Jersey!

The State of Jersey, the biggest territory in the Channels Island, is set to return £315 million Abacha loot to Nigeria.

Mr Micheal Birt, the Ballif of Jersey stated this at a dinner in honour of Dr Dalhatu Tafida, Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK during a state visit to the Island.
Birt, who doubles as the Island’s Civic Head of State and ceremonial head, is the highest ranking official in the Jersey order of precedence.
Island, famous for its transparent banking services, had previously repatriated in two tranches £140 million of the loot.

The Europe correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports in

London that the money was laundered on behalf of Abacha by Mr Raj Bhojwani, an Indian businessman. Bhojwani is currently serving an eight-year sentence in a UK prison.

Speaking on Jersey’s financial services and global perception of the Island, Birt said that the repatriated loot was in line with ongoing campaign against money laundering.
He said: “We have done a lot to clean up the image of the Island as a safe haven for stolen wealth. What we have in place is a transparent and legal finance heaven where only legal funds can be deposited and accessed by investors.”
In his response, Tafida commended Birt for the Island’s transparent banking sector, and informed them of government’s commitment to fighting corruption and strengthening its anti-graft agencies.
The high commissioner also spoke on the investment opportunities in all sectors of the economy, while laying emphasis on the nation’s GDP, and high return on investment rate.
Nigeria’s GDP has grown above 6.5 per cent per annul in the last six years.
He said: “The array of investment opportunities that abound in the country and generous incentives available to investors in all sectors of the economy, has continued to make it a global investment destination.”
The dinner was attended by top officials from the Jersey government and members of Tafida’s delegation. NAN reports that the visit marks the beginning of a bi-lateral relations with the Jersey. Officials from Jersey are expected to carry out a similar visit to Nigeria.
Culled

Meet Lagos Prophet Who Sleeps In COFFINS And GRAVES

The prophet has said that he follows this weird practice to show people that everything gathered on earth ends in vanity as a corpse goes to his grave with nothing after death.
The Nation reports:
Speaking to The Nation on why he keeps both strange and curious objects, the spiritual leader and founder, Pa Samuel Olawale, who is in his 80s, declared :
“Yes, it is true that I have a coffin covered with a black cloth in the church, it is in a big van. Not only this, I have a big hole dug by the altar. You can go and see it, take the picture. But for the grave or the hole, it is by the altar. And next time, I will open it for you while I am there. The two strange objects are pregnant with meanings. I have reasons why I am keeping them there.”
While preachers, evangelists and men of God go out preaching with the Holy Bible, asking sinners to repent , Pa Samuel Olawale (a.k.a Kogberegbe) goes out not only with the Holy Bible but always ‘armed’ with an empty coffin , a bell in his hand, preaching to sinners to repent and come to God.
He said: “Yes it is true that I am carrying the coffin about while preaching and what I am trying to point out is that no matter how wealthy you are you will not leave this world with these money, it all ends here. You will not go into the grave with your wealth or with money, be you a civil servant who stole money, be you an armed robber, be you a landlord or a caretaker, your money and wealth ends here the moment you are dead.”
He continued: “Any time I go out, I would at times sleep in the coffin, telling everybody that that is how we will end. Yes, we should remember this. If you are buried with expensive coffin, clothes and jewelleries, all will be stolen from you in the night and your carcass will be left. To me, life has no meaning until we come to God. Things are going wrong in this world and we should mend our ways.”
Kogberegbe added: “Yes, I even sleep there (in the coffin and the grave) at times too, to let us know that we will all end up in the grave!”
Asked whether people read different meanings to it, he replied: “Oh no, no, they all know that we are preaching the word of God. It is just to let us all know that there is nothing in this life. This is an ephemeral world, the grave is for prayer and we open it every year while praying on the mountain.”

- See more at: http://akpraise.com/2014/06/02/meet-lagos-prophet-who-sleeps-in-coffins-and-graves-photo/#sthash.vxQMfXHH.dpuf

Meet Lagos prophet who sleeps in COFFINS and GRAVES (PHOTO)

The prophet has said that he follows this weird practice to show people that everything gathered on earth ends in vanity as a corpse goes to his grave with nothing after death.
The Nation reports:
Speaking to The Nation on why he keeps both strange and curious objects, the spiritual leader and founder, Pa Samuel Olawale, who is in his 80s, declared :
“Yes, it is true that I have a coffin covered with a black cloth in the church, it is in a big van. Not only this, I have a big hole dug by the altar. You can go and see it, take the picture. But for the grave or the hole, it is by the altar. And next time, I will open it for you while I am there. The two strange objects are pregnant with meanings. I have reasons why I am keeping them there.”
While preachers, evangelists and men of God go out preaching with the Holy Bible, asking sinners to repent , Pa Samuel Olawale (a.k.a Kogberegbe) goes out not only with the Holy Bible but always ‘armed’ with an empty coffin , a bell in his hand, preaching to sinners to repent and come to God.
He said: “Yes it is true that I am carrying the coffin about while preaching and what I am trying to point out is that no matter how wealthy you are you will not leave this world with these money, it all ends here. You will not go into the grave with your wealth or with money, be you a civil servant who stole money, be you an armed robber, be you a landlord or a caretaker, your money and wealth ends here the moment you are dead.”
He continued: “Any time I go out, I would at times sleep in the coffin, telling everybody that that is how we will end. Yes, we should remember this. If you are buried with expensive coffin, clothes and jewelleries, all will be stolen from you in the night and your carcass will be left. To me, life has no meaning until we come to God. Things are going wrong in this world and we should mend our ways.”
Kogberegbe added: “Yes, I even sleep there (in the coffin and the grave) at times too, to let us know that we will all end up in the grave!”
Asked whether people read different meanings to it, he replied: “Oh no, no, they all know that we are preaching the word of God. It is just to let us all know that there is nothing in this life. This is an ephemeral world, the grave is for prayer and we open it every year while praying on the mountain.”

- See more at: http://akpraise.com/2014/06/02/meet-lagos-prophet-who-sleeps-in-coffins-and-graves-photo/#sthash.vxQMfXHH.dpuf

Suspected Killer Child-Bride Begs Court: ‘Set me free!’

Wasila Umar, 14, the child-bride suspected to have killed her husband at Yansoro village, Kademi general area of Gaya local government council of Kano State broke down in tears while pleading with the trial judge handling her case at the juvenile court to set her free because she was home sick.
Wasila rhetorically asked why she had been held by the authorities in a place where she had no access to her loved ones over the past weeks.

Wasila’s father, Tasiu Muhammed

The child-bride’s dilemma underscored the state of confusion she found  herself in following her detention by the police culminating in her appearance before the juvenile court.
Between April 1 and May 21 that she appeared before the court,  in Kano, she had variously been a guest of three detention centres located in Kano and Gaya .
Interestingly, her situation attracted the attention of human right activists, including the Federation of Women Lawyers in Nigeria which practically took over her  upkeep and defence.
The women lawyers group protested the arraignment of the suspected  killer child-bride before a magistrate court, forcing the Kano State Judicial Council to transfer Wasila’s trial to the juvenile court.
The letter of transfer of the trial dated April 30, 2914, and signed by one Sani Shehu for the Registrar, Kano State High Court of Justice, obtained by Sunday Vanguard, was entitled, “Commissioner of police versus Wasila Umar, a juvenile accused of poisoning her husband and three others.”
“The Chief Registrar has directed that the above headlined matter which was pending before  Magistrate Court 34, Rijiyar Zaki , Kano is now transferred for continuation at the Juvenile Court to its conclusion”, the letter said.
That marked the beginning of the trial of the teenager who had been away from her Kaura village for 51 days.
‘Strange land’
However, in an exclusive chat with Sunday Vanguard before her arraignment at the juvenile court, Wasila revealed: “I miss my mum who has not been allowed to visit me in a strange land.
“What, however, keeps me going is the fact that my family are with me at this critical point in my life, and I am highly comforted by their prayers”.
According to her,  “my dad and aunt visited me a few days ago and conveyed my mother’s message but the vacuum created by  her absence can not be filled by anyone.

Wasila

“I have been receiving help from the people I did not know from Adam, I mean women who have shown concern, and cater for my needs at the remand home where I have been detained by the authorities.
“I know for sure this trial will come to an end one day and I would reconcile with my family”.
Meanwhile, Wasila’s dream of reuniting with her family one day might be a pipe dream.  In the event she wins the case against her by the state, she might not have a home to return due to the tension generated in her in-law’s Yansoro village by her alleged killing of her husband and three friends.
Bitterness
Sunday Vanguard’s visit to  the village unveiled a picture of bitterness by her in-laws who viewed her action as wicked and could not be forgiven.
The journey to Yansoro was rough; no access road, no school, no health centre, no pipe borne water.
The village is a classical example of  neglect and leadership failure. Yansoro is a village cut off from civilization. An interview conducted with Wasila’s father-in-law at the city centre attracted a crowd comprising of the young and the old who constantly interjected to voice out their anger.
Sani Garba, the late Umar’s father, told Sunday Vanguard: “I am talking to you with a heavy heart, because I am still nursing a fatal injury handed over to me by my daughter-in-law.”
“Do you know that I lost three children to her action and you are asking whether I have forgiven her? The act was too painful to be forgiven  and I don’t think I can forgive her”.
Shedding  light on the relationship between the child- bride and her late husband, he said, “They  courted for 12 months and my son spent a fortune on her.  The fact remains that the duo were no strangers to each other and it pains me the more when people try to cook up the  forced marriage theory”
Garba, believed to be in his early 60s, went on: “We understand the authorities have taken over the case, but whether they choose to stand by the truth remains their headache for I have since gone to my God who is sufficient for me.”

Wasila’s father in-law, Sani Garba

The crowd that converged at the city centre during the short interview appeared satisfied with the old man’s responses to questions and gave him a round of applause.
But one was clear from the interview, the deep seated anger they demonstrated during the encounter was a reminder that they could go to war to settle scores.
Absolute grief
However, the atmosphere at Wasila village, Kaura, adjacent to her in-law’s was that of grief. Like their counterparts at Yansoro, the residents live a life worse than slavery.
Wasila’s father, Tasiu Muhammad, told Sunday Vanguard: “What happened left a sour taste in our mouths but we don’t have to abandon the little girl.  That is why I identify with her at this moment of trial”. Tasiu linked the alleged action of her daughter to destiny which could not be prevented.
“In such situation, we only look onto Allah for divine intervention“, the father said. “What has happened came with a fatal consequence on my family, and I have visited my in-laws in the company of my kinsmen to seek for their forgiveness on behalf of my daughter”.
Commenting on their involvement,  the chairperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kano, Hussaina Aliyu, revealed that no formal charges had been preferred against Wasila, stressing that the trial judge had fixed June 16 for mentioning.

Culled

Ex-wife Accused Of Hiring Man To Kill Husband With Car Bomb

Lawyers for a woman charged in the 1996 Tucson car bomb killing of her ex-husband say their client had nothing to gain from his death, that she was a successful real estate broker with her own assets.
Prosecutors, however, describe Pamela Phillips as a gold digger who hired a former boyfriend to kill businessman Gary Triano to collect on a $2 million life insurance policy.
Opening statements in the case began Wednesday.
Phillips has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The ex-boyfriend was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to two life terms, though jurors aren't allowed to consider his case while determining Phillips' fate.
Triano, a Tucson developer, died Nov. 1, 1996, when his car exploded outside a country club.

source: hoffpost

Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill into Law Signed by President Jonathan

“I certify that this Bill has been carefully compared by me with the decision reached by the National Assembly and found by me to be true and correct decision of the Houses and is in accordance with the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. I assent,” The assent note read.
“The President has signed the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill into law. This has foreclosed any pressure on President Jonathan not to assent to the bill.
“We received inquiries from some foreign embassies on why the bill was signed into law. But we told them that our cultural values do not tolerate same sex marriage.
“Also, we made it clear that since most Nigerians were opposed to the bill, the parliament acted in line with the wish of the majority. We are in a democratic setting, the President has no choice than to bow to the wish of the people.
“These embassies were shocked but there is no going back. We hope they will also abide by the decision of Nigerians,” a source close the President revealed.

According to some abstracts, obtained by The Nation, the Act reads:

“A marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex: (a) is prohibited in Nigeria; and (b) shall not be recognized as entitled to the benefits of a valid marriage.
More

The Act also stipulates the volume of the sanctions awaiting the violators of the new law.

“A person who enters into a same sex marriage contract or civil union commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment.
“A person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organizations directly or indirectly makes public show of dame sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.
“A person or group of persons who administers, witnesses, abets or aids the solemnization of a same sex marriage or civil union of supports the registration, operation and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, organizations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.
“The High Court of a State or of the Federal Capital Territory shall have jurisdiction to entertain matters raiding from the breach of the provisions of this Act.”

PHOTO: Man Caught Trying To Smuggle Woman Into The US In Suitcase

A man tried to smuggle a Thai woman in his suitcase at the Port of Nogales in Arizona. A photo released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows the woman inside a suitcase in a smuggling attempt at the US-Mexico border.

Customs and Border Protection agents discovered the 48-year-old woman while inspecting a Honda SUV entering the United States on 30 December in Nogales.

She was hidden under clothing in the large suitcase in the back of the vehicle driven by the 56-year-old man from Phoenix.

Their names were not released as the man faces smuggling charges.

 

LazyWrita

Ex University Registrar's Wife Commits Suicide

THE University town of Ekpoma, in Edo State was thrown into mourning yesterday, when the wife of the former registrar of the Ambrose Alli Unversity, Mrs. Kate Edokpayi, was found dead after committing suicide.
Her dangling body was discovered by her husband, Mr. Larry Edokpayi, in one of the rooms in their boy’s quarters.
Although she did not leave any suicide note, it was, however, learnt that she might have been frustrated over her health challenges.
It was gathered that she had repeatedly expressed frustration over her inability to get cure for her diabetic condition.
Vanguard learnt that the husband, who recently retired from the service of the university, had suspected kidnapping after a long search before he was advised to check the boy’s quarters.
On getting to the quarters, he was said to have observed that the door was bolted from behind and forced  it  open. He was shocked to see the dangling body of his wife at the ceiling.
She was an Assistant Director with the Edo State Ministry of Education, overseeing the ministry’s office in the Ekpoma before her death.

Vanguard

Tortured Ejigbo Women: N1.25Million placed for Perpetrators Arrest-Lagos House Of Assembly

In a stakeholders' meeting in Lagos Nigeria, Ikeja Lateef Jande Auditorium Alausa secretariat,  the Chairman of the five-man ad hoc committee incharge of the investigation, Mr Ajibayo Adeyeye said N1.25 Million has been set aside to help fish out the Hoodlums. In a statement he released thus: “Anybody that gives information that leads to the arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous act shall be given N1 million. And I will add the sum of 250,000 from my private account to increase the sum N1.25million.”

The President of Women Arise Initiative, Dr. Joe  Odumakin, who had initiatly led a protest to the House on the matter, said that she saw the video for the first time on December 7, 2013.
Odumakin said in a plead that the greatest gift anyone could give the women was to get justice for them.

N50Million Demanded For The Release Of Ex-Commissioner's 6year Old Son.

Ex-Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development in Bayelsa State, Mr. Godknows Powell whose six year old son was kidnapped on Jan 1, 2014 from a Church service he attended with his Mother, have been demanded by the Kidnappers for the sum of N50million naira for his son's release.
 
Reports gathered that the Kidnappers warned his family not to involve security personals during the course of negotiations. A source from the family said

“We know the kidnappers will reduce their ransom. It is their normal practice. They always place high amount of money on their victims only to reduce it later through negotiation,” he said.

However, efforts are being made to rescue the boy as soon as possible by Authorities. 

Rivers State Government Points Finger For Ahoada High Court's Bombing!

Rivers State Government has indicated that the Supervising Education Minister Nyesom Wike, along with the leader of the opposition lawmakers in the state House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, might be the ones behind today's bombing of the State High Court at Ahoada, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
According to eyewitnesses, the first explosion occured at about 2 a.m. with a shattering sound. Upon resuming work, the registrar of the Court saw two suspicious objects and alerted the police. However, one of the bombs went off at the block where the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) is located before experts arrived.
The building was badly damaged.
Experts from the Bomb Disposal Unit then proceeded to diffuse the second bomb also within the premises of the High Court.
Commissioner of Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, stated that the bombing of the Ahoada High Court was sanctioned by the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), the political platform of Minister Nyesom Wike.
In a similar develpment, a State High Court in Okehi was also razed down by fire in the early hours of Monday. There was no clue as to what caused the fire.
"We don't know what the intensions of the arsonists are, but it may not be unconnected with the on-going court cases in both courts which are related to the current political crisis in the state," Mrs. Semenitari said.
"The bombing and arson looks like the handiwork of people who are close to the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, and the member of the House of Assembly, representing Ogo-Bolu Constituency, Evans Bipi," she continued.
"Members of the GDI and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as it is currently constituted, are those likely to be behind these sought of violence. You will recall that there was an explosion at the office of the Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru towards the end of the year. You know also that there was an explosion at the Abonema Wharf last year."
Reacting to both incidents, the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Worgu Boms, lamented that the actions were designed to instill fear in the judiciary.

Najj

President Jonathan Set To Unveil External Sponsors Of Boko Haram Sect.

President Goodluck Jonathan speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria and France 24 Radio on a two-day summit on peace and security in Africa, hosted by President Francois Hollande in France on Saturday  said, “We believe that a lot of assistance is coming (to the sect) from outside the country.
“We have not been able to pin down the sources and that is why we are talking to our friends that we should collectively work together to identify the source of their funding.
“A terror on any part of the world is a terror on all of us.”

“Initially, we felt that they were local and as such, some people advocated that because of poverty, these locals carried weapons against the State. So you expect that sophistication will be minimal and you will be able to contain it easily.
“But looking at the calibre of weapons they have, you will find out that they have gone beyond the local expectation. For instance, this last attack on Maiduguri, they came with about 15 to 20 Hilux vehicles and each mounted with two to four rocket launchers.
“They were over 100 and some of them were carrying assault rifles and other weapons. The question then is that, where do they get the weapons? Definitely, these weapons cannot come from the locals, they are coming from somewhere.’’

The President added, “They were talking about some conditions in the barracks and because of that, not quite long, I released N1bn to make sure that they expand the facilities in detention camps, particularly the camp in Giwa Barracks that they complained about.
“Boko Haram members  that have been  arrested are being detained in a number of places and not only Giwa Barracks.
“Following complaints that I received about that particular barracks, I called the Chief of Defence Staff to go and use the army engineers to quickly expand and improve the facilities so that people arrested will live under normal human conditions.”

“The issue of human rights abuses is blown out of proportion. Whenever they have a major encounter, Boko Haram destroys at will, they kill at will, some of these destructions that are being ascribed to the Nigerian Army are actually done by the Boko Haram sect,’’ he said.

“Even  Adamawa  , the third state that the   emergency rule  covers, within this period, there are no issues unlike before that there were repeated   killings and bombings.
“Though, we are still having this issue of occasional attacks, but definitely, the emergency rule has helped,’’ he said.
The President also  said he had yet to receive a comprehensive report on a French priest that was kidnapped in Northern Cameroon and reported to have been taken to Nigeria.
“No comprehensive information yet on this. But what we know is that it is quite worrisome that the issue of commercial hostage-taking is now a global business. Though, we got the information, but I cannot give any categorical statement. But, we know that the tradition of hostage-takers is mobility because when they are being tracked, they move,” he added.
 

The President however denied the reports that the Joint Task Force were abusing human rights and added it was the  Sect. READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/53907.html

teen accused of murdering math teacher pleads not guilty

The 14-year-old Massachusetts boy accused of slitting the throat of his math teacher in a school bathroom pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges Wednesday.

Nicolaus Czarnecki / Zuma Press

Philip Chism, 14, is accused of murdering teacher Colleen Ritzer, 24.

Philip Chism, accused in the Oct. 22 slaying of Colleen Ritzer, 24, is facing murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery charges.
Chism, who is charged with murder as an adult, appeared stoic during his court appearance just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, which ran for just 15 minutes.
Ritzer, a beloved teacher at Danvers High School, was discovered in the woods near the school along with a note reading: "I hate you all."
She was naked from the waist down and her body had been "sexually staged," according to court documents released last month.

Teacher Colleen Ritzer

A law enforcement source told NBC News that Ritzer's throat was slit from the back with a box-cutter in a second-floor bathroom at the school. Her body was then taken from the campus in a recycling bin, dumped in the woods and covered with leaves, the source said.
Chism had already pleaded not guilty in district court, but the gruesome case was transferred to Superior Court after he was indicted in November, according to the Associated Press. His attorney consented Wednesday to a prosecution request that he remain held without bail.
Authorities have yet to disclose a motive for the teacher's brutal murder.
Chism's attorney has declined to comment, according to the AP.



source:nbcnews

Nahaf man stabs female police officer, 23, because she refused to give him her phone number

A man was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly stabbing a female police officer because she refused to give him her personal phone number, according to police reports in Israel.


The Haifa District Attorney’s office filed an indictment with the Haifa District Court on Thursday, against Omar Souad, 23, of Nahaf, after attempting to murder a national service volunteer, 19, serving at a police station in Carmiel.

The volunteer suffered serious injuries.

Souad, who is serving a sentence of community service at the Carmiel police station, asked the woman for her phone number several times, but she refused.

She told the suspect that she has no interest in him, and she reported the incident to her supervisor at the police station.

The supervisor warned the suspect to stay away of the police officer, but he ignored the order.

Two weeks ago, he came to the police station with a long kitchen knife. He waited at a nearby parking lot for the volunteer to arrive. When the volunteer arrived at the station, Souad approached her and stabbed her in the chest.

The volunteer tried to defend herself, but Souad continued to stab her 8 times. He fled from the scene with the volunteer's cellphone.


source: yjn

Man rapes his 11-year-old daughter because his wife left him

Ademola Simiyu 

A man told police that he raped his 11-year-old daughter because his wife lift him, according to court proceedings in Nigeria.

The Osun State Police said that they arrested 35-year-old Ademola Simiyu of Ile Olode, Ikoyi, for allegedly raping his daughter.

Simiyu, a father of three children, woke up the girl at 12:00 a.m. while she slept with her brothers, and forcefully had sex with her.

The suspect is accused of covering the mouth of his daughter so no one should hear her screams. The girl began to bleed heavily, but the father refused to take her to a hospital for fear of being questioned.

The crime came to light after the young girl told her mother about the abuse.

Detectives took the girl to a local hospital for medical examinations and treatments.

When questioned by police, Simiyu admitted to the allegations saying he did not know what came over him.

He also told police officers that his wife left him and it is difficult to be alone.

Doctors said that the girl suffered serious vaginal injuries as a result of the rape.

The suspect was brought before the Osogbo Magistrate's Court, and was charged with three counts of rape.

A judge remanded the suspect into custody, and he was booked into Ilesa prison.


source:yjn

Iceland's Police Shoot And Kill Suspect For First Time Ever

An armed police operation in Iceland has resulted for the first time in a death when police in the country's capital shot and killed a man Monday.
The unnamed victim, a man in his late 50s, was said to have been firing a shotgun inside his apartment and out of the windows Monday morning in east Reykjavik. Repeated attempts to calm him, in addition to a tear gas canister lobbed into his room, had been unsuccessful, reports the Agence France-Presse.
In a news conference, national police chief Haraldur Johannessen told the BBC the incident is "without precedent." It is the first time an armed police operation in the country has resulted in a death.
"Police regret this incident and would like to extend their condolences to the family of the man," added Johannessen.
Euronews reports that two Icelandic police officers were wounded in the operation, neither of them seriously. The suspect was removed on a stretcher and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Iceland enjoys a low crime rate -- a unique product of its large, stable middle class and its thorough screening requirements for gun permits, among other elements, per an earlier report by the BBC
A report from GunPolicy.org found Iceland suffered 4 deaths as a result of firearms in 2009, the last year for which data was available. By comparison, the United States had 31,347 that same year. That breaks down to 1.25 gun deaths per 100,000 people in Iceland, and 10.22 per 100,000 in the U.S.


source: hoffpost

Medical radioactive material truck 'stolen in Mexico'

A truck carrying medical radioactive material has been stolen in Mexico, the UN's nuclear watchdog says.

Mexico told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the truck was carrying a "dangerous radioactive source" used for cancer treatments when it was stolen on Monday.
The radiotherapy source was being taken from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a waste storage centre.
It was stolen near the capital, Mexico City.
Mexico's Nuclear Security Commission said that at the time of the theft, the cobalt-60 teletherapy source was "properly shielded".
But the commission warned it could be "extremely dangerous to a person if removed from the shielding, or if it was damaged".
Local media reported that the truck, a 2.5-tonne Volkswagen Worker, was stolen by armed men at a petrol station in Tepojaco, on the outskirts of Mexico City on Monday morning.
Mexican police are currently conducting a search for the truck and its contents and have issued a press release to alert the public of its potential dangers.
Experts have long warned about the danger posed by radioactive material used for medical treatments and research in hospitals.



source:bbcnews

Addict Hospital Worker Infected Dozens With Hepatitis C

 
A traveling medical technician who stole painkillers and infected dozens of patients in multiple states with hepatitis C through tainted syringes was sentenced Monday to 39 years in prison.
"I don't blame the families for hating me," David Kwiatkowski said after hearing about 20 statements from people he infected and their relatives. "I hate myself."
Kwiatkowski, 34, was a cardiac technologist in 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired at New Hampshire's Exeter Hospital in 2011. He had moved from job to job despite being fired at least four times over allegations of drug use and theft. Since his arrest last year, 46 people have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C he carries.
U.S. Attorney John Kacavas said the sentence "ensures that this serial infector no longer is in a position to do harm to innocent and vulnerable people."
Kwiatkowski admitted stealing painkillers and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood. He pleaded guilty in August to 16 federal drug charges.
Before he was sentenced, Kwiatkowski stood and faced his victims, saying he was very sorry and that his crimes were caused by an addiction to painkillers and alcohol. He told investigators he had been stealing drugs since at least 2003 and swapping syringes since at least 2008.
"There's no excuse for what I've done," he said. "I know the pain and suffering I have caused."
Prosecutors asked for a 40-year sentence. Judge Joseph Laplante said he cut the last year as a reminder that some people have the capacity for mercy and compassion.
"It's important for you to recognize and remember as you spend the next 39 years in prison to focus on the one year you didn't get and try to develop that capacity in yourself," Laplante said.
The victims spoke angrily and tearfully of the pain that Kwiatkowski had inflicted by giving them hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that can cause liver disease and chronic health problems. Authorities say the disease played a role in one woman's death.
"You may only be facing drug charges, but make no mistake, you are a serial killer," said Kathleen Murray of Elmira, N.Y., whose mother was infected in Baltimore and was too ill to travel to New Hampshire for the sentencing.
Linda Ficken, 71, said she is haunted by the memory of Kwiatkowski standing at her hospital bedside in Kansas for more than an hour applying pressure to the catheter's entry site in her leg to control bleeding.
"On one hand, you were saving my life, and on the other hand, your acts are a death sentence for me," Ficken, of Andover, Kan., told him. "Do I thank you for what you did to help me? Do I despise you for what your actions did and will continue to do for the rest of my life? Or do I simply just feel sorry for you being the pathetic individual you are?"
Prosecutors said Kwiatkowski deserved 40 years for creating a "national public health crisis," putting a significant number of people at risk and caused substantial physical and emotional harm to a large number of victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Farley called Kwiatkowski's actions "exceedingly callous" and "unbelievably cruel" and noted that Kwiatkowski could've stolen painkillers without exposing his patients to hepatitis C.
Defense lawyers argued that a 30-year sentence would better balance the seriousness of the crimes against Kwiatkowski's mental and emotional problems and his addiction to drugs and alcohol, which they said clouded his judgment.
"David Kwiatkowski is not a monster," said attorney Bjorn Lange. "He didn't set out to infect himself or anyone else with the hepatitis C virus."
In all, 32 patients were infected in New Hampshire, seven in Maryland, six in Kansas and one in Pennsylvania. Though prosecutors have not included the Pennsylvania case in their count, a spokeswoman for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has repeatedly said the hospital had one confirmed case. Kwiatkowski also worked in Michigan, New York, Arizona and Georgia.
Two of the 16 charges stem from the case of Eleanor Murphy, a Kansas woman who has since died. Authorities say hepatitis C played a contributing role.
"You ultimately gave my mother a death sentence," Murphy's son, Ronnie, told Kwiatkowski.
Murphy said he would have preferred a life sentence for Kwiatkowski and didn't understand how he had been able to continue working after his repeated firings.
"His path and my mother's path never should have crossed," he said.
The judge noted that while Kwiatkowski's lack of a criminal record kept his sentence from going even higher, he said that was only because Kwiatkowski's employers handled his behavior as personnel matters instead of crimes. And Kacavas said his office has begun working with other agencies to draft policy recommendations to prevent future incidents.
"While the conclusion of this prosecution closes the criminal aspect of this case, it has cast a harsh light on the dirty little secret of drug diversion in the medical setting and it has heightened public awareness for the need for tighter reform and regulation in the hiring and management of medical health care workers," he said.


source:hoffpost

Girl,13, Taken Into Custody After Dozing Off In Dance Instructor's Car

A dance student from Tulsa, Okla., on a trip to Houston was taken into custody on Saturday after she was discovered in her instructor's car.
Landry Thompson, 13, was visiting Houston with her dance instructor, Emmanuel Hurd, to take a series of dance classes from top industry professionals.
On the way back to their hotel with Thompson and another dancer, Hurd, who also goes by the name Emmanuel Cross, stopped at a gas station to get his bearings.
"We were on the GPS trying to figure out where the hotel was and we sat there and we dozed off," Hurd said, according to NewsOn6.com.
Then, the police showed up and surrounded Hurd's car.
"They just pulled us out of the car. Put our hands behind our backs like we were criminals," Hurd said. "He asked me who's the girl. She's my student. I said I had a notarized letter from her parents stating that we have full guardianship over her while we're here."
Thompson and Hurd kept trying to tell their story, but said the officers weren't listening. Nor did they pay attention to the note. Instead, they put cuffs on Thompson and took her to Child Protective Services, and contacted her mother, Destiny Thompson, back in Tulsa.
“I was horrified,” Destiny Thompson told KHOU-TV. “She was with the people I wanted her to be with. She was with people I trusted. And now she was taken away from those people and in a shelter with people I didn’t know.”
At first, Thompson was told she'd have to come to Houston to get her daughter. After 11 hours, and repeated conversations with Houston officials, the teenager was finally freed into Hurd's custody.
Both Destiny and Landry would like an apology, but the Houston Police Department has yet to comment on the incident.


source:hoffpost

Facebook killer: Kills Wife,then Posts The Photos on Facebook; faces first-degree murder charge

 
The South Miami man who allegedly killed his wife and posted a photo of her body on Facebook now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to online court records.
Derek Medina, 31, had initially faced charges of second-degree murder, shooting a deadly missile and child neglect without great bodily harm in the Aug. 8 shooting of his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, 26.
But he had a court hearing Monday with the updated charges, according to court records. NBC 6 South Florida learned that an indictment was filed, but it was not immediately available

Medina previously pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder and child neglect charges and had not entered a plea for the shooting a deadly missile charge.
Medina told detectives he shot Alfonso in self-defense after she continually punched him and pulled a knife on him in their South Miami townhouse, according to Medina's sworn statement to police.
Medina took the knife away from his wife and put it back into a kitchen drawer before the shooting, a police search warrant said.
But the victim's best friend, Daysi Fernandez, claimed that Medina was the aggressor.
Medina repeatedly shot Alfonso at point-blank range as she may have been kneeling and trying to shield her face, according to a medical examiner's report.
Medina admitted to posting the photo of his wife's body and an admission on his Facebook page before he surrendered to police, according to the warrant.
He said he posted the photo to notify his wife's family, the sworn statement said.
Medina called his boss to confess to the crime, a 911 call released in October revealed.
Medina is being held without bond.



source: usnews

SHOCKING PHOTO:Girl burnt by her mother for licking the baby’s food.

 
The daughter, Blessing, a primary three student of the Lagos Model Nursery and Primary School, Ikeja GRA, was allegedly assaulted last Monday by her mother for licking the baby’s food.
It was gathered a neighbour, who lived within the Police College Barracks, Ikeja, with the Maxwells,brought the incident to light after calling the authorities of the LMNPS to complain about Blessing’s condition.
Blessing’s father is said to be a police corporal.
A source within the school, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “It was last Friday that we got the anonymous call. At the time, two of Blessing’s younger siblings were in school, so we called them aside and asked after Blessing.
“At first, they were both scared that they would get into trouble with their mother if they told the truth but they eventually opened up and said their mother had used a hot pressing iron on Blessing.”
The Head Teacher of the school, accompanied by some other employees of the school, was said to have visited  Blessing at home.
It was learnt that on arriving at the Maxwells’ house, Blessing was seen sitting outside their flat, sporting burn marks all over her body.
The source said, “We tried to question Blessing about what happened to her, but she was scared of her mother. Eventually, we went into the house and confronted the mother, but she lied that hot water had mistakenly poured on Blessing.
“When we asked if Blessing had received medical attention for her injuries, her mother got annoyed and dragged Blessing into the house. She then refused to answer more questions. Since it was a police barracks, we thought it wise to leave quietly before things got out of hand.
“The most painful aspect of the whole issue is that despite Blessing’s wounds, their neighbour told us that she had been carrying out house chores like before. From what I saw, that girl is so injured that I didn’t expect that she would be able to come to school for the rest of the term. Not one of us guessed that she was being abused at home.”
It was gathered that both mother and child were picked up by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation after the school authorities alerted the ministry. Blessing was said to have been picked up by a Lagos State Ambulance Service bus.
When the Child Director, WAPA, Mrs. Fadairo,  was contacted she said, “I cannot talk at this time. We are at the hospital and Blessing is in critical condition.”
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, could not be reached for comment.


source: naijnews

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