Teen thieves ‘give back older model iPhone’

Two teenage thieves held up a woman at gunpoint and took her iphone before returning it as it wasn’t new enough. Picture: Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

TWO BERKELEY, California, teenagers allegedly tried to rob a woman of her iPhone last week but gave it back because it wasn’t modern enough, police said.

The April 4 robbery was among a series allegedly committed by the two 17-year-old boys, who were arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of armed robbery after they were tracked down in Berkeley, police said.

One of the teens apparently held up the woman at gunpoint. He demanded her iPhone, which she handed over, police said. But when the teen found out it was an older-generation model, he returned it to her, police said.

That robbery happened several minutes after police responded to a man who had been robbed of his laptop and iPhone by two teens in his home, police said. The thieves kept that iPhone, police said.

Berkeley police nabbed the teens about two hours after they handed back the iPhone, police said. After three reported robberies in Berkeley, police spotted a vehicle the teens were driving and notified authorities that the teens were found in possession of the stolen items from the earlier robberies in El Cerrito, police said.

The teens later confessed to committing other robberies in Emeryville and Oakland, police said.

– goldcoast.com.au

Gold Coast: Monaco St mansion makes most of luxury

171 Monaco Street is on the market for offers over $5 million. Pic: Supplied

CONSTRUCTED with high-end materials and designed to fully embrace 90m of north-facing Nerang River frontage is this resort-style residence at Monaco St in Broadbeach Waters.

Its exclusive locale facing across wide main river to the Surfers Paradise skyline is complemented by an impressive 2130sqm of manicured grounds, striking tropical gardens, open-air recreation and dining rooms and a 25m saltwater pool with rock ledges and cascading waterfalls.

Karen and Roger Cartwright bought the original property in 2000 for $850,000 and demolished the lowset ”James Bond-style” house.

”It’s 90m on riverfront facing due north so that was a great aspect and it’s just five minutes to Broadbeach, five minutes to Surfers Paradise and close to the casino,” Mrs Cartwright said. ”We quite liked the footprint of the house that was here, it seemed to take in the whole aspect. We don’t have neighbours so it’s quite secluded and most visitors comment on how  like a resort it is.”

The new residence of about 650sqm was designed by Gold Coast architect John Schofield, of Design Imagery, and presents a grand dual-storey facade of taupe marble sheen behind a high fence and two sets of ornate gates.

Sculpted pencil pines add depth to the front garden where a horse-shoe driveway bypasses an eight-car garage and continues through the port cochere. Reflection pools set off the lofty timber front doors and continue into the foyer where a glass floor emphasises the water below for a stunning multi-dimensional introduction further enhanced by intricate cornices and architraves, natural limestone tiles, imported light fittings and walls finished with an opulent pearl effect.

Extensive water views are captured from the foyer and the ensuing open formal area comprising a dining space, loungeroom and a media zone. A curved island bench topped with granite forms a centrepiece to the gourmet kitchen which is fashioned with two-pak cabinetry in shimmered copper, glass splashbacks, Miele appliances including an espresso machine and a butler’s pantry. Living space to the side and a casual meals area to the front rounds out the interior lifestyle precinct which is fronted by glass bi-fold doors that fully expose the tranquil waterfront position.

A thatched-roof pavilion with ducted sound and feature lighting is poised above the river and provides a dedicated space for alfresco dining and relaxing overlooking a landscaped garden adorned with a poinciana tree, bismark palms and hemmed by sculpted hedges.

A private beach is positioned beside the renovated 25m pool which has a mermaid sculpture and a paddling section against a backdrop of cascading waterfalls and a structured garden of bare rock and lush tropical plants.

A thatched poolside pavilion has glass floors positioned over a tropical fish pond and to the eastern side lies generous manicured grounds with views to the Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise skyline.

The western wing contains a bathroom, the laundry with a private drying courtyard, a study, access to the eight-car garage and guest accommodation beyond double doors, which includes a kitchenette, a sitting room, outdoor access, a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite.

A locally crafted wrought-iron balustrade curves with the staircase to the second level where the right wing contains two ensuited bedrooms each with a private juliet balcony and dressing room.

The right wing accommodates the majestic master bedroom, which has a balcony to the side embracing skyline views across the pool and river to the skyline, a study space, a two-way dressing room and an ensuite with a double vanity and a spa bath.

DETAILS

Address: 171 Monaco St, Broadbeach Waters

Agent: Jesse Willcox, LJ Hooker Surfers Paradise

Price: Offers over $5m

Inspections: By appointment

– goldcoast.com.au

Google lets users manage digital afterlife

Photo / AP

Google has launched a tool that lets users decide what happens with their email, Google Plus and other accounts after they die or become inactive online for any other reason.

Called “inactive account manager,” the feature lets users of Google’s services tell the company what to do with email messages and other data if their account becomes inactive.

For example, Google says, users can choose to delete their data after three, six or 12 months of inactivity. Or they can choose specific people to receive the data.

Besides Gmail and Google Plus, other services covered include YouTube, the photo-sharing service Picasa and Blogger. Google Inc., based in Mountain View, California, says it will warn users through a secondary email address or a provided phone number before taking any action.

– AP

Nine arrested at notorious Dunedin keg party in New Zealand

Last year’s celebrations on Hyde Street. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Nine people have been arrested at a notorious Dunedin student street shindig, but police are pretty happy with how it’s gone.

Officers say the behaviour at the Hyde Street keg party has been generally good natured and the party has mostly been trouble free.

Inspector Greg Sparrow says only a small minority of people have created issues and there has been no repeat of last year’s roof climbing antics.

The nine arrests were for trespass and disorderly behaviour, and include both students and non-students.

A one-way door policy has been in place since 2pm and the party is thinning out and expected to soon finish soon.

– Newstalk ZB

Jay-Z Looking To Buy Island

Jay-Z IS music royalty, so no wonder he wants to rule over his very own ISLAND with Queen Beyoncé by his side!

The man with so many problems (but a bitch aint one) is reportedly planning to BUY an island in the North Abaco region of The Bahamas for Bey and baby Blue Ivy to hang out in peace!

One alleged insider claims:

“Jay’s been looking for a private island for the family. He’s getting it partly to mark their fifth wedding anniversary but also, with Bey back in the spotlight, it’s getting impossible for them to do normal things such as go to the beach with Blue. A private island means they’ll be able to have quality time with minimum staff and security.”

Ray J Proud Of Kanye’s Sex Tape Reference

Ray J is proud Kanye West referenced his sex tape with Kim Kardashian on a song.

The R&B star – who appeared in the raunchy film with the 32-year-old reality TV star in 2007, which kick-started her rise to fame – was happy when he learned Kanye referred to the intimate home movie in his song ‘Clique’ because it reflects “real life”.

In the track, Kanye – who is expecting his first child with Kim – raps: “My girl a superstar all from a home movie.”

Ray J said: “A few people called me and I was like, ‘That’s what music is about, talking about real life.’ ”

Although his own latest single, ‘I Hit It First’, refers to a girl who “might move on to rappers and ballplayers,” who “chose to go west” and with whom he wants to make “another movie,” Ray J is adamant it isn’t about Kim, despite the apparent references.

He told Yahoo! Music: “When people first heard the lyrics or read the lyrics online they kinda took the song somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go.

“It’s life put into a music form from my perspective.”

However, he is rumoured to have cast a Kim lookalike for the accompanying music video, which he says “pokes fun” at his life.

He added: “I’m not going to say it’s a parody but it is us having fun, us kinda poking fun at my life and what we been through and just keeping everything fun.”

And Ray – who also dated the late Whitney Houston – refused to admit whether Kim is the woman in the pixelated image that adorns the single cover, saying only: “I can’t really say what the picture is because it will give it away.”

BANG Showbiz

Justin Timberlake Wants To Buy London Pub

Justin Timberlake wants to buy a London pub.

The ‘Suit & Tie’ hitmaker is looking to become a landlord of a drinking house while he’s in the capital for the Yahoo! Wireless Festival – where he will be performing two concerts, including one with Jay-Z, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in July – and the singer is said to have already set his sights on an establishment.

A source told The Sun newspaper: “Justin likes the idea of having his name above the door, he’s looked into buying historic East End boozer The Blind Beggar for a while. But it isn’t likely.”

Justin, 32, will also be joining his rapper friend for their ‘Legends of the Summer stadium tour later this year.

Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – has hired a cigar expert to join the pair every step of the way to roll a smoke for guests at each venue.

An insider previously revealed: “Jay met this cigar expert at a friend’s private party recently. He had been hired to roll cigars for guests in a smoking room.

“They were chatting for ages about the origins of tobacco and all the different types and then Jay-Z offered to have him on board for the tour dates.”

BANG Showbiz

Nicole Scherzinger Stopped From Shaving Legs

Nicole Scherzinger had hairy legs as a teenager.

Although she is now regarded as one of the world’s sexiest women, the ‘Boomerang’ singer admits her mother didn’t allow her to wear make-up or shave her legs as a young girl, which would often result in her being teased at school.

She said: “I came from a conservative background. I didn’t wear lots of make-up at a young age. My mum made me have hairy freaking legs forever! She didn’t let me shave, it was so embarrassing.”

However, the 34-year-old singer feels her mother’s strict rules helped her mature in hindsight and she, too, would treat her own daughter the same way.

She added to the UK issue of OK! magazine: “I said, ‘I’m not going to do this to my kid’, but I probably will do the same thing to my kid!”

Nicole also revealed that she didn’t blossom until later in life and didn’t receive attention from boys when she was younger.

She said: “Everyone made fun of me because I was the last to kiss a boy. I was always real shy and came from a strict Catholic family. I was conservative and didn’t put myself out there for that. People knew and teased me for that.”

BANG Showbiz

Jay-Z Hits Back At Cuba Criticism

Jay-Z has addressed his controversial trip to Cuba in a scathing new song.

The rapper and his wife Beyonce were heavily criticised by politicians following their visit to the South American country – which is banned as a tourist destination by the US government – for their fifth wedding anniversary earlier this month, but the star has hit back, claiming that he received “White House clearance” for the trip to capital city Havana.

In new track uploaded to his Life + Times blog titled ‘Open Letter’, Jay boasts that he “done turned Havana into Atlanta”, adding: “Politicians never did s**t for me, except lie to me, distort history.”

The rapper – real name Shawn Carter – used the scathing track to respond to Republican politicians, who called for an investigation into the legality of the couple’s visit. US citizens are banned from visiting the neighbouring island under a travel embargo, and residents must seek a licence before visiting the country, although these are usually reserved for journalistic or educational reasons.

The US Treasury has since confirmed that they approved the trip, which was set up by an organisation who promote educational programmes in Cuba.

Jay defiantly raps in the song: “They wanna give me jail time and a fine. Fine, let me commit a real crime.”

The lyrics also brag of the musician’s political connections to United States president Barack Obama, adding: “Obama said, ‘Chill you’re going to get me impeached’ / You don’t need this s**t anyway, chill with me on the beach.”

America first imposed its Cuban travel embargo in the 1960s and by law, citizens are prohibited from spending money in the country in order to not fund the communist government.

BANG Showbiz

Miley Cyrus Postpones Wedding

Miley Cyrus has postponed her summer wedding.

The 20-year-old ‘Touch the Sky’ singer – whose relationship with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth, 23, has been on the rocks recently amid allegations of cheating and wild partying – was due to tie the knot in June but the couple have decided to put their big day on hold as they continue to work through their issues.

A source told Life & Style magazine: “They were supposed to get married in June.

“But there have been so many problems with them, they thought it was best to work out their issues before making such a big commitment.

“They aren’t ready. Their families are both concerned. They don’t want to see Miley and Liam get married and then get divorced. They’re very young to be getting married.”

‘The Hunger Games’ star’s sister-in-law Elsa Pataky, who is married to his brother Chris Hemsworth, 29, confirmed on Monday that she is not sure if their wedding in still on.

She said: “I don’t know. If they get married it would be nice to go.”

But Liam’s other brother Luke, 31, recently praised Miley and said she is already part of their family.

He told Entertainment Weekly magazine: “She’s great. She loves our kids, and our kids absolutely love her. She won our hearts.

“I find her really interesting. I find her very articulate, and years in maturity above her age.

“But at the same time, she’s very much like Liam.

“I think a lot of people don’t realise that they are really, really in love. They actually are a perfect match in a lot of ways.”

BANG Showbiz

Diddy Dating Kate Upton?

P. Diddy is reportedly dating Kate Upton.

The 43-year-old rap mogul was apparently seen kissing the Sports illustrated Swimsuit Issue model – who confirmed in February she had split from Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander – at Miami Beach nightspot Club LIV late last month, where they partied in the VIP section at a bash being held by the ‘I’ll be Missing You’ hitmaker.

A source told the New York Daily News newspaper: “They were kissing, they weren’t hiding it.”

The public display of affection was reportedly followed by a night out in New York last Thursday, with the rapper sharing an intimate meal with the 20-year-old beauty at Gemma in the Bowery Hotel.

An onlooker said: “They were having dinner together.”

Diddy was most recently romantically linked with singer Cassie, and though they were seen house-hunting together in Beverly Hills in January, it is believed they are no longer together.

A spokesperson for Kate insisted she and Diddy – whose real name is Sean Combs – are not romantically involved.

They said: “They met once a year ago and there’s no further relationship at this point.”

BANG Showbiz

Bear with a sore head: Champa is the first in the world to undergo brain surgery… because its home country’s Buddhist traditions meant it could not be put down

• Champa underwent the six hour operation after hydrocephalic diagnosis
• Bear was suffering condition which is like a ‘constant migraine’
• Buddhist tradition in northern Laos prevented animal from being put down
• She is now well on her way to recovering, sanctuary has said

A three-year-old Asiatic black bear has been hailed a medical pioneer after becoming the first of her kind to undergo brain surgery.

Champa, who lives at a sanctuary in the mountains of northern Laos, had always stood out after she was rescued as a cub due to her protruding forehead and difficulties socialising with other bears.

When her behaviour became more erratic and her vision faded, vets and staff at the Free the Bears sanctuary, situated about 20 miles south of Luang Prabang, started to suspect hydrocephalus, or ‘water on the brain’, which is described as similar to having a ‘constant migraine’.

Champa the bear underwent brain surgery after staff suspected she was suffering from a condition which is like having a ‘constant migraine’

Champa’s operation took six hours and was carried out by an Edinburgh Zoo vet

 

Staff from Free The Bears say Champa is already showing signs of improvement since the procedure

While in most Western countries an animal with the condition would be put down, the strong Buddhist traditions in Laos, and the technicalities of its wildlife protection laws, meant this was not an option, the National Geographic has reported.

Champa underwent six hours of keyhole surgery, carried out by South African veterinary surgeon Pizzi, who works at the Edinburgh Zoo, in Scotland.

During the procedure, in February, the vet drilled a small hole behind one of the bear’s ears and used an ultrasound probe to confirm she was hydrocephalic.

He then inserted a thin tube into the brain and threaded it under her skin to her abdomen. It will remain in place to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into the abdominal cavity, where it can be easily absorbed.

Matt Hunt, chief executive of Free the Bears, told National Geographic that by the following morning Champa was awake and ‘looking like a very different bear’.

He said: ‘There was a lot more recognition. We can’t know if her vision is fully recovered, but everyone certainly believes her vision has improved.’

The Asiatic black bear lives at a sanctuary in northern Laos

Champa has spent most of her life at the Free the Bears sanctuary, situated about 20 miles south of Luang Prabang (pictured)

The sanctuary protects bears rescued by Lao officials from wildlife traffickers.

The Asiatic black bear, or moon bear, is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its bile is considered a valuable ingredient in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine.

-dailymail.co.uk

Burglary victim uses spy app to photograph people using his stolen laptop… but police won’t get it back because it’s now in IRAN

• Dom del Torto had his MacBook Pro and iPad stolen during the break-in
• He used tracking software to find out what had happened to his laptop
• HiddenApp sends photos of whoever is using the machine and its location
• But police do not have the power to recover the MacBook from Tehran
• Mr del Torto tells innocent new laptop owners they can keep the machine after they see press coverage

When an illustrator’s laptop was stolen from his London home, he was convinced he would be reunited with it thanks to a secret tracking application he had installed.

But even though the software worked perfectly, his hopes were dashed when it revealed that his computer was more than 3,000 miles away in Iran.

Six weeks after Dom Del Torto’s home in Islington was burgled, his laptop began transmitting ‘spy photos’ of its new owners.

New owner: This woman 3,000 miles away in Tehran, Iran, is secretly caught on the MacBook Pro’s camera – but Mr del Torto is powerless to get his laptop back

The tracking software, called Hidden App, uses the built-in camera of a laptop to provide real-time photographs of who is using it and their location, without their knowledge.

The app sent Mr Del Torto images of a family out sightseeing, playing games and relaxing at their home in the Iranian capital.

The 41-year-old contacted the police to inform them his laptop, which contained personal information and work files, was in Iran – but they were unable to help.

So Mr Del Torto took matters into his own hands and set up a website called ‘Dom’s laptop is in Iran’ and uploaded the photographs of the family in a bid to trace them.

Laptop user: The same woman uses the MacBook which was stolen in a burglary in Islington, north London, on February 4, while another man can be seen in the background

Tracked: The woman will have no idea this picture has been taken of her by the Hidden App tracking software

Unknown to Mr Del Torto, though, the Iranian family had bought their new laptop in Tehran unaware that it had been stolen.

Mr Del Torto said in his blog: ‘On 12th April 2013 I decided to share the data the laptop recovered on this Tumblr blog as an amusing story for my friends to enjoy.

‘It seemed to me that a laptop that went missing from London and turned up in Iran was like a space probe landing on a distant planet and beaming back proof of intelligent life.’

But his blog went viral and the laptop’s horrified new owners contacted Mr Del Torto, assuring him that they were not the thieves.

Mr Del Torto said: ‘They were very upset. I could understand why. The people shown on the blog site are not thieves … Although I still miss my laptop I do not wish ill on anyone.

‘The innocent new owners of my laptop have been in touch and are mortified about the story and are keen to return the laptop.’

Mr Del Torto has allowed the family to keep his laptop and removed their photographs from his blog.

Sightseeing: This screenshot sent back from the machine shows the family on a day out sightseeing in Iran

Tracked down: The laptop is here in Tehran but police do not have the power to get it back

– dailymail.co.uk

That’s what you call a sting operation: Police seal off house on holiday island after seven metre wasps nest found

• The nest was reportedly found at a property on the island of Tenerife
• It is said to have been 22ft long and covered nearly an entire room
• Experts believe wasps migrating from Africa may have created it

 

Police sting: A seven metre wasp nest was found by police at an empty house on the island of Tenerife

A seven metre long wasps nest has reportedly been discovered in an abandoned house by police officers in Spain.

Officers were called to the empty property in San Sebastian de La Gomera on the island of Tenerife after a series of calls from concerned neighbours.

Police sealed off the home when the found the 22ft nest, which is said to have almost filled a room, and millions of wasps in the house, according to UPI.com.

Experts believe that the nest was built by an African species of wasp which had migrated to Tenerife.

The Canary Islands are located around 100km from the African coast.

Police are said to be trying to find out who the property belongs to.

The nest may well be the biggest ever found.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest one found to date was discovered in Waimaukau in New Zealand in April 1963 and was an impressive 3.7metres, or 12ft 2ins long, more than 5ft in diameter and 18ft in circumference.

Thought to have been created by German wasps, that nest was so heavy that it fell from the tree it was hanging in and broke in two.

The size, type and colour of a wasps nest depends on the species of wasp that builds it.

They tend to be predominantly made from paper pulp – the wasp gathers wood fibres from weathered wood and softens it by chewing and mixing with saliva.

The previous biggest nest in the last 50 years was discovered in the attic of a pub in Southampton, Hampshire, in 2010.

Measuring 6ft by 5ft the nest was home to an estimated 500,000 wasps.

Another giant nest was found at the Avery Garden Centre in Taunton, Somerset last summer.

The average common wasp nest contains around 4,000 to 5,000 wasps – but colonies have been known to reach populations of 20,000.

Extraordinary: Experts believe that the huge nest is too big to have been built by common wasps (pictured) and is most likely to have been the creation of a species of migrant wasps from Africa

– dailymail.co.uk

Double rapist caught 27 years on after his SON was arrested for separate offence and gave DNA sample

• Ian Phipps snared after his son’s DNA matched samples from the attacks which took place in 1986 and 1991
• He was sentenced to 15 years jail as judge blasts his ‘wicked crimes’

No escape: Rapist Ian Phipps was tracked down after the DNA of his arrested son matched samples taken from his 1986 and 1991 victims

A double rapist who went undetected for nearly 30 years was finally caught by chance after police took a DNA sample from his son.

Former Territorial Army soldier Ian Phipps, 50, thought he had escaped punishment for raping a girl of 14 and a 23-year-old woman in separate attacks in 1986 and 1991.

He was tracked down after police entered the DNA of his son David Phipps, 25, into the national database when he was arrested and given a caution last September.

His DNA matched those of the historic rape attacks, the first of which happened before he was born the second of which which took place when he was just two years old.

Suspicion fell on his father, despite the elder Phipps having no criminal record, since the probability of the DNA profile coming from someone unrelated to the attacker was one in a billion.

When police began to investigate Phipps they found that he had links to the area and matched the description given by both women.

Both said their attacker as wearing Army trousers and heavy boots, and Phipps was serving in the TA at the time.

He had originally denied the attacks when police interviewed him and was convinced that his DNA would not match that found on the victims.

When a match was made Phipps initially claimed it must have been a ‘dreadful mistake’, but he later pleaded guilty to the historic crimes at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent.

 

Sentencing Phipps to 15 years in jail and placing him on the sex-offenders’ register indefinitely, Judge Charles Macdonald claimed ‘extraordinary damage’ had been done to both the victims.

‘Is there any real remorse here?’ he asked the convicted man. ‘There were no guilty pleas until he saw evidence that the conviction was inevitable. I see no real remorse.

‘You subjected these complainants to horrific ordeals which plainly changed their lives. These are wicked crimes.’

‘Wicked crimes’: Judge Charles Macdonald sitting at Maidstone Crown Court (pictured) said ‘extraordinary damage’ had been done to both of Phipps’ victims as he sentenced him to 15 years jail

In the first attack Phipps targeted a girl of only 14 as she took a shortcut across some cement works on her way home from school on January 8, 1986.

Tracked down: Phipps pictured in his younger days wearing the same kind of Army trousers both his victims described to police

He approached the 14-year-old schoolgirl and put his arm behind her head and a hand over her mouth. ‘Let me go. I won’t tell anyone,’ the girl pleaded, but Phipps pushed her over and raped her.

Five years later on June 6, 1991, Phipps raped a 23-year-old woman who had sat down to eat her lunch as she worked in quiet woodland, also in Kent.

He grabbed hold of her and she told him: ‘Come on, don’t be stupid.’ She realised what was going to happen and pleaded: ‘Please don’t do this to me.’

The woman tried to escape but after a struggle he raped her.

Both victims gave matching descriptions of their attacker but Phipps was never caught.

Michael Haynes, defending, told the court that since the rapes Phipps had undergone a kidney transplant, developed diabetes and suffered a stroke.

‘He feels he won’t come out of the other end,’ Mr Haynes said.

Detective Superintendant Rob Vinson, of Kent Police’s Cold Case Investigation Team, reassured women that such cases are rare.

‘Stranger rapes are extremely rare which is why it was important to get a result in the case of Ian Phipps,’ he said.

– dailymail.co.uk

Chinese woman sent to a labour camp for protesting against rape of her 11-year-old daughter has compensation claim dismissed by court

• Tang Hui was sentenced to 18 months in a labour camp last August
• She demanded the men who raped her daughter be given the death penalty
• Today a Chinese court threw out her compensation claim

A mother sent to a labour camp after she demanded justice for her daughter who had been raped has today had a compensation claim dismissed by a Chinese court.

Authorities in the southern city of Yongzhou sentenced Tang Hui to 18 months in a labour camp last August for ‘disturbing social order’ after she demanded that the men who had raped her then 11-year-old daughter be given the death penalty.

Tang spent a little over a week in the camp before being released following a public outcry.

Upsetting: A mother sent to a labour camp after she demanded justice for her daughter who had been raped has today had a compensation claim dismissed by a Chinese court. The Chinese capital Beijing is pictured

Today, a provincial court upheld a January decision by the Yongzhou Re-education Through Labour Committee to reject Tang’s request for compensation of about 2,000 yuan (£208), her lawyer, Si Weijiang, said.

‘She’s now in extreme despair, she doesn’t believe in the law anymore,’ Si told Reuters by telephone.

‘She stood crying outside the courthouse for a very long time.’Si said the court overturned the decision to send Tang to the labour camp but maintained it was not illegal.

Court officials could not be reached for comment.

The outrage about Tang’s case has coincided with a government pledge to reform the labour-camp system by the end of the year.

In the camp of more than 100 women, Tang said she had to memorise two pages of phrases that included: ‘transform ourselves in a proper way’ and ‘we’re not allowed to escape’.

She said she had not been ill-treated though guards watched her closely.

China’s ‘re-education through labour’ system, in place since 1957, empowers police and other agencies to detain people for up to four years without a court process.

Despite long-standing international criticism of the camps, many Chinese are largely oblivious to them because many of those who are locked up are poor and on the fringes of society and their cases are not publicised.

Tang gained wide attention following reports in state media, with the case of a mother demanding justice for her daughter resonating with the public.

State media and microbloggers seized on her case to question the labour-camp system, saying it violated human rights and the rule of law. A group of lawyers wrote to the central government seeking the repeal of the system.

– dailymail.co.uk

Ten-year-old Indian girl ‘kept in police cell overnight and facing death threats from neighbours’ after making rape complaint

A 10-year-old Indian girl who was allegedly raped by a neighbour was locked in a cell overnight by police when her family tried to report the crime.

The girl was reportedly found barely conscious following the attack close to her home in a village a two hour drive from Delhi last weekend.

Her family are now facing death threats and being told to withdraw the complaint.

Mother of ten Saroj sent two of her six daughters – the younger of the two aged five – to buy vegetables for the family’s evening meal on Sunday, according to The Times.

When the pair were on their way home, the older sister was abducted by a man who was following them.

The younger of the two girls is said to have run home to tell her parents who found the ten-year-old 100 yards from home.

The girl’s detention by police has led to an outcry over police oversensitivity and officers have arrested a 29-year-old man from a higher caste on suspicion of rape in response to media pressure.

But since the man’s arrest the family, who are one of four classed as Dalit, a group of people regarded as ‘untouchable’, have been threatened by members of the higher Rajput class.

Saroj told the Indian Express: ‘They are blaming us saying why did we let her go out alone.

‘They have been threatening to kill us, burn down our home and stone my daughter to death if we do not withdraw the rape case.’

The family now hopes that the media attention their case has attracted will force the police to protect the girl.

Outrage: The gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student sparked widespread protests in India in December over the treatment of women

The issue of women’s safety has been top of the political agenda since a 23-year-old student was gang-raped and left for dead on a bus in Delhi in December.

That case sparked outrage and widespread protest at the treatment of women in the country.

The Indian government has proposed a number of reforms to protect women including scrapping degrading medical examinations at police stations for rape victims.

Miranda Kerr’s 30th birthday rumored to be the reason her contract ‘won’t be renewed’

As Victoria’s Secret Angel, Miranda Kerr, fields rumors that her million-dollar contract won’t be renewed, just two weeks before her 30th birthday, it seems a model’s commercial marketability is increasingly short-lived.

Looking back at some of the brand’s most famous Angels, like Gisele Bunchden who stepped down from the lingerie giant at 26, the average age of retirement for an Angel appears to be just 28.375, according to Buzzfeed.

However with current Victoria’s Secret Angel Alessandra Ambrosio celebrating her 32nd birthday yesterday, the average might just climb, yet.

Too old? As 30-year-old Victoria’s Secret Angel, Miranda Kerr, fields rumors this week that her million-dollar contract won’t be renewed, it seems a model’s commercial marketability is increasingly short-lived

The analysis was based on eight models, including Laetitia Casta, who ended her time as an Angel at age 21, Tyra Banks, who was 32 when she clipped her wings, Izabel Goulart, who was 24 and Selita Ebanks, who was 27.

Buzzfeed’s Amy Odell concluded: ‘So seems like Kerr may as well push a walker down that runway, far as the world of VS modeling is concerned.

Victoria’s Secret was rumored to have ‘fired’ Miss Kerr from her Angel status just before her 30th birthday, because of her purported ‘difficulty’ and expensive contract – which apparently did not sell enough underwear.

Age of retirement: Laetitia Casta (top) ended her time as a Victoria’s Secret Angel at age 21, meanwhile Tyra Banks () was 32 when her wings were clipped

Victoria’s Secret President Ed Razek denied the claims, insisting Miss Kerr was one of the company’s most popular models and would continue to work as an Angel.

He said in a statement: ‘Miranda Kerr is one of the best models in the history of the business — and easily one of the most popular.

‘She is also a consummate professional. Any rumors to the contrary are simply untrue. While her international commitments have kept her away from us more than we’d like over the past few years, she will always be an Angel to me.

Average Angel age: Izabel Goulart (top), was 24 when she said goodbye to her Angel status, and Gisele Bunchden (bottom) was 26

‘In fact, I’ve already invited her to walk the runway in this year’s fashion show and, happily, she’s agreed.’

This morning, Good Morning America speculated that Miss Kerr’s age could be to blame.

However Heidi Klum was 37 when she said goodbye to her Angel wings, Stephanie Seymour was 32, as was former Angel Daniela Peštová.

Microsoft set to shrink its Surface: Software giant plans 7 inch ‘Xbox’ tablet to take on the iPad mini

• Smaller version of the firm’s Surface tablet expection to go on sale later this year
• Will have a 7 inch screen, and compete against similar sized tablets from Apple, Google and Amazon
• Could be designed for games and carry the Xbox logo

Microsoft is developing a smaller version of its Surface tablet with a 7inch screen, it has been claimed.

The tablet is expected to go on sale later this year, and will go head to head with Apple’s iPad Mini, Google’s Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire in the lucrative small tablet market.

It is hoped the devices could reverse the disappointing sales of the larger Surface tablet which Microsoft launched this year.

The Surface tablet was unveiled earlier this year to a lukewarm reception – Now Microsoft is believed to be developing a smaller version to take on Apple’s iPad mini

SAMSUNG’S MEGA-PHONE

Samsung’s new Galaxy Mega has a 6.3-inch HD screen – although the firm claims it is ‘ultra-thin and portable enough to put into your pocket.’

The Mega comes with an enhanced 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera, and runs Google Android software.

‘The software giant is developing a new lineup of its Surface tablets, including a 7-inch version expected to go into mass production later this year,’, The Wall Street Journal said people familiar with the company’s plans had claimed.

It claims the 7-inch tablets weren’t part of the company’s strategy last year, but Microsoft executives realized they needed a response to the rapidly growing popularity of smaller tablets like Google 7-inch Nexus, which was announced last summer, and the 7.9-inch iPad Mini introduced by Apple last October, along with Amazon’s Fire HD.

Seperate reports have specualted the new tablet could be designed primarily as a games and media device, and be branded as an ‘Xbox tablet’ to accompany Microsoft’s hugely successful games console.

It comes amid growing concern for the future of the PC industry as consumers move towards tablets.

PC sales have have gone into freefall with a 14 per cent drop last year – the biggest slump in history.

HP, the world’s largest PC maker, saw the sharpest decline with 24 per cent fewer machines sold in 2012 compared to 2011.

Dell also saw an 11 per cent slump and even Apple, which saw a seven per cent fall, was unable to buck the trend.

Research firm IDC said it was the biggest decline overall since it began began tracking this data in 1994.

Analysts said that ‘the days seem to be numbered for the humble PC’ and that in the future we would all be using portable devices.

Even the launch of Windows 8 failed to stop the trend with some saying the negative response to the software may have exacerbated the trend.

PC makers have in recent years tried a string of innovations to breathe life into the market including Ultrabooks which were poorly received.

How the competition stacks up

Experts say the success of the iPad and smartphone has led to the slump in PC sales, with people preferring gadgets they can carry with them

Windows 8 was also criticised for making too many changes and getting rid of the iconic start button.

The figures show that the late Apple founder Steve Jobs’ prediction that we are headed for a ‘post-PC era’ is coming true.

Bob O’Donnell, program vice president for clients and displays at IDC, said that what he called the ‘radical changes’ made to the PC in recent years had done it more harm than good.

 

He said: ‘At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market.

‘Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market’.

Microsoft also came under fire for the slump, with critics saying its Windows 8 software confused users

Some 350 million personal computers are sold each year, but the numbers are nothing compared to more portable options.

Some 919 million smartphones will be sold this year and 200 million tablets, taking their total comfortably over one billion.

Research firm Gartner also released similar figures which showed a 11 per cent decline in PC sales, the biggest drop since 2001.

The company has already predicted that by 2017 the main operating system for all computing devices will be Google’s Android.

Marcus Jewell of tech company Brocade said: ‘The days seem to be numbered for the humble PC’.

‘Demonic’ prostitute with 119 convictions is jailed for terrorising elderly sheltered housing residents on day she was released from prison

Aisha Delaney was jailed last August for preying on elderly stroke victim

• But returned to housing complex on day of release to continue
• As she was jailed she protested ‘I’m not a bad person!’

A drug-addicted prostitute has been jailed for terrorising elderly residents on the day she was released from prison.

Aisha Delaney, 56, from Hull, was jailed last August for preying on an elderly stroke victim living in a sheltered housing complex.

But Delaney, branded ‘demonic’ by police, breached her Asbo by returning to the complex on the day she was freed to resume her campaign of terror.

Jailed: Aisha Delaney was jailed for preying on an elderly stroke victim living in a sheltered housing complex, but breached her Asbo by returning to the complex on the day she was freed to resume campaign of terror

Jailing her for seven months, Judge Jeremy Richardson said Delaney’s chaotic existence should act as a warning to young people.

He said: ‘If ever there was a case where young people on the threshold of taking drugs and leading a bad life, they should meet that woman and see the sort of wretched life she has led and where she has ended up.

‘A not unintelligent woman who has fallen in every sense.’

As Delaney, who has 119 convictions, was led to the cells to return to prison, she said: ‘I’m not a bad person.’

Campaign of terror: Delaney caused trouble for residents living in Great Thornton Street in Hull

Delaney was banned from going within 100m of the complex after committing a string of burglaries and thefts against the residents, all in their 80s and 90s.

Delaney, was given an antisocial behaviour order last January that banned her from causing alarm and distress in an attempt to stop her terrorising the elderly residents in their homes.

However, she has now breached the order for the eighth time, this time returning to the complex just hours after her release from prison on March 28.

Delaney got drunk following her release and claimed she was assaulted, robbed and had paint thrown in her face.

‘I’m not a bad person’

Delaney as she was led away from the court

The court heard she had gone to the sheltered housing complex after dark to look for her husband, who still lives there.

Hull City Council’s barrister Kevin Guy said the banning order had been made to protect the elderly people living in fear of her.

He said: ‘It was made to protect the vulnerable residents.

‘She was seen trying to enter the complex just after 10pm on March 28.

‘It was clearly a breach of the order as she is well aware she should not be within 100m of there.’

Her barrister Paul Genney, who agreed to represent Delaney for free after no other lawyer would take the case, said: ‘The problem is this lady is married to Mr Delaney, who still lives in this complex and I’m told he has applied to move.

Hull Crown Court: Jailing her for seven months, Judge Jeremy Richardson said Delaney¿s chaotic existence should act as a warning to young people

‘One doesn’t blame the council as I’m told social housing is hard to obtain but the view is because he has accommodation, he is not a priority to be moved.

‘She says she didn’t do anything untoward, she simply approached the building because she says she had been beaten up. It was not a happy homecoming.’

Delaney was jailed for five months after the Asbo was made last year when police caught her in the complex.

She was jailed for 18 months for stealing from an elderly man in the complex last August.

‘A not unintelligent woman who has fallen in every sense’

Judge Jeremy Richardson

After this, the eighth breach, Judge Richardson QC warned Delaney he would show her no mercy in the future.

He said: ‘Let there be no misunderstanding, it was a simple condition that required simple compliance.

‘The residents of this establishment are in fear when you go anywhere near the property, the staff looking after them are in fear and this is why you must stay away.

‘If there is any more of this, there will be no mercy. I’m going to reserve any further breaches to myself.

‘I will remember your case and if there is any more of this then I’m afraid it is highly likely you will go to prison for a length well in excess of 12 months.

‘You have been warned. I have treated you with some mercy, there will be no mercy on a future occasion.’

– dailymail.co.uk

Soft porn model Sophie Dalzell: Let off wearing ankle tag for criminal damage conviction ‘because it would interfere with her TV work’

• Sophie Dalzell claimed bracelet would interfere with work as TV chat girl
• She changed plea after hearing court date would clash with photo shoot
• Ms Dalzell dodged community service following criminal damage conviction and has also been let off from wearing the tag

 

Sophie Dalzell, 19, refused to wear an ankle tag as she claimed it would interfere with her work as a soft porn model

An adult TV star convicted of vandalism was let off from wearing an electronic tag on her ankle – because it would ruin her on-screen work.

Sophie Dalzell, 19, was placed on a curfew and ordered to wear a tag for eight weeks after failing to carry out community service.

But when security firm G4S turned up to fit the tag she refused to let them put it on. She told them ‘appearance is everything’ on adult TV – and that she would be sacked if she turned up to work with a plastic tag on her ankle.

Incredibly, when the presenter was hauled back to court, she successfully appealed against having the tag fitted after explaining it would compromise her career.

Instead magistrates fined the glamour model £200 with £75 costs after she admitted breaching a community order.

After the case the model, who has appeared topless in men’s magazines, said: ‘A tag on my ankle wouldn’t look very good. It’s an eyesore. Your appearance is everything. I’m still mad about the whole situation.’ Dalzell, of Manchester, added: ‘If I’d let them put the tag on, I’d have had no job and nowhere to live. I was doing adult channels, TV presenting.

‘I still don’t think it’s fair about the fine. I now want to get on with my life.’

Magistrates were told she no longer works in adult TV and has moved into modelling, photo shoots, hosting and other presenting jobs.

 

 

Ms Dalzell  was ordered to wear the ankle tag after she failed to complete a 100 hour community service order

She was first hauled before the courts in March last year after she became involved in a row outside 5th Avenue nightclub in Manchester. During a dispute with the male driver of a BMW car, she slapped him in the face and kicked his car causing damage.

As well as ordering her to pay £150 compensation, magistrates gave her a probation order and sentenced her to do 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.

But she breached the order by not carrying out all the hours and on December 13, G4S staff turned up at her flat with the tag. Matthew Wallace, defending, said: ‘The problem was that at that time Miss Dalzell had a contract with an agency for TV glamour modelling. She couldn’t do that with the tag on her ankle.’

Ms Dalzell claimed that the £200 fine was unfair and said she was ‘mad’ about the siituation

Dalzell initially denied breaching the order when she appeared in the dock at Manchester Magistrates’ Court wearing a black dress, false eyelashes, bright red lipstick and diamond earrings.

But she changed her plea to guilty after telling the court a future trial date would conflict with a modelling assignment she had in Ibiza.

Magistrates told Dalzell it is essential she pays the fine within 28 days or she may face further legal repercussions.

The former Adult TV star was ordered to pay a £200 fine along with £75 costs at Manchester Magistrates Court

– dailymail.co.uk

Wu-Tang Clan are back! The hip-hop legends to reunite for one-off dates in the UK as they release brand new album

Up there with NWA, Public Enemy and Run DMC, Wu-Tang Clan are one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop groups in music history.

And for the first time in years, the entire Staten Island collective will return to the UK stage for two live shows.

Set to cross the pond in July, the concerts will mark the 20th anniversary of their landmark debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

Enter the Wu-Tang: The Clan have reunited for a two tour dates in the UK to coincide with the release of their new album

RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man and Masta Killah have reunited to create a brand new album A Better Tomorrow.

They will perform both their new and classic tracks during the performances at Manchester’s O2 Apollo and Brixton’s O2 Academy.

Their sixth album, A Better Tomorrow is named after a song on their 2nd LP Wu-Tang Forever and is expected to be released in July this year.

A Better Tomorrow: The new album is named after a track off their second LP

Speaking of the reunion RZA – real name Robert Fitzgerald Diggs – told the New York Times they had ‘one last job’ to do:

‘We need to, one time, completely, efficiently, properly, professionally represent our brand. One more time. But this time, showing up on time for press and for concerts and studio. Do it one time, perfect.’

Sadly one member will not be able to attend for Ol’ Dirty Bastard died at the age of 35 in 2004.

However his fellow clansmen will no doubt commemorate the late rapper in the new album and tour as they have through a lot of their work since his death.

Anniversary: It has been nearly twenty years since the Staten Island collective released their first album

‘There’s enough of us still alive, and I think there’s still enough fans out there. Hip-hop is stronger than ever, as far as worldwide recognition, and our name is synonymous with it.’ The rapper-turned-drector told the newspaper.

On July 25th, The Wu-Tang clan will play at O2 Apollo in Manchester and the next day in London at the O2 Academy.

Tickets go on sale from 9am Friday 12th April.

Complete: The entire Wu-Tang clan will be performing in the UK in July

‘Back with babe’: Ireland Baldwin can’t contain her excitement as she’s reunited with paddle surfer boyfriend

She usually takes to Twitter and Instagram to post pictures of herself parading around in a bikini.

But it seems Ireland Baldwin was feeling the love on Thursday.

The 17-year-old uploaded a series of pictures of herself and her boyfriend Slater Trout to her Twitter page as he jetted in to Los Angeles from Maui, Hawaii on Wednesday.

Young love: Ireland Baldwin tweeted a series of pictures on Thursday of herself and her boyfriend Slater Trout as he jetted into Los Angeles from Maui

Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger’s daughter is seen with her arms around the professional paddle surfer’s neck as the two smile into the camera.

One picture is accompanied by the caption, ‘I missed you @slatertrout,’ and another has the message, ‘Back with babe,’ followed by a heart icon.

In the third picture they are both shown facing the camera, with Ireland pouting her lips while Slater poses with his mouth half open.

‘I missed you’: The 17-year-old clearly missed her paddle surfer beau, tweeting that she ‘missed’ him and was ‘back with babe’

Larking around: In one picture, Ireland is seen pouting for the camera as Slater poses with his mouth half open

The model has posted a few photos of her beau in the past, but this is the first time that she has uploaded a series of photos of the pair together all at one time.

Slater arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday, according to his Twitter page, as he and Ireland gear up to attend the Coachella music festival in the California desert this weekend.

On April 9, Ireland tweeted: Coachella with noooobody but the babe,’ to which Slater replied, ‘just you and I about to have the best weekend of our lives’

She has his heart: Slater recently posted a picture of a promise ring and half a heart, claiming that Ireland wears the matching ring and half heart

Ireland has been dating the athlete since late last year, and the two have even exchanged promise rings, according to Slater’s Twitter page.

‘One special person has the matching custom ring and the other half of the heart, I never go anywhere with out wearing these now #theessentials #whitegold,’ he wrote on April 9.

Ireland also posted a picture of her famous mother Kim, 58, on Wednesday with the caption ‘Straight goddess,’ as well as a photo of herself dancing.

Her idol: Ireland tweeted a picture of her famous mother Kim Basinger, who she called a ‘straight goddess’

Having fun: The budding model also posted a picture of herself dancing in her pajamas

Ireland has recently signed on with two different agencies, Two Management in Los Angeles and IMG in New York, where she will follow in the footsteps of legendary models like Kate Moss, Karlie Kloss and Chanel Iman.

The 6ft 2in beauty has been posting a slew of pictures of herself in a bikini lately.

Ireland insists she works hard to achieve her tone, so it’s little surprise she would want to show off the results of her hours spent at the gym.

She told US Weekly earlier this month: ‘I work out twice a day. I do more of my yoga and my dance in the morning and I do my cardio at night.’

Flaunting what she’s got: Ireland regularly posts pictures of herself in her bikini, such as this one on Wednesday

Teenager grows FIVE INCHES overnight after operation to straighten the crooked spine that was killing him

• Harvey Legge, 14, was suffering from scoliosis, or curvature of the spine
• At a 90 degree angle, bend was so severe it was crushing his vital organs
• Operation saw him grow from 4’10” to 5’3″ and curve reduce to 20 degrees

A teenager has grown an incredible five inches overnight after an operation to straighten his spine.

Harvey Legge, 14, was suffering from scoliosis, or curvature of the spine – and the bend was so severe it was crushing his vital organs.

He was referred to a paediatrician at Sheffield Children’s hospital who said his case was so severe he would have to have surgery.

The operation saw him grow five inches overnight, taking him from 4’10” to 5’3″. His spine has gone from being at a 90 degree angle, to just a 20 degree angle.

Twisted: Harvey Legge, 14, was suffering from scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. The bend was so severe it was crushing his vital organs

His mother Claire Walker, 39, said: ‘It really is wonderful to see. He now stands as tall as me – he literally grew five inches overnight after the operation once surgeons had straightened out his spine.

‘To see the X-rays of his spine before and after the operation really is remarkable. The surgeons have done a wonderful job.’

Mrs Walker, from Holton Le Clay, Lincolnshire, said: ‘It was a shock when he was first diagnosed with it.

 

‘I’d noticed that his rib cage didn’t look level when he bent down, but I had no idea that it was anything as serious as scoliosis.

‘When I was told he would have to have surgery to correct it, I was devastated. But I knew that it was the only option for him.

‘The bend in his spine was so severe that it was crushing all his organs. His rib cage was banging on his hip and he used the other hip as a shelf to rest his arm. He couldn’t walk very far because he was so twisted.’

The operation saw him grow five inches overnight, taking him from 4’10” to 5’3″. His spine has gone from being at a 90 degree angle, to just a 20 degree angle.

 

Doctors decided that because Harvey’s case was so severe, they couldn’t wait any longer to operate on him.

Mrs Walker said: ‘We knew that he was very young to have this operation and it was nerve-wracking, but there was no choice.

‘Two months previously we had been on holiday to Italy and while we were sat around the pool, people were watching Harvey with their jaws dropping open. He was very conscious about what he looked like, too.’

Doctors warned the couple that there was a risk of paralysis with the operation, but they knew it was Harvey’s only chance as he was being suffocated by his own spine.

But complications from the operation left surgeons fearing Harvey was brain dead after he lost his entire body’s worth of blood. He has since made a full recovery

The eight hour operation was carried out in November 2011 at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, where doctors put titanium rods either side of his spine to straighten it.

But complications from the operation left surgeons fearing he was brain dead after he lost his entire body’s worth of blood and his brain shut down.

Mrs Walker said: ‘It was terrifying when he lost so much blood – we thought we were going to lose him. Harvey spent nine days recovering in hospital, and then a further three months recovering at home.

Mrs Walker added: ‘It was so amazing when he stood up and he was so much taller. He had always been the smallest in his class and now he is of average height which is great.

Standing tall: Harvey with his mother Clare and surgeon Ashley Cole. He had always been the smallest in his class but is now of average height

‘He can now do contact sports and he can run too. He won’t grow any more, but it is fantastic that he is now so much taller than he was.

Ashley Cole, the consultant spinal surgeon who performed Harvey’s operation said: ‘It was a huge success and Harvey has recovered fantastically well.

Mum Fu Panda! Mother playfully teases her cute cub in heart-warming video

They are widely-thought of as being one of the ‘cutest’ animals in the world.

That may be much to do with the way they look, but in this heart-warming video, a mother’s playful nature towards her child has displayed similar traits in a panda’s behaviour.

Panda cubs face a tricky few days and weeks after birth, at high risk of disease as well as being smothered by their parents.

Scroll down for video

The mother panda tips her cub upside down and appears to be tickling…

…but the cub attempts a getaway…

…but the little play thing doesn’t get very far and is ‘captured’ by mum

And while the mother in this clip does at times seem forgetful of the tender nature of her cub, viewers at the Chinese enclosure were treated to a real exhibition of family fun.

At times, the mother looks as though she is tickling the infant with her nose, with the cub trying its best to shield its tender areas.

The little one then makes a dash for it, using its agility to scamper between two wooden beams.

But its tiny legs aren’t quite long enough, and mum catches up and nudges it back to the ground.

Any opportunity to escape the tickling is grabbed by the cute cub

 

But mum’s too wise for that and catches up with her young gun

The whelps of delight from the watching animal enthusiasts go some way to putting the viewer’s mind at rest that the whole scene is playful jest, and not parental punishment.

Cue plenty of rolling around, tipping the cub upside down, pawing it to the ground, and scampering after it when it manages to get a foot free.

The giant panda is still on the ‘endangered species’ list, after deforestation wrecked its natural habitat in areas of China.

Pandas have been born and reared outside of the Far East after being kept in conservation, in particularly in North America and, closer to home, London Zoo.

Chi Chi was the famous face of London Zoo since its death in 1972, and her stuffed remains are still on show to this day in London’s Natural History Museum.

The panda is of course, the emblem of the World Wildlife Fund, the leading organisation in wildlife conservation and protection of endangered species.

– dailymail.co.uk

Man, 62, released on bail after being arrested over the attempted kidnap of a British girl, 3, in Lanzarote

• Man, 62, held in London hours after police appeal for help to find the suspect
• Toddler from Buckinghamshire snatched on holiday in Costa Teguise
• Suspect is released on bail until next month after questioning
• Father ran out of shop to find ‘British man’ leading daughter away
• He shouted and pulled her away from the suspect who left the scene

 

A man held on suspicion of attempting to kidnap a three-year-old British girl as she enjoyed a family holiday has been released on police bail.

The child was led away from her parents and taken down an alleyway while her family looked round a shopping centre in the Spanish island resort of Lanzarote.

The girl’s father shouted out and ran up to his daughter, pulling her away from the man who then left the scene.

A 62-year-old man from London was arrested by police on Wednesday on suspicion of the attempted kidnap of the child, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, following a media appeal.

Location: A family from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, were on holiday in Costa Teguise when a man, believed to be British, attempted to kidnap the girl in a shop

Police confirmed today that he has been released on bail until next month.

The incident has chilling similarities to the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann, who went missing from her apartment in Portugal in 2007 and has never been seen since.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: ‘A 62-year-old man from London arrested in connection with an attempted kidnap in Lanzarote has been released on police bail.

‘The man has been bailed to return to Milton Keynes Police Station in early May.

‘The arrest is in connection with an incident in the resort of Costa Teguise on Monday 30 January, when a three-year-old girl was led away from her family in a shopping centre.’

The British girl’s family were on the beach a short time after the shopping centre incident and saw the same man, who spoke fluent English, sitting between some rocks and acting suspiciously.

The victim’s father confronted the suspect, but he left before police arrived. But the quick-thinking family took photos of the man in an attempt to identify him.

The middle-aged man was described as white, with pasty skin, of stocky build with broad shoulders.

 

He was around 5ft 8ins to 5ft 9ins tall, 40 to 55 years old, with short dark hair and a dark moustache.

Similarities: Madeleine McCann, left, pictured just before she disappeared in 2007, and a computer generated image of how she may look now

The incident happened on January 30 last year, but police said the delay in issuing the pictures was due to Spanish police having to exhaust their investigation before the appeal to find the man could move to Britain.

A near six-year search for Madeleine has yet to solve the mystery of her disappearance from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luiz on May 3, 2007.

There have been dozens of alleged sightings and leads over the years, but nothing has come close to establishing whether she is alive or dead.

In the latest development last month, detectives believe a team of British cleaners may hold the key to her whereabouts.

Owners of apartments in the Portuguese holiday complex where Maddie and her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were staying when she vanished have been asked about cleaners in the area who had a white van.

One property owner said police told him they are looking for a group of six to eight British cleaners who drove around the Praia da Luz area in a white van, working in holiday apartments.

Operation Grange was set up by the Metropolitan Police two years ago at the request of Prime Minister David Cameron following a plea by Madeleine’s parents Kate and Gerry, of Rothley, Leicestershire.

Talk about pigheaded, this one’s got two: Piglet fights for survival after being born with rare deformity

Talk about being pig-headed! This newborn piglet may prove to be twice as stubborn as its siblings as it has not one, but two heads.

The little pig saw the light of day in a village in Jiujiang, east China’s Jiangxi province and has two snouts, two ears and a shared eye.

Unfortunately a local vet who examined the rare pig said the deformity would make it difficult for it to survive to adulthood.

Seeing double: According to this little piglet there is-nout wrong with having two heads

The condition is believed to be axial bifurcation, also known as polycephaly, which occurs when an embryo begins to split into twins but the process is haltered in its early stages.

The mutation occurs in both animals and humans, with a further development resulting in conjoined twins.

Although a rare condition , two-headed kittens, sharks and turtles have all been reported in the media in recent years.

House that looks like it’s built out of Lego with its own salon, cinema and swimming pool goes on the market for £34million

• Stratheden House on The Bishops Avenue in north London is one of the largest houses in a very expensive street
• It boasts a subterranean cinema, champagne bar, hairdressing salon, nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms

For the adult who’s never outgrown a childhood love of Lego, this could be the home of their dreams.

Because while Stratheden, which is for sale in north London’s exclusive Bishops Avenue is undoubtedly sophisticated, it also bears more than a passing resemblance to the plastic construction bricks we all remember from our youth.

Inside, however, the £34m house offers the ultimate in grown-up luxury, with wall-to-wall mirrors, steam-room, and a ballroom with polished floor the size of a normal house.

No expense has been spared in the refurbishment of this 1930s Cape Dutch-style home on the Bishops Avenue – you just need £34m (and then some) to afford it

Built in Cape Dutch style in 1925, it is one of the largest houses on a street that boasts some of the UK’s most impressive – and expensive – properties.

The Bishops Avenue, also known as Billionaires’ Row, is home to oil barons, oligarchs and royalty from Russia,the Middle East and Africa.

Knight Frank and Glentree International, the agents who are selling the vast home, are sure the house’s features and high-end specification will ensure finding a buyer for Stratheden will be no trouble.

The ambassadorial style house boasts nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, five reception rooms and – despite being located only a short drive from the centre of London – almost one acre of land.

One of the stand-out features of the mansion, which was recently rebuilt and has a look of (albeit very expensive) Lego about its exterior, is the ballroom which takes up a staggering 2,700sq/ft – making it perfect for entertaining guests.

The room, which could also double up as an art gallery, has the same floor-space as an average family home.

The mirrored ballroom has roughly the floorspace of a family’s average-sized house – but the buyer of Stratheden probably won’t have to vacuum it themselves

 

With polished marble floor, contemporary artwork and dramatic staircase, guests at the newly-refurbished house will enjoy making quite an entrance

 

No expense spared: Stratheden has nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and an impressive – particularly for London – one-acre garden

You would need to have put in some hard work in Stratheden’s gym before you could feel totally confident having a bath in this hall of mirrors

Stratheden, which will attract a stamp duty bill of £2.4m if it sells for the asking price, also has a 12-metre indoor swimming pool with separate gym, steam and sauna rooms, and a massage/hairdressing/spa room.

There is also a champagne bar, complete with glitzy silver seating and mirrored bar, where the new owner will be able to toast his or her purchase.

Trevor Abrahmsohn, director of Glentree, has sold £3 billion worth of properties on The Bishops Avenue over the past 35 years.

He said: ‘Stratheden has Cape Dutch architecture and this is unique in the area.  That is why the local authority has listed the building and, as such, preserved its architectural heritage.

The dirty plasters and stray hairs of public swimming pools will not trouble the new owner of Stratheden – it boasts its own indoor 12-metre pool, plus separate gym

Stratheden has a jacuzzi and relaxation area beside the pool, which enjoys natural light and French windows onto the one-acre garden

 

For those wanting to unwind after a hard session in the gym or pool, the mansion has a marble and polished-wood floored champagne bar, complete with silver banquette seating and mirrored bar

 

There is a subterranean cinema with luxurious burgundy velvet walls where the buyer will be able to relax and forget about their mortgage repayments for a while

 

This dramatic bathroom is one of eight in the mansion, although if the lady of the house does not feel like washing her own hair, she could pop into the hairdressing salon

‘The pool and leisure area is absolutely stunning and what can one say when you have your own bespoke art gallery/ballroom area and champagne bar, how decadent.

‘This is a home for the family that has everything except a home of this quality. You just have to bring your food and clothes and you are ready to rock and roll.’

The property is spread over four floors with the leisure complex which includes a cinema based on the subterranean level.

Outside, there is a huge drive at the front while the rear boasts an Italian sunken garden, raised garden, water features and a two-bedroom cottage for staff.

Stratheden has one acre of garden, which has been landscaped to provide a relatively easy-to maintain space complete with box hedges and small trees

 

This high-spec kitchen may not be the house’s strong spot (and looks like it’d be tricky to keep clean) but the buyer of the house probably won’t use it themselves

 

This pretty bedroom has expensive carpet, sloped ceiling and an attractive round window dating back to the house’s origins in the Arts and Crafts period

Stratheden’s garden is impressively large for a house so near central London, and water features, pergolas, and a grass lawn that would be perfect for croquet

 

The Bishops Road is already home to oligarchs, royalty and oil barons, but Stratheden is still one of the biggest houses on the street

The dining table comfortably seats 14 and boasts polished wood parquet flooring, handpainted panels, and a high-spec lighting system

 

Parquet floors, polished marble and mirrored walls are features of the vast mansion in The Bishops Avenue

 

The nine-bedroom house looks dramatic at night with its state of the art lighting system and landscaped garden

With corridors lined with gleaming marble and abstract art, the £34m house looks more like an expensive hotel than a home at the moment

To afford a house like this you probably have a business or two – Stratheden comes with a smart office where the new owner will be able to work in peace

The £34m house boasts a stunning, aquamarine tiled steam room where the residents and their guests can sweat away their worries in some style

This kitchen is rather more attractive than the other one, and boasts natural light as well, so perhaps the family of the house might find themselves tempted to cook the odd thing in here – in one of the four ovens…

You wouldn’t want to have a ‘fat day’ in here, no matter how rich you are – the heavily-mirrored dressing room would be a nightmare if you weren’t feeling confident about how you looked

The in-house hairdressing salon has more mirrors, plus leather-padded walls, as well as a bed for massage treatments

This spare room has a built-in flat-screen TV and plenty of room for guests at Stratheden in north London to sprawl out in the super king-size bed

Whoever designed the house for its recent refurbishment was fond of geometrically-framed vistas: The marble staircase and the garden’s pergolas are both stunning

Natural light pours in through the cupola, highlighting the expensively polished wooden floor – and acres of space (plus more mirrors)

An in-house sauna is de rigueur for the mega-rich these days, so Stratheden is fitted with a large one as standard

This ensuite bathroom offers views onto the garden, a large bath with marble surround, and modern sink and high-pressure shower

Luxury fittings in the house include smart polished wood wardrobes, top, and a breath-taking shower lined with astonishingly beautiful polished stone, bottom

A ski mask that really grows on you: Company creates neck warmer that looks just like a BEARD

• U.S. company Beardski have made a neck warmer that looks like a beard
• Headgear comes in different styles including The Biker and Pirate
• Masks designed to protect skiiers’ skin on the slopes

 

A U.S. company has created a piece of skiing equipment that could certainly grow on you – a neck warmer that looks like a false beard.

The humorous headgear was invented to protect skiiers’ exposed skin from harsh winds and bitter temperatures.

The bizarre masks are created in the shape of foot-long beards and have been dubbed The Biker, Pirate, Santa, Rasta and Prospector.

U.S. company Beardski has created a neck warmer which looks just like a bread. They come in various styles, including the Prospector, which is pictured

Each beard, which can be worn by both men and women, provides thermal insulation as well as transforming and disguising an appearance.

 A ski mask and a fake beard in one, they are made from thermal fleece with a waterproof reopreme lining.

The fun headgear was invented to protect skiiers’ exposed skin from harsh winds and bitter temperatures

The Rasta beard

The Pirate beard

The Biker beard

The one-size-fits-all equipment covers the ears, face and neck fully, protecting you from the chilly winds up on the slopes.

All the masks follow a fun theme. The Biker headgear looks just like it sounds, with a shaggy grey beard and a brown Velcro straps.

If you would rather be a Pirate, you would be sporting a long, black beard.

Or you could welcome the festive season early by opting for the Santa, which would give you a full white beard to match Father Christmas’ facial hair.

You could bring a bit of sunshine to the slopes with the Rasta, which has a dread-locked beard, or if you’d prefer something understated there is always the Prospector, which

The beards, which are made by Beardski, cost $34.99 and are available from http://www.beardski.com

Thief uses CHOPSTICKS to steal phone from lady’s back pocket in China

• Wang Hongbo, 32, used chopsticks to take the phone from an unsuspecting cyclist’s pocket
• Pictures of him in the act were circulated around China
• He later handed himself in to police
• A cunning pickpocket in China has been caught on camera stealing a phone using a pair of chopsticks.

Wang Hongbo, 32, was snapped lifting the phone from a woman’s pocket as she cycled through Zhengzhou, the capital of central China’s Henan province.

Photographs show him running after the unsuspecting cyclist along a busy road.

Wang Hongbo runs behind the cyclist holding the specially adapted chopsticks

 

The thief runs edges closer to the unsuspecting woman. The busy road does not deter the brazen crook

 

Hongbo gets close enough to put the chopsticks into the woman’s pocket in Zhengzhou in China’s Henan Province. She continues to cycle obliviously

 

Wang Hongbo walks off clutching a phone, which looks like an iPhone, which later goes on to sell

Dressed in a suit jacket and jeans, he is seen reaching out with a pair of chopsticks and carefully lifts the woman’s phone from her pocket.

A final photo shows him walking away with his

The thief was later seen examining his ill-gotten gains before selling the phone, which is thought to be an iPhone, in a nearby second hand shop.

A passer-by caught him in the act and photographed the whole incident unfolding. He later posted the pictures online.

Pressured by the circulating news reports after his picture was widely circulated, Hangbo contacted a local journalist, who recorded his story and accompanied him when he turned himself into police.

According to the Shanghaiist, a lifestyle website in Shanghai, Hangbo turned to stealing because he was struggling to raise his 12-year-old child alone.

This is not the first time a thief has struck using chopsticks in China.

In September 2011, two dark-coated men were caught on camera patrolling a backstreet before sneaking behind shoppers armed with the traditional Chinese utensil.

The shameless thieves used them to carefully prise items from the back pockets of unwitting shoppers.

Police in China said the gangs of opportunist pickpockets were using them to target busy shoppers, usually women laden down with heavy shopping.

The trend is thought to be spreading through Chinese cities.

Pickpockets operate right across the country and move mainly in busy marketplaces where detection is almost impossible due to the sheer volume of people.

‘I’ve raped 53 women, some as young as five’: Terrifying confession of soldier, 22, who went on rampage through town after losing battle with rebels

• He and his comrades descended on Minova in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they spent two days raping, looting and murdering
• They had just been routed in a battle with the M23 rebel group and were embarrassed, angry and out of control
• But the soldier says he didn’t commit his crimes out of anger, but rather for the pleasure they brought him
• Testimony comes the day after Britain pledges £10million to G8 initiative to fight rapes in war zones

A Congolese soldier has admitted raping 53 women including children as young as five as he and his comrades ransacked a town during the brutal civil war.

The soldier was one of thousands who descended on Minova, near Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and spent two days raping, looting and killing before officers regained control.

The terrifying testimony comes as Foreign Secretary William Hague yesterday pledged to spend £10million on tackling violence and harm to women in war zones.

Civil war: Soldiers of the DRC army in Minova last November. One has admitted raping 53 women as he and comrades rampaged through the town. There is no suggestion that any of these soldiers were involved

The 22-year-old soldier, speaking near where he committed his crimes, told The Guardian how he and two dozen of his comrades gathered and decided to rape ten women each before carrying out the atrocities.

‘I’ve raped 53 women,’ he said, ‘and children of five or six-years-old.’

He and his fellow soldiers just lost a battle with rebel M23 fighters in nearby Goma. Regimental structures had disintegrated and they were embarrassed, angry and out of control.

They arrived in Minova drunk, hungry and violent, and subjected the town to a two-day bloody nightmare before the army managed to restore discipline.

One doctor said his hospital had treated more than 100 women for injuries caused by rape.

However, the soldier who spoke out about his crimes said he and his comrades didn’t commit their crimes for anger, but for pleasure.

‘We could do anything we wanted,’ he said.

Misery: Residents of the area around Minova seek sanctuary from the fighting in a church. Soldiers from DRC’s army subjected the town to a two-day nightmare of looting, rapes and murders

An M23 fighter with local children: The soldiers had just lost a battle with fighters from the M23 rebel group. Regimental structures had disintegrated and they arrived in Minova drunk, hungry and violent

The revelations will add a fresh urgency to efforts by the G8 group of developed nations to fight sex attacks in war zones, which has been backed by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie.

Jolie, who is a special envoy for the UN Human Rights Council, joined Mr Hague at a meeting of the G8 foreign ministers in London yesterday afternoon as the Foreign Secretary announced the UK’s £10million commitment.

The UK’s pledge will make up part of an overall £23million package pledged by the G8 nations.

#timetoact: Angelina Jolie talking in London yesterday at the launch of a new initiative to stamp out war rape to which the UK pledged £10million

Mr Hague said some funding will go toward training military personnel on how to respond to sexual violence, since they are often the first to encounter survivors.

But in the case highlighted by the Guardian today, it was the DRC’s own soldiers who were guilty of horrendous sexual crimes when they launched their frenzied attack on Minova on November 22 last year.

Many of their victims have had to turn to rape refuge centres as – since rejected by their families and husbands – they have nowhere else left to go.

Speaking from one refuge, Nzigire Chibalonza, 60, said she was first beaten severely by soldiers who turned up at her shop, before three of them raped her.

‘Now my husband mocks me,’ she said. ‘He calls me the wife of a soldier. He has rejected me.’

The Congolese army says it is taking action to deal with the rapists in its ranks. If the victims are unable to identify their attackers, prosecutors have threatened to arrest the officers who failed to control their troops.

The UN says that the DRC has suspended a dozen senior officers and is interrogating suspects and observers hope that successful prosecutions might make Minova a watershed moment in tackling war rape in Congo.

But there have been few concrete developments and the women of the town remain sceptical.

‘They may arrest some, but then later they will just set them free again,’ the head of the rape refuge centre said.

Minova is in the far east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where large areas are controlled by M23 rebels

– dailymail.co.uk

So much for that famed efficiency! Pictures reveal empty shell of Berlin’s new airport which is TWO YEARS behind schedule and a source of national embarrassment

• Willy Brandt International Airport was supposed to open in late 2011
• But there have been four publicly announced delays
• Officials now admit it won’t be ready by the latest target of October 2013
• Bosses have now refused to set a new opening date

It has the largest economy in Europe and is known for its brilliant efficiency.

Yet, as these pictures show, not everything in Germany always goes to plan.

With padlocks on gates, and workmen walking across terminals which are supposed to be packed with travellers, Berlin’s new airport is becoming a source of national embarrassment.

Red-faced: Willy Brandt International Airport was supposed to open in late 2011. Instead, it is still closed and is fast becoming a source of national embarrassment

 

Empty: Two workmen walk to the main terminal of the new airport. It should instead be bustling with thousands of passengers

Willy Brandt International Airport, named after Germany’s famed Cold War leader, was supposed to have been up and running in late 2011.

It was to be a sign of Berlin’s transformation from Cold War confrontation line to world class capital of Europe’s economic powerhouse. Instead it has become a symbol of how, even for this technological titan, things can go horribly wrong.

After four publicly announced delays, officials acknowledged the airport won’t be ready by the latest target of October 2013. To spare themselves further embarrassment, officials have refused to set a new opening date.

The saga of Berlin’s new airport has turned into a national joke and a source of humiliation for a people renowned for being on time.

Yet it is just the highest profile in a string of big-ticket projects — including a concert hall in Hamburg, railway tunnels in Munich and Leipzig, a subway line in Cologne and a Stuttgart underground train station — that have been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays.

The airport fiasco presents a staggering picture of incompetence.

Problems: After four publicly announced delays, officials have admitted the airport won’t be ready by the latest target of October 2013

 

Embarrassing: A passenger bridge stands on the empty airfield of the new airport. The saga of Berlin’s new airport has turned into a national joke and a source of humiliation

German media have tracked down a list of tens of thousands of technical problems. Among them: Officials can’t even figure out how to turn the lights off.

Thousands of light bulbs illuminate the gigantic main terminal and unused parking lots around the clock, a massive energy and cost drain that appears to be the result of a computer system that’s so sophisticated it’s almost impossible to operate.

Every day, an empty commuter train rolls to the unfinished airport over a five-mile long stretch to keep the newly-laid tracks from getting rusty, another example of gross inefficiency.

Meanwhile, hundreds of freshly planted trees had to be chopped down because a company delivered the wrong type of linden trees; several escalators need to be rebuilt because they were too short; and dozen of tiles were already broken before a single airport passenger ever stepped on them.

The airport itself points to problems with the fire safety system as the immediate cause of the delays: The fire safety system incorporates some 75,000 sprinklers, but computer programming glitches mean it’s not clear whether all of these sprinklers would spray enough water during a fire.

And the system’s underground vent system, designed to suck away smoke, isn’t working. Here, again, technology’s getting in the way: It’s so advanced that technicians can’t figure out what’s wrong with it.

Closed: To spare themselves further embarrassment, officials have refused to set a new opening date for the airport

 

Worrying: The airport is just the highest profile in a string of big-named projects that have been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays

Critics say that the difficulties with handling today’s complex technology have been compounded by hasty, negligent work due to the intense time pressures.

Underlying these problems appears to be a culture of political dishonesty.

‘Many politicians want prestigious large-scale projects to be inseparably connected with their names,’ said Sebastian Panknin, a financial expert with the Taxpayer’s Association Germany.

‘To get these expensive projects started, they artificially calculate down the real costs to get permission from parliament or other committees in charge.’

In addition to that, politicians at the city, state and federal levels then often come with extra demands once construction is underway, which leads to expensive modifications.

In the case of the Berlin airport, said Pankin, there were about 300 ad hoc change requests by politicians which created an explosion of costs and several delays, among them a last-minute wish to expand the terminal to include a shopping mall.

‘The airport is a classic example of the incompetence of our politicians,’ said Sven Fandrich, a 28-year-old Berliner who works for an insurance company.

‘We’ve seen this happen with many big infrastructure projects in Germany. Nobody feels responsible. The politicians are more concerned about winning the next elections than devoting their service to the people.’

Hamburg’s concert hall was to have opened by 2010. Instead it’s nowhere near complete and costs have more than doubled to 575 million euros. It’s now due to open in 2016.

Construction on Cologne’s North-South subway line began in 2004. After cost overruns and a collapse that killed two people in 2009, officials say the entire line may not be open until 2019. Costs have soared from 780 million to 1.08 billion euros.

In Leipzig, the city tunnel for commuter trains was expected to open in 2009. Construction is still not finished, and costs have jumped from 572 million to 960 million euros.

Of all the bungled projects, the Berlin airport is the biggest embarrassment.

The initial plan foresaw building a stately airport that would be financed by private investors and replace the city’s two Cold War airports — Tegel in former West Berlin and Schoenefeld in what was the Communist east.

After a series of disputes with private investors, the city, state and federal governments eventually took over the airport project. In 2006, costs were estimated at 2 billion euros, but after four delays, the figure spiked to 4.4 billion euros.

Companies like Air Berlin, Germany’s second biggest carrier, have been severely affected by the delays and are suing for lost revenues. Small businesses like coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores or bus operators – who had already hired staff and invested in new stores at the airport – are facing bankruptcy.

Twitter users asked the mayor to ‘please open this gate,’ playing off President Ronald Reagan’s famous 1987 appeal to Moscow to ‘tear down’ the Berlin Wall.

And by the time the airport finally opens, it may face a new headache.

Some aviation experts are warning that by its inauguration date, the airport will already be too small to handle the rising number of passengers.

The nearly 3.9 million-square-foot (360,000 square meter) airport complex was designed to handle 27 million passengers. But the existing two city airports handled 25 million passengers last year – and the city keeps attracting more visitors every year.

‘The airport is too expensive, too small and too much behind time,’ said aviation expert Dieter Faulenbach da Costa, who recently caused a stir when he proposed that the airport ought to be torn down.

In an effort to salvage the mess, Hartmut Mehdorn, the hard-nosed former boss of the German railway system with a reputation for turning around failing corporations, was named chief executive of the airport in early March.

‘The whole world says: it’s not possible at all,’ Mehdorn said when he took over. ‘I say: It should be possible.

‘I just don’t know how yet.’

– dailymail.co.uk

Five people from the same family killed in crash between car and lorry

• Five members of Durham family dies in crash on A18 near Grimsby
• Family’s Nissan Primera collided with light goods vehicle at 12.30pm today
• Three pronounced dead at the scene and two upon arrival at hospital

Five people from the same family have died in a crash between their car and a lorry today.

Three members of the Durham family were pronounced dead at the scene on the A18 near Laceby Manor Golf Club, Grimsby.

Two were announced dead upon arrival at hospital following what is believed to have been a head-on collision between the family’s Nissan Primera and a light goods vehicle.

Horror: The family’s Nissan Primera covered up next to the lorry following the fatal crash that killed five people

The lorry driver suffered light injuries following the crash at 12.30pm today.

It is believed that the victims are four adults and a baby, but police have yet to confirm the ages and relations between the five dead.

‘All we know is that there’s been four adults and one baby killed in the accident,’ Jason Abrams, a golfer at the nearby Laceby Manor Golf Club, told ITV News.

‘It’s a bendy road but people do go at a great lick along it. It’s 60mph at the moment but the council are looking at changing it to 50 and hopefully this will make a difference.

‘A car went into an articulated lorry. All we know is what the police have said – that the car tried to overtake something or the car hit a curb which has sent it spinning out of control and obviously gone head-on into a lorry.’

Crash: Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, the two remaining passengers died at hospital

Scene: The head-on collision between the family’s car and the light goods vehicle occurred at 12.30pm today on Barton Street, Grimsby

Superintendent Tracey Bradley, of Humberside Police, told the Grimsby Telegraph: ‘Police were called today at 12.30pm to an incident on the A18 near Laceby, just past the Oaklands Hotel.

‘At this moment in time we are conducting an investigation to try to find out what the cause of the incident was, and we have family liaison officers that are working with family and relatives of the deceased.

‘We would like to appeal to any witnesses that either saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision or saw the incident occurring.’

Eight emergency vehicles were called to the scene, five ambulances and three fire engines, some of which remain tonight, according to witnesses.

The road is currently closed in both directions between Laceby Crossroads in Grimsby and the B1203 Ashby Hill junction in East Ravendale.

– dailymail.co.uk

Legal drugs wreck family

 

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE

SHE UNDERSTANDS: Sue Eade, of Timaru, knows only too well how legal highs can wreck a family. Her two sons have used the legal substance K2 with disastrous consequences.

 

New Zealand woman Sue Eade fears she will bury one of her sons.

That fear comes from seeing what legal highs have done to them and to her family. And now she wants to set up a support group to help other families affected by the drugs.

Her sons, aged 15 and 20, began using the legal high K2 last year. Since then she has seen the elder lose his dairy farm job as he was no longer reliable. This week she got the call to collect the 15-year-old from school as he was high on the legal drug.

She does not blame the employer or the school for the steps they took. She does blame the storeowners selling the synthetic cannabis.

“I bet they are not using it themselves or letting their children use it,” she says of the store owners.

“They are hypocrites. They have no idea what it is doing. It does not matter whether it is legal or not.

“It is wrecking families,” she said, explaining how her sons had taken items from the house to get cash to buy the highs.

“You go to get something and it is gone. I’ve had to put a lock on my (bedroom) door.”

Last month the police called. The 15-year-old had been found comatose in Marchwiel Park.

The “mate” he had been smoking K2 with had left him there. Someone else found him and called the police. He was taken to hospital.

Medical staff at the hospital made it clear they were seeing similar cases “on a daily basis”.

“He couldn’t even walk. It took a nurse, my friend, and me, to get him into my vehicle.”

Miss Eade spent the night checking him every hour, making sure he was in the recovery position in case he vomited and choked to death.

At least she knew where he was that night.

And this was a boy who was a top student in his first two years at high school. Earlier this year his science teacher told Miss Eade her son was in the top 1 per cent of students in that subject.

As of last Monday he is no longer welcome at school. He will not be allowed back until he tests clean. But he is not interested.

Attempts to reason with her sons have failed.

She has a very personal reason for fearing for her boys. Miss Eade understands the legal highs can cause kidney damage. She has hereditary kidney disease.

“I go through agony every day,” she says of her condition, but even seeing their mother in such a state has not been enough to dissuade her boys from using.

“I just hope one of them does not end up in a box.”

The legal highs have even affected her 11-year-old daughter. She used to love her big brothers. Now she hates them because of what they have done and the way they act. “It just tears you apart.”

What the future holds for her sons, for her family, she does not know. But she does hope she can support other families who find themselves in similar situations. She has posted a link on the Facebook page Stop Legal Highs, inviting others to make contact.

Only those living through the hell the legal highs can cause can really understand, she says.

– © Fairfax NZ News