Car Thief Strangles Baby Left In Vehicle

A Chinese car thief strangled a two-month-old baby after stealing a vehicle with the infant inside, according to police.

In a crime that has sparked revulsion across the country, officers said the baby was killed and then buried in the snow.

The baby's parents had left the child alone for 10 minutes with the car doors unlocked and the engine running, according to state-run media.

Reports suggested the father had run into the shop where he worked to turn up the heat because he wanted to keep the baby warm.

Zhou Xijun, 48, stole the car in the north eastern Jilin province, triggering a major hunt involving thousands of police officers and taxi drivers.

He handed himself in a day later and confessed, according to reports.

Jilin police said in a statement that Zhou had "discovered a baby in the back seat of the stolen car, stopped at the side of a road before strangling the baby to death and burying it in the snow".

The child's body has been recovered.

The South China Morning Post reported that the child's mother had a heart attack when told of the killing and was being treated in hospital.

The case caused a storm in China, generating far more attention than the annual meeting of China's parliament which opened on Tuesday.               

Changchun citizens mourn the death of the two-month-old baby

Internet users expressed their disgust at the crime and many called for Zhou to be put to death.

"Killing him once would not be enough," one user of Sina Weibo, a website similar to Twitter, wrote.

Another added: "I would never have imagined that what people most feared would actually happen ... The killer should be severely punished."

However others entered into debates about negligent parents, calling for harsher punishments for those who fail to protect their children.

A candlelit vigil for the baby was held in Changchun on Tuesday evening. Lights were dimmed at 10.10pm and a moment of silence was observed.

The latest UN figures on the murder rate in China puts it at one per 100,000 people, among the lowest in the world.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria Crisis: Refugee Figure Tops Million Mark

Syria Crisis: Inside A Refugee Camp

Updated: 11:28am UK, Wednesday 06 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, in Zaatari Camp, Jordan

They crossed in silence. A stream of humanity stumbling over pebbles in slippers and sandals. Artillery crunched into the earth in the homeland they had left.

"No lights, no lights," a Jordanian officer implored. "The regime forces (he meant the Syrian army) will see them and shoot at them."

Around 2,000 had crossed on foot before midnight that night into the desert kingdom just north of Ramtha.

They joined 300,000 other registered refugees here. People fleeing Syria into Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and on to North Africa and Europe now total, officially, a million. The truth is that the figure topped that some time back.

At least 400,000 refugees now live in Jordan, some 150,000 in the Zatari refugee Camp - the rest have been absorbed into Jordanian society.

"This puts, massive strains on us. We are short of water in this country. We are shoot of food and ave many who are already living below the poverty lone and now we have increased our population by about eight per cent.

"That means we are risking political instability - tension will rise. Competition for scarce resources can only lead in one direction," said a senior officer in Jordan's security forces.

"Contagion" is an ugly word to use in relation to human beings. But the effects of Syria's civil war are spreading into the region like a virus.

The disease is instability. It can be carried by refugees, unwilling hosts carrying the turmoil that cased them to flee their homes into neighbouring countries.

In Zatari the leader of an aid organisation said: "It's hard not to feel resentment when the Syrian problem is draining our own social funds. Our poor are worse off than the refugees."

Jordan estimates that it has spent in the region of $400m (£264m) already on humanitarian efforts. But the end of this year it expects to be hosting 600,000 people - and will need another $400 million or more.

Jordan, so far, has been spared the open conflict which has spilled from Syria into the Lebanon, which has been riven with sectarian strife.

Alawites, many of whom support President Assad, and Sunnis, often rebel supporters, have clashed in the north. Sunni and Shi'a in the south.

Border villages have been turned into bases for Sunni rebels in the north crossing into Syria. A little to the south near the Bekaa valley they are jumping off points for Hezbollah fighters joining Mr Assad's fight against the rebels.

On the Golan Heights, in Israeli occupied Syrian territory, the army of the Jewish State has boosted its defences and watches the daily skirmishes inside Syria from a few hundred yards away.

To the west, on the border with the Lebanon, Israel has installed batteries of Iron Dome and Patriot anti-missile missiles to defend against attacks from Hezbollah.

Israeli forces have already risked provoking Hezbollah with at least two sorties against Hezbollah targets, or Syrian weapon convoys supplying Hezbollah with anti-aircraft missiles.

The south Lebanese Shia movement is backed by Iran and President Assad. It knows it needs a strategic weapon to ensure its military longevity if its source of re-supply in Syria is cut off.

It has been trying to get hold of modern anti-aircraft missiles which could threaten Israeli air supremacy.

It might also like to get its hands on Syria's deadly stockpiles of VX and Sarin nerve agents which it has 'weaponised' and is capable of fitting to missiles and artillery shells.

Israel has made it clear that an attempt to give Hezbollah chemical weapons would be met with force. It would go to war to prevent its enemy getting hold of such a dangerous weapon.

Syria has indeed become contagious. The international focus is now on how to contain such a virulent outbreak of chaos, violence and grief.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Edward Furlong: Terminator 2 Star Jailed

Edward Furlong has been sent to jail for six months for violating the terms of his probation.

Court records show the 35-year-old Terminator 2 actor was sentenced in relation to a domestic violence case in which he was convicted of breaking a restraining order.

The actor, who played John Connor alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the science-fiction thriller, has been the subject of restraining orders filed by both his ex-wife and a former girlfriend.

He was charged in January with battery on his ex-girlfriend in a case that continues.

Details of his sentencing on Monday have only just emerged.

Furlong's other major role was as Daniel Vinyard in American History X alongside Edward Norton, who played his older brother Derek, a white supremacist.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Dead Driver 'Unnoticed On Busy Road For Days'

The body of a driver lay undetected on the front seat of his car beside one of New Zealand's busiest roads for five days before anyone called police, according to reports.

Auckland resident Alvin Singh was reported missing on February 22 and his corpse was found in his car, parked in plain sight near a major intersection, on February 27, after somebody eventually raised the alarm, police told the local news organisation Fairfax Media.

CCTV footage showed him pulling over and leaving the car briefly before getting back in prior to his death, police said.

Detective inspector Mark Gutry said the death was not being treated as suspicious and that it was unusual for a body to lie undetected for so long, saying it may have been because Mr Singh reclined his seat before he died.

"He was in the front seat, which was reclined, and he had sort of rolled over on the seat," Mr Gutry said. "After that time in a hot car, it wasn't pleasant."

He told the New Zealand Herald that 34-year-old Mr Singh had suffered from a pre-existing medical condition, which was the likely cause of his death.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bolshoi Acid Attack: Mastermind's Confession

A ballet star at the Bolshoi Theatre has confessed to being the mastermind of an attack on the theatre's ballet chief.

Sergei Filin, the artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet, suffered severe burns to his eyes and face on January 17 when an attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face as Mr Filin returned home late at night.

The 42-year-old former dancer is undergoing treatment in Germany.

Mr Filin after leaving hospital, right, and before the acid attack

Along with dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko, police have also detained another man who confessed to perpetrating the attack.

Dmitrichenko has danced several major parts in recent years, including Ivan the Terrible in the ballet of the same name.

Dmitrichenko as Ivan the Terrible

On Tuesday, Russia's interior ministry confirmed that they had arrested Dmitrichenko and two other men, named as driver Andrei Lipatov and 35-year-old Yury Zarutsky.

Last month, the ballet postponed its production of Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring and in January, leading ballerina Svetlana Lunkina fled to Canada after receiving unconnected threats.

Mr Filin was attacked outside his Moscow apartment

The case has focused attention on the bitter rivalries within the ballet world.

The Bolshoi has been plagued by intrigue and infighting that has led to the departure of several artistic directors over the past few years.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lady Gaga: Legal Action Over Gagged Gig

Concert promoters are suing three insurance syndicates after an Indonesian concert by Lady Gaga was cancelled due to a threat by Islamic hardliners.

The breach of contract lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles by Live Nation LGTours, Mermaid Touring and The Atom Factory.

They are suing three Lloyd's of London syndicates for at least $75,000 (£50,000) in damages.

Lady Gaga, 26, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, is known for her outrageous outfits and wigs.

She cancelled her concert in Jakarta last June after Islamic hardliners promised "chaos" if she entered the Muslim nation.

In the lawsuit, the promoters accused the insurers of failing to pay out on a terrorism policy that had been taken out in advance of the tour.

A demure Gaga signs autographs - with no bra or panties in sight

They said the syndicates had displayed "despicable conduct that subjected plaintiffs to cruel and unjust hardship ... with the intent to vex, injure or annoy the plaintiffs".

The cancelled show was part of Lady Gaga's tour of Asia that also drew protests from Christian groups in the Philippines and South Korea.

Jakarta police refused to approve the June 3 concert after the Islamic Defenders Front threatened violence if she performed.

The group called her the "devil's messenger" who wears only a "bra and panties".

Local promoter Big Daddy said it was "unfortunate" that the show had had to be called off.

More than 50,000 tickets had been sold for the event at the Bung Karno Stadium, but the Islamic Defenders Front said the cancellation was "good news" for Muslims in Indonesia.

Around 90% of Indonesia's 240 million people identify themselves as Muslim, making it the world's largest Islamic-majority nation, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the religion.

In the past, pop stars including Beyonce and Pussycat Dolls have been allowed to perform in the country on condition they wore more conservative clothes than usual.

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Grandma Goes On Trial For Shooting Grandson

As wounded teenager Jonathan Hoffman pleaded with 911 dispatchers for help last May, his grandmother allegedly shot him again, a court has heard.

Just as the 17-year-old "thought he was safe ... Sandra Layne walks up and shoots him again. This time in the stomach," prosecutor Paul Walton told a court in Michigan.

The 75-year-old's defence team countered that she feared for her safety during the fatal confrontation last year at her home in the West Bloomfield in suburban Detroit.

The teenager was shot three times in the chest, once in the abdomen and once in his left arm.

He had been living with his grandparents while his mother and father were divorcing.

Jonathan Hoffman had moved in with his grandparents in suburban Detroit

Officers had been called two months earlier, when the grandmother told police she was having a difficult time with her grandson.

Four days before that, the high school senior was pulled over and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

He received a 93-day suspended sentence and was placed on 12 months' probation.

Sandra Layne is "not a murderer", her attorney Jerome Sabbota said on Tuesday.

"She was afraid. She felt she had no choice. Why else would she shoot him? This is a tragic case."

In Hoffman's 911 call, played during Layne's preliminary examination last summer, the teen yelled into his phone: "I've just been shot. My grandma shot me. I'm going to die. Help."

A few minutes later, he tells the operator: "I got shot, shot again. Please help. Help."

His voice trails off and a woman's shouts are heard in the background.

A police officer said she later walked out of her home with her hands up and screamed: "I murdered my grandson."

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

South Africa: Service For Police Van Victim

The wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela has attended a memorial service for a man who died in police custody after being dragged along the road by a police vehicle.

Several hundred people gathered at a stadium in Johannesburg to remember Mido Macia, a 27-year-old taxi driver from Mozambique who died last week.

The incident, in which a handcuffed Mr Macia was dragged behind a van, was filmed by onlookers, causing outrage in South Africa.

He was later found dead in a police cell with serious head and internal injuries.

Witnesses said Mr Macia drew the attention of police when he parked in a way that blocked traffic, and got into a row with officers.

Mr Macia was dragged behind a police vehicle (Pic: Daily Sun)

The memorial service was held in Daveyton township east of Johannesburg, where Mr Macia was initially detained.

Mr Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, criticised the police's conduct, saying officers are supposed to protect South Africans from violent crime.

She said South Africa was facing "big trouble".

"As a society we are bleeding, we are grieving, if you like, we are in pain and we just don't know how to deal with our pain," she said.

Eight police officers have been charged with murder over Mr Macia's death. They are to make applications for bail on Friday.

Related Stories

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Heart Attack' Snowstorm Hits US

The US government shut down offices in the Washington DC area and hundreds of flights in the region were cancelled ahead of a major new snowstorm.

The worst of the storm was expected to arrive by midday after sweeping through the Midwest and stopping more than 1,100 flights at Chicago airports.

The US Office of Personnel Management, which sets leave policies for 300,000 federal workers, said non-emergency employees would be granted excused absences for Wednesday.

The late-season snowstorm left much of the country's midwest covered in a thick blanket of snow.

The snowstorm, called Saturn, started in Montana, moving to parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota on Monday.

It then crossed into Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana on its way to Washington DC, which is expected to be worst hit.

Up to 10 inches of snow was forecast for Chicago, easily making it the city's biggest fall of the season.

The snowstorm moving across the US. Photo: AFP/NOAA

The National Weather Service said snow was possible during both the morning and evening rush hours in Chicago, causing problems for commuters.

Drivers were urged to swap their own transport for buses and trains when possible.

The authorities are trying to prevent a repeat of scenes two years ago when hundreds of commuters were stranded on roads during a huge blizzard.

'Saturn' is expected to bring heavy, wet snow, sometimes called "heart attack snow" because it requires hard work to shovel it away from paths.

"It is taxing their bodies and their hearts," cardiologist Dr David Marmor told the AP news agency.

"People are really testing their limits, and if they're already at high risk, they are better off paying the kid across the street to do it."

The National Weather Service pitched in with its own prosaic description of the white hazard. 

"It will be a wet, heavy, gloppy snow consistent with wallpaper paste," a spokesman Chris Vaccaro said.

Chicago resident Pat Reidy said she was taking time off work and had done a 40-minute yoga warm-up to prepare for the heavy lifting she was doing in her neighbourhood.

"I'm trying to avoid a heart attack," the 52-year-old said.

Neighbours have been helping each other out. One, Mike Morawski, 53, cleared the pavement in front an older lady's home.

"We don't want her digging out," he said. "She's a tender, little woman, a piano teacher. She doesn't need to be shovelling."

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hugo Chavez: Coffin Paraded Through Streets

A military parade is being held to carry the remains of President Hugo Chavez through the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

The country's foreign minister, Elias Jose Jaua Milano, declared seven days of mourning for the controversial socialist leader, who died at the age of 58 after losing his battle with cancer.

His coffin left Caracas' military hospital earlier for his body to be escorted through the city.

It will then lie in state at a military academy until a public funeral on Friday.

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets with many crying, hugging each other, or shouting slogans of support.

A sea of red, yellow and blue - the colours of the national flag - surrounded Mr Chavez's coffin as supporters joined the procession to celebrate and pay their respects to the leader they loved.

Clusters of women with tears streaming down their faces clung to each other and wept near the Miraflores presidential palace. Some wore T-shirts with slogans that read: "Go forward commander!"

Nearby, men pumped their arms in the air while shouting: "Long live Chavez! Long live Chavismo!"

Reporting for Sky News, journalist Virginia Lopez, said: "Family, friends and members of the President's Guard of Honour joined the parade.

Emotional vice president Nicolas Maduro announced the death on national TV

"The streets are bursting with people wearing red berets that Mr Chavez made emblematic of his rule."

Minutes before his final journey, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Mr Chavez's "spirit roams freely, filled with light protecting our people. Our people are in the streets expressing their solidarity, their feelings."

He fought back tears as he announced the death on Tuesday night in a national television broadcast.

He said Mr Chavez, who had been in power for 14 years, died at 4.25pm local time "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".

Amid fears of unrest, Mr Maduro also said the army and police had been deployed "to accompany and protect our people and guarantee the peace".

Mr Jaua Milano said Mr Maduro would take over the presidency until fresh elections can take place in around 30 days.

Ideological allies across Latin America lined up to salute former paratrooper Mr Chavez, a standard bearer of the region's "anti-imperialist" left.

Some Venezuelans in the US say they are glad the 'dictatorship' has ended

Cuba has declared three days of national mourning, with the government saying Mr Chavez had "stood by Fidel Castro like a true son".

Bolivia's socialist President Evo Morales said he was "crushed", while Argentinian Vice President Amado Boudou said "all of Latin America" was in mourning.

President Barack Obama responded by expressing hopes for improved relations with the oil-rich state, voicing American "support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government".

He added: "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "saddened" by the death of a leader who had left a "lasting impression on the country and more widely".

Mr Chavez had been receiving cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011 - when he was first diagnosed with the illness.

The announcement of his death came just hours after Mr Maduro announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country.

He had said Mr Chavez's illness had been induced by foul play by "the historical enemies of our homeland".

Mr Chavez with daughters Rosa Virginia, right, and Maria

People have been gathering outside the military hospital where Mr Chavez died. Soldiers in riot gear stood shoulder to shoulder guarding the complex.

"I feel such big pain I can't even speak," said Yamilina Barrios, a 39-year-old office worker weeping at a street corner. "He was the best thing the country had ... I adore him. Let's hope the country calms down and we can continue the tasks he left us."

The government announced late on Monday that Mr Chavez's condition was "very delicate" due to a "new, severe" respiratory infection.

Mr Chavez had not been seen in public or heard since undergoing a fourth round of surgery in Cuba on December 11.

The government said he returned home on February 18, and had been confined to Caracas' military hospital ever since.

During his time in power, Mr Chavez routinely challenged the status quo at home and internationally.

The fiery populist leader declared a socialist revolution in Venezuela, crusaded against US influence, championed a leftist revival across Latin America, and over time, gradually placed all state institutions under his personal control.

His death sets up a snap presidential election after his illness prevented him from taking the oath of office when he was re-elected last year.

Under the constitution, the head of Congress, Diosdado Cabello, would assume the interim presidency.

However, Mr Maduro is Mr Chavez's self-anointed successor and has been holding the reins since the president's health worsened.

The man Mr Chavez defeated in October's presidential elections, Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles, is expected to represent the opposition in any new national polls.

He called for unity and offered his condolences to Mr Chavez's family and supporters.

Venezuela's defence minister pledged the military would remain loyal to the constitution in the wake of Mr Chavez's death.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Chavez "used a mixture of brute force, persuasion, passion and charisma to keep himself in power".

"Such was the adoration and devotion that mainly the poor in Venezuela felt for him that he was seen as this almost sort of religious figure, and his loss now leaves a huge void in Venezuelan politics.

"A lot of people say he is irreplaceable."

23.11 | 0 komentar | Read More