13 year old boy beats world-famous Museum of Art by spotting a mistake in a map on his first visit

Benjamin Coady

A 13-year-old boy and student of Renbrook School in West Hartford, Connecticut, Benjamin Lerman Coady has outsmarted the staff at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art after quickly pointing out an error in one of their exhibits' maps. Coady, who reads ahead in his school's history textbooks, told the Hartford Courant that he recognized the mistake on his first visit to the museum last summer. Originally he thought the museum would be a walk-through of 'just art on the wall,' having toured the American Museum of Natural History a few times before, but he was attracted to the historic map - catching an analytical eye.

The map in question according to the dates printed on it, excluded Spain and parts of Africa that would have been in the Byzantine Empire (file photo) The map in question was one of a region Benjamin had been recently studying in school, that of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. Benjamin said he began examining the dates on it, catching that the specifics deemed it to represent the region when the empire was at its largest. However Spain and parts of Africa were entirely missing, he said. Approaching the front desk, they told him to fill out a form, detailing his complaint, but he said he never expected to hear back from them. 'The front desk didn't believe me,' he told the Courant. 'I'm only a kid.' culled from Mailonline

Girl, 11 awarded £10.8m in compensation for birth injury

Milly Evans

A Lincolnshire girl who suffered serious injuries at birth and needs 24-hour care has been awarded compensation worth £10.8m. A judge at London's High Court approved the award to Milly Evans, 11, the daughter of a former Red Arrows pilot. Milly was born at Lincoln County Hospital on 1 March 2001, but later suffered a seizure. United Lincolnshire Hospital NHS Trust admitted liability, but had previously contested the amount of damages. Her parents, Andy Evans, 45, and his wife Kate, 41, of Cranwell, claimed that if the baby's heart had been properly monitored, the midwife would have spotted her foetal distress sooner and would have been delivered earlier without suffering catastrophic injury. Milly suffers from cerebral palsy and requires 24-hour care and help with all aspects of daily living. She is confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak, although her intellect has remained intact and she communicates through sophisticated eye-gaze equipment. Susan Rodway, QC, representing the family, told the judge, Sir Robert Nelson: "It is yet another incident of an avoidable accident at birth which caused devastating injuries." The judge approved a settlement involving a lump sum of £5.866m and lifelong periodic payments rising to £204,000 a year. Sir Robert told Mr Evans, a former squadron leader in the RAF and member of the Red Arrows display team, who was unable to continue his career because of Milly's disabilities, that he and his wife, Kate, had both done a "fantastic" job. Paul Rees QC, for the trust, offered them an unreserved apology for the events surrounding Milly's birth. A statement from the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust said that guidelines and practices had changed significantly in the 11 years since Milly's birth. The family' said Milly would now be able to have a specially-adapted home, with hoists and a hydrotherapy pool, which would be big enough for her to access all rooms. culled from BBC

Lightning strikes kill 17 people in Andhra Pradesh

As many as 17 people died in different districts of Andhra Pradesh today after being struck by lightning. The highest number of 10 deaths was reported from Guntur district and two deaths each in Khammam, Warangal and Prakasam, state Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha told Press Trust of India. One more person died due to lightning elsewhere. Different parts of Andhra Pradesh have experienced squalls and rains since yesterday. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the officials to provide relief and assistance to the kin of those who died in incidents of lighting, an official release said. culled from NDTV

Indian student at war with parents for denying him right to sexual transformation

Bidhan Barua

A college student from Guwahati has taken his parents to court alleging that they are trying to prevent him from a sex-change operation. His father says the surgery cannot be treated as "a personal decision" and that the 21-year-old must get the consent of his entire family, including his grand-parents and his uncles. "I gave birth to a son, not a eunuch," said his father to NDTV. Bidhan Barua has told the Bombay High Court that his parents, who live in Guwahati, have threatened doctors at the Saifee Hospital where he was scheduled to undergo a sex change surgery later this month. Mr Barua claims that the doctors have refused to operate upon him without clearance from the court. Clad in a black shirt, Bidhan, who spoke to NDTV, acknowledged that at a very young age, he realised that he enjoyed dressing up as a girl and that embarrassed his family members who abused him and often beat him up. After he finished high school, he began working odd jobs to save up money for the operation that he believed would free him from a life and identity that he didn't feel comfortable with. He then ran away from home to Mumbai to undergo his operation. In Guwahati, Bidhan's father, who works as a cook, said he is concerned about his son and wants him to be happy but cannot understand or accept his insistence on becoming a woman. "I feel ashamed that he wants to change his sex," said Supti Ranjan Barua to NDTV. "If he changes his gender, I will not be able to bear the humiliation," he pleaded. But the matter for Bidhan is not just about his sex change surgery. It is about being with his beloved. "I want to be with my fiance and he has accepted me as I am. That's what finally pushed me into taking this decision." Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Matcheswala has examined Bidhan and says he is ready to undergo the surgery. "It's a complex issue. The parents must be counseled as it is always not easy to accept such decisions. There could be serious dangers if the decision of the child is not accepted. Ultimately he only wants to be happy," explained Dr Matcheswala. culled from NDTV

MBA Student commits suicide over allegation of malpractice

Sylva

An MBA student on Tuesday committed suicide by hanging herself in her hostel room in Gurgaon after a teacher accused her of cheating and tore her exam paper, police said. Dayna Silva, a 1st year MBA student in the Amity University Pachgaon, situated on National Highway 8, hanged herself after she was reportedly humiliated by an invigilator, one of the students said. A student from the same university, on condition of anonymity, told IANS that Dayna was writing her examination Tuesday when a teacher accused her of cheating. When she protested, the invigilator took her answer sheet and tore it up. Dayna, who was from Meghalaya, immediately rushed to her room in the hostel and hanged herself. When her roommate returned she saw her hanging. Teachers tried to veil the incident. "We just came to know about the incident, our investigation is on," a police officer said. The Deputy Vice Chancellor of Amity University Mr. BS Chauhan confirmed that Dayna committed suicide in her hostel room, however he refrained from any further comment until the investigation was completed. Dayna was an intelligent student, one of her friends said. A student of the institute alleged that many times they were threatened by their teachers with mark cuts and suspension without any reason. culled from NDTV

Litigation: Court orders KFC fast-food to pay 8.3 million dollars compensation to victm

Monika Samaan

Fast-food giant, KFC has been ordered to pay $8.3m (£5.1m) to the family of an Australian girl left severely brain damaged after being poisoned by a chicken meal. Monika Samaan fell ill with salmonella poisoning after eating a "Twister" wrap at a KFC restaurant near Sydney in 2005. The poisoning left her wheelchair-bound and unable to speak. KFC said it was "deeply disappointed" by the decision and would appeal. A judge of the Supreme Court of the state of New South Wales awarded the A$8m damages after ruling last week that KFC had breached its duty of care to the girl. The family's lawyer, George Vlahakis, said they were relieved by the decision. "Monika's severe brain damage and severe disability has already exhausted the very limited resources of the family," he said. "Monika is now a big girl and they are finding it increasingly difficult to lift her and to look after her basic needs as well as look after Monika's younger siblings. "The compensation ordered is very much needed. KFC have to date been determined that Monika does not receive a cent." KFC, which is owned by Yum! Brands, expressed surprise at the judge's ruling, insisting the evidence did not show it caused Monika's disability. It has indicated it will appeal. "We feel deeply for Monika and the Samaan family. However, we also have a responsibility to defend KFC's reputation as a provider of safe, high-quality food," a company manager said. The court was told that Monika was in a coma for six months after she, her parents and brother fell ill with vomiting and diarrhoea after sharing the wrap, the AAP news agency reports. The other family members all recovered. The family's lawyer told the court that at busy times, the restaurant would reuse chicken that had been dropped on the floor. culled from BBC

Netherlands Judge bans foreigners from using cannabis

A judge in the Netherlands has upheld a new law to ban foreign tourists from entering cannabis cafes. There are about 700 ‘coffee shops’, as they are called, in the Netherlands. The cultivation and sale of soft drugs, especially cannabis through them is decriminalised, although not legal; police generally tolerate possession of up to five grams of cannabis. While soft drugs are tolerated, there is growing concern at tourists visiting just for drugs, and foreign dealers selling illegally at home. The ban is due to start in three southern provinces next month, and go nationwide by the end of the year. A group of cafe owners argued at The Hague district court that the ban was discriminatory against foreigners. Under the new law, Dutch residents will still be allowed into the cafes, as long as they have valid identification, or possibly hold a new "weed pass", which is also being debated. A lawyer for the coffee shop owners said he would immediately lodge an appeal. Michael Veling, a spokesman for the Dutch Cannabis Retailers Association, is among those challenging the government plan. "It is going to cost me 90% of my turnover," he told the BBC World Service. "That is a very good reason for anyone to oppose any plan. Second it puts our customers in a very difficult spot, because why do you have to register to buy a substance that is still illegal?" The nationwide ban is being strongly opposed by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, because around a third of the city's tourists visit to smoke cannabis in the cafes. If the coffee shop owners lose their case they say they will take it to the European Court of Human Rights, on the grounds that the Dutch should not be allowed to discriminate against people on the basis of where they live. The moves are part of a tougher approach to drugs introduced by the coalition conservative-led government, elected 18 months ago. In October strong cannabis was reclassified as a hard drug, amid concerns that it has a psychotic effect on some users. The move forced cannabis coffee shops to remove the more popular stronger varieties from their shelves. In November the city of Maastricht brought in a coffee shop ban for foreign tourists from all countries, except Belgium and Germany, from where the majority of foreign customers come. culled from BBC

Iraqi farmer maries 2 women in one day

Abdul Rahman Nayef al-Obeidi, a 22-year-old Iraqi farmer, fell in love with two women, but instead of choosing between them, he married both in one night in a small village in central Iraq. The wedding ceremony for Obeidi and two of his cousins, 17-year-old Intidhar and 22-year-old Suad, was held on April 6 at his family home in Al-Laqlaq village, north of Tikrit. The ceremony was attended by the families of his two brides, relatives and friends, who were happy and surprised. Obeidi, the youngest of five sons, said that he informed his parents about his plan to marry his two cousins in one night and they encouraged him, though many of his relatives were against the idea. "It took me less than one month to make a final decision because the two families are my relatives and I love the two girls," Obeidi said. The most important step was to persuade the two young women. Intidhar said: "He told me, 'We will marry, me, you and Suad, in one night, so what do you say?' And I told him it is all right, if you treat us both the same way." Islam permits men to marry up to four women, but stipulates that the wives must be treated equally. Suad said that she was surprised when Obeidi told her about his idea, but he persuaded her to go along. Obeidi's older brother Salman played the role of mediator in the negotiations with the two families, and succeeded in making his brother's dream come true. His father, Nayef Hamid said that he feels proud of his son, although he is the only of the five sons to marry two women. Hamid said that he is ready to support all his sons if they decide to marry twice. Obeidi's mother, Rasmiya Mohammed too said she supported her son and did not want him to feel sad because he loves the two women. Commentary on a picture of the married trio posted on Facebook was mixed, with men generally supporting the idea, and women against it. "This man is a hero. There is no one who has done that before him, and this man should be put in Guinness Book of World Records," Ali Bassi Abbar wrote. But Sara Yasser disagreed, writing sarcastically: "Poor guy; he did not want to break one of their hearts. He is really a nice man." Another woman, Sara Saad, criticised the two new brides, writing that, "Any woman who agrees to such a marriage does not have any sense or dignity."

Woman jailed for 12 yrs, 3 teenagers detained for life for manslaughter

Victoria

A woman who was seen on CCTV kicking a boy in the head after he was fatally stabbed in a Tube station has been jailed for 12 years for the killing. Sofyen Belamouadden, 15, was stabbed nine times after being chased by a crowd of youths into Victoria Tube station in March 2010. Victoria Osoteku, 20, of Deptford, south London, was found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey. Three teenagers have been detained for life for the murder. Judge Christopher Moss said Osoteku must share part of the responsibility for the death because she assisted in buying a set of knives during her lunch hour. Osoteku was one of 20 defendants from south London. She was the only female charged in connection with the incident and spent 19 days in the witness box. Judge Moss ordered Osoteku, who was 18 at the time of the incident, be detained for eight years for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm to run concurrently. A witness said she had been "gloating" about what happened the following day at her sixth-form college. Judge Moss added: "You were seen to deliver the final kick to Sofyen as you were the last of the group to run away." Sofyen's mother Naina Ghailan angrily reacted to the sentence. She said: "I'm disgusted. She's got 12 years and she'll only serve half. She's an adult and she should have got life. She planned the whole thing." Eight teenagers, all from south London, have been found guilty in connection with the death during a series of trials.

Obi Nwokeh, 19, Christopher Omoregie, 18, and Samsom Odegbune, 18, were convicted of murder. On 20 April they were ordered to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years, and eight years to run concurrently for conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Adonis Akra, 18, Samuel Roberts, 19, and Femi Oderinwale, 18, were found guilty of manslaughter and given 12 years detention each. Tyrone Richards, 17, and Enoch Amoah, 19, were convicted of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm and sentenced to seven years detention. The "ferocious and merciless" attack was the end of a minor confrontation between pupils from two west London schools the day before in the fast food area of Victoria mainline station. Osoteku was one of the teenagers responsible for setting up the fight. The A-level student sent messages by phone and on Facebook arranging the clash between pupils from the rival schools. Sofyen died after being chased by about 20 pupils across the Terminus Way concourse and into the London Underground station. Osoteku was behind a youth who led the charge with a Samurai sword. Other youths were armed with a flick knife and a Swiss army knife, machetes and screwdrivers. She denied the charges during a five-month trial and was found guilty in February. She said she did not kick the victim and sobbed: "I nudged him with my foot to see if he was OK." Four youths, were sentenced on 14 October last year to two years' detention after admitting violent disorder. Legal restrictions in identifying them have been lifted. They are Lewis Sinclair, 18 of Claribel Road, Stockwell; Olewale Olaribigbe, 18 of Portland Grove, Vauxhall; Selassie Ahiaku of Marcella Road, Stockwell and Melvin Mensah of Vauxhall Street, Kennington.

Brazilian actor dies from accidental hanging

Klimeck

A Brazilian actor has died after accidentally hanging himself while playing Judas in an Easter Passion play. Tiago Klimeck, 27, was enacting the suicide of Judas during the performance on Good Friday in the city of Itarare. The actor was hanging for four minutes before fellow performers realised something was wrong. Klimeck was taken to hospital suffering from cerebral hypoxia but died on Sunday. The Passion play was being performed in Itarare, 345km (214 miles) west of Sao Paulo. Klimeck was re-enacting the scene in which Judas commits suicide in repentance for his betrayal of Jesus Christ. Police are investigating the apparatus that was meant to support Klimeck. It appears the knot may have been wrongly tied. When the actors realised something was wrong, Klimeck was taken down and found to be unconscious. The Santa Casa de Itapeva hospital has confirmed the death and a post-mortem examination will take place on Monday. culled from BBC

Alleged rape: Former Manchester Footballer jailed for 5 years

Ched Evans

Former Manchester City and current Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans has been jailed for five years for raping a 19-year-old woman, while another player, Clayton McDonald, has been cleared. Wales and Sheffield United striker Evans, 23, was convicted by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court. Both he and Port Vale defender Mr McDonald, also 23, had denied rape at a Premier Inn near Rhyl, Denbighshire. The men admitted having sex with the woman on 30 May 2011, but said it was consensual. Court proceedings were disrupted after Mr McDonald was acquitted, prompting a brief adjournment. Mr McDonald, of Crewe, Cheshire, looked elated when his not guilty verdict was delivered, and family and friends shouted: "Yes, yes". Screaming outside court One man left the public gallery and could be heard screaming outside the court. Judge Merfyn Hughes QC rose and the public gallery was cleared. Mr McDonald remained in the dock with Evans, 23, of Penistone, South Yorkshire, who held his head in his hands and cried. Mr McDonald hugged Evans and the two footballers banged heads together.

Cayton Mac Donald

When the judge returned to the court, the jury foreman gave the guilty verdict against Evans. The Sheffield United centre forward threw the headphones he was using to follow the trial on the floor and then looked shocked. In sentencing him to five years in prison the judge said: "The complainant was 19 years of age and was extremely intoxicated. "CCTV footage shows, in my view, the extent of her intoxication when she stumbled into your friend. "As the jury have found, she was in no condition to have sexual intercourse. "When you arrived at the hotel, you must have realised that." He told Evans that he might have been used to receiving attention from women in the past due to his success as a footballer, but this case was "very different". The judge said the sentence took into account that there had been no force involved and the complainant received no injuries. He also said the complainant was not "targeted" and the attack had not been "premeditated". "You have thrown away the successful career in which you were involved," he told Evans before sending him down. During the trial, the jury saw video interviews in which the woman, now 20, said she could not remember what happened and feared her drinks were spiked. She could not remember travelling to the hotel, but woke up in a double bed. "My clothes were scattered around on the floor," she said. 'Confused and dazed' "I just didn't know how I got there, if I had gone there with anyone. I was confused and dazed." The court heard that Evans, whose mother lives in Rhyl, had invited Mr McDonald and others for a bank holiday night out in the seaside town on 29 May. Because there was not enough space at Evans' mother's house, he booked Mr McDonald in to the hotel. The court heard that Mr McDonald met the woman and took her back to the hotel room, sending a text to Evans stating he had "got a bird". During Evans' evidence, he told the jury he had gone to the hotel, let himself in to Mr McDonald's room and watched his friend and the woman having sex. It was claimed Mr McDonald asked if his friend could "get involved", to which the woman said yes. The prosecution claimed that while the attack happened, Jack Higgins, an "associate" of the footballers, and Ryan Roberts, Evans' brother, watched through a window. The court heard the defendants had known each other since they were aged 10 and shared accommodation when they played for Manchester City's youth academy. Evans, a striker, has scored 35 goals for League One club Sheffield United this season and has 13 caps for Wales. Culled from BBC

Man jailed over a cup of soda

Abaire

A Naples man based in the United States of America has been jailed on felony charges after leaving a McDonald's restaurant without paying for a cup of soda. After filling a courtesy cup with soda Thursday at the McDonald’s soda fountain and then leaving the restaurant, Mark Abaire, 52, of the 500 block of 14th Street North, was arrested by Collier deputies. The charge is petty theft, but it was increased to a felony because Abaire has previous petty theft convictions. In Florida, a third-degree felony can result in a sentence of up to five years and a $5,000 fine. A manager told sheriff’s deputies that Abaire entered the store and asked for a glass of water around 10 p.m. Although the employee told him the cup was for water, Abaire filled it with soda at a fountain machine and sat outside the restaurant, according to an arrest report. During a conversation with the manager, Abaire declined to pay for the soda, valued at $1, refused to leave the premises, and cursed at the manager, the report stated. Abaire faces additional misdemeanor counts of trespassing and disorderly intoxication. On Saturday, he remained in the Collier County jail with bond set at $6,500. culled from fox news

Tension in Northern Japan as bears escape from zoo, kill two women

Two women have died after being attacked by bears at a park in Japan. Police were alerted to the attack at the Hachimantai park in northern Akita prefecture shortly after 10:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday. The victims are believed to have been park employees. Reports say a third member of staff in the park at the time managed to escape. A group of local hunters has found and killed some of the bears, but it is unclear how many have escaped. Police have told local residents and schoolchildren to stay indoors. Local authorities have closed some roads, with police and firefighters patrolling the area. The park holds 38 bears and is open to tourists in the summer months; reports say it was currently still closed to the public. "It's difficult to say exactly how many bears left their cages," a local police spokesman told Agence France Presse. After initially not approaching the site for fear of more bears on the loose, police were later able to recover the bodies of the two women, local police told AFP. culled from BBC

Surgeons reduce baby’s six legs to two

Pakistani doctors have successfully operated on a baby boy born with six legs and removed the extra limbs to save his life. “A team of five experienced doctors have successfully separated the extra legs and limbs from the baby today (Thursday). He is very much safe and secure,” Jamal Raza, Director, National Institute of the Child Health, Karachi said.

The operation by the doctors at the National Institute of Child Health ended successfully with the removal of the extra legs. The baby is now said to be in stable condition, Geo News reported. Doctors examined MRI, blood tests, CT scan reports and other test and later took the decision to do surgery which lasted for eight-hours in different phases. Raza said, “The baby, who was born in Sukkur, was brought to Karachi for treatment. The infant was born to the wife of an X-ray technician a week ago. “It is not one baby actually. They are two, one of them is premature.” A doctor at the institute, who did not wish to be named, said the extra limbs were the result of a genetic disease which would affect only one in a million or more babies. “The doctors are examining the infant to plan for necessary treatment to save the baby’s life and ensure he lives a normal life,” said a statement from the provincial health department. Imran Shaikh, the baby’s father, who lives in Sukkur, said he was grateful his son was being treated. “We are a poor family. I am thankful to the government for helping us treat the baby,” he told the media. The one-week-old boy is believed to be one of parasitic twins. A parasitic twin is sometimes referred to as an asymmetrical or unequal conjoined twin. It occurs when a twin embryo begins developing in utero, but the pair does not fully separate. One embryo continues developing at the expense of the other (the parasitic) which will rely on the body of the other for blood supply and organ function. It is incompletely developed and dependent on the other twin. The independent twin is called the autosite. Raza had said that the baby did not have six legs – he had two legs and the other four belonged to the other twin. Since the father of the baby made his public plea for help, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishart-ul-Ebad Khan had come forward and directed officials concerned to make sure the child receives all the medical care he needed.

Alleged infidelity: Nigerian man kills son, burns wife with hot iron

Henry Nnamdi and his late son A washerman, Henry Nnamdi, has allegedly killed his one-year-old son, Chukwuebuka, in order to spite his wife, whom he accused of having an extra-marital affair. Henry also used a hot pressing iron to burn his wife, Mercy, and stabbed her repeatedly in order to force her to confess to the allegation. A police source said 40-year-old Henry had been suspecting that his wife was having an amorous relationship with his father for a while. On Easter Sunday around 2am, Mercy turned down her husband’s request for sex resulting in an argument between the couple. “Henry and his wife live together in a room with their only child at 3, Lambe Street, Ago Palace Way, Lagos. “The suspect had been suspicious of his wife’s movement and on that very day, he came back home late in the evening and was ironing his customers’ clothes on the floor while his wife and son were on the bed. “His wife and son were both naked because the room was poorly ventilated. Henry then told his wife he wanted to have sex with her but she refused. “Henry was infuriated by her refusal and saw it as a confirmation of his suspicion. He grabbed the pressing iron and started inflicting burns all over Mercy’s body, including her private part, asking her to confess.” The suspect immediately grabbed his son and fled. However, the corpse of his son was later found in the compound. The landlord, Mr. Amao Lateef, immediately informed the Okota Police Division and Mercy was rushed to a nearby hospital where she has been receiving treatment. According to sources at the Okota Police Division, the couple who have been married for two years, had a history of fighting and on four occasions, a police report had been filed by Mercy. Henry, who spoke to our correspondent, said he did not intend to kill his son but only threw him on the ground. He said he had caught his father on top of his wife twice and had only released his pent-up emotion on the day of the incident. However, 36-year-old Mercy, who is at present writhing in pains at Evolution Hospital, Okota, denied having sexual relations with her father-in-law. She said, “My husband had been quarrelling with his father and had banned me from going to see him but out of respect, I continued to get in contact with my father-in-law Culled from punch

Sri Lankan hen lays 'eggless' chick

A Sri Lanka hen has given birth to a chick without an egg, in a new twist on the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first.
Instead of passing out of the hen's body and being incubated outside, the egg was incubated in the hen for 21 days and then hatched inside the hen.
The chick is fully formed and healthy, although the mother has died.
The government veterinary officer in the area said he had never seen anything like it before.
PR Yapa, the chief veterinary officer of Welimada, where it took place, examined the hen's carcass.
He found that the fertilised egg had developed within the hen's reproductive system, but stayed inside the hen's body until it hatched.
A post-mortem conducted on the hen's body concluded that it died of internal wounds.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that the story has made headlines in Sri Lanka, with the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror's concluding: "The chicken came first; not the egg."
culled from BBC

Death Penalty: Ohio executes man who fatally stabbed teen in 1985

Mark Wiles

Ohio on Wednesday 18th April 2012 executed a man for fatally stabbing the 15-year-old son of his former employers during a 1985 farmhouse burglary, marking the state's first execution in six months and signaling a possible return to Ohio's status as one of the country's busiest death penalty states.

Forty-nine-year-old Mark Wiles died by lethal injection at 10:42 a.m., ending an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty that occurred while the state and a federal judge wrangled over Ohio's lethal injection procedures.

It was the 47th execution since Ohio resumed putting inmates to death in 1999, and the state has 11 more executions scheduled, including June, July, September and November.

Wiles, looking haggard with a sparse, cropped gray beard and shaven head, stared at witnesses for a few moments when he entered the death chamber. A few minutes later, strapped to the gurney and IV lines inserted into his arms, he raised his head and looked at witnesses again.

"Since this needs to be happening, truly I pray that my dying brings some solace and closure to the Klima family and their loved ones," he said.

He also thanked his family for their love and support.

"Finally, the state of Ohio should not be in the business of killing its citizens," Wiles concluded, reading a statement that the warden held over his head. "May God bless us all that fall short."

As the lethal sedative began flowing, Wiles nodded, appeared to be speaking, swallowed, spoke again, then gasped a few moments later. Wiles' stomach rose and fell several times and his head moved slightly, then his mouth fell open and he lay still for several minutes before he was pronounced dead.

John Craig, a cousin of Wiles' victim Mark Klima and a witness of the execution, appeared briefly before reporters to respond to Wiles' last words.

"It's my opinion that Mark Wiles gave up his citizenship to Ohio when he murdered my cousin and became an inmate, more or less a condemned man," Craig said.

Wiles, who dropped his final appeal last week, told the Ohio Parole Board that he wasn't sure he deserved mercy but he was requesting clemency because he had to. Both the parole board and Gov. John Kasich denied Wiles' request.

Wiles' defense team had argued he should be spared because he confessed to the crime, showed remorse and had a good prison record.

Wiles was not "the worst of the worst," and the parole board showed inconsistency in allowing his execution, his public defenders said in a statement.

"Just as Mark Wiles accepted responsibility for the horrible murder he committed, Mark accepted the ultimate punishment with grace and dignity," the statement said.

Records show that Wiles surprised 15-year-old Mark Klima during a burglary at his family's farmhouse and stabbed him repeatedly with a kitchen knife until he stopped moving.

Wiles could easily have escaped the farmhouse after Klima surprised him but instead chose to stab the teen repeatedly, Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci told the parole board.

A report to the parole board said Wiles had suffered a head injury in a bar 12 days before the slaying in Rootstown in northeast Ohio, and a doctor testified that tests indicate he may have an injury to part of the brain that regulates impulse control. Another doctor agreed that Wiles has a brain injury and said he also has a substance-abuse problem and personality disorder.

The parole board earlier this month ruled unanimously that Wiles' execution should proceed because he exploited the kindness of the family, for whom Wiles had been a farmhand, and because his remorse doesn't outweigh the brutality of the crime.

Wiles paced back and forth and was emotional and anxious in his last minutes in his cell a few steps from the death chamber, prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said. The inmate spent the night on the phone, listening to the radio and writing letters, Smith said. He and two sisters and a brother-in-law cried during emotional visits Wednesday morning, and he also said the rosary with his spiritual adviser, a Roman Catholic priest who works at Ohio's death row in Chillicothe.

Wiles did not sleep since arriving at the death house Tuesday morning about 9:45 a.m., Smith said.

"He did have a few brief moments where he became emotional upon his arrival, but his overall demeanor has remained the same, which is respectful, cooperative and compliant with our staff," Smith said.

For his special meal Tuesday night, Wiles requested a large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese, hot sauce, a garden salad with ranch dressing, a large bag of Cheetos, a whole cheesecake, fresh strawberries, vanilla wafers and Sprite, Smith said.

Ohio's most recent execution delays stem from inmates' lawsuits over how well executioners perform their duties.

U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frost sided with inmates last summer and postponed executions while the state updated its procedures.

In November, Frost allowed Ohio to put Reginald Brooks to death for killing his three sons in 1982. In the process, executioners deviated slightly from their written execution plan.

The changes were minor but angered Frost, who had made his impatience with even slight changes clear. He once again put executions on hold.

Two weeks ago, after a weeklong trial over the latest procedures, Frost said the state had narrowly demonstrated it was serious about following its rules. He warned prison officials to get it right the next time.

The state has a review process in place that allows prisons director Gary Mohr to oversee the details and procedures of the execution policy.

Before the execution, Mohr said he was "absolutely confident" in the state's ability to carry out the procedure properly.

"We have more documentation on this than anything in my 38 years that I've been in this business," Mohr said. "It's the most documented execution in the United States of America."

Mega Millions: Retired couple claim Illinois jackpot

A retired couple from southern Illinois are the third and final winners to claim a share of a record $656m (£409m) Mega Millions lottery jackpot.
Merle and Patricia Butler have chosen to accept the prize money in a single, lump-sum payment of $111m after taxes.
They said they would treat themselves, possibly to a holiday, after they decide how to invest their winnings.
Winners in the US states of Kansas and Maryland came forward anonymously to claim their share of the jackpot.
The Butlers bought their winning ticket from a convenience shop in the Illinois town of Red Bud, which has about 3,700 residents.
Although they have spoken to a series of financial advisers and lawyers since the 30 March draw, they had told less than five people about their winnings, they said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The Butlers are the only winners who have been publicly identified, a requirement of the Illinois Lottery.

Ex-governor James Ibori sentenced to 13 years in Prison

James Ibori

Former governor of Delta State in Nigeria,James Onanefe Ibori has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for money laundering.
Delivering judgement at Southwark Crown Court in London today, the Trial Judge, Mr Pitts said he "recognizes that there is another side to the man James Ibori but he is not the proper person to judge Ibori’s achievements and failings as a governor, rather it is the duty of the people of Delta State"
The jugde said that if Ibori had fought the case, he would be looking at 24 years but will get a discount for pleading guilty. He then sentenced him to 13 years in prison.
The Judge deducted 645 days already spent in jail, and says Ibori would serve the rest in British jail. That means Mr. Ibori will be in prison for at least 7 years.
Jame Ibori who was formerly a DIY store cashier became governor of an oil-rich Nigerian State between May 1999 and May 2007. He admitted 10 counts of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering during his trial which lasted for nearly one year.
Southwark Crown Court was told the amount he stole from the people of Delta State was "unquantified".
Ibori, who evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, was arrested in Dubai in 2010.
He was extradited to the UK, where he was prosecuted based on evidence from the Metropolitan Police, who estimated he stole $250m (£160m) from State coffers.
One of the counts Ibori admitted related to a $37m (£23m) fraud pertaining to the sale of Delta State's share in Nigerian privatized phone company V Mobile.
Sasha Wass, QC, prosecuting, told the court that Ibori "deliberately and systematically" defrauded the people he was elected to represent.
The court heard he came to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a Wickes DIY store in Neasden, north west London.
He was convicted in 1991 of stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and began his climb up the People's Democratic Party (PDP) network.
The Judge says that sentencing Ibori will not be the end of the matter as his property will be confiscated, and there will be serious consequences if that process runs into problems.

Woman regains voice through surgery after 35 years

Jan Christian

A 52-year-old Ohio woman finally got her voice back after she hit her throat on the dashboard in a severe car accident 35 years ago, FOX 19 reported.
Jan Christian broke her neck in four places during that car accident, and she was left with a weak voice. Two years later, she married her husband, who never really heard her speak.
However, Christian recently met Dr. Sid Khosla, an ear, nose and throat specialist at University Hospital in Cincinnati – and he was able to fix her larynx through a series of operations.
Khosla and a colleague compared the theories of how wind affects a jet engine to how wind affects the ability to speak in order to restore her voice. Now, Christian is talking more than ever.
technology of how wind affects a jet engine in order to restore Christian’s voice, and now Christian is talking more than ever.
“(My husband) used to joke that he had the perfect wife, one that couldn’t talk,” Christian said.