Protests rock Israel as thousands oppose unpopular bill proposed by Netanyahu

Five people were arrested on Wednesday as thousands of right-wing activists burned tires at the entrance to Jerusalem in protest against the Knesset’s rejection of a bill that would have regularized unapproved settlements and saved five buildings in the Givat Ulpana outpost from demolition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had opposed the bill and instead proposed an alternative plan to build additional housing units in Beit El proper in exchange for the five buildings slated to be removed. The bill was defeated in a raucous Knesset session, with 69 opposed and 22 in favor, with 29 abstentions. The buildings in Givat Ulpana are slated for destruction on July 1 by order of the High Court of Justice, after it was determined they were built on private Palestinian land. MK Zevulun Orlev (Jewish Home) said in his arguments for the bill that the issue was broader than the five Ulpana buildings. He noted that the date, June 6, was the same date the Sharon government decided to clear out Gaza’s Gush Katif settlements. Orlev reiterated his intention to leave the coalition government given the bill’s failure to pass, along with 11 other Religious Zionist members of Netanyahu’s government. In his arguments on behalf of the government, MK Benny Begin (Likud) said that the state was not giving up the Jewish people’s right to the land, but that the High Court decision must be respected. He noted that the settler movement was now entering its third generation. Despite earlier statements that they would support the bill, MKs Gila Gamliel (Likud), Ayoub Kara (Likud) and Daniel Hershkowitz (Jewish Home) all abstained. All three hold ministerial positions, and Netanyahu had threatened to remove from their posts any ministers who voted for the bill. Eight Likud MKs defied the prime minister’s instructions and voted in support of the bill: Carmel Shama-HaCohen, Ofir Akunis, Zeev Elkin, Danny Danon, Tzipi Hotovely, Chaim Katz, Yariv Levin and Miri Regev. MKs supporting the bill met with reporters Wednesday morning and criticized the prime minister and the Likud ministers opposing the bill. Culled from TIMES OF ISRAEL

WHO warns of increasing drug resistance to gonorrhea that infect millions

A potentially dangerous sexually transmitted disease that infects millions of people each year is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The U.N. health agency is urging governments and doctors to step up surveillance of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that can cause inflammation, infertility, pregnancy complications and, in extreme cases, lead to maternal death. Babies born to mothers with gonorrhea have a 50 percent chance of developing eye infections that can result in blindness. "This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we've thrown at it," said Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, a scientist in the agency's department of sexually transmitted diseases. This includes a group of antibiotics called cephalosporins currently considered the last line of treatment. "In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now," she told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of WHO's public announcement on its 'global action plan' to combat the disease. Lusti-Narasimhan said the new guidance is aimed at ending complacency about gonorrhea and encouraging researchers to speed up their hunt for a new cure. Once considered a scourge of sailors and soldiers, gonorrhea — known colloquially as the clap — became easily treatable with the discovery of penicillin. Now, it is again the second most common sexually transmitted infection after chlamydia. The global health body estimates that of the 498 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections worldwide, gonorrhea is responsible for some 106 million infections annually. It also increases the chances of infection with other diseases, such as HIV. "It's not a European problem or an African problem, it's really a worldwide problem," said Lusti-Narasimhan. Scientists believe overuse or incorrect use of antibiotics, coupled with the gonorrhea bacteria's astonishing ability to adapt, means the disease is now close to becoming a super bug. Bacteria that survive antibiotic treatment due to a mutation that makes them resistant then quickly spread their genes in an accelerated process of natural selection. This is a general problem affecting all antibiotics, but gonorrhea is particularly quick to adapt, said Lusti-Narasimhan. "If it didn't do so much damage it would actually be a fun organism to study," she said. Resistance to cephalosporins was first reported in Japan, but more recently has also been detected in Britain, Australia, France, Sweden and Norway. As these are all countries with well-developed health systems, it is likely that cephalosporin-resistant strains are also circulating undetected elsewhere. Therefore the Geneva-based agency wants countries not just to tighten their rules for antibiotic use, but also to improve their surveillance systems so that the full extent of the problem can be determined. Better sex education is also needed, as proper condom use is an effective means of stopping transmission, said Lusti-Narasimhan. "We're not going to be able to get rid of it completely," she said. "But we can limit the spread." Culled from FOXNEWS

46yr old gardener pleads guilty to murder of 86yr old employer

Williamson ...... A woman has admitted bludgeoning an 86-year-old to death at her home in south-east London. Karen Williamson, 46, pleaded guilty to the murder of Jean Jobson in Oakridge Road, Downham, in February 2011, where she was paid to clear the garden. Williamson, of Rangefield Road, Downham, who has worked as an extra in EastEnders, attacked the victim with a hammer and heavy glass jug. Ms Jobson was found at her home with severe injuries........................................................................................................................... Ms Jobson ....................................................................................................................................... The killer, a crack cocaine addict who worked as a delivery driver and casual gardener, was paid in advance by the victim for the gardening work. But she had not finished the work and later went to see the widow and attacked her, the court heard. She also took some items of jewellery, which she sold for £61. The victim had lived in the house for more than 40 years. In a victim impact statement from Ms Jobson's nephew Mark Montgomery said: "We can't express the anger we feel towards the person responsible for Pat's horrific murder. "My entire family are bewildered as to how this ever occurred, especially to Aunty Pat who was loved and respected by so many. "She was in good health for her age and in no way deserved to have her life cut short in such a cruel and despicable manner." Prosecutor Brian Altman QC told the court: "The manner of the killing of this elderly woman in the sanctity of her home defies belief because of its nature and savagery." Culled from BBC

American mom jailed for posing as dead son to collect insurance money

Donna Gibbs...................... .............. A woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to pretending to be her dead son in order to set up an insurance policy and then collect a payoff. Donna Ellis Gibbs received $151,000 from Monumental Life Insurance Co. on a policy she took out in her deceased son's name two months after he died, the Fulton County District's Attorney's Office said in a news release. The insurance company was notified of her deception when the scheme was uncovered by her ex-husband, prosecutors said. Gibbs was charged with five counts of insurance fraud and one count of theft by taking. In December 2002, Gibbs' son died in a car crash. While acting as her son, she later submitted an application to the insurance company for an accidental death policy. When she submitted a claim, she used altered documents -- including police reports and a death certificate -- to show that her son died in April 2003, authorities said. Almost four years later, Gibbs’ ex-husband, the father of her late son, found out about the policy. He investigated and sent authentic documents on his son's death to the insurer after notifying the company of the fraud, prosecutors said. Gibbs was sentenced to 20 years’ probation, which can be lifted after five years if she complies with her plea agreement. She must pay full restitution to the insurance company, perform 200 hours of community service, and undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment, the news release said. Culled from ATLANTA NEWS

South Carolina mom jailed for cheering too loudly at daughter's graduation

Cooper............................................................. A proud mother was arrested and put in jail for several hours for disorderly conduct after cheering too loudly at her daughter's high school graduation ceremony in South Carolina. Shannon Cooper says she spent several hours in jail Saturday night after being escorted from her daughter Iesha's South Florence High School graduation in handcuffs, WPDE-TV reported. Police told the station they had warned attendees prior to the graduation ceremony that anyone who cheered or screamed would be escorted from the venue. While not commenting on Cooper's case directly, they said those who were disorderly as they were escorted out were arrested. But Cooper said she could not believe the decision to remove her from the Florence Civic Center, where the ceremony was held. "Disorderly conduct? What's the disorderly conduct?" she said. "How was I so disorderly you know any different from just a happy parent? I didn't resist arrest, nothing." Cooper was booked into jail for several hours before posting a $225 bond. Culled from FOXNEWS

Venus makes rare movement across Sun

Planet Venus has put on a show for skywatchers by moving across the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth.The transit was a very rare astronomical event that would not be seen again for another 105 years. Observers in north and central America, and the northern-most parts of South America saw the event start just before local sunset. The far northwest of America, the Arctic, the western Pacific, and east Asia witnessed the entire passage. While the UK and the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and eastern Africa waited for local sunrise to try to see the closing stages of the transit. Venus appeared as a small black dot moving slowly but surely across the solar disc. The traverse lasted more than six and a half hours. Some of the best pictures of the event were provided by the US space agency's (Nasa) Solar Dynamics Observatory, which studies the Sun from a position 36,000km above the Earth. "We get to see Venus in exquisite detail because of SDO's spatial resolution," said agency astrophysicist Dr Lika Guhathakurta. "SDO is a very special observatory. It takes images that are about 10 times better than a high-definition TV and those images are acquired at a temporal cadence of one every 10 seconds. This is something we've never had before." Many citizens keen to observe the transit first hand attended special events at universities and observatories where equipment for safe viewing had been set up. In Hawaii, one of the best places to see the whole event, the university's Institute of Astronomy set up telescope stations on Waikiki beach. Scientists observed the transit to test ideas that will help them probe Earth-like planets elsewhere in the galaxy, and to learn more about Venus itself and its complex atmosphere. Venus transits occur four times in approximately 243 years; more precisely, they appear in pairs of events separated by about eight years and these pairs are separated by about 105 or 121 years. The reason for the long intervals lies in the fact that the orbits of Venus and Earth do not lie in the same plane and a transit can only occur if both planets and the Sun are situated exactly on one line. This has happened only seven times previously in the telescopic age: in 1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882 and 2004. The next pair will not now occur until 2117 and 2125. Culled from BBC

Heat waves kill 30 in Western Bengal

The intense heat wave sweeping West Bengal, in the eastern region of India has claimed the lives of 30 people during the past five days with the average temperature hovering at 45 degrees Celsius. While nine people died in Burdwan district, three each were killed in Kolkata and Purulia district. Another 16 unnatural deaths from various hospitals in the Burdwan district was recorded on Tuesday The Regional Meteorological Office said Birbhum, Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore districts recorded around 45 degree Celsius or more during the day on Monday, while Kolkata registered the season's highest of 40.2 degree Celsius. -- five degrees above normal - the temperature rose even higher in the other parts of South Bengal. As a temporary measure to check the ugly trend of intense heat wave which might result in more casualties, the District Magistrate OS Meena told Indo-Asian News Service that the government have arranged for additional beds and generators in the hospitals. He said drinking water tankers are also being placed in various parts and schools have been asked to extend the summer holidays. Culled from NDTV

Chineese hospitals to pay 785 dollars to sperm donors

China's hospitals are offering sperm donors about 5,000 yuan ($785.05) to meet the demand of infertile couples. Female egg donors are paid three to four times more since egg extraction is a complicated process, a source said. Major hospitals make it mandatory for donors to visit the sperm centre about 10 times, and the hospital will have the right to impregnate up to five women with the sperm. The Jiangsu Provincial recently announced it was raising the price from 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan per donor. Donors must sign a contract saying they would not go to any other sperm bank. The idea is to enable one institution to track an individual and avoid the possibility of incest, in case future descendants of a particular donor marry or have a sexual relationship. In India, hospitals pay sperm donors about Rs 300 to Rs 500. Culled from TIME OF INDIA

Syria government expels 17 western ambassadors.

Bashar al-Assad( Syria's President) ........ Last week, at least 13 countries expelled top Syrian diplomats in protest at the massacre of more than 100 people, including 49 children, in the Houla area of Homs province. Turkey expelled all Syrian embassy staff. In what it described as a reciprocal move on Tuesday, the Syrian government announced that 17 diplomats from the US, UK, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and Canada were now considered "personae non gratae". All Turkish diplomatic staff were also declared unwelcome. "The Syrian Arab Republic still believes in the importance of dialogue based on principles of equality and mutual respect," a foreign ministry statement said. "We hope the countries that initiated these steps will adopt those principles, which would allow relations to return to normal again." The BBC Jim Muir in Beirut says it will be a long time before the Western states are prepared to re-establish diplomatic ties. Many have already withdrawn their ambassadors on security grounds or for political reasons, our correspondent adds. US ambassador Robert Ford was called back to Washington in October over fears for his safety, while all British embassy staff were withdrawn in March on security grounds. France also closed its embassy that month in protest at the "scandalous" repression of dissent by the government. Culled from BBC

Spain's solar-powered plane takes off on test flight

An experimental solar-powered plane has taken off from Madrid en route to Morocco in a bid to complete its first transcontinental flight. The single-seat aircraft fitted with 12,000 solar cells is the size of a jumbo jet. Organizers said in a statement it is due to arrive in the Moroccan capital Rabat late Tuesday night after leaving Spain before dawn. Solar Impulse arrived from Switzerland in late May on the first leg of the journey. The mission is being described as a final dress rehearsal for a round-the-world flight with a new and improved plane in 2014. The project began in 2003 and is estimated to cost about $100 million over 10 years. The two-leg Europe to Africa trip covers 1,554 miles. Culled from FOXNEWS

Death penalty: 47 year old American to die by lethal injection tomorrow

Jackson Jr........... .......... ................. . A 47 year old American convict is to be executed by lethal injection tomorrow Tuesday 5th June by 6 p.m at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Henry Curtis Jackson Jr. killed his two nieces and two nephews, ages 2 to 5, when he went to his mother's home in Leflore County looking for money from a safe on Nov. 1, 1990, according to the court record. His mother was at church that day, but Jackson's adult sister, Regina Jackson, was there with her two daughters and four nieces and nephews. Her two daughters were killed in the attack. Regina Jackson told The Associated Press that she planned to meet with Gov. Phil Bryant on Monday and plead for her brother's life. Curtis Jackson's attorney, Robert Davis Jr. of Tupelo, filed a clemency request with Bryant's office last week. Bryant's spokesman, Mick Bullock said Monday that, Bryant "is reviewing the facts associated with this case and has no further comment at this time." Bryant, a Republican and former deputy sheriff, has not granted clemency to a condemned inmate since taking office in January. Jackson, 47, has appealed the case over the years but hasn't been successful in the past. He has said he doesn't remember stabbing the children, but testimony from his trial describes a horrific scene. He cut the phone line before going in the house, according to the court record. Once inside, he demanded money and attacked his sister. One of the children tried to help, but he stabbed her too. At some point, Regina Jackson tried to fight him off with an iron rod, but he grabbed one of the children and used her as a shield. Regina Jackson testified at trial that she was in and out of consciousness after being tied up and stabbed in the neck, but she could hear her brother dragging a safe down a hall. The noise woke up 5-year-old Dominique, one of her daughters. "Regina testified that Jackson called Dominique to him, told her that he loved her, stabbed her, and tossed her body to the floor," according to the court record. "Jackson returned to Regina, stabbing her in the neck and twisting the knife, at which point she pretended to be dead until she heard him leave." Jackson turned himself in to the West Point Police Department and allegedly confessed to some details. He was convicted and sentenced to death on four counts of capital murder after a trial in September 1991. The trial was held in Copiah County after Jackson's defense attorney requested a change of venue. His mother, Martha Jackson, said Monday that she has forgiven her son and plans to visit him before the execution. "If I don't forgive him, God don't forgive me," she said. Martha Jackson said she's not sure if she'll watch the lethal injection. Culled from FOXNEWS

Kuwaiti blogger bags 10yrs in prison for blasphemy

Al Naqi A Kuwaiti court on Monday sentenced a blogger to 10 years in prison for allegedly insulting Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), his wife Aisha and some of his companions and for harming Kuwait’s interests by targeting other countries in the region. According to the case papers, Hamad Al Naqi posted, between February 5 and March 27, comments and tweets that insulted Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), his companions Abu Baqer, the first Caliph, and Othman, the second caliph, and his wife Aisha. The insults were likely to stoke sedition within the community and mobilise segments alongside sectarian lines, the prosecutor said. The tweets, on two different accounts, denigrated and insulted the political regimes in two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and could undermine Kuwait’s national interests, the court heard, Al Aan news site reported. Al Naqi was also charged with posting remarks that denigrated Islam as a religion, ridiculed its beliefs and teachings and scorned its iconic figures. The 26-year-old defendant who was also accused of using his mobile to post abusive remarks, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and that his account had been hacked. Al Naqi was arrested in March and his case deeply divided the nation’s views on the use of social networks. Several lawmakers have called for his death for insulting God, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the prophet’s wife and companions while others defended him as someone who expressed his views freely. Comments posted after the announcement of the verdict indicated that the debate would gain in intensity as religious and non-religious arguments seemed to stiffen. Although sectarian tension is not deep in Kuwait, several cases have recently resulted in standoffs between the two main sects. The parliament, dominated by Islamist and tribal representatives, has passed an anti-blasphemy draft law that stipulates the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting God, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) or his companions or relatives. However, the draft has not been endorsed by the Emir and reports have emerged that it could be returned to the lawmakers. Culled from GULFNEWS

'Canadian Psycho' Magnotta arrested in Berlin

Magnotta................................................................................................. Canadian murder suspect Luka Rocco Magnotta was arrested Monday in the German capital Berlin, the Bild newspaper reported. The porn actor and stripper, who was the subject of a global manhunt after he allegedly murdered his gay Chinese lover and mailed body parts, was picked up at an internet cafe in Berlin's Neukolln district, the newspaper reported, citing police sources. Magnotta, 29, fled Canada after the killing, initially heading to Paris. Magnotta is wanted for threatening the Canadian prime minister, first-degree murder, defiling a corpse and using the mail system for delivering "obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous" material. The case began Tuesday, when a package containing a severed foot was opened at the ruling Conservative Party headquarters. A hand was discovered at a postal facility, addressed to the Liberal party of Canada. A torso was found in a suitcase on a garbage dump in Montreal, outside Magnotta's apartment building. Police suspect Magnotta filmed the murder. The video, posted online, shows a man stabbing another man with an ice pick while the victim lies naked and tied up. The first man later reveals he has slashed the other man's throat. He also dismembers the corpse and performs sexual acts with it. An online video also shows a man who looks like Magnotta committing violent acts against kittens. The video contains at least one photo made available by Montreal police that identified the man as Magnotta. For nearly two years, animal-rights activists have been looking for a man who tortured and killed cats and posted videos of it online. Police said Magnotta's birth name is Eric Clinton Newman and that he is also known by the name Vladimir Romanov. Culled from FOXNEWS

Venomous spiders invade Sadiya, kill 2

A town in India has suddenly been overrun by swarms of venomous spiders, leaving two people dead after being bitten. It may sound like a B-grade horror movie, but residents of the town of Sadiya, in Assam state, say that on the evening of May 8 as they were celebrating a Hindu festival swarms of spiders suddenly appeared and attacked them, The Times of India reported. Over the next few days two people -- a man, Purnakanta Buragohain, and an unnamed school boy -- died after being bitten by the spiders. Scores more turned up at the town's hospital with spider bites. Local resident Jintu Gogoi spent a day in the hospital complaining of excruciating pain and nausea after being bitten. He said weeks later his finger was still blackened and swollen. District authorities are also panicking -- and they are considering spraying the town with the insecticide DDT. Locals say the most terrifying aspect is that spiders appear in swarms and their behavior is highly aggressive. "It leaps at anything that comes close. Some of the victims claimed the spider latched on to them after biting. If that is so, it needs to be dealt with carefully. The chelicerae and fangs of this critter are quite powerful," head of the department of life sciences at Dibrugarh University Dr. L.R. Saikia said. Teams of Indian arachnid experts have flocked to the town, hoping to identify the species, but so far they have drawn a blank. They say it could be a tarantula, a black wishbone or even a funnel-web spider -- or it could be a whole new species. One thing they agree on is that it is not native to the area as there is no record of venomous spiders in Assam. The black wishbone and funnel-web are native to Australia. Researchers are also still running tests to find out the toxicity of the spiders' venom. Dr. Anil Phatowali, superintendent of the town's hospital, said they had not administered antivenin as they could not be certain the spider was venomous at all. He also pointed out other factors may have contributed to the two reported fatalities. "All the bite patients first went to witch doctors, who cut open their wounds with razors, drained out blood and burnt it. That could have also made them sick," Phatowali said. Culled from FOXNEWS

Nigerian government declares 3 day mourning for aircrash victims

Jonathan................................................................ The Nigerian government led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as declared a 3 day mourning by Nigerians for the death of all those who lost their lives in the air-crash that occurred yesterday in Lagos. He has also cancelled all public engagements following the tragedy, which came nearly six years after the last major crash of a passenger plane was recorded in the Nigerian air space. The Federal Government said it would ensure that the accident would be thoroughly investigated to determine the exact cause of the accident. The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who spoke at a press briefing late last night at the headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said the action would help prevent a similar occurrence in the future. The minister, who wept, said at about 3.43pm Sunday, DANA Air flight 0992 from Abuja to Lagos declared an emergency and May Day minutes later with the Lagos control tower at 11 nautical miles to Murtala Muhammed Airport. A minute later, it crashed into residential buildings at Iju area of Agege, she said. Jonathan had dispatched Oduah to the crash site to do on-the-spot assessment of the situation and submit an interim report immediately pending the full investigation. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said Jonathan was saddened by the further loss of life from the crash following bomb attacks which took place in churches in Bauchi, Bauchi State, and regretted the death had plunged the nation into further sorrow. "The President joins all Nigerians in mourning all those who lost their lives in the plane crash which has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi State. "President Jonathan assures air travellers in the country that every possible effort will be made to ensure that the right lessons are learnt from the tragic loss of valuable lives in today’s plane crash and that further measures will be put in place to boost aviation safety in the country. "He prays that God Almighty will grant the families of the victims of the plane crash the courage and fortitude to bear their irreparable loss," parts of the statement said. There were unconfirmed reports making waves on the internet last night that the crashed aircraft was a former Alaskan Airlines plane built in 1990 that had been under repair for several weeks. Two Major Generals, six children, six infants, a pregnant woman, several couples, a father and his daughter, many members of staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and several top personalities were on board the ill-fated Dana Airlines flight 0992 from Abuja to Lagos Sunday. The flight, which took off from Abuja at 2.13pm, was expected to land in Lagos at 3.21pm. But it crashed into a residential area in Iju Ishaga, Agege, Lagos State. There were no survivors while the number of residents killed in the affected houses is yet to be ascertained. It was reported that the airline's station manager protested its use but the management insisted it should fly. But a top official of the airline denied the reports Sunday as “a tissue of lies” without making any further comment. From the manifest of the light released yesterday, there were several highlights: • The spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, was on board the aircraft. • Ehime Aikhomu, son of the former military Vice-President Augustus Aikhomu, was also on the flight. • A resident of Magodo, Lagos State, Mrs Anjola Fatokun, was on the aircraft with her son, Olaoluwa, and newborn baby, Ibukun. • Mrs Amaka Ojugbana and her little baby, Christopher, were also on board. • Many members of staff of NNPC and CBN were also said to be on the flight. • Two Major Generals, Tahir Umar and ID Muhammad, were also on board. • Many of those the victims came for three different weddings which held in Abuja at the weekend. • A former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. John Ahmadu, was also involved in the crash. *Five passengers gave their office address as National Universities Commission: Mrs Chinwe Obi, Mr. Celestine Onwuliri, Mr Mahmud Aukawa, Mrs Memuma Shaibu, and Mr Sonny Ehioghae Culled from THISDAY

Man, wife & 3 children jailed for tax evasion

John Coffey

Five members of a family who avoided paying £500,000 in taxes and fraudulently claimed £100,000 in benefits have been sentenced. John and Brigid Coffey and their children Michael, Mary and Helen, were earning millions from two resurfacing and block paving businesses. John Coffey was jailed for two years and nine months while his wife was given a suspended sentence. Their children were given suspended sentences of between six and 12 months. Bristol Crown Court was told while John and Michael Coffey deliberately laundered the money to avoid paying taxes, the female members of the family claimed thousands of pounds in benefits. This was despite the family owning property and a number of expensive cars, the court was told. The family, who lived in south Wales and Gloucestershire, dealt mostly in cash with John and Michael Coffey declaring an income of £250 a week between them. What is overwhelmingly clear in this case is that each one of you is dishonest. There can be no excuses for your behaviour” During a police interview, John Coffey claimed their money came from block paving, horses and "general wheeling and dealing". Jailing Coffey, Judge David Ticehurst told him he must repay £450,000 within six months. Michael Coffey, who avoided paying £50,000 in tax, was handed a sentence of 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years. He was also told he would have to repay the money. "It's individuals like you that give the travelling community a bad name," Judge Ticehurst said. "None of us likes paying taxes but society functions on the fact that people pay money to the revenue. "You, however, choose not to pay tax and to falsely claim benefits of which you were not entitled. "What is overwhelmingly clear in this case is that each one of you is dishonest. There can be no excuses for your behaviour," he added. The investigation began in October 2006 at a travellers' site in Gloucestershire which was raided in January 2007. A year later search warrants were executed in West Drayton, and at two farms and two separate properties in Cardiff. In April 2009 they were charged with a total of 38 offences, including cheating the public revenue, benefit fraud and money laundering. Then in 2010 a series of court appearances saw the five enter guilty pleas to a total of 20 charges. Culled from BBC

Identical twin brothers arrested for robbing 2 Long Island Banks

Identical twin brothers were behind bars Thursday night on Long Island, charged in a brazen bank robbery spree. At first police thought the same suspect was robbing and driving the getaway car, until they caught the twins together, CBS 2’s Jennifer McLogan reported. The MO was the same each time, police said. Daniel Amarosa entered the Centereach banks passing notes, while identical twin brother Cory posed as lookout driving the getaway car. The twins are from Coram. Neighbors said they do everything together. Police said they robbed twice together. Detectives caught up with the pair of 21-year-olds just after their latest heist, thanks to a steely-eyed bank customer. According to police, Daniel Amarosa was wearing a disguise — Ugg boots and tight-fitting gray workout clothes — that police said might have belonged to his mother. “One observer suggested that he perhaps might have dressed like a woman, in anticipation of looking like a woman. That was raised and he didn’t deny,” Suffolk County Police Det. Lt. Gregory McVeigh said. In the first job, at a People’s United Bank last Tuesday, the twins made off with $1,460, but also with an exploding red dye pack. The second time, at Chase bank on Wednesday, Daniel Amarosa demanded cash “minus the red stuff,” police said. He walked out with $2,340. “The idea of a bank robbery is scary enough. Identical twins? It makes it even more unusual,” Anna Smith said. The twins didn’t live far from the banks, police said. Neighbors said lately the two had been partying a lot and seemed lost. They also each had Facebook pages and had posted photos and favorite pictures of old camp days. Culled from CBS NEW YORK

Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Diamond Jubilee

Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee, only the second British monarch to reach 60 years on the throne. She became Queen at the age of 25, and during her six decades on the throne she has witnessed a period in modern history which has seen enormous social, political and technological change. * Celebrations include Thames pageant, palace pop concert * Hundreds of thousands expected to descend on London * Police say biggest royal security operation ever * Warning festivities will hit UK GDP figures LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - Britain embarks on four days of pomp, pageantry and patriotism on Saturday to mark Queen Elizabeth's 60th year on the throne, with the monarchy's popularity surging and celebrations bringing cheer to a nation struggling in harsh economic times. "Union Jack" flags fluttered from buildings, shops and train stations across the country, thousands of street parties have been planned and huge crowds are expected to flock to Diamond Jubilee festivities in a country emblazoned red, white and blue. To royalists, the occasion is a chance to express their thanks and appreciation to the 86-year-old Elizabeth, head of state for 16 countries from Australia and Canada to tiny Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean, for her years of public service. For others, the chance of some extra days off work and to enjoy the sort of extravaganza and public ceremony for which Britain is renowned has made it a welcome break from austere times, pay freezes and deep public spending cuts. Republicans hope the occasion marks the last hurrah of a dying anachronism, while some 2 million people are leaving Britain altogether to go on holiday. "Original jubilees were invented in the 19th century by the popular press as modes of national celebration for which the monarchy and monarch was almost incidental," said royal biographer Robert Lacey. He said the jubilee was as much about society celebrating itself as it was about the head of state and the now largely symbolic institution of the monarchy. "They tend to work best in times of economic hardship. It provides a tonic for the country," Lacey told Reuters. Having acceded to the throne in February 1952 on the death of her father George VI when Winston Churchill was prime minister, Elizabeth is now the longest-lived British monarch. Only her great-great-grandmother Victoria spent longer on the British throne and she looks on course to overhaul her as longest-serving monarch in 2015. During her reign there have been 12 British prime ministers, 12 U.S. presidents, six popes and she has visited 116 countries. THAMES FLOTILLA The four days of celebrations begin on a fairly low-key note on Saturday when the queen indulges her love of horse racing by attending the Epsom Derby. The following day will witness what organisers hope will be a spectacular flotilla travelling 25 miles along the River Thames featuring 1,000 boats assembled from around the globe with the queen and her 90-year-old husband Prince Philip on a royal barge, the largest such pageant for 350 years. Thousands of street parties are also planned across Britain on Sunday, including one on Downing Street outside Prime Minister David Cameron's office, as part of a "Big Jubilee Lunch". The queen's London residence Buckingham Palace will play host to a pop concert featuring the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John, before a network of 4,200 beacons will also be lit across Britain with more set alight in the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies of which Elizabeth is the head. The celebrations culminate on Tuesday with a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, a carriage procession through central London and flypast by present and former royal air force aircraft. Huge crowds are expected for the events with estimates that about a million people will travel to London on Sunday alone, and police have warned the capital's public transport system and roads will be stretched. THOUSANDS OF STREET PARTIES There are some 9,500 street parties planned in England Wales and ABTA, the British travel association, said almost 2.5 million Britons were expected to take part. London's Heathrow airport said some 780,000 people were due to arrive in the next few days although ABTA said an estimated 2 million Britons were planning to head overseas to take advantage of the two extra public holidays. Patriotic products featuring the Union Jack flag have been flying off the shelves, and Britons are expected to spend 823 million pounds ($1.28 billion), nearly double what they paid out on last year's royal wedding of the queen's grandson Prince William and Kate Middleton. Supermarket Tesco, the world's number three retailer, expected to sell 2.86 million flags by the end of the weekend, while rival Sainsbury's said it had sold 252 miles of bunting, enough to decorate the entire length of the Thames. But rather than a boon, the Bank of England and economists warn the extra public holidays will hit growth in the second quarter, bad news for an economy that has slipped back into recession and where growth remains elusive. "It is likely that there will be a significant hit to GDP in the second quarter, which will be partly recouped in the third quarter," said Howard Archer, economist at IHS Global Insight. Last year's royal wedding and the extra public holiday that attracted was cited as one of the special factors that knocked up to 0.5 percent off GDP growth in the second quarter of 2011. Police said the weekend would include the largest royal security operation ever conducted. Some 13,000 officials including about 6,000 police officers will be on duty for the Thames pageant, which poses challenges never before encountered. "We're treating it as a unique event, to have that many dignitaries on that many boats moving along the Thames," London police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh told Reuters. After 18 months of planning, police do not believe there is any major threat, but attention-seekers posed the greatest problem with the celebrations attracting global media attention. In April, a protester disrupted the annual Cambridge versus Oxford university rowing race on the Thames by swimming into the path of the crews and police chiefs admit they cannot guarantee similar embarrassments would not occur. "There is no plan along that length of river, with that number of people on both sides of the Thames that can prevent anything happening," Kavanagh said. Culled from HUFF POST, & BBC

College student murders roommate, eats heart & brain

Kinyua

A US college student has told police he killed his roommate, cut up the body and ate part of the victim's brain and his whole heart, US media reports said Thursday. Alexander Kinyua of Baltimore, Maryland, was arrested on Tuesday after police searched his house following the discovery by his brother of the victim's head and hands, the Baltimore Sun reported. Kinyua, a 21-year-old student at Morgan State University, confessed on Thursday to murdering and dismembering his roommate, Kujoe Bonsafo Agyei-Kodie, and then eating parts of his brain followed by his entire heart, the Sun said. The motive was unclear, but Kinyua was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday. The grisly murder caps an especially gruesome week of crimes in North America. Interpol has launched a manhunt for a Canadian porn star suspected of dismembering his boyfriend and making a video of the murder, while a young man in Miami was shot dead on Saturday as he gnawed off the face of a homeless man. Culled from NDTV

Aberdeen University Student jailed 7yrs for rape

Gupta

A university student found guilty of raping a woman he took back to a flat in Aberdeen has been jailed for seven years. Amit Gupta, 28, denied repeatedly raping the woman on Christmas Eve 2010 while she was incapable of giving or withholding consent. The University of Aberdeen business administration student was also recommended for deportation. Lord Tyre said the victim suffered "anguish and distress". Gupta, of Aberdeen's Langstane Place, was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh. I am in no doubt that the revulsion of society at what you have done has to be reflected in a custodial sentence” The judge said: "You took advantage of a girl who was too drunk to give her free agreement to sex. "Rape is one of the most serious offences in our law. It is made worse in the present case by the element of calculation and planning that went into it. "Her anguish and distress as a consequence of this traumatic incident were only too obvious." Lord Tyre added: "I find it of considerable concern that even now, having heard your victim giving evidence at your trial, you seem unable to accept how wrong your actions were that night. "I am in no doubt that the revulsion of society at what you have done has to be reflected in a custodial sentence." Defence counsel David Moggach said first offender Gupta had come to Aberdeen to study. He said: "He has been a law-abiding citizen. He came to this country to better himself." Mr Moggach said Gupta was "absolutely devastated" by the jury's guilty verdict. Gupta was placed on the sex offenders register for life. Culled from BBC