Woman jailed over false rape allegation

A woman who cried rape was jailed yesterday after a court heard it was her eleventh false claim.

Compulsive liar Elizabeth Jones, 22, was exposed when CCTV footage disproved her allegation against a man she ‘did not like any more’.

She had made her first false rape claim in 2004 when she was just 13, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Between 2005 and 2007 she made another eight allegations which police investigated and dismissed, although she was not prosecuted.

In 2009 she was sentenced to a ten-month detention and training order for a similar offence.

Jones’s latest victim was a boyfriend against whom she made the allegation after the pair had an argument.

Police began an investigation after Jones, from Southampton, persuaded a friend to report she had been assaulted.

She later went to the police station for a medical examination and repeated her allegation. The man was arrested and questioned for nine hours before being released without charge.

Prosecutor Jennie Rickman said he denied rape and detectives later viewed CCTV covering part of the house in which Jones claimed to have been attacked.

The video did not support her story that the man forced himself on her.

Miss Rickman said: ‘There is a history of her making false allegations of this nature and this is the 11th incident.

‘Police had to take her allegation seriously and carried out an appropriate investigation.

‘She was later arrested and accepted she had lied about being raped. She said she did it because she did not like him.’

Jones admitted to attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for 16 months.

Judge Derwin Hope said the offence was not only serious because of ‘the terrible emotional experience’ the man she accused had to endure, but also because it struck at the heart of the criminal justice system. In mitigation, Megan Topliss said Jones had had a disturbed childhood and had been in care.
When confronted by police, Jones immediately accepted she had lied and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, Miss Topliss said.

Outside court, Detective Constable Tim Blanche of Southampton’s Public Protection Department, who led the investigation, said that Jones had a ‘complex life’.

Of the case, he said: ‘There was intimate contact between the couple, but they didn’t live together.’

The pair had an argument and Jones made the fabricated rape allegation. ‘The man was arrested and he gave a statement. He had to live his life with people accusing him of being a rapist,’ Detective Constable Blanche said.

When the man heard Jones had been jailed for 16 months ‘he was disappointed and felt that the time wasn’t long enough after what she put him through’.

Detective Constable Blanche added: ‘After the previous ten false allegations, Judge Hope felt that it was the final straw.

‘The evidence in the case was so conclusive as the CCTV images were so clear. I imagine that with the previous allegations the evidence hasn’t been there.

‘We take rape allegations very seriously and those that make false claims need to face the consequences.

‘False allegations completely undermine the work that the police have done and make it harder for genuine rape victims to come forward.’

Culled from MAILONLINE

France's military operation in Mali enters 'final phase'

French President Francois Hollande has said his country's forces are engaged in the "final phase" of the fight against militants in northern Mali.

He said there had been heavy fighting in the Ifoghas mountains, where members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) were thought to be hiding.

Mr Hollande also praised Chadian troops for their efforts in the same area.

Thirteen Chadian soldiers and some 65 militants were killed in clashes on Friday, according to the Chadian army.

Chad's government has promised to deploy 2,000 troops as part of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (Afisma).

US drones

Speaking in Paris on Saturday, President Hollande said "heavy fighting" was taking place in the far north of Mali, near the Algerian border.


"This is the final phase of the process since it is in that massif [the Ifoghas mountains] that AQIM forces have probably
regrouped," he said.


"Our Chadian friends launched an attack yesterday which was very harsh with significant loss of life," Mr Hollande added. "I want to praise what the Chadians are doing."

The latest fighting was between Islamists militants and ethnic Tuareg in the In-Khalil area, near the border town of Tessalit.

The MNLA - a secular Tuareg group which seeks an independent homeland in the Sahara and Sahel regions of Mali, Libya, Algeria, Niger and Burkina Faso - was at one time allied to the Islamists but now supports the French-led offensive.

France has deployed 4,000 troops since 11 January to help the Malian government eject Islamist militants who seized control of the north of the country last year.

The French-led forces faced little resistance during the initial offensive, when they recaptured major towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.

Meanwhile, more help for the French and African forces is being offered by the United States, which is sending Predator drones to Niger.

The unarmed drones would be used to overfly the zone of combat in Mali and provide information about deployments, US officials said.
Culled from BBC

Paedophile spiritualist jailed for attempting to have sex with 13yr-old girl

The leader of a spiritualist group, Gareth Edwards, pictured above who told a teenage girl she would make an 'excellent medium' while grooming her for sex on Facebook has been jailed.
West Midlands Police arrested Edwards when the victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - told them he tried to have sex with her in a car.


Gareth Edwards, 33, used his spiritualist church group to befriend the 13-year-old girl's family before trying to seduce her online.

A court heard Edwards carried out a 'long campaign' of grooming, with more than 600 chat logs found between the two.

The judge said it was 'every parent's nightmare', with Edwards using a degree of charm to gain the family's trust.


He told the young girl she would be an 'excellent medium' before asking her to have sex with him on the social networking website.


Officers seized a computer and hard drive from his home in Coventry. On it they found a series of indecent videos, including one of a three-year-old girl being raped.

Edwards, who lived with his mother, had admitted one charge of sexual assault and four of making indecent images, and was jailed for 26 months on Friday at Warwick Crown Court.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano said: 'You are here because of what happened with a 13-year-old girl.


'You made it clear that at a later stage you wished to have a sexual relationship, and you took advantage of her when you were in a car together.

Culled from DAILY MAIL

Las Vegas Woman arrested for having sex with pit bull dog

A 23-year-old woman has been arrested after having sex with a pit bull.

Police were called after neighbours spotted Kara Vandereyk having intercourse with the dog in her back yard in Las Vegas.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Vandereyk paused and said: "Hi" when she was approached by officers, then resumed touching the dog in a sexual manner
Kara Vandereyk has been charged with open and gross lewdness


Vandereyk appeared to be under the influence of drugs or mentally ill, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police report seen by Fox5 detailed.

She was quoted as telling officers she was bipolar but could not remember if she had taken her medication. Vandereyk was unable to tell officers her own name and did not know what year it is.

She has been charged with open and gross lewdness and the animal has been taken into the custody of Animal Control.
Culled from HUFF POST

Police arrests 33yr-old woman for hiring strippers for her under-aged son's birthday party

An upstate New York mother is has been arrested by the police for hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthday party late last year, according to the Saratoga County District Attorney.

Judy Viger, 33, of Gansevoort is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, District Attorney James Murphy said in a statement. The parents of five teens who attended the party reported the presence of strippers to police.

The complaining parents found out that the strippers had been at the November 3 bowling party through photos posted on Facebook. The parents took the pictures to the South Glens Falls police, who then started taking witness statements, the district attorney's statement says.

One of the photos distributed by the district attorney's office shows Viger receiving a lap dance from one of the hired dancers; another picture shows a young male with another nearly nude dancer on top of him with her legs around his head.

"As difficult as it may be for us to have to weigh in on these kinds of cases, certainly exposing the unsuspecting children to this sort of 'entertainment' goes beyond the pale when it comes to what is appropriate for 14, 15 and 16 year old child," Murphy said in the statement.

CNN affiliate WRGB visited the Viger home and encountered a man who said the family "was not making statements at this time."

CNN's calls to Viger, her attorney and the adult entertainment company that provided the dancers were not immediately returned

Culled from CNN

How family of four escaped death on Valentine day

Mariel Murphy, 38, was driving home after dropping her mother off at a train station when she went through a ford causing her engine to cut out. Seconds later her three-year-old VW Polo (pictured) was hit by a powerful torrent of water smashing it into a bridge and trapping her and her three young children (inset) inside. The terrifying accident happened when Mrs Murphy tried to cross the River Swift near their home in Harborough Magna, Rugby, Warkwickshire.

Mariel Murphy, 38, was driving home after dropping her mother off at a train station when she went through a ford causing her engine to cut out.

Seconds later her three-year-old VW Polo was hit by a powerful torrent of water smashing it into a bridge and trapping her and her three young children inside.
The terrifying accident happened at 6pm on February 14 when Mrs Murphy, a photographer, was driving through the ford which crossed the River Swift near their home in Harborough Magna, Rugby, Warkwickshire.

Mrs Murphy managed to dial 999 and the fire service rushed to rescue her but before they arrived the icy water filled up the car to their chins.

At one terrifying moment, Mrs Murphy and her three children, Joseph, six, Hayden, three, and 18-month-old daughter Gia, could only breath by pushing themselves against the roof of the car.
But the family were saved when two workmen who had got lost spotted them and managed to haul them out of hatchback's boot.

Mrs Murphy said today: 'I started driving through the ford when the car cut out and then we got carried off to the right and into the bridge.

'It was a really strong current so I rang the fire brigade and thought I'd wait. But water was getting in and within minutes it had risen to my knees.
'My three children were screaming in the back - the water was nearly up to their chins. I didn't panic at first and had just been trying to reassure my children, but at this point I really started to worry.

'I then looked across and saw two men in a van nearby, but the electrics had cut out and I couldn't open the windows so I started banging and waving to get their attention.'

Workmen Neal Bliss and Stephen Andrews, both in their 40s, had got lost and broken down after their Sat Nav diverted them off the M1 after the motorway was closed following an accident.

When they heard Mrs Murphy's desperate cries for help they waded through the rising flood water and managed to open the boot of the car which was poking out the water.

Mrs Murphy added: 'They (the workmen) were just amazing, they were so brave and strong. The fire brigade said afterwards they shouldn't have done it, but I'm just glad they were there to help us.

'It's a miracle they were there and I'm hugely grateful to them. They saved myself and my three children.'

The family were examined by paramedics but were given the all clear.

Husband Kevin, 41, a managing director of a media planning agency, said: 'It doesn't bare thinking about what could have happened.

'If those two workmen hadn't broken down or been there Mariel and the children would have been completely submerged in the freezing water.'

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: 'Had the car not been a hatchback and had the two men not come to their aid so quickly, the outcome may have been very different.

'Our praise must go to the two men for acting so quickly.'

Culled from DAILY MAIL

Boxes of 'steroids', needles and an unlicensed gun found at Pistorius' bedroom

Pictured: The bathroom where Pistorius shot his girlfried
Boxes of 'steroids', testosterone, needles and an unlicensed gun found at the house where Blade Runner shot Reeva through head, elbow and right hip after they had 'argued non-stop for an hour'



The graphic details of Miss Steenkamp's injuries were revealed by the prosecution on the second day of the 26-year-old athlete's bail hearing at Pretoria Magistrates' Court where he faces a charge of premeditated murder. Pistorius (centre) alleges it was dark when he shot the model, but today police claimed a witness heard gunshots, saw the lights on, heard 'a female screaming' and then more shots. His family, including sister Aimee and brother Carl (left), were again on the front row as police revealed they plan to charge the athlete after they found a box of .38 calibre ammunition rounds in his bedroom safe for which he is not a licence holder. Pistorius had six gun licence applications pending with officials, including three for shotguns, two for handguns and one for a semi-automatic rifle (right).
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

3 under-aged sisters lured with food, raped and murdered in India

The bodies of the three sisters who went missing from thier school on the Valentine day in Maharashtra were yesterday found in a well in their hometown in Bhandara district, just 65 kms from Nagpur.The postmortem report clearly mentions that the girls were raped and were also subjected to unnatural sexual abuse, said Rajendra Singh. The sisters, aged 11, 9 and 6 were raped by the stangers

Acoording to their grandfather, they were lured away by strangers who promised them food. The girls had lost their father four years ago. Their mother works as a daily wage labourer. The family lives in abject poverty.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, home minister R R Patil ordered suspension of Lakhni police station officer Munde for dereliction of duties.
the police formed five teams to search the culprits involved in the heinous crime and announced Rs50,000 reward for anyone giving information about them. The informant's name will be kept secret, said special IGP Rajendra Singh who visited the police station. Lakhni police have registered offences under sections 376,302 and 201 of IPC against unidentified persons in the case.

The villagers say that the police first tried to describe the deaths as "accidental" and got serious about the investigation only after villagers protested on the streets.

Yesterday, Union Minister Praful Patel who represents Maharashtra in parliament visited the mother of the three girls at her home.

"As a father of three daughters, I am appalled at the atrocity committed on these girls. I have raised the matter with the chief minister to ensure financial assistance to the widow, speedy investigation and a fast track trial of the accused," Mr Patel said.
"The incident is extremely deplorable and painful. I appeal to the people to maintain calm and cooperate with the law-enforcers," Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said in a statement today.

Culled from NDTV, TIMES OF INDIA

Britons demand for the legalization of cannabis

Pressure on the government to review its drugs policy has stepped up in recent weeks amid calls by various MPs to decriminalise the possession and use of all illegal drugs.
And the influential Home Affairs Select Committee said there was a case for a fundamental review of all UK drug policy "now, more than ever" and called for a royal commission to consider the decriminalisation of illegal drugs.

But prime minister David Cameron rejected the calls on the grounds that the government's approach is working.

The majority of Britons support a softer stance on cannabis laws, according to a survey by an independent think-tank.

More than half the public - 53% - support legalising the production and supply of cannabis or decriminalising its possession, a survey ordered by the Transform Drug Policy Foundation found.
Just one in seven support heavier penalties and more being spent on enforcement for cannabis offences, the campaign group found, while around two thirds - 67% - support an in-depth review of policy options for controlling all drugs.

Transform head of external affairs Danny Kushlick said: "These results show just how far ahead of politicians the public are.

"While Labour and Conservative politicians shy away from the debate on drugs, around half of their supporters want to see legal regulation of cannabis production and supply or decriminalisation of cannabis possession.

"And a significant majority want a comprehensive review of our approach to drugs - including consideration of legal regulation."

The survey found that 70% of Conservative supporters and 69% of Labour supporters also feel this way and want a review of all policy options.

While the supply of the most dangerous substances should remain banned, users caught with a small quantity of any drug should not be penalised, members of the all-party parliamentary group for drug policy reform said.

Culled from HUFF POST

Former professional boxer, Graham Brett, bags 7yrs in jail for manslaughter

A former professional boxer has been jailed for seven years for killing a stranger with one punch outside a pub.

Graham Brett, 50, of Ebury Bridge Road, Pimlico, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Australian-born Neil Hannah.

He fell to the floor and was knocked unconscious after being punched on the jaw.

Mr Hannah, 49, suffered a brain injury and died five days later on 7 August, the Old Bailey heard.

Brett was drinking in the Greyhound pub in Hugh Street, Pimlico, when he took exception to Mr Hannah and called him outside.

He took off his glasses and aimed a right hook at Mr Hannah, described as a "gentle giant" and a "jovial drunk".
Alcohol problem

Brett, who had two wins and two losses in his professional career and 70 amateur fights, had drunk seven pints and taken cocaine, the court heard.

Gillian Etherton QC, prosecuting, said CCTV showed the incident: "It is very clear the stance the defendant takes is one of an experienced boxer."

Gareth Morley, defending, said Brett's career ended in 1984 and had been ravaged by his alcohol problem, although he was still a coach for amateur boxers.

Judge Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said three years of the extended sentence would be served in the community.

He told Brett: "You are a trained boxer. You used that training to position yourself and deliver the punch. This was an unprovoked attack."
Culled from BBC

Man whose 6 kids died in a fire wachted wife have sex with another man

A man accused of killing six of his children in a house fire watched his wife have sex with another man from which she fell pregnant, a court heard.

Claire Tyler, a friend and colleague of Mairead Philpott, told the court Mrs Philpott aborted the pregnancy.

She also said Mrs Philpott's character become more subdued when her husband was around.

Mrs Philpott, 31, her husband Mick, 56, and Paul Mosley 46, deny manslaughter of the couple's six children.


The three are accused of starting the blaze at the Philpotts' home in Victory Road, Allenton, Derby.



Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jessie, six, and Jayden, five, died in the fire. Their brother Duwayne, 13, died three days later in hospital.
'Mick was there'

On the fifth day of the trial at Nottingham Crown Court, the jury heard from Ms Tyler who worked as a cleaner with Mrs Philpott at the Royal Derby Hospital.

Ms Tyler said Mrs Philpott had taken time off work to have an abortion.

Shaun Smith QC, representing Mrs Philpott, asked Ms Tyler: "It's the case, isn't it, that she had had sex with another man and the child was a result of that?
"And that was when Mick was there, that she had had sex with another man?"

"Yes," Ms Tyler replied.

She told the court that when Mrs Philpott was at work she was bubbly and talkative, but when her husband was in the room her personality changed and she became subdued.

Earlier in the hearing, two officers said Mr Philpott regularly rang police in an attempt to get custody of four of his children after his former mistress Lisa Willis left with them.

The prosecution alleges the fire was started in an attempt to frame Miss Willis and gain custody of Mr Philpott's children.

Miss Willis's sister Amanda Cousins told the court on Friday that she stayed with her after she had left Mr Philpott.

She said Miss Willis was crying all the time and was "in a big mess".


'Rip head off'


Jurors heard Mr Philpott turned up at her home in his minibus with his wife and four of the children a few weeks later and threatened her.

"He told me to watch my back… He was going to have me done over in Derby when I was in the nightclub," she said.

For the defence Anthony Orchard QC said Mrs Cousins had an intense dislike for Mr Philpott because Amanda once lived with him and his then wife Pam Lomax, working as a nanny - and they had fallen out.

He read out a text message in which Amanda threatened to rip Mr Philpott's head off if he contacted her sister again.

The Philpotts, formerly of Victory Road, and Mr Mosley, of Cecil Street, Derby, are charged with six counts of manslaughter; one for each of the children.

It is anticipated that more than 100 witnesses will be heard throughout the trial, which is expected to last six weeks. It continues on Tuesday.
Culled from BBC

Asteroid 2012 DA14 passes very close to Earth

An 150-metre wide asteroid has passed by Earth just 27,700km (17,200 miles) closer than many communication satellites, and just one tenth the distance between the Moon and Earth.

The flyby of 2012 DA14 was the closest-ever approach to Earth by an object this large, passing at 18,641 mph, eight times the speed of a bullet.
And after a meteor struck eastern Russia earlier on Friday, injuring as many as 1000 people and resulting in spectacular YouTube footage, tensions were high over fears that researchers calculations might have been incorrect.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 is as big as an Olympic swimming pool and could destroy a site as large as London if it struck a direct hit.

However the space rock flew by harmlessly, at its closest to Earth at 7.25pm. Keen astronomers viewed the asteroid through binoculars as it passed by, appearing simply as pinpoint of light, darting across the sky.

An animated image of the asteroid was captured by the Faulkes Telescope South in Siding Springs, Australia:
A14 belongs to dangerous family of near-Earth objects (NEOs) that are small enough to be missed but large enough to cause serious damage.

It was detected in February last year by La Sagra Observatory in southern Spain as it fell under the spotlight of the Sun's rays
Prior to the flyby astronomer and asteroid expert Dr Dan Brown, from Nottingham Trent University, said the asteroid will fly inside the orbits of high geostationary satellites some 22,000 miles (35,406km) above the Earth.

"These are the satellites that provide us with telecommunications and weather forecasts," said Dr Brown.

"There are loads of them but you're talking about a very big area. It would be very unlucky if a satellite was hit. The asteroid is more likely to hit some space junk, but most of this is only about a centimetre across and the impact won't even be noticed."

A future mission planned by the American space agency Nasa, called Dart, will fire a probe into an asteroid to see if it can be moved. However, this may not be for another 10 or 20 years, said Dr Brown.

Meanwhile astronomers are currently tracking up to 400 NEOs that, like DA14, have been categorised as a potential threat. While a number are about the same size as DA14 "there will also be some considerably larger," Dr Brown added.

The American space agency Nasa launched its NEO programme 15 years ago with the aim of finding all "extinction event" asteroids and comets 0.62 miles (1km) across and larger. Later, it started focusing on smaller objects.
Culled from HUFF POST

Man swallows cousin's ear lobe during fight, cops say

Police in Connecticut say a city man bit off his cousin's ear lobe and swallowed it during a fight over loud music.

Officers in Stamford charged 27-year-old Emilio Mendoza with first-degree assault and other crimes early Monday morning in connection with the attack on his cousin, 29-year-old Ruiz Clemente-Perez.

Clemente-Perez told police that he asked Mendoza to turn down his loud music because he had to work in the morning, but Mendoza started punching him in the head. During the brawl, Mendoza allegedly bit off part of Clemente-Perez's left ear and swallowed it.

Officers say Clemente-Perez was bleeding and missing part of his ear when they arrived. He also suffered a broken nose and fractured eye socket.

Mendoza is detained on $100,000 bail AOL News reported. It's unclear if he has a lawyer.
Twenty-seven-year-old Emilio Mendoza of Stamford who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was arraigned Wednesday in Stamford Superior Court and ordered held on $50,000 bail according to Huffington post.

Huff post also reported that Mendoza's cousin and roommate, 31-year-old Clemente Perez-Ruiz, also pleaded not guilty Wednesday to assault and disorderly conduct charges connected to the brawl. A good portion of his left ear was missing.

Stamford police, according to HUFF post, say the two men were intoxicated and started fighting after Perez-Ruiz asked Mendoza to turn down the music. Police say Mendoza admitted swallowing the ear lobe.

Mendoza's lawyer said he hadn't seen the police report detailing the allegations and declined to comment.
Culled from HUFF POST & AOL News

Huge asteroid to fly very close to Earth today

Asteroid 2012 DA14 will will make a record close approach to Earth today and it may be visible through a pair of strong binoculars.
the (150ft) 45 meter rock will pass lower than some communications satelites and will not be near enough to become visible in the evening sky experts say.
The best viewing will be in Austrlia, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Members of the public who desire to winess the asteroid are advised to contact their local astronomical society or watch footages beamed from observatories in Australia online.
Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society said that most people around the globe are going to struggle to see it and those who know their way around the sky could view it using a pair of binoculars.
The asteroid will come closer than any of its size on record, whizzing within the orbit of our most distant communications satelite at about 7pm at a speed of about 17,400 miles per hour (7.8 km per second).
Astromers have admitted that there is a chance that 2012 DA14 could collide with one of the communications satelites as it passes by.
However, the close pass of the asteroids poses no threat to Earth but will give scientists the opportunity to study it.
The asteroid was discovered in February 2012 by spanish astronomers shortly after passing by Earth on its last orbit.
Although similar asteroids have come closer than Friday's approach,objects the size of 2012DA14 are only expected to make such narrow passes about once every 40 years.
Culled from the TELEGRAPH

Naked couples with transplant scars pose for 'Organs Donor Charity Campaign'

Couples have posed naked, revealing their transplant scars, for a charity campaign urging people to become organ donors.

The campaign Let Love Live On has been launched to coincide with Valentine's Day.

The project, run by charity Live Life Then Give Life, aims to highlight how a donor can transform another person's life.
Accompanying the images are a series of videos shot by renowned photographer Rankin, where couples talk through their stories.

Kate and Chris Ball, from Edinburgh, met after Kate had a heart transplant at 19.

"It turns out I had a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, which is a thickening of the heart muscle," she explains. "I only had to wait eight days for a transplant, so I was very lucky."

She adds: "There's nothing my transplant stops me doing at all. I work full time, travel and do sport."
Each year 1000 people in the UK die waiting for an organ donation. Despite overwhelming support for organ donation in the UK (97% of residents), only a quarter of people have signed up to the Organ Donor Register. Even then, families can veto their final wishes even if they are registered. This happens in 41% of cases where wishes have not been discussed
Culled from HUFF POST

How Coca-Cola killed a 30yr-old woman in New Zealand

Drinking large quantities of Coca-Cola was a "substantial factor" in the death of a 30-year-old woman in New Zealand, a coroner has said.

Natasha Harris, whose picture appears inset above died three years ago after a cardiac arrest, drank up to 10 litres of the fizzy drink each day.

This is twice the recommended safe limit of caffeine and more than 11 times the recommended sugar intake.

Coca-Cola had argued that it could not be proved its product had contributed to Ms Harris' death.

The coroner's verdict came on the day Coca-Cola Sales said sales in Europe and China fell in the last quarter of 2012, and warned of a "volatile" year to come.


'Clear warnings' needed

Natasha Harris, a mother of eight from the southern New Zealand city of Invercargill, suffered from ill health for years before her death.

Her family said she had developed an addiction to Coca-Cola and would get withdrawal symptoms, including "the shakes", if she went without her favourite drink.

"(She would) go crazy if she ran out... she would get the shakes, withdrawal symptoms, be angry, on edge and snappy," her mother-in-law Vivien Hodgkinson told the coroner's inquest last year.

Ms Harris drank Coke throughout her waking hours and her teeth had been removed because of decay.
Coroner David Crerar said her Coca-Cola consumption had given rise to cardiac arrhythmia, a condition when the heart beats too fast or too slow.

"I find that when all the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died," Mr Crerar's finding said.

The coroner calculated that drinking 10 litres (17.5 pints) of Coke amounted to more than 1kg (2.2lb) of sugar and 970mg of caffeine, Television New Zealand (TVNZ) reports.

Mr Crerar said that Coca-Cola could not be held responsible for the health of consumers who drank excessive quantities of its product.

But he called on soft drinks companies to display clearer warnings on their beverages about the risks of too much sugar and caffeine.

Ms Harris and her family should have heeded the warning signs about her ill health, the coroner added.

"The fact she had her teeth extracted several years before her death because of what her family believed was Coke-induced tooth decay, and the fact that one or more of her children were born without enamel on their teeth, should have been treated by her, and by her family, as a warning," TVNZ quotes his statement as saying.

In a statement, Coca Cola said: "The coroner acknowledged that he could not be certain what caused Ms Harris' heart attack.

"Therefore we are disappointed that the coroner has chosen to focus on the combination of Ms Harris' excessive consumption of Coca-Cola, together with other health and lifestyle factors, as the probable cause of her death.

"This is contrary to the evidence that showed the experts could not agree on the most likely cause."
Culled from BBC

Thai couple win World’s Longest Continuous Kiss

Thai couple Ekkachai (R) and Laksana Tiranarat (L) kiss in a competition for the “World’s Longest Continuous Kiss” during Valentine’s Day in Pattaya resort on February 14, 2013. Ekkachai and Laksana make the new World’s Longest Continuous Kiss at 58 hours 35 minutes 58 seconds. AFP PHOTO




A kiss lasting nearly two-and-a-half days propelled one determined Thai couple to a new record for the world’s longest smooch on Valentine’s Day, organisers said Friday.

Hospital security guard Ekkachai Tiranarat, 44, and 33-year-old housewife Laksana locked lips for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds, smashing last year’s Guinness World Record by more than eight hours.
The romance of the clinch may have been marred by competition rules requiring contestants to remain on their feet throughout, slurp food and liquids through a straw and even go to the toilet while continuing to press their lips together.

“They were very exhausted because they did not sleep for two-and-a-half days, they had to stand all the time so they were very weak,” Sompron Naksuetrong, vice president of event organiser Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, told AFP.

The “kissathon” ended shortly before midnight on Valentine’s Day, with the male couple who won last year unable to maintain their smooch, collapsing just two minutes before Ekkachai and Laksana.

The pair won 100,000 baht ($3,300) cash and two diamond rings.

Organisers said they did not plan to hold another competition next year after three straight years of bettering the record in Thailand and will wait for a challenge in another country.
Culled from VANGUARD

'Blade runner', Oscar Pistorius charged with murder

Oscar Pistorius, the South African double amputee "Blade Runner" who inspired the world by competing as a sprinter in the London Olympics, is under police custody Thursday after allegedly shooting and killing
his girlfriend, who he may have mistaken for an intruder, according to the South African news agency

According to Reuters, police launched an investigation after the body of 30-year-old Reeva Steenkamp was found at the sprinter's home on the outskirts of Pretoria.

Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale told The Associated Press that officers found a 9-mm pistol at the scene.

Police spokesperson Captain Sarah Mcirca also confirmed that the victim was shot in the arm and the head, USA Today reported.

"There are witnesses and they have been interviewed this morning. We are talking about neighbors and people that heard things earlier in the evening and when the shooting took place," police brigadier Denise Beukes said.

The circumstances of the shooting have not yet been released. Steenkamp, a model and 30-year-old law school graduate, had been dating Pistorius for several months, NBC News reported.

Steenkamp's publicist Sarit Tomlinson described the incident as a "huge loss for everyone and too shocking for words."

"She was a rising star ... a very bright young girl," Tomlinson said.

Silver Woods Country Estate, the prestigious gated community where Pistorius lives, also released the following statement: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic cir­cum­stances that occurred today at Sil­ver Woods. Our sincere con­do­lences, thoughts and prayers go out to Reeva Steenkamp’s fam­ily and friends."

Pistorius, 26, who was born without a fibula in both legs, was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics. Nicknamed the "Blade Runner," he was able to compete by wearing carbon fiber prosthetic blades.

A national hero in South Africa, Pistorius ran in 11 races during the 2012 Games and the Paralympics. He returned home with "two Paralympic gold medals, Paralympic silver, two world records, a Paralympic record, an Olympic individual semi-final and an Olympic final." He was also named one of the "sexiest men alive" by People Magazine.

The South African Olympic committee said it would be inappropriate to comment on the shooting because of the ongoing police investigation, but issued the following statement: "The organization is in no position to comment on the incident other than to say our deepest sympathy and condolences have been expressed to the families of all concerned."
Culled from HUFFPOST

Half-naked women celebrate Pope's resignation in Vatican (VIDEO)

Eight feminists flashed their breasts in the heart of Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral yesterday to celebrate Pope Benedict XVI’s shock resignation announcement. The members of the Femen movement entered the Gothic cathedral dressed in long coats which they whipped off inside while ringing three bells neºar the altar.

“Pope no more!” they cried. “No more homophobe” and “Bye bye Benedict!” Scandalized visitors voiced their disapproval. “This is a sacred place, you can’t strip here,” said a Frenchwoman. The Femen women’s power group has been making headlines since 2010 for topless feminist, pro-democracy and anti-corruption protests in Russia, Ukraine and London.

The protestors were dragged out of the cathedral by security but remained outside for some time shouting “In gay we trust” and “Get out homophobe.”
St Peter’s was struck by lightning in a freak display of nature that could have been seen as a sign from God. The Vatican’s holiest church was hit with the high-powered bolt just hours after the Pope resigned.

Rome was lit up as a powerful electric storm passed through the city and cameras caught the moment a ferocious bolt zig-zagged through the night sky before striking the roof of the famous basilica.

The 500-year-old church is one of the most important holy buildings in the Vatican and hosts many Papal ceremonies. ROOF of holiest Catholic church St. Peter’s Basilica was hit by fierce bolt during an electric storm in Rome last night Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world yesterday by standing down after eight years as head of the Catholic Church at the age of 85.

Benedict – real name Joseph Ratzinger – claimed he was too frail to carry on in the role. His successor will be elected next month by 120 Catholic cardinals.
culled from SUN

Scandal rocks meat industry in Europe over horse meat sale in supermarkets

High-powered lawsuits, overlapping investigations and a bitter battle over blame are spreading across Europe in the wake of a scandal that has rocked the meat industry.

Horse meat was discovered in products that are supposed to be 100% beef, sold in Sweden, the United Kingdom and France.

On Sunday, a major company under scrutiny called one of its suppliers a "villain" responsible for the fraud. The supplier, in turn, insisted it was "fooled" by a sub-supplier.

While authorities say there is no immediate cause for health concerns, the discovery was a new shock to an industry already reeling from a bombshell last month when Irish investigators found horse and pig DNA in numerous hamburger products.

The blame chain


Swedish food producer Findus has been a focus of the uproar since it announced Thursday that it had withdrawn its lasagna from stores as a precaution. The products were pulled Monday after French supplier Comigel raised concerns about the type of meat that was used, Findus Sweden said.

Findus said a letter from Comigel dated February 2 informed Findus that the contamination may date back to August 2012.

Horsemeat found in hamburgers in Britain and Ireland

Findus is only one of several companies that receive products from Comigel. Others include Axfood, Coop and ICA, which have recalled some meat products in Sweden, and Aldi, which has pulled some products from shelves in Britain.

Six big French retailers -- Auchan, Casino, Carrefour, Cora, Picard and Monoprix -- said Sunday that they were recalling lasagne and other products.

Findus Nordic, which oversees Findus throughout the Nordic region, said it has begun legal action against Comigel and its subsuppliers.

"We are only at the beginning of our legal process. Comigel will end up in a lot of legal processes going forward, I imagine," Findus Nordic CEO Jari Latvanen said Sunday in an interview with CNN. "Comigel is the villain."

Comigel has not responded to CNN's requests for comment. The company did not answer its phones when CNN called repeatedly, and did not respond to an e-mail request for comment. Neither did CEO Erick Lehagre.

But Lehagre told French news agency Agence France-Presse on Sunday that his company had been "fooled" by a French supplier. "We were victims," he said, according to AFP.

Comigel apparently took its website down, posting a sign that it is "under construction." Previously, the site described the company as offering a wide array of products through partners, including major European retailers.

Criss-crossing investigations

Probes are under way in France, Sweden, and Britain. The supply chain being studied includes still more countries.

France's consumer affairs minister, Benoit Hamon, ordered an immediate investigation and said results will be available by midweek.

In a statement, Hamon said a provider in Luxembourg and traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands are part of the chain being probed.

The Swedish National Food Agency announced Sunday that it is reporting Findus to police, which is the standard course of action when products have been sold with the wrong labels.

British police are investigating as well.

British officials held an emergency meeting Saturday in London. Participants agreed "meaningful results" must be achieved by Friday, UK Food Standards Agency spokesman Brad Smythe said.

Officials discussed what tests are possible, what laboratory capacity is needed, and what can be done to protect consumer confidence, he said.

The evidence so far suggests "either criminal activity or gross negligence," Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said, adding that "more bad news" could come.

UK food businesses have been ordered to test all processed beef products for authenticity and report back to the authorities by Friday.

"I am determined that we get to the bottom of this and that any wrongdoing discovered is punished," Paterson said in a statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in Friday on Twitter. "This is completely unacceptable -- this isn't about food safety but about proper food labeling and confidence in retailers," he wrote.

Legal action under way

Latvanen credits his company with uncovering "a serious case of fraud."

"What has happened with Comigel is a crime, a scandal," he said in an interview with CNN.

Burger King finds horse meat at European supplier

While Findus has begun legal action in Sweden, Findus France previously said it will file a legal complaint Monday against a Romanian business that is part of the supply chain. It did not name the business publicly.

"There are two victims in this affair: Findus and the consumer," Findus France said in a statement.

The British arm of Findus said it is considering legal action against suppliers as well. Early results of an internal investigation "strongly suggest" the horse meat contamination of a beef lasagna product "was not accidental," the company said.

Tests showed up to 100% horse meat

Aldi said tests on random samples demonstrated that the withdrawn products contained between 30% and 100% horse meat.

"This is completely unacceptable and like other affected companies, we feel angry and let down by our supplier. If the label says beef, our customers expect it to be beef."

Samples of the affected Findus lasagna contained between 60% and 100% horse meat, according to UK and Irish food safety inspectors.

In January, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found that 10 out of 27 hamburger products it analyzed in a study contained horse DNA, while 23 of them -- or 85% -- tested positive for pig DNA.

In nine out of the 10 burger samples, the horse DNA was found at very low levels, the inspectors said. But in one sample from Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, the horse meat accounted for about 29% of the burger.

Tesco apologized and vowed to make sure it never happens again.

Irish officials blamed ingredients from Poland.

Concerns about a veterinary drug

While horse meat is not itself a food safety hazard, food inspectors are concerned it may contain the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or "bute," commonly used to treat horses.

Meat from animals treated with phenylbutazone may pose a risk to human health and is not allowed to enter the food chain as it may pose a risk to human health.

Findus has been ordered to test the lasagna withdrawn from shelves in the United Kingdom for the drug's presence.

The revelations have revolted many meat eaters in the United Kingdom, where horse meat is generally considered taboo, although it is commonly eaten in neighboring France, as well as countries including China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Italy.

The discovery of pig DNA in beef products is of particular concern to Jews and Muslims, whose dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork products. Jewish dietary laws also ban the eating of horse meat.

The UK Justice Ministry confirmed last week that a number of meat pies and similar items supplied to prisons in England and Wales were labeled and served as halal -- prepared in compliance with Islamic dietary law -- but contained traces of pork DNA, the Food Standards Agency said.

Horse meat is not commonly eaten in the United States, but the country does export it to Canada and Mexico. Congress passed a bill in November 2011 that lifted a 5-year-old ban on the slaughter of horses for meat in the United States.

Culled from CNN