Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Naked Britons arrested in freezing Latvia
Four drunken British tourists have been arrested in the Latvian capital Riga after being found naked astride a life-sized wooden horse in temperatures of minus 15 celsius, police said on Monday.
Police said the four men were posing for pictures at the time of their arrest and were clearly under the influence of alcohol, which may help account for their indifference to the sub-zero temperatures. After being taken to a nearby police station to put their trousers on, the four men aged around 30 years were charged with petty hooliganism and handed fines of 75 lats (106 euros) each.
Riga has in the past experienced problems with mainly British tourists urinating on its iconic Freedom Monument, leading to public pressure for more police patrols and stiffer punishments for offenders. The large wooden horse is a permanent fixture in the Latvian capital and stands outside a jewellery shop beside St Peter's church.
The arrest of the four naked men took place close to the spot at which the mayor of the Latvian capital turned on the lights of the city's Christmas tree a few hours earlier. Riga claims it is the site of the first recorded decorated Christmas tree and this year is celebrating 500 years of the tradition.
Police said the four men were posing for pictures at the time of their arrest and were clearly under the influence of alcohol, which may help account for their indifference to the sub-zero temperatures. After being taken to a nearby police station to put their trousers on, the four men aged around 30 years were charged with petty hooliganism and handed fines of 75 lats (106 euros) each.
Riga has in the past experienced problems with mainly British tourists urinating on its iconic Freedom Monument, leading to public pressure for more police patrols and stiffer punishments for offenders. The large wooden horse is a permanent fixture in the Latvian capital and stands outside a jewellery shop beside St Peter's church.
The arrest of the four naked men took place close to the spot at which the mayor of the Latvian capital turned on the lights of the city's Christmas tree a few hours earlier. Riga claims it is the site of the first recorded decorated Christmas tree and this year is celebrating 500 years of the tradition.
Woman rescued after pickup lands in treetop
Emergency crews in Butler County were called to rescue the driver of a pickup truck that ended up stuck 30 feet off the ground in a tree.
Police said Erin Dawn Bowser, 33, was driving westbound on Route 68 in Evans City. Police said Bowser hit a car, a guardrail and a pole before bouncing over the rail and becoming stuck in a tree over Connoquenessing Creek.
"She was completely alert and as calm as can be for her situation. She was fine, she was talking clearly. She did an excellent job of not panicking when we were going off the ground," said rescue worker Ken Wagner. Rescue crews used ropes and ladders to reach Bowser, who removed from the vehicle in a rescue basket and taken to Butler Hospital with minor injuries.
The rescue effort closed Route 68 for several hours on Monday morning. The road reopened to traffic at around 11:30 a.m. Bowser is facing several citations in connection with the wreck, including driving too fast for road conditions. Bowser told them the road was icy.
There's a news video here.
Police said Erin Dawn Bowser, 33, was driving westbound on Route 68 in Evans City. Police said Bowser hit a car, a guardrail and a pole before bouncing over the rail and becoming stuck in a tree over Connoquenessing Creek.
"She was completely alert and as calm as can be for her situation. She was fine, she was talking clearly. She did an excellent job of not panicking when we were going off the ground," said rescue worker Ken Wagner. Rescue crews used ropes and ladders to reach Bowser, who removed from the vehicle in a rescue basket and taken to Butler Hospital with minor injuries.
The rescue effort closed Route 68 for several hours on Monday morning. The road reopened to traffic at around 11:30 a.m. Bowser is facing several citations in connection with the wreck, including driving too fast for road conditions. Bowser told them the road was icy.
There's a news video here.
Women accused of hiding stolen clothing under body fat
Two women have been arrested for shoplifting and police say they used their bodies to conceal the goods. Edmond police authorities say it was at the Edmond TJ Maxx that loss prevention officers found the duo stuffing items under their belly fat and breasts.
They say they took four pair of boots, three pair of jeans, a wallet and gloves; $2,600 worth of store merchandise.
Ailene Brown, 28, and 37-year-old Shmeco Thomas were arrested for shoplifting and are facing felony charges.
Officer James Hamm said, "These two were actually concealing them in areas of their body where excess skin was, under their chest area and armpits." Police say Brown also had a knife in her purse they say she used to cut security tags in the store.
They say they took four pair of boots, three pair of jeans, a wallet and gloves; $2,600 worth of store merchandise.
Ailene Brown, 28, and 37-year-old Shmeco Thomas were arrested for shoplifting and are facing felony charges.
Officer James Hamm said, "These two were actually concealing them in areas of their body where excess skin was, under their chest area and armpits." Police say Brown also had a knife in her purse they say she used to cut security tags in the store.
Urinating man stabbed in buttocks after being mistaken for flasher
An 18-year-old reveller was left in agony when he stopped for a pee on his way home - and was stabbed in the backside after being mistaken for a cheeky flasher.
Teenager David Scholz had dropped his tracksuit bottoms to relieve himself in the street but collapsed in agony when a passer by stabbed him because he thought he was a pervert exposing himself.
Paramedics took him to hospital in Berlin, Germany, with the knife still in his right buttock where surgeons removed the blade in a delicate operation.
"He was quite drunk but it seems someone mistook him for a flasher and took exception to it," said a police spokesman.
Teenager David Scholz had dropped his tracksuit bottoms to relieve himself in the street but collapsed in agony when a passer by stabbed him because he thought he was a pervert exposing himself.
Paramedics took him to hospital in Berlin, Germany, with the knife still in his right buttock where surgeons removed the blade in a delicate operation.
"He was quite drunk but it seems someone mistook him for a flasher and took exception to it," said a police spokesman.
Two men face charges of raping woman with snake
Two men in Wisconsin are facing 1st degree sexual assault charges after a woman claims they used a live snake to assault her.
The 32-year-old woman was at a house party on Platt Street in Eau Claire last week when Damonta Jones invited her into his bedroom to look at pictures of his children. When the woman walked into the room, she says she was hit over the head and thrown to the floor.
Jones then allegedly held her while John Bullock raped her. The two men then allegedly assaulted her using a live snake.
Police say at the time of the incident, Jones was on supervision and had a GPS tracker for two previous sexual assault convictions. The breed of snake used in the attack is unknown.
The 32-year-old woman was at a house party on Platt Street in Eau Claire last week when Damonta Jones invited her into his bedroom to look at pictures of his children. When the woman walked into the room, she says she was hit over the head and thrown to the floor.
Jones then allegedly held her while John Bullock raped her. The two men then allegedly assaulted her using a live snake.
Police say at the time of the incident, Jones was on supervision and had a GPS tracker for two previous sexual assault convictions. The breed of snake used in the attack is unknown.
Man fined for offending Muslims by yodelling
An Austrian man has been fined for yodelling while mowing his lawn. Helmut G. was told by a court in Graz, Styria, that his yodelling offended his next-door Muslim neighbours.
The men reportedly accused the 63-year-old of having tried to mock and imitate the call of the Muezzin. The man was fined 800 Euros after judges ruled he could have tried to offend them and ridicule their belief.
The Muslims, whose nationalities were not revealed, were right in the middle of a prayer when the Austrian started to yodel.
"It was not my intention to imitate or insult them. I simply started to yodel a few tunes because I was in such a good mood" he said.
The men reportedly accused the 63-year-old of having tried to mock and imitate the call of the Muezzin. The man was fined 800 Euros after judges ruled he could have tried to offend them and ridicule their belief.
The Muslims, whose nationalities were not revealed, were right in the middle of a prayer when the Austrian started to yodel.
"It was not my intention to imitate or insult them. I simply started to yodel a few tunes because I was in such a good mood" he said.
Pakistani woman's nose cut-off by in-laws
A Pakistani woman's nose was cut off and her head tonsured by her in-laws who then locked her up for three days because they suspected her of having an affair with a neighbour, police said. The incident took place in Gujranwala in Punjab province. Aasiya Bibi's brother-in-law Anwar, his wife Kalsoom and sons Waqas and Awais caught hold of her and cut off her nose and shaved off her hair, alleging that she had an illicit relationship with a local man.
"Aasiya has been living with her in-laws for over seven years and her husband works in Multan, so he rarely manages to visit," Aasiya's neighbour Nida said. Nida said that Aasiya's in-laws were often cruel to her. Police said that the family locked up Aasiya in a room where she lay for three days after the incident, till a police team released her after being tipped-off.
Aasiya told the police: "I had been beaten and they didn't give me proper food. They locked me up and I was still bleeding." Police officials said that when they found Aasiya she was in a terrible state and was promptly taken to a hospital where her wounds were stitched up. Doctors said that she narrowly managed to avoid an infection. "We were surprised that her open wounds hadn't got infected even thought they weren't treated for three days," medical superintendent Azam Skeikh was quoted as saying.
"She is currently receiving treatment but we expect her to make a full recovery," he added. Aasiya's in-laws were unrepentant. Her brother-in-law Anwar said: "She was having illicit relations with a neighbour. We caught her and this was her punishment. She deserved what happened to her ... I should have killed her on the spot."
"Aasiya has been living with her in-laws for over seven years and her husband works in Multan, so he rarely manages to visit," Aasiya's neighbour Nida said. Nida said that Aasiya's in-laws were often cruel to her. Police said that the family locked up Aasiya in a room where she lay for three days after the incident, till a police team released her after being tipped-off.
Aasiya told the police: "I had been beaten and they didn't give me proper food. They locked me up and I was still bleeding." Police officials said that when they found Aasiya she was in a terrible state and was promptly taken to a hospital where her wounds were stitched up. Doctors said that she narrowly managed to avoid an infection. "We were surprised that her open wounds hadn't got infected even thought they weren't treated for three days," medical superintendent Azam Skeikh was quoted as saying.
"She is currently receiving treatment but we expect her to make a full recovery," he added. Aasiya's in-laws were unrepentant. Her brother-in-law Anwar said: "She was having illicit relations with a neighbour. We caught her and this was her punishment. She deserved what happened to her ... I should have killed her on the spot."
Chinese toddler rescued from washing machine drum
A boy has had a lucky escape after getting stuck in the drum of a washing machine in northern China.
Chaofan became stuck in the washing machine while he was playing hide-and-seek with his mother in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
The three-year-old's mother said her son hid himself in the washing machine only to find his legs were tightly caught in the machine's drum. He was trapped for over an hour until emergency services freed him.
The pictures from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV show the boy being rescued by several firefighters who used a circular saw - just inches from his legs - to cut open the drum. The rescue operation lasted an hour.
Chaofan became stuck in the washing machine while he was playing hide-and-seek with his mother in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.
The three-year-old's mother said her son hid himself in the washing machine only to find his legs were tightly caught in the machine's drum. He was trapped for over an hour until emergency services freed him.
The pictures from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV show the boy being rescued by several firefighters who used a circular saw - just inches from his legs - to cut open the drum. The rescue operation lasted an hour.
72-year-old Ghanaian grandmother burned to death for being a 'witch'
A grandmother has allegedly been tortured and burned to death by a five-strong group - one of whom is believed to be an evangelical pastor - who accused her of being a witch. Ama Hemmah, 72, suffered the horrific injuries when she was set upon by the mob, who claimed that she admitted to being a witch before drenching her in kerosene and setting her alight. Mrs Hemmah, who was from the port city of Tema, near the Ghanaian capital, Accra, was burned alive in nearby Tema Site 15.
She was rushed to Tema General Hospital but died within 24 hours and five people have been arrested in connection with her death. Newspaper pictures showing the woman's injuries have caused revulsion in Ghana, and the incident has been condemned by human rights and women's activists. The suspects deny the crime and claim that they were praying to exorcise the evil spirit from the dying woman, when the anointing oil they had applied to her body caught fire.
The suspects are Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, Pastor Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, and Emelia Opoku, 37, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, and Mary Sagoe, 52, who are all unemployed. According to the police commander, Mr Augustine Gyening, the suspects claimed that Mrs Hemmah was a known witch in the area and subjected her to severe torture, compelling her to confess to being a witch. He said after extracting the confession, Mr Ghunney asked Emelia for a gallon of kerosene and with the help of his accomplices, poured it all over the woman and set her ablaze.
Mr Gyening said a student-nurse, Deborah Pearl Adumoah, who chanced upon the barbaric act, rescued Mr Hemmah and sent her to the Community One Police Station, from where she was transferred to the Tema General Hospital, but she died the following day. In their caution statement, the suspects denied the offence and explained that they poured anointing oil on the old woman which caught fire when they offered prayers to exorcise the demon from her.
She was rushed to Tema General Hospital but died within 24 hours and five people have been arrested in connection with her death. Newspaper pictures showing the woman's injuries have caused revulsion in Ghana, and the incident has been condemned by human rights and women's activists. The suspects deny the crime and claim that they were praying to exorcise the evil spirit from the dying woman, when the anointing oil they had applied to her body caught fire.
The suspects are Samuel Ghunney, a 50-year-old photographer, Pastor Samuel Fletcher Sagoe, 55, and Emelia Opoku, 37, Nancy Nana Ama Akrofie, 46, and Mary Sagoe, 52, who are all unemployed. According to the police commander, Mr Augustine Gyening, the suspects claimed that Mrs Hemmah was a known witch in the area and subjected her to severe torture, compelling her to confess to being a witch. He said after extracting the confession, Mr Ghunney asked Emelia for a gallon of kerosene and with the help of his accomplices, poured it all over the woman and set her ablaze.
Mr Gyening said a student-nurse, Deborah Pearl Adumoah, who chanced upon the barbaric act, rescued Mr Hemmah and sent her to the Community One Police Station, from where she was transferred to the Tema General Hospital, but she died the following day. In their caution statement, the suspects denied the offence and explained that they poured anointing oil on the old woman which caught fire when they offered prayers to exorcise the demon from her.
Hotel welcomes goose guest for fifth time
Gabby looked quite comfortable relaxing on a thick sofa at The Shores Resort & Spa. Every so often, she glanced over at other guests as they stepped off the elevator or sauntered through the upscale hotel lobby. Curious adults and children inched closer, flashing smiles and cameras as if they'd run into an A-list movie star. "Is this like a famous duck?" one woman asked, before snapping a cell-phone photo. "The Aflac duck?" "It's a goose," Jennifer Thomas said, politely correcting her fellow guest.
Goose and goose owners - Thomas, and her husband Larry, of Roanoke, Va., - were spending their fifth straight Thanksgiving weekend together at the pet-friendly hotel - as in dogs and cats normally. Gabby's the exception, given her good behaviour and clean reputation - thanks to frequent diapering. She only honked a bit as she was led by a leash past hotel employees and guests.
"She's just like having a 2-year-old all the time," said Jennifer Thomas, 38, with a grin. "She's affectionate and gets into stuff." Gabby, a somewhat rare Sebastopol goose who turns 5 in March, is a pampered part of the family, which also consists of a dog, three parrots and a chinchilla. But only Gabby goes on vacations. "She thinks she's a person," Thomas said.
But booking a hotel room can be difficult, even at pet-friendly places. Some folks taking reservations assume it's a prank call that the couple is traveling with a goose. But Gabby is no simple farm animal. A stay in a kennel or vet's office would simply be unsuitable for this goose. "It would stress her out," Thomas predicted. "So if she can't go, we don't go." The couple always pack Gabby's crate, special feed and a large supply of diapers when heading to The Shores Resort & Spa.
There's a video here.
Goose and goose owners - Thomas, and her husband Larry, of Roanoke, Va., - were spending their fifth straight Thanksgiving weekend together at the pet-friendly hotel - as in dogs and cats normally. Gabby's the exception, given her good behaviour and clean reputation - thanks to frequent diapering. She only honked a bit as she was led by a leash past hotel employees and guests.
"She's just like having a 2-year-old all the time," said Jennifer Thomas, 38, with a grin. "She's affectionate and gets into stuff." Gabby, a somewhat rare Sebastopol goose who turns 5 in March, is a pampered part of the family, which also consists of a dog, three parrots and a chinchilla. But only Gabby goes on vacations. "She thinks she's a person," Thomas said.
But booking a hotel room can be difficult, even at pet-friendly places. Some folks taking reservations assume it's a prank call that the couple is traveling with a goose. But Gabby is no simple farm animal. A stay in a kennel or vet's office would simply be unsuitable for this goose. "It would stress her out," Thomas predicted. "So if she can't go, we don't go." The couple always pack Gabby's crate, special feed and a large supply of diapers when heading to The Shores Resort & Spa.
There's a video here.
Agoraphobic hare scared to leave house
Once upon a time, there was a hare called Frances who was afraid to go out. Only this is no fairy tale - Frances really is an agoraphobic hare. Ever since she had a run-in at a few days old with a plough, she has been scared of the outside.
Now Frances spends her days lazing round the home of her adoptive parents, the Naylor family, watching TV, drinking puppy milk and playing. ‘I have tried to get her to go into a run in the garden outside but she gets spooked,’ said John Naylor, who took Frances off the farmer who almost hit her.
The wildlife artist, 50, from Langtoft, East Yorkshire, added: ‘Maybe one day she will get over her fear. She has the run of the house and is very intelligent, she’s an amazing creature.’ Now three months old, the leveret is friends with the family dog, a terrier called Mouse, and adored by children, Eve, six, and four-year-old George.
Mother Suzy said the hare could be naughty and has chewed through many wires and nibbled on the carpets. ‘You can’t get angry with her because she is so cute and is now a much-loved member of the family,’ she added.
Now Frances spends her days lazing round the home of her adoptive parents, the Naylor family, watching TV, drinking puppy milk and playing. ‘I have tried to get her to go into a run in the garden outside but she gets spooked,’ said John Naylor, who took Frances off the farmer who almost hit her.
The wildlife artist, 50, from Langtoft, East Yorkshire, added: ‘Maybe one day she will get over her fear. She has the run of the house and is very intelligent, she’s an amazing creature.’ Now three months old, the leveret is friends with the family dog, a terrier called Mouse, and adored by children, Eve, six, and four-year-old George.
Mother Suzy said the hare could be naughty and has chewed through many wires and nibbled on the carpets. ‘You can’t get angry with her because she is so cute and is now a much-loved member of the family,’ she added.
OCD leaves schoolgirl hoarding conkers and praying for dead animals
A girl of 15 has told how her life is being ruined because she cannot stop counting - and praying when she sees dead animals on the road. Suzannah Osborne suffers from an extreme form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Suzannah's illness has left her obsessed with counting good numbers to 'cancel out' bad numbers, hoarding stones and conkers and praying for dead animals. Suzannah, of Teignmouth, Devon, said: "I have rows with my family. No one will speak to me because of the stupid counting."
She first started logging her steps when she was eight and developed a phobia of treading on cracks. Her mother, Rosalind, 41, who also has two sons, said: "It puts the family under stress."
Suzannah's condition is so bad doctors have increased her dosage of Sertraline from 50mg to 125mg. "I don't always want to be doing my rituals, but live like any normal person can, I want a family and a normal life, but I have to get my OCD under control," she said.
Full story here.
Suzannah's illness has left her obsessed with counting good numbers to 'cancel out' bad numbers, hoarding stones and conkers and praying for dead animals. Suzannah, of Teignmouth, Devon, said: "I have rows with my family. No one will speak to me because of the stupid counting."
She first started logging her steps when she was eight and developed a phobia of treading on cracks. Her mother, Rosalind, 41, who also has two sons, said: "It puts the family under stress."
Suzannah's condition is so bad doctors have increased her dosage of Sertraline from 50mg to 125mg. "I don't always want to be doing my rituals, but live like any normal person can, I want a family and a normal life, but I have to get my OCD under control," she said.
Full story here.
Teacher sends home school report littered with mistakes
A headteacher has been forced to make a grovelling apology after a bungling teacher sent a school report to a pupil littered with at least fourteen grammatical errors. The short report sent by the schoolgirl's form tutor was strewn with misspellings, incorrect apostrophe use and bad sentence construction. Shockingly, the first two errors can be found in the subject line of the email, titled: ' ... form tutor report for parents everning'.
The teacher, from Gleed Girls' Technology College, Spalding, Lincolnshire, misspells 'attendance' twice, opting instead for 'attandence' and 'attenance' while other errors include 'requriements', 'occaisions' and 'boardering'. The mother of the student, neither of whom wished to be named, said she was appalled by the email. She said: ‘What concerns me most is that this teacher is supposed to be responsible for raising my daughter's educational standards.
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‘If her standards are that low, how can she expect my daughter's to be high?’ Liz Shawhulme, head of the school, said there was ‘no excuse’ for the errors in the emailed report. Liz Shawhulme, headteacher at the 800-pupil Gleed Girls’ Technology College, admitted there were ”no excuses” for the spelling errors.
She said: ”As a responsible school we do encourage staff to contact parents either by phone, letter or email. I am, however, shocked by the number of mistakes, many of which appear to be typos, in this communication. It was obviously written in haste and not checked but this is no excuse and I will be contacting the parent to apologise personally.’
The teacher, from Gleed Girls' Technology College, Spalding, Lincolnshire, misspells 'attendance' twice, opting instead for 'attandence' and 'attenance' while other errors include 'requriements', 'occaisions' and 'boardering'. The mother of the student, neither of whom wished to be named, said she was appalled by the email. She said: ‘What concerns me most is that this teacher is supposed to be responsible for raising my daughter's educational standards.
Click for bigger.
‘If her standards are that low, how can she expect my daughter's to be high?’ Liz Shawhulme, head of the school, said there was ‘no excuse’ for the errors in the emailed report. Liz Shawhulme, headteacher at the 800-pupil Gleed Girls’ Technology College, admitted there were ”no excuses” for the spelling errors.
She said: ”As a responsible school we do encourage staff to contact parents either by phone, letter or email. I am, however, shocked by the number of mistakes, many of which appear to be typos, in this communication. It was obviously written in haste and not checked but this is no excuse and I will be contacting the parent to apologise personally.’
Road deemed too dangerous for lollipop man to cross
Ron Warrick had been helping children cross a busy road for 18 months as a patrol officer. But he has now been stripped of his lollipop and banned from stepping off the pavement because town hall bosses say it is too dangerous.
So now he just presses the button at the pedestrian crossing and watches while youngsters from St Mary’s Primary School in Shenfield, Essex, walk across the road. ‘It’s absolutely bonkers,’ said one mother who did not want to be named. ‘Whoever heard of a lollipop man who cannot go into the road, it’s like the punchline to some ridiculous joke.
‘If the council think it’s too dangerous for Ron to cross the road then why on Earth do they think it’s safe enough for our children to go across there.’ Mr Warrick was instructed to stay on the pavement after £30,000 was spent improving safety at Tabor’s Corner junction.
As part of the package, traffic light phasing was changed to give people an extra two seconds to cross the road. After the changes, it was deemed too dangerous for Mr Warrick to step into the road in case he could not get back before the ‘green man’ started flashing. Essex County Council said his job could be done ‘most effectively’ from the pavement.
So now he just presses the button at the pedestrian crossing and watches while youngsters from St Mary’s Primary School in Shenfield, Essex, walk across the road. ‘It’s absolutely bonkers,’ said one mother who did not want to be named. ‘Whoever heard of a lollipop man who cannot go into the road, it’s like the punchline to some ridiculous joke.
‘If the council think it’s too dangerous for Ron to cross the road then why on Earth do they think it’s safe enough for our children to go across there.’ Mr Warrick was instructed to stay on the pavement after £30,000 was spent improving safety at Tabor’s Corner junction.
As part of the package, traffic light phasing was changed to give people an extra two seconds to cross the road. After the changes, it was deemed too dangerous for Mr Warrick to step into the road in case he could not get back before the ‘green man’ started flashing. Essex County Council said his job could be done ‘most effectively’ from the pavement.
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