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Monday, April 20, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire actress Rubina Ali "offered for sale" by her father
Rafiq Qureshi, who lives in a one of India's worst slums in the city of Mumbai, reportedly attempted to make an illegal adoption deal for the nine-year-old girl.
"We are considering Rubina's future," Mr Qureshi is alleged to have told a man posing as a prospective buyer.
"We've got nothing out of this film. They haven't looked after us. They gave some money at the start, but they gave nothing afterwards. They gave us around 150,000 rupees (£2,000). They've been talking about giving us a house, but all they do is talk."
He referred the caller to his brother-in-law, Rajan More, who said: "Rubina's life is miserable and she lives here with her stepmother. Most of the time she stays with me because she is not happy at her parents' home.
"Obviously if you wanted to adopt, we could discuss this, but her parents would expect some proper compensation in return. We are talking around £50,000 for this to happen." However at a subsequent meeting the price was said to have risen to £200,000.
His brother Mohiuddin was quoted as saying: "The child is special now. This is not an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child."
More here.
"We are considering Rubina's future," Mr Qureshi is alleged to have told a man posing as a prospective buyer.
"We've got nothing out of this film. They haven't looked after us. They gave some money at the start, but they gave nothing afterwards. They gave us around 150,000 rupees (£2,000). They've been talking about giving us a house, but all they do is talk."
He referred the caller to his brother-in-law, Rajan More, who said: "Rubina's life is miserable and she lives here with her stepmother. Most of the time she stays with me because she is not happy at her parents' home.
"Obviously if you wanted to adopt, we could discuss this, but her parents would expect some proper compensation in return. We are talking around £50,000 for this to happen." However at a subsequent meeting the price was said to have risen to £200,000.
His brother Mohiuddin was quoted as saying: "The child is special now. This is not an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child."
More here.
Lake with 45-letter name has spelling errors
Officials have agreed to correct spelling errors in road signs pointing to a central Massachusetts lake with a 45-letter name.
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Webster has one of the world’s longest place names. It’s been spelled many different ways over the years. Some locals have given up and simply call it Lake Webster.
But after researching historical spelling combinations, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester said local Chamber of Commerce officials agreed that some signs were wrong. There was an "o” at letter 20 where a "u” should have been, and an "h” at letter 38 where an "n” should go.
There are many stories and legends about the origin of the Indian name. One popular myth — later debunked — holds that the name translates roughly to ’You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.’
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Webster has one of the world’s longest place names. It’s been spelled many different ways over the years. Some locals have given up and simply call it Lake Webster.
But after researching historical spelling combinations, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester said local Chamber of Commerce officials agreed that some signs were wrong. There was an "o” at letter 20 where a "u” should have been, and an "h” at letter 38 where an "n” should go.
There are many stories and legends about the origin of the Indian name. One popular myth — later debunked — holds that the name translates roughly to ’You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle.’
Man set to stand trial for indecent exposure
A Howell man was ordered to stand trial on charges he exposed his genitals to a computer technician trying to fix his slow Internet service.
The Comcast cable technician was the only prosecution witness to testify on Wednesday at Chris Philip Trikes' preliminary examination in Livingston County District Court. The hearing ended with Judge Carol Sue Reader ordering Trikes, 45, tried on a charge of indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person. The charge carries a penalty ranging from one day to life in prison.
Trikes' criminal history includes a misdemeanor conviction for indecent exposure in 1999, for which he was subsequently sentenced to 10 days of community service, probation and counselling.
The technician testified that he went to Trikes' Pinckney Road home on Oct. 17, after Trikes complained his Internet service was too slow.
While at the defendant's home, the technician said, Trikes began discussing pornographic Web sites that he had visited online as well as a sexually explicit video that he said he found in a gas station garbage can. The technician said he began talking about his date later that evening "to ease the uncomfortableness" of the situation.
However, the witness said, Trikes then exposed his genitals, which made the technician extremely uncomfortable, so the technician quickly left the home and reported the incident to his supervisor, who called police.
The Comcast cable technician was the only prosecution witness to testify on Wednesday at Chris Philip Trikes' preliminary examination in Livingston County District Court. The hearing ended with Judge Carol Sue Reader ordering Trikes, 45, tried on a charge of indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person. The charge carries a penalty ranging from one day to life in prison.
Trikes' criminal history includes a misdemeanor conviction for indecent exposure in 1999, for which he was subsequently sentenced to 10 days of community service, probation and counselling.
The technician testified that he went to Trikes' Pinckney Road home on Oct. 17, after Trikes complained his Internet service was too slow.
While at the defendant's home, the technician said, Trikes began discussing pornographic Web sites that he had visited online as well as a sexually explicit video that he said he found in a gas station garbage can. The technician said he began talking about his date later that evening "to ease the uncomfortableness" of the situation.
However, the witness said, Trikes then exposed his genitals, which made the technician extremely uncomfortable, so the technician quickly left the home and reported the incident to his supervisor, who called police.
Homeowner stuck with stranger living in garage
A stranger moves into the backyard of an elderly Spokane couple's property and now they can't get that woman to leave. The woman has been living in their garage for almost a month but even so police say she isn't trespassing because police say the property owner's son invited the woman to live in that garage.
Once she moved in police say she established residency. Apparently it doesn't take much and it's left this elderly couple with a big mess to clean up. "I think it's wrong, it's my property, I pay taxes for it, I want it back," Homeowner Don Bain said.
Don Bain built his garage to fix up old cars and make bird houses, however for the past three weeks a stranger has called his haven home. "I don't even know her, I don't know she looks like a street walker to me," Bain said.
It all started when Don allowed his stepson to move into the garage three months ago. "He moved different people in, he had as high as eight people in here at different times and we told him no you stay there and no one else," Bain said.
When Don asked for the guests, including the woman to move out there was a confrontation and his stepson was arrested and taken to jail. The woman and another man stayed without a lease and not a dime paid for rent. "She don't even pay the light bill," Bain said.
Don called police, hoping they'd be forced to leave, but police say the woman isn't trespassing.
Once she moved in police say she established residency. Apparently it doesn't take much and it's left this elderly couple with a big mess to clean up. "I think it's wrong, it's my property, I pay taxes for it, I want it back," Homeowner Don Bain said.
Don Bain built his garage to fix up old cars and make bird houses, however for the past three weeks a stranger has called his haven home. "I don't even know her, I don't know she looks like a street walker to me," Bain said.
It all started when Don allowed his stepson to move into the garage three months ago. "He moved different people in, he had as high as eight people in here at different times and we told him no you stay there and no one else," Bain said.
When Don asked for the guests, including the woman to move out there was a confrontation and his stepson was arrested and taken to jail. The woman and another man stayed without a lease and not a dime paid for rent. "She don't even pay the light bill," Bain said.
Don called police, hoping they'd be forced to leave, but police say the woman isn't trespassing.
Innocent girl to be hanged for murder
A woman faces public hanging in Iran today for a murder she did not commit.
Delara Darabi, 22, has been on death row for six years since she confessed to the murder to protect her boyfriend, Amir Hossein Sotoudeh.
He allegedly killed one of her family as the couple burgled the woman's home.
Ms Darabi was arrested in 2003, aged 17. She says she confessed after Sotoudeh, 19 at the time, said she was too young to be executed.
She later retracted her confession, but a string of appeals against her death penalty have all failed. Now prison officials have warned her she faces execution today.
Amnesty International will hold a vigil outside the Iranian Embassy in London today in a final bid for a reprieve. Campaigns director Tim Hancock said: "In the past Iran has commuted death sentences after an international outcry."
Delara Darabi, 22, has been on death row for six years since she confessed to the murder to protect her boyfriend, Amir Hossein Sotoudeh.
He allegedly killed one of her family as the couple burgled the woman's home.
Ms Darabi was arrested in 2003, aged 17. She says she confessed after Sotoudeh, 19 at the time, said she was too young to be executed.
She later retracted her confession, but a string of appeals against her death penalty have all failed. Now prison officials have warned her she faces execution today.
Amnesty International will hold a vigil outside the Iranian Embassy in London today in a final bid for a reprieve. Campaigns director Tim Hancock said: "In the past Iran has commuted death sentences after an international outcry."
Bogus waiter tricks customers at 2 restaurants
Police say a man posing as a waiter collected $186 in cash from diners at two restaurants in New Jersey and walked out with the money in his pocket.
Diners described the bogus waiter as a spikey-haired 20-something wearing a dark blue or black button-down shirt, yellow tie and khaki pants.
Police say he approached two women dining at Hobson's Choice in Hoboken, N.J. around 7:20 p.m. on Thursday. He asked if they needed anything else before paying. They said no and handed him $90 in cash.
About two hours later he approached three women dining at Margherita's Pizza and Cafe. He asked if they were ready to pay, took $96 and never returned with their change.
Diners described the bogus waiter as a spikey-haired 20-something wearing a dark blue or black button-down shirt, yellow tie and khaki pants.
Police say he approached two women dining at Hobson's Choice in Hoboken, N.J. around 7:20 p.m. on Thursday. He asked if they needed anything else before paying. They said no and handed him $90 in cash.
About two hours later he approached three women dining at Margherita's Pizza and Cafe. He asked if they were ready to pay, took $96 and never returned with their change.
For sale on Loch Ness: Aleister Crowley's centre of dark sorcery
A plot of land once owned by satanist and the self-proclaimed "most wicked man in the world" has been put up for sale, attracting interest from rock stars, developers and disciples of the dark arts.
Boleskine Bay, on Loch Ness at Foyers, was part of an estate renowned at the start of the 20th century as "a centre of black magic, evil and sorcery" under the ownership and influence of satanist Aleister Crowley.
The "Beast of Boleskine", who died in 1947, owned Boleskine Estate between 1899 and 1913, during which time he tried to smother the Highlands in black magic by coaxing out the forces of evil. The estate, once the home of millionaire rock star Jimmy Page, has been linked to a number of incidents over the years, including at least two violent deaths.
As well as black magic rituals to invoke the four princes of evil, Crowley and his devil-worshipping followers used the estate to make talismans and offered animal sacrifices to Satan.
"The demons and evil forces had congregated round me so thickly that they were shutting off the light. It was a comforting situation. There could be no more doubt of the efficiency of the operation," Crowley wrote of his experiments at the estate.
Now, a 1.9-acre plot on the former estate has been put on the market for £176,000 with planning permission for a three-bedroom log house, and 140ft of the Loch Ness foreshore.
Boleskine Bay, on Loch Ness at Foyers, was part of an estate renowned at the start of the 20th century as "a centre of black magic, evil and sorcery" under the ownership and influence of satanist Aleister Crowley.
The "Beast of Boleskine", who died in 1947, owned Boleskine Estate between 1899 and 1913, during which time he tried to smother the Highlands in black magic by coaxing out the forces of evil. The estate, once the home of millionaire rock star Jimmy Page, has been linked to a number of incidents over the years, including at least two violent deaths.
As well as black magic rituals to invoke the four princes of evil, Crowley and his devil-worshipping followers used the estate to make talismans and offered animal sacrifices to Satan.
"The demons and evil forces had congregated round me so thickly that they were shutting off the light. It was a comforting situation. There could be no more doubt of the efficiency of the operation," Crowley wrote of his experiments at the estate.
Now, a 1.9-acre plot on the former estate has been put on the market for £176,000 with planning permission for a three-bedroom log house, and 140ft of the Loch Ness foreshore.
The toothbrush fairy: a £3,000 council non-job
Councils have been accused of wasting millions of pounds of public money on pointless jobs, including a £23,000-a-year composting supervisor, a toothbrush adviser for infants and a ceremonial sword bearer.
An audit of local government positions, obtained under freedom of information legislation, reveals jobs that are far removed from the core remit of councils and appear to be of questionable value. They include trampoline coaches, skate park attendants, flower arrangers, a “befriending co-ordinator” and a £15-an-hour yoga instructor.
Many positions in local government have their origins in health and safety regulations. At the height of turmoil in the financial markets late last year, Tewkesbury council in Gloucestershire deemed it necessary to appoint a “falls prevention fitness adviser”, primarily to help elderly people.
In Scotland, Angus council employs a “bouncy castle attendant” on a salary of £13,000, while Falkirk pays a part-time “toothbrush assistant” £3,032 to teach nursery children how to clean their teeth. The council also employs a “cheerleading development officer”.
In Glasgow, taxpayers are funding a £17,000-a-year “street mediator” to deal with children hanging around on street corners, a florist on a £17,800 salary and a “chewing gum removal labourer”. Some public sector posts are even more surreal. Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, which has increased council tax by an average of 3.95% in 2009-10, employs several part-time pianists at municipal events.
Windsor & Maidenhead in Berkshire, where council tax has risen by 1.9%, cannot do without the services of a “roller disco coach” every Saturday night, while the local authorities in Waveney, Suffolk, have recruited a £15-an-hour yoga instructor.
An audit of local government positions, obtained under freedom of information legislation, reveals jobs that are far removed from the core remit of councils and appear to be of questionable value. They include trampoline coaches, skate park attendants, flower arrangers, a “befriending co-ordinator” and a £15-an-hour yoga instructor.
Many positions in local government have their origins in health and safety regulations. At the height of turmoil in the financial markets late last year, Tewkesbury council in Gloucestershire deemed it necessary to appoint a “falls prevention fitness adviser”, primarily to help elderly people.
In Scotland, Angus council employs a “bouncy castle attendant” on a salary of £13,000, while Falkirk pays a part-time “toothbrush assistant” £3,032 to teach nursery children how to clean their teeth. The council also employs a “cheerleading development officer”.
In Glasgow, taxpayers are funding a £17,000-a-year “street mediator” to deal with children hanging around on street corners, a florist on a £17,800 salary and a “chewing gum removal labourer”. Some public sector posts are even more surreal. Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, which has increased council tax by an average of 3.95% in 2009-10, employs several part-time pianists at municipal events.
Windsor & Maidenhead in Berkshire, where council tax has risen by 1.9%, cannot do without the services of a “roller disco coach” every Saturday night, while the local authorities in Waveney, Suffolk, have recruited a £15-an-hour yoga instructor.
Church is robbed during wedding
A church in Londonderry has been robbed during a wedding ceremony.
Three men and two women stole a substantial sum of money from the office of St Brigid's church while the ceremony took place on Saturday.
The thieves were disturbed as they ransacked the office and ran away in the direction of the Northside Shopping Centre.
Parish priest Joe Gormley said: "I am very sad and disappointed that people would use a church to commit a crime."
Three men and two women stole a substantial sum of money from the office of St Brigid's church while the ceremony took place on Saturday.
The thieves were disturbed as they ransacked the office and ran away in the direction of the Northside Shopping Centre.
Parish priest Joe Gormley said: "I am very sad and disappointed that people would use a church to commit a crime."
Woman's body 'undiscovered for more than a year'
The body of an elderly woman could have lain undiscovered for more than a year in her Fakenham home before it was found by police. Officers broke into the house on Tunn Street at about 9.20pm on Thursday after receiving an anonymous call.
No details were last night released about the condition of the body but police said piles of unopened mail and unread newspapers on her doormat, dating back at least a year, told their own story.
Det Insp Paul Chapman said: “As a result of police inquiries relating to unopened mail and newspapers it appears the body may have been at the location in excess of 12 months. I would stress we are not treating this as suspicious but we want to speak to the person who called us about how they knew the body was in the house.”
Photo from here.
The body was removed yesterday morning as attempts continued to find the woman's next of kin. And last night the house stood quiet after investigators left the scene to try and solve the riddle of who she was, who discovered her and why no-one noticed her disappearance.
Neighbours said the house's occupant was rarely seen and shunned human contact - giving no clues she ever lived permanently at the address or that anything had happened to her.
They spoke of their shock and sadness that the woman's death went unnoticed for so long in their neighbourhood just a short distance from the town's bustling market place.
No details were last night released about the condition of the body but police said piles of unopened mail and unread newspapers on her doormat, dating back at least a year, told their own story.
Det Insp Paul Chapman said: “As a result of police inquiries relating to unopened mail and newspapers it appears the body may have been at the location in excess of 12 months. I would stress we are not treating this as suspicious but we want to speak to the person who called us about how they knew the body was in the house.”
Photo from here.
The body was removed yesterday morning as attempts continued to find the woman's next of kin. And last night the house stood quiet after investigators left the scene to try and solve the riddle of who she was, who discovered her and why no-one noticed her disappearance.
Neighbours said the house's occupant was rarely seen and shunned human contact - giving no clues she ever lived permanently at the address or that anything had happened to her.
They spoke of their shock and sadness that the woman's death went unnoticed for so long in their neighbourhood just a short distance from the town's bustling market place.
Toilet training mishap as toddler's foot gets stuck in potty
A toddler who got her foot stuck in a potty had to be rescued by a team of firefighters with specialist cutting equipment. Three-year-old Rebecca Rogers from Chirk, near Wrexham, became stuck in the handle of the potty after playing with her sister. Using cutting equipment usually required for road crash victims, the crew freed Rebecca after 15 minutes.
Her father Kevin Rogers said: "It was really embarrassing." He had only bought the potty on Wednesday to start taking his daughter through the early stages of toilet training. But the following day, as he left Rebecca and her two-year-old sister Daniella with the potty as he washed some dishes, the accident happened.
"I heard this horrible scream but thought the girls were just fighting as usual," he said. "When the scream carried on I realised something was really wrong so I charged into the living room, only to find that Rebecca had her foot lodged in the handle of the potty. She was hysterical. I tried my best to release the foot, but it was really stuck in there.
"I got some sharp scissors from the kitchen and then some shears from the garden, but it was too dangerous to cut her free so I phoned the fire service. I never expected a full fire crew in the truck to arrive, but it did. It was really embarrassing when three firemen came into the house. I had to reassure neighbours that there was no fire!"
Mr Rogers said the firemen took around 15 minutes to release Rebecca's foot using extremely sharp scissors and other specialist cutting gear. He also said the fire service wanted to keep the potty intact for future use.
"When they had finally cut her foot free they were being really careful not to damage the potty," he said. "As they dealt with the last few millimetres, they told me that they wanted to preserve it so it could still be used. I couldn't believe it."
Her father Kevin Rogers said: "It was really embarrassing." He had only bought the potty on Wednesday to start taking his daughter through the early stages of toilet training. But the following day, as he left Rebecca and her two-year-old sister Daniella with the potty as he washed some dishes, the accident happened.
"I heard this horrible scream but thought the girls were just fighting as usual," he said. "When the scream carried on I realised something was really wrong so I charged into the living room, only to find that Rebecca had her foot lodged in the handle of the potty. She was hysterical. I tried my best to release the foot, but it was really stuck in there.
"I got some sharp scissors from the kitchen and then some shears from the garden, but it was too dangerous to cut her free so I phoned the fire service. I never expected a full fire crew in the truck to arrive, but it did. It was really embarrassing when three firemen came into the house. I had to reassure neighbours that there was no fire!"
Mr Rogers said the firemen took around 15 minutes to release Rebecca's foot using extremely sharp scissors and other specialist cutting gear. He also said the fire service wanted to keep the potty intact for future use.
"When they had finally cut her foot free they were being really careful not to damage the potty," he said. "As they dealt with the last few millimetres, they told me that they wanted to preserve it so it could still be used. I couldn't believe it."
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