Obama Launches Campaign in Empty Arena: Have Americans Stopped Caring About Politics?

Barack Obama launched his campaign in unspectacular fashion today at Ohio State University, the largest college in the crucial swing state. A photo posted to twitter by Mitt Romney's campaign spokesman Ryan Williams reveals sparse attendance. The above image, according to Williams, was taken during the President's first official campaign speech.

During the speech, Obama ripped into the presumptive GOP nominee and discussed nation building at home, but the most newsworthy item of the day was not the talking points Obama delivered: it was the crowd... or lack thereof. According to ABC News, the Obama campaign had expected an "overflow" of people. Instead, the arena looked half-empty. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Obama organizers even had people move from the seats to the floor of the gym in order to project a larger crowd on television.

According to the Toledo Blade, the venue for Obama's rally seats 20,000 but "there were a lot of empty seats." Comparatively, Obama drew a crowd of 35,000 at Ohio State when he campaigned for former Governor Ted Strickland in 2010. more

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake EASTERN NEW GUINEA REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck Eastern New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at a depth of 205.5 km (127.7 miles), the quake hit at 20:34:04 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 135 km (84 miles) North from Lae, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.5 Magnitude Earthquake TONGA - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake has struck Tonga at a depth of 3.9 km (2.4 miles), the quake hit at 20:23:31 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 118 km (73 miles) ESE from NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 50.9 km (31.6 miles), the quake hit at 20:12:34 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 10 km (6.2 miles) South of Ishinomaki, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake CELEBES SEA - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck the Celebes Sea at a depth of 315.4 km (196 miles), the quake hit at 20:09:36 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 245 km (152 miles) North of Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck Mindanao, Philippines at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 18:43:16 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 82 km (50.8 miles) Southeast of Pundaguitan, Mindanao, Philippines
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Putin says ready to "go far" in US relations

(Reuters) - Russia's President-elect Vladimir Putin is ready to go far in developing ties between Russia and the United States provided the relationship is equal, Interfax news agency quoted Putin's foreign policy aide as saying on Saturday.

Putin discussed bilateral relations at a closed-door meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama's top security aide Tom Donilon at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow on Friday, three days before his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin.

"Putin emphasized that in developing the relationship with the United States, Russia is ready to go really far, on condition that the Americans will act on the principles of an equal and mutually respectful partnership," Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying.

Ushakov said Donilon handed Putin a letter from Obama, calling it "a multi-page detailed document, whose main message is that Obama is ready to cooperate with Putin in order to move forward on the path of the creation of partnership between the United States and Russia". Read More

Fears grow over future of blind dissident Chen Guangcheng after Hillary Clinton flies out

There are mounting fears over the ultimate fate of the blind dissident Chen Guangcheng with no firm indication from Beijing that he will be allowed to leave China, reports David Eimer.

Confined to a heavily-guarded hospital room, Chen Guangcheng is pondering what looks like an increasingly uncertain future.

On Saturday Hillary Clinton departed Beijing leaving Mr Chen at the mercy of the Chinese authorities with whom Washington claims to have struck a deal that will allow the 40-year-old legal activist to leave China to take up a fellowship at New York University.

Yet one western source close to the case told The Sunday Telegraph that it is by no means assured that Mr Chen will ever get to the United States.

"The Americans just don't know if Chen will be able to leave. It isn't a done deal," he said. Indeed, the US embassy in Beijing was unable to even to confirm yesterday that its officials would continue to have access to Mr Chen, ...Read More

Egyptian prosecutors order arrest of 300 protesters...They must be delighted with their Democratic Freedom

CAIRO — Military prosecutors ordered the detention of 300 protesters on accusations of attacking troops and disrupting public order during violent clashes outside Egypt's Defence Ministry, a prosecution official said Saturday.

The Friday clashes were some of the worst near the headquarters of the country's ruling generals, and come just three weeks before Egyptians are to head to the polls to vote in a landmark presidential election to see who will head Egypt after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak last year.

As the election approaches on May 23, many Egyptians are worried that the military council that assumed power following Mubarak will not hand over power to a civilian government. The protesters at the ministry were demanding the military council step down.

The Defence Ministry has become a flashpoint for protests this week mostly by supporters of a disqualified Islamist candidate.

After plans were announced for massive rallies Friday, the ruling generals warned demonstrators to stay away from the ministry building. They moved swiftly Saturday to prosecute protesters. Read More

Deadly Flu Virus Can Be Used As a Bio Weapon

A new study has proposed that strains of a specific flu virus can be far deadly, that it can be used as a bio weapon. It has been asserted that the outbreak caused due to the strain can lead to spread of the disease globally.

It has been termed that this is second of this kind, which is to be published soon, but still a debate over its publishing is going on, as it is being concerned that publishing of the study can help individuals or counties use it as a weapon to destroy nations.

The study has shown the potential of the virus, which is threatened to be used by others to grow more of such kinds. Moreover, it is being expected that the strain can be modified and used to affect even those organisms, which currently can't be infected by the virus. Read More

Northern California fishermen free entangled whale

Crab fisherman Mark Anello noticed something odd near his boat off the Northern California coast: three buoys floating nearby were moving. Motoring closer he saw a gray whale tangled in a large fishing line.

It was the same whale, officials determined later, that was first spotted hundreds of miles south off the Orange County coast April 17, dragging several buoys attached to a net.

At that time, rescuers attempted to free the marine mammal, but it disappeared. It was spotted about a week later still entangled off the coast of Monterey County.

On Thursday, Anello was out on his 48-foot wooden crab boat about 3 1/2 miles off the coast of Sonoma County near Bodega Bay, located about 67 miles north of San Francisco.

As Anello, a fourth-generation fisherman, and two others on his boat the Point Ommaney moved closer, they found the orange and white buoys connected to the whale that measured close to the length of his vessel, said Tony Anello, Mark's father. Read More

Peru Fire: Addicts lost in rehab deathtrap

A FIRE has killed 14 people trapped in a locked down drug rehabilitation centre with no means of escape.

"They have found 14 bodies and one person survived," said fire department spokeswoman Elena Cabello of the fire in Chosica, 30km east of Peru's capital Lima.

The blaze comes just three months after 29 people were killed in a fire at another drug rehabilitation center in Lima.

The latest fire broke in the early morning hours at the Sacred Heart of Jesus rehabilitation center, which was housed in a two-story building, said Fernando Campos, the head of the firefighting unit on the scene.

"The doors were locked and the windows on the second floor had bars on them. It wasn't possible for people to get out," said Mr Campos.

He said 13 bodies were found on the second floor of the building and one on the first floor. The cause of the fire was unknown. Read More

Snowstorm in Japan's Alps kills eight climbers

TOKYO — Eight elderly mountaineers who went missing in Japan's Northern Alps following a snowstorm were confirmed dead on Saturday after some of them were evacuated by helicopter, police said.

A group of six climbers in their 60s and 70s were spotted early Saturday after they collapsed near Mount Korenge in central Nagano prefecture, a police spokesman said.

The climbers, who went missing Friday on their way to the 2,932-metre (9,676-foot) Shiroumadake Peak, were transported by helicopter to a nearby village but were later confirmed dead, he said.

The spokesman also confirmed the death of a 62-year-old woman who was found unconscious near Jiigatake Peak, south of Mount Korenge.

Another 71-year-old man died of hypothermia after he made an emergency call for rescue after being stuck in bad weather near Karasawa Peak, south of Jiigatake Peak. Read More

Thailand: Three killed in factory explosion

Thousands evacuated near Industrial Estate to escape fire's toxic gases.

RAYONG: At least three people were killed and about 50 people injured when an explosion and fire broke out at a petrochemical factory on Map Ta Phut industrial estate.

Thousands of people were evacuated from nearby factories and communities in a three kilometre radius of the estate to prevent them from inhaling toxic gases.

The explosion occurred at a unit of Bangkok Synthetics Co (BST) at about 3.45pm, followed by a fire that sent thick black smoke into the sky.

The search for victims continued Saturday night, health authorities said.

Most of the dead and injured were workers and mechanics at the factory.

They suffered from inhaling toxic gases, burns and wounds from the blast. Read More

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake GUAM REGION - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck the Guam Region at a depth of 43.5 km (27 miles), the quake hit at 17:12:45 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 159 km (98 miles) SSW from HAGATNA, Guam
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Floating fortress to protect Olympics

May 5 - Britian's military -- including a large warship -- are getting ready for what's called the biggest Olympics security operation in the history of the games. Julie Noce reports

Floods in Nepal kill at least 8; 3 Russians among missing

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- The bodies of eight people were recovered Saturday after flash floods washed away a settlement in central Nepal, police said.

It is unknown how many people were missing after the sudden, unexpected flooding of the snow-fed Seti Gandaki River near Pokhara, Nepal's second largest city, said Sailesh Thapa, the police superintendent of the Kaski district, about 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu.

Three Russians, believed to be tourists, were among the missing, he said. Read More

Alleged 9/11 Plotters Keep Mute In Cuba Court

Four of the five men accused of the 9/11 terror charges have refused to utter a single word throughout their first court appearance at a military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay.

The only defendant at the hearing to speak was Yemeni prisoner Ramzi bin al Shibh, who yelled in a mix of Arabic and broken English at the judge: "Maybe they will kill me and say I committed suicide."

All five accused refused to answer questions from US military judge Colonel James Pohl as he explained their rights and gave them the chance to appoint their own defence lawyers.

One defendant sat leafing through a book, another praying as the judge asked them question after question, and repeatedly noted for the record "defendant refused to answer". Read More

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake ALBANIA - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Albania at a depth of 2 km (1.2 miles), the quake hit at 15:55:07 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 3 km (1.8 miles) Northwest of Himarë, Albania
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Inside the Kowloon Walled City where 50,000 residents eked out a grimy living in the most densely populated place on earth

Once thought to be the most densely populated place on Earth, with 50,000 people crammed into only a few blocks, these fascinating pictures give a rare insight into the lives of those who lived Kowloon Walled City.

Taken by Canadian photographer Greg Girard in collaboration with Ian Lamboth the pair spent five years familiarising themselves with the notorious Chinese city before it was demolished in 1992.

The city was a phenomenon with 33,000 families and businesses living in more than 300 interconnected high-rise buildings, all constructed without contributions from a single architect.

Ungoverned by Health and Safety regulations, alleyways dripped and the maze of dark corridors covered one square block near the end of the runway at Kai Tak Airprot.

'I spent five years photographing and becoming familiar with the Walled City, its residents, and how it was organised. So seemingly compromised and anarchic on its surface, it actually worked and to a large extent, worked well,' said Mr Girard on his website.

Dating back to the Song Dynasty it served as a watch post for the military to defend the area against pirates and to manage the production of Salt before eventually coming under British rule. Read More

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH INDIAN OCEAN - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck the North Indian Ocean at a depth of 13 km (8 miles), the quake hit at 12:08:45 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 718 km (445.1 miles) East Kalmunai, Sri Lanka
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Thousands march against nuclear power in Japan

TOKYO — Thousands of Japanese marched to celebrate the last of this nation's 50 nuclear reactors switching off Saturday, shaking banners shaped as giant fish that have become a potent anti-nuclear symbol.

Japan will be without electricity from nuclear power for the first time in four decades when one of three reactors at Tomari nuclear plant in the northern island of Hokkaido goes offline for routine maintenance checks.

After last year's March 11 quake and tsunami set off meltdowns at Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, no reactor stopped for checkups has restarted amid growing public worries about the safety of nuclear technology.

"Today is a historical day," shouted Masashi Ishikawa to a crowd gathered at a Tokyo park, some holding traditional "Koinobori" carp-shaped banners for Children's Day that have grown into a symbol of the anti-nuclear movement.

"There are so many nuclear plants, but not a single one will be up and running today, and that's because of our efforts," Ishikawa said. Read More

Violet D'Mello Mauled By Cheetahs At Game Park in South Africa

A British tourist has been mauled by two apparently tame cheetahs in a South African game reserve - in an attack caught on camera.

Violet D'Mello had just posed for a photograph with one of the hand-reared animals in an enclosure when the ordeal happened.

She played dead to try to stop being attacked by cheetahs Mark and Monty and said the incident had turned her month-long holiday - to celebrate her 60th birthday - into a "nightmare".

Mrs D'Mello and her husband Archie, 64, were in a petting area with a guide when, she said, one of the cheetahs grabbed an eight-year-old girl who was there with her family.

The child was left with cuts on her legs, and then the cheetah appeared to run after her seven-year-old brother, she added.

Mrs D'Mello, from Aberdeen, told the Port Elizabeth Herald newspaper: "They weren't being vicious. You could tell they (the cheetahs) were just excited, but it became serious very quickly."

Then, as she tried to protect the boy, she said "something jumped me from behind". The cheetah knocked her to the ground and attacked her. Read More

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHWEST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck Northwest of the Kuril Islands at a depth of 258.7 km (160.8 miles), the quake hit at 11:00:56 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 261 km (162 miles) NNE of Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Witnesses: Armed Syrian groups receive weapons through Turkey

Lawless Land - Libya

Russia Victory Day parade on Red Square 2012 promo

'Sanctions lead to more unity in Iran'

Financially motivated suicides on rise in Italy

US rises surveillance on citizens

Immigrants bear brunt of Sudan crisis

Divided loyalties among Syria's Kurds

Chen's Freedom and Safety a HOAX? With 400 policemen guarding, Chaoyang Hospital becomes Dongshigu village

Popocatepetl Volcano: Mexico's roaring "Popo" spews ash and smoke.

May 4 - Mexican volcano spews smoke and and ash, raises concerns that authorities are ill-prepared for a mass evacuation

Smuggling stirs trouble on Tunisia-Libya border

(Reuters) - An empty pickup truck veers off the winding road near the Tunisian hamlet of Ouni, separated from Libya by only a few hundred meters of unmarked scrub. Three men jump out and begin to stack gallon bottles full of contraband petrol on the back.

The fuel is destined for the provincial town of Tataouine, where they will sell it at a mark-up on the side of the road or push it on to traders who distribute it further afield.

"We buy 100 bottles of 20 liters each -- they call them gallons -- each time. We have no other source of income. There is no work here," said Mohammed Abdel Haq, 57, pushing open the metal door to his home and welcoming visitors into a living room containing only two plastic chairs.

Even inside, the concrete walls are unpainted. Tattered rugs cover the floor and flimsy mattresses line the wall.

"We call our Libyan contacts in Nalout and say we want a 100 cans and agree on a place to meet on the border to pick it up." Read More

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake OAXACA, MEXICO - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has struck Oaxaca, Mexico at a depth of 26.4 km (16.4 miles), the quake hit at 09:48:05 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 38 km (24 miles) WSW from Ocotlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Visitors unwelcome in Chinese activist's hometown

Dongshigu Village, China (CNN) -- As our car moved closer to this tiny village in eastern China, our driver became visibly nervous, looking around for any signs of trouble.

He found it. "They spotted us," he said, hitting the gas.

In the rear-view mirror, an unmarked black sedan appeared out of nowhere, trailing us as we drove past the main entrance to Dongshigu Village. That's the hometown of Chen Guangcheng, a prominent human rights activist whose escape here last week from house arrest has set off diplomatic reverberations worldwide. Read More

Obama will kick off his 2012 campaign in Ohio

Europe braces for Greek election

ATHENS — Not only Greece but also Europe braced on Saturday for an election here that polls indicate will fail to produce a clear winner, and which markets worry will plunge the eurozone into fresh turmoil.

In comments widely quoted by Greek newspapers on the eve of Sunday's vote, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that if Greece's new government deviated from its commitments the country would have to "bear the consequences."

"Membership of the European Union is voluntary," the minister from the eurozone's chief contributor to Greece's 240 billion euros ($314.0 billion) in bailouts and the main proponent of European belt-tightening was quoted as saying.

Greece has written off a third of its debts, is in its fifth year running of recession, one in five workers is unemployed, its banks are in a precarious position and pensions and salaries have been slashed by up to 40 percent. Read More

Explosive planted under an army vehicle in northern city of Aleppo, Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists say an explosion in car wash in the northern city of Aleppo has killed at least five people.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Saturday blast killed at least five people.

Aleppo activist Mohammed Saeed said the car wash is owned by a man known to be part of pro-government militias known as the shabiha. He said the bomb killed six people.

Bomb attacks inside Syria's largest cities have become frequent as the country's uprising against President Bashar Assad grows increasingly militarized. Many in the opposition have taken up arms since protesters first took to the street in March 2011. Read More

Big Boy Tries To Do A Half time Dunk

White buffalo calf sacred to Native American tribe found Dead in mysterious circumstances... and its mother died the very next day

A rare white buffalo calf that became the centre of a Native American cult has died mysteriously just days before its first birthday.

Authorities are investigating the suspicious death of the buffalo, named Lightning Medicine Cloud, on Lakota Ranch, north Texas.

Ranch owner Arby Little Soldier says he found the animal dead on Monday. The buffalo's mother was found dead the following day, he said.

Last year, thousands attended a naming ceremony to celebrate the calf's May 12 birth. The ceremony, held at the ranch, included gourd dancing, traditional drum ceremonies and Native American arts and craft vendors.

According to Lakota Sioux lore, the goddess of peace once appeared in the form of a white buffalo calf. Read More

Houston: Baby dies after father 'leaves her in sweltering pick-up truck ALL DAY'

A seven-month-old baby died after being forgotten inside a pickup truck all day as temperatures soared to 90 degrees.

Police in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land are investigating the death of the baby, whose name and gender has not been identified.

The baby’s father allegedly dropped off two older children to elementary school and then went to a business conference along the Northwest Freeway and the North Loop West, according to the Houston Chronicle.

But he forgot the baby inside the car.

He returned to the family home on Mary Sue and Jo Ann in the Covington Woods neighbourhood at 3:45 pm.

His wife called him at around 5 pm to find out how the children were doing, which is when he realised the seven-month-old was still inside the pickup.

He ran outside and found the baby dead in the truck.

No charges have yet been filed. Source

Georgia Peach Oyster Bar Owner Patrick Lanzocauses outrage by calling Obama 'n***er' in road sign AGAIN

A Georgia bar owner has sparked outrage by displaying a sign outside his establishment calling Barack Obama a 'n***er'.

Patrick Lanzo, of Paulding County, insists that the sign beside the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar is not racist and is simply a political protest over the President's policies.

Yet the owner advertises his drinking hole as a 'Klan Bar' - a clear reference to far-right group the Ku Klux Klan - and has a history of catering to some of the most notorious racist organisations in the U.S. Read More

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck Northern California at a depth of 2.8 km (1.7 miles), the quake hit at 09:23:23 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 4 km (2.4 miles) East from The Geysers, California
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Zenon Grzegorczyk 'hired undercover cops to burn alive six people he blamed for his divorce'

Revenge is generally considered a dish best served cold, but not for a Polish national from Illinois who officials said planned to have six people burned alive for breaking up his marriage

Zenon Grzegorczyk, of Des Plaines, allegedly blamed the six unidentified targets residing on the Northwest Side of Chicago and in the suburbs for turning his wife against him, which led to their divorce.

According to a federal complaint, Grzegorczyk, 49, had initially attracted the attention of law enforcement when an informant reported that the 49-year-old was trying to purchase grenades, AK-47s and pistols, and ship them to a group of friends in Poland.

Chicago Sun-Times has reported that In April, undercover officers from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cook County sheriff’s office met Grzegorczyk posing as weapons suppliers. Read More

Number of Americans working or looking for jobs falls to 30-year-low in a severe blow to Obama's campaign

The percentage of Americans working or looking for work has fallen to its lowest level in more than 30 years, according to gloomy economic figures that are a major blow to President Barack Obama’s hopes of re-election.

This stark ‘participation’ figure of the proportion of Americans in work will underline the sense of continued crisis at a time when the views of voters on the economy are crystallising.

Although the April unemployment rate dropped to 8.1 per cent, this was mainly due to discouraged workers giving up hope and leaving the labour force.

Only 115,000 jobs were added, the lowest number since a slow economic recovery began last August, and the number of people in work fell by 342,000. Read More

Shazer Lima arrested for murdering his girlfriend and their two young sons after police are called to blood stained apartment

A California man has been arrested for killing his girlfriend and his two sons after police were called to the blood-stained home he had just vacated.

Brought in by police after a long car chase along Interstate 5 in north San Diego County, Shazer Limas, 31 was booked on suspicion of the murder of Arlet Hernandez, 31, and their sons, a two-year-old and a three-month-old baby.

Although their bodies have not been found, police were alerted to the violent scene at Limas' old apartment by the landlord after he went in to clean up after Limas had left. Read More

Deadly salmonella outbreak linked to tainted dog food strikes down 14 people

Fourteen people have contracted salmonella poisoning after handling contaminated foods produced at the Diamond Pet Foods plant in Gaston, South Carolina

At least five people were hospitalised because of the dog food, which was made by Diamond Pet Foods at its plant in Gaston, South Carolina, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

No pets were sickened, according to the Meta, Missouri-based company. Read More

Jodi Rock 'intentionally burned her 15-month-old son's genitals with a hair straightening iron'

A mother has been arrested after admitting to police she burned her 15-month-old son's genitals with a hair straightening iron.

Jodi Rock, 19, from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, remains in jail on $200,000 bail after she was charged with felony injury to a minor child.

Her son has been taken into state custody.

According to the three-page arrest affidavit obtained by Tulsa World, Rock told investigators while she was straightening her hair, she touched her hand to the iron then she took and closed the iron’s clamps on the toddler’s genitals.

The toddler had three burns marks which started on the inside of his right thigh, across his testicles and on to the left inner thigh.

'The burn to the left inner thigh appeared to have marks indicating a pinch,' the affidavit states.

The police were called by hospital officials for a possible child abuse case.

At first she tried to implicate her boyfriend and other family members before eventually confessing. Read More

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 5th May 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 47 km (29.2 miles), the quake hit at 08:12:03 UTC Saturday 5th May 2012
The epicenter was 96 km (60 miles) ESE from TOKYO, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Jacinto Zuniga Trujillo 'stabs stepdaughter, nine, to death in church parking lot to cover up sexual abuse'

A 31-year-old man faces capital murder and molestation charges after he allegedly stabbed his nine-year-old stepdaughter to death to cover up months of sexual abuse.

Prosecutors claim Jacinto Zuniga Trujillo, from Long Beach, Los Angeles, stabbed the girl as he feared she would reveal he had been sexually abusing her since November.

The body of the girl - identified in court papers as Xiomara Fernandez - was found in the parking lot of Los Altos United Methodist Church on Saturday at about 11 a.m., according to the LA Times.

She was in a pool of blood and had been stabbed several times on her upper body. Trujillo's body was found close by with a number of self-inflicted stab wounds.

It is believed he tried to commit suicide. He was taken to hospital for treatment but survived and was immediately taken into custody on suspicion of murder. Read More

Egged Miliband! Labour leader is pelted with an egg during victory walk on a day of punch-ups and name-calling

He should have been enjoying the sweet smell of success.

But instead Ed Miliband's local elections triumph turned sour today as he was pelted - with an egg.

The Labour leader was on a victory walkabout in Southampton after racking up 776 new council seats - almost 100 more than expected - across the country.

But the vote predictions weren't the only thing that was smashed when the large chicken egg cracked on the leader's shoulder. Read More

Army sets up surface-to-air missile launcher on top of east London tower block (but they had better guard it, or it might get nicked)

Being told the block of flats where you live will also be the home of surface-to-air missiles may leave many bewildered, and no doubt apprehensive.

But as these pictures show, the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, London, has been chosen as one of six sites around London to form a 'ring of steel' to safeguard the Olympic Games.

And whilst The Army will be needed to protect and operate the weapons if required, they might also have to be on their toes to ward off any potential thieves who might target the run-down looking buildings. Read More

Note: Why don't they publish a map with directions for potential terrorists and be done with it?

Stephen Crawford handed his FIFTH life sentence for a string of horrific rapes could be freed in just over FOUR years...Does life ever mean life?.

Judge John Milford QC, told Stephen Crawford that he 'enjoys the act of rape' before imposing a life sentence which could be as short as four and a half years at Newcastle Crown Court

A sneering sex attacker found guilty of a string of brutal rapes has been handed his fifth life sentence – but told he could be back on the streets in little more than four years.

Stephen Crawford - branded a ‘dangerous’ predator ‘who enjoys the act of rape’ - was today given a life sentence for raping a 13-year-old schoolgirl thirty years ago.

He had already been serving four life terms following his conviction in 2007 for a series of sex attacks including raping three women between 2005 and 2006.

And it emerged after the latest trail at Newcastle Crown Court, that Crawford had previously been cleared on five separate occasions of raping women over two decades.

He was found not guilty of rape during the 1980s and 90s – managing to convince the jury in each trial the alleged victim had consented to sex – but picked up a string of convictions for unlawful sex with teenage victims and sexual assault. Read More

John McAfee founder of security software McAfee arrested in Belize in drugs and weapons bust

The millionaire British founder of security firm McAfee has been forcefully arrested in Belize following a drugs and weapons bust at his property.

John McAfee had his house in Orange Walk, Belize City, surrounded by armed guards on Monday. McAfee says they stormed his house, killed his dog and handcuffed him in the sun for 14 hours without food or water.

The 67-year-old, who founded the popular McAfee antivirus computer software, moved from America to Belize in 2008 after a series of lawsuits that threatened to wipe out his fortune.

The eccentric entrepreneur now runs an antibiotic drug company from the tiny central American country.

He said he was arrested because he refused to donate money to a local politician. Read More

McAfee was not given any charge and says he is seeking legal advice.

'Brilliant' nuclear scientist who worked at Cern laboratory jailed for plotting attacks for Al-Qaeda

A brilliant nuclear scientist working at the Cern nuclear laboratory was today sentenced to five in prison for plotting attacks on behalf of Al-Qaeda

Adlene Hicheur, who is French and from an Algerian background and who studied in England, was arrested in 2009 after police intercepted emails he sent to the Islamic terrorist organisation.

Judges sitting at Paris Correctional Court said the 35-year-old should serve five years, with one suspended.

Hicheur has been on remand for two-and-a-half years since his arrest in October 2009, when he was a researcher at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern), a complex studying the start of the universe - or the 'Big Bang'. Read More

Asia Parveen beat girl, 10, with steel ladle for not reading enough of Koran

A Muslim woman who repeatedly beat a 10-year-old girl with a steel ladle for not reading enough verses of the Koran is facing jail today.

Asia Parveen, 31 brandished a knife at the child after accusing her of lying about her prayers.

Parveen, who was five months pregnant at the time, also forced the girl to stand with her arms outstretched for four hours, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, escaped from the house in Stoke Newington, north London, and police found her alone at a bus stop in Waltham Forest, east London, almost four hours later in the early hours of the morning.

Doctors identified 56 injuries when she was examined at hospital, Read More

Six months for boy who raped girl of 11 sparks outrage over 16-year-old thug's soft sentence for attack in McDonald's toilet

A teenage gang member who raped a girl of 11 in a McDonald’s toilet will serve only six months behind bars after an astonishing ruling by a judge yesterday.

The 16-year-old was one of several thugs who preyed on the ‘vulnerable and lonely’ victim over a number of months.

They subjected the girl to a series of horrific rapes before trying to intimidate her into staying silent.

But incredibly, he was locked up for just one year yesterday after the judge said the victim’s unwillingness to have sex ‘may not have been obvious’ to him and he deserved ‘very great credit’ for pleading guilty. Read More

Poor parenting blamed for surge of special needs cases as a FIFTH of pupils now recorded as affected

Poor parenting and weak teaching are driving a rise in the number of children labelled as having special needs, it was claimed yesterday.

Many diagnosed as having behavioural problems have simply been brought up with ‘very few books, very poor diet and very late bedtimes’, experts said.

It was also claimed that schools were labelling pupils as having special needs to explain head teachers’ failures to meet performance targets.

Official figures show that almost 1.7million children aged four to 16 in England – 21 per cent – were recorded as having special educational needs in 2011, up from 19 per cent in 2006.

There are 57 primary schools and 42 secondaries where at least half of pupils are classed as having special needs.

Figures also show that youngsters from poor homes are significantly more likely to be put on special needs registers than their middle-class peers.

Liverpool has twice as many pupils classed as having special needs as affluent Richmond-upon-Thames, it emerged yesterday. Read More

Cameron faces Coalition civil war

David Cameron is struggling to contain civil war in the Coalition following a painful setback in local elections for both Government parties.

Last night the Prime Minister was warned to rein in ‘wind turbine Toryism’ as senior Conservative MPs prepared to publish an alternative programme for Government, demanding more radical tax and spending policies.

Seeking to draw a line under the Government’s most turbulent period, Mr Cameron admitted the polls took place against a ‘difficult national backdrop’ but insisted ministers were doing the ‘right thing for our country’.

However he faces an immediate challenge from senior figures on the Right of his party who want him to stand up to the Liberal Democrats.

They plan to unveil an alternative Queen’s Speech within days, setting out 20 Bills they argue would kickstart the faltering economy and boost Conservative support. Read More

House prices plummet by £130 a day and 100 people go bust a day

The average home now costs £159,883, down 2.4% from £163,796 in March, according to the Halifax Price Index.

HOUSE prices plunged by £130 a day last month, new figures revealed.

The average home now costs £159,883, down 2.4% from £163,796 in March, according to the Halifax Price Index.

The figure is a UK average which does not take into account regional fluctuations.

Halifax economist Martin Ellis said it is likely house prices soared earlier in the year because first time buyers took advantage of a stamp duty holiday, which ended in late March.

He added: “This has probably contributed to the volatility in house prices in the last few months.”

The Insolvency Service said 9,132 people went bankrupt between January and March – up from 8,658 the previous quarter.

Joanna Elson, of Money Advice Trust, said 10 million people face a debt crisis. Read More

Shock US jobs update hits shares as Europe sinks again

Poor figures hint at slowdown in America's recovery as elections loom in France and Greece.

Stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic saw heavy sell-offs yesterday in the wake of new figures that pointed to a faltering US recovery and the eurozone sinking still deeper into recession.

The US Labor Department reported that 115,000 new non-farm jobs were created in April, well below the 170,000 that analysts had been expecting.

This came hours after a regular snapshot of the manufacturing and services sectors across the single currency area showed the fastest decline in activity since last October, with deep contractions in the two most vulnerable nations, Italy and Spain.

The FTSE 100 shed 1.9 per cent in response to the set of bad news, while equity indexes in France and Germany were down 1.9 per cent and 1.99 per cent respectively. Wall Street fell by 1.2 per cent in morning trading. Read More

US drone 'kills Nine Suspected Militants' in Pakistan

A US drone strike has killed at least nine suspected militants in the volatile tribal areas of north-west Pakistan, say Pakistani officials.

The drone fired missiles at a suspected militant compound in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, officials said.

Drones often target Pakistan's tribal areas, thought to be the hub of Taliban cross-border insurgent activity.

Pakistan has previously complained that such attacks violate its sovereignty.

Security officials in North Waziristan told the AFP news agency that that the compound, which militants were using as a training centre, was completely destroyed. Read More

Overnight curfew imposed after Egypt clashes

Egypt's ruling military council imposed an overnight curfew in the area around the defence ministry in Cairo after one soldier was reported killed and hundreds wounded in clashes there.

Soldiers used water cannons and tear gas against protesters on Friday.

Dozens of people were arrested. Protesters later dispersed and some joined a protest in Tahrir Square.

On Wednesday, unidentified assailants attacked protesters outside the ministry, leaving at least 20 dead.

The protesters, who were demonstrating against the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), accused the government of orchestrating the attack.

The curfew was in force from 23:00 to 07:00 (21:00 to 05:00 GMT) Read More