Army reports grim milestone in troop suicides: Highest ever

Army suicides hit a new single-month record in July, when 38 active-duty and reserve soldiers took their own lives, according to official figures released Thursday.

The toll, up from 24 in June, prompted a wave of renewed anger and frustration among Pentagon leaders and veterans advocates.

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“I was pretty shocked when I saw the number,” said Tom Tarantino, legislative director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “This has been a continuous problem. This really stems from the military, and the [Department of Veterans Affairs], for that matter, basically the entire military and veteran community, really coming to this issue several years late.”

“It really wasn’t until 2007-2008, really 2009, that they started thinking about it at the level they need to be thinking about it,” he said. more

Jellyfish scare spreads along the coast, South Korea

Holidaymakers and fishermen are worried about giant toxic jellyfish showing up in Korea’s coastal areas in record numbers this summer.

A girl was killed earlier this month and more than 500 people have been stung by jellyfish in the seas around Busan this season. The southern resort island of Jeju saw more than 130 people stung.

Although there have been reports in China and Southeast Asia of deaths caused by poisonous jellyfish, Korea was considered relatively safe from them.

However, the scare is spreading following the recent surge in accidents, including the first death associated with jellyfish.

“The number of jellyfish species that can be found in Korea is 124, and among them 100 are poisonous. Thus Korea is no longer a safe zone. Furthermore, the most frequently seen are Nomura’s jellyfish and moon jellyfish,” said Yoon Won-duk, a researcher at National Fisheries Research and Development Institute.

According to Yoon, the one that killed the girl is most likely Nomura’s jellyfish. Read More

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake THE NETHERLANDS - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has struck THE NETHERLANDS at a depth of 8 km (5 miles), the quake hit at 20:30:32 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 6 km (3.7 miles) Northwest of De marne, Netherlands
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Volcano Erupts, Spewing Gas Over Kuril Islands

A volcano erupted on one of Russia's far eastern Kuril Islands, releasing a cloud of noxious fumes and raising temperatures in the surrounding area.

Emergency officials said in a statement on their website that the volcano, called Ivan the Terrible and located on the sparsely populated island of Iturup to the south of the Kuril archipelago, erupted Wednesday due to increased water flows rushing into the volcano after heavy downpours.

Officials stressed that the volcano had released no lava and that it erupts regularly, adding that the last major eruption was in 1989.

According to the statement, Iturup residents were exposed to a slight smell of hydrogen peroxide and noticed ash falling as a result of the eruption. By Thursday, the hydrogen peroxide fumes and ash were no longer noticeable.

Emergency officials advised citizens to steer clear of Ivan the Terrible and said they were monitoring the volcano's activity. Read More

Radioactive Water leak found at Fukushima Nuclear-plant

Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Tuesday morning discovered possibly highly radioactive water on the first floor of the No. 4 reactor turbine building at its disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The company believes the water leaked from a pipe that is transferring highly radioactive water from the basement of the No. 3 reactor's turbine building.

A TEPCO worker found the water on the floor of a power control room in the No. 4 reactor turbine building at 11:15 a.m. The company confirmed that the leak had stopped by about 1 p.m. after the radioactive water transfer was suspended at 12:20 p.m.

According to TEPCO, a puddle of water about one centimeter deep had collected on the floor of the 350-square-meter power control room. There was no water leak outside the room, the company added.

The water is estimated to contain tens of thousands of becquerels of radioactive cesium per cubic centimeter, according to the firm. Source

VIETNAM: Farmers brace for bird flu

HANOI, 16 August 2012 (IRIN) - Farmers in north and central Vietnam are bracing for a new wave of bird flu outbreaks as local authorities are urged to take precautions against the disease.

In the past two weeks, local news reported around 67,000 poultry infected with the H5N1 virus in the northern city of Hai Phong, and 17,000 in Ha Tinh Province in the centre of the country. This follows six outbreaks in late July in the north that led to almost 30,000 birds being culled, according to figures reported to the Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Farmers are afraid of financial loss. “I am very worried about bird flu outbreaks because my chickens and ducks weigh two kilograms each now. It is nearly time to sell them, so if bird flu appears, I will lose them,” Vu Van Chuc, 42, told IRIN. She has 100 ducks and chickens on her farm in Hai Duong Province in the north.

Chuc said she used to have 2,000 chickens but stopped investing in large numbers of birds after suffering a big loss in 2008 because of bird flu.

“How can I make that money in the countryside? It’s not easy now. I want to raise more [chickens] but I am afraid of bird flu. If there is a bird flu outbreak, I will go bankrupt.” Read More

Severed head, foot found in Mississauga river: Canada

Peel Regional Police have found a severed head in the Credit River area in Mississauga, Ont., one day after a human foot with painted toenails was found in the vicinity.

Investigators found the head late Thursday morning about a kilometre north of the spot at Hewick Meadows Park where the foot was discovered, said acting Insp. Randy Cowan at a news conference.

Cowan said he couldn't specify exactly where the head was found "because we're still there."

He could not confirm if the foot and head belonged to the same person.

The head does not appear to be that of a child based on a preliminary examination, he said.

"Without a cause of death we can't call it homicide, but certainly foul play — there's definitely something amiss," said Cowan. more

Tia Sharp: Cause Of Death Still A Mystery

The full post-mortem examination on the body of Tia Sharp has failed to establish a formal cause of death.

More follows...

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake TAIWAN - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck TAIWAN at a depth of 22 km (13.6 miles), the quake hit at 17:41:01 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 11 km (6.8 miles) Northwest of Hualian, Taiwan
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHWESTERN IRAN - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck NORTHWESTERN IRAN at a depth of 40 km (24.8 miles), the quake hit at 17:14:17 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 12 km (7.4 miles) North of Ahar, Iran
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

40 Points That Prove That Barack Obama And Mitt Romney Are Essentially The Same Candidate

What a depressing choice the American people are being presented with this year. We are at a point in our history where we desperately need a change of direction in the White House, and we are guaranteed that we are not going to get it.

The Democrats are running the worst president in American history, and the Republicans are running a guy who is almost a carbon copy of him. The fact that about half the country is still supporting Barack Obama shows how incredibly stupid and corrupt the American people have become. No American should have ever cast a single vote for Barack Obama for any political office under any circumstances.

He should never have even been the assistant superintendent in charge of janitorial supplies, much less the president of the United States. The truth is that Barack Obama has done such a horrible job that he should immediately resign along with his entire cabinet. But instead of giving us a clear choice, the Republicans nominated the Republican that was running that was most similar to Barack Obama. In fact, I don’t think we have ever had two candidates for president that are so similar.

Yes, there are a few minor differences between them, but the truth is that we are heading into Obama’s second term no matter which one of them gets elected. The mainstream media makes it sound like Obama and Romney are bitter ideological rivals but that is a giant lie. Yeah, they are slinging lots of mud at each other, but they both play for the same team and the losers are going to be the American people.

Republicans are being told that they have “no choice” but to vote for Romney because otherwise they will get another four years of Obama.

This “lesser of two evils” theme comes out every four years. We are told that we “must” vote for a horrible candidate because the other guy is even worse.

Well, millions of Americans are getting sick of this routine. Perhaps that is why it is being projected that as many as 90 millionAmericans of voting age will not vote this year.

Yes, Barack Obama has been so horrible as president that it is hard to put it into words.

But Mitt Romney would be just like Barack Obama.

Those that are dreaming of a major change in direction if Romney is elected are going to be bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

• 1. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both supported TARP.
• 2. Mitt Romney supported Barack Obama’s “economic stimulus” packages.
• 3. Mitt Romney says that Barack Obama’s bailout of the auto industry was actually his idea.
• 4. Neither candidate supports immediately balancing the federal budget.
• 5. They both believe in big government and they both have a track record of being big spenders while in office.
• 6. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both fully support the Federal Reserve.
• 7. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both on record as saying that the president should not question the “independence” of the Federal Reserve. More

Militants attack Pakistan air force base believed to house nuclear weapons

ISLAMABAD: A group of terrorists on Thursday stormed a key Pakistan Air Force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons, triggering an intense gun battle with security forces that lasted over three hours.

The terrorists, some of whom were reportedly wearing military uniforms, sneaked into Kamra airbase at about 2am despite a state of high alert at the facility.

About 10 attackers breached at least three barriers and tried to target Saab-2000 surveillance aircraft, TV news channels quoted their sources as saying.

At least five to six attackers were gunned down by commandos by 5am, TV news channels reported. Read More

Syrian vice president said to defect: Al Arabiya statement

(Reuters) - Al-Arabiya TV broadcast a statement on Thursday said to be in the name of Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Shara in which he declared his defection from President Bashar al-Assad's administration.

In the statement, read by a man Al-Arabiya identified as a relative of the Sunni Muslim vice president, Shara called on the army to join "the revolution" against Assad's rule. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the statement. Source

Lonmin miners Fired on by the Police, several dead, South Africa

Aug. 16 - WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT – South African police open fire on striking miners armed with machetes and sticks at Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine, killing at least a dozen men in the deadliest episode of a week of union violence. The SAPA domestic news agency says one of its reporters counted 18 bodies after the shooting near a squatter camp close to the mine, which occurred when police laying out barricades of barbed wire were outflanked by some of an estimated 3,000 miners massed on a rocky outcrop near the mine, northwest of Johannesburg.

Govt: No Safe Passage Out Of UK For Assange

Foreign Secretary William Hague has insisted that the Government would not allow Julian Assange safe passage out of the UK.

Britain and Ecuador are locked in a diplomatic stand-off over the WikiLeaks founder after he was granted political asylum by the South American country.

Mr Hague has responded by saying the UK Government is "determined" to see Mr Assange extradited and that political asylum should not be used to escape the normal court process.

The Foreign Secretary told a news conference: "We will not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the UK, nor is there any legal basis for us to do so.

"The UK does not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum."

The situation could go on for a considerable time and there is no threat to storm the Ecuadorian embassy in London where Mr Assange is taking refuge, Mr Hague added. Read More

Politicians leaving their mic on

Peres says Israel can't go it alone in Iran, trusts Obama

(Reuters) - Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday came out against any go-it-alone Israeli attack on Iran, saying he trusted U.S. President Barack Obama's pledge to prevent Tehran from producing nuclear weapons.

"I am convinced this is an American interest. I am convinced (President Obama) recognises the American interest and he isn't saying this just to keep us happy. I have no doubt about it, after having had talks with him," Peres told Israel's Channel Two television.

"Now, it's clear to us that we can't do it alone. We can delay (Iran's nuclear programme). It's clear to us we have to proceed together with America. There are questions about coordination and timing, but as serious as the danger is, this time at least we are not alone."

The elder statesman's remarks appeared to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who have both raised the prospect of a unilateral Israeli attack against Iran.

An unidentified top Israeli official, widely believed to be Barak, said in an interview with the Haaretz newspaper on Friday that the Jewish state "cannot place the responsibility for its security and future even in the hands of its greatest ally", a reference to the United States. Read More

Pussy Riot judge gets Russian state protection

MOSCOW — Russia on Thursday put the Pussy Riot trial judge under protection ahead of the delivery of her verdict as ex-Beatle Paul McCartney joined the chorus of support for the jailed punk rockers.

A spokeswoman for the Khamovnichesky District Court said Thursday the judge Marina Syrova had been placed under state protection after receiving threats from the band's supporters.

"The threats have come from supporters of the band's members," court spokeswoman told AFP.
Syrova is presiding over the highly-publicised trial of the young female punk rockers, who face three years in prison for staging a protest stunt against President Vladimir Putin inside a landmark Moscow church.

Syrova will begin reading her verdict on Friday at 1100 GMT. Read More

Assad's feared brother lost leg in bomb attack - sources

(Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's feared brother Maher lost a leg in a bomb attack on the Syrian leader's security cabinet a month ago, sources said on Thursday, in a severe blow to one of the main military commanders fighting a 17-month-old insurgency.

The attack on a meeting of Assad's security chiefs in Damascus on July 18 killed four members of the president's inner circle, including his brother-in-law, and emboldened the rebels to take their fight to the capital for the first time.

Maher has not been seen in public since the bombing, while Assad himself has restricted appearances to recorded clips broadcast on television, leading to speculation about the effectiveness of the leadership as the rebellion grows. Read More

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA at a depth of 248 km (153.7 miles), the quake hit at 15:07:13 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 153 km (94.8 miles) Northeast of Los palos, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Brown And Drake Face $16m Bar Brawl Lawsuit

Singer Chris Brown and rapper Drake are being sued for $16m (£10.2m) over a bottle-throwing brawl in a Manhattan nightclub.

Owners of the Greenhouse club's trademark, Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, claim Brown and Drake are to blame for the clash at the venue which was "in circumvention of the venue's extensive security measures".

The lawsuit alleges the artists failed to stop the June 14 confrontation and says it damaged the chic Manhattan nightspot's name.

The owners of Greenhouse itself are not involved in the lawsuit and declined to comment.

No criminal charges have been made over the fight, which left Brown, NBA star Tony Parker and others injured. But Parker has filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Soho club for $20m (£12.8m). Read More

US Military Pilot Training Emphasizes Drone Warfare

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico — The U.S. military is rushing to train more pilots for remotely piloted aircraft as its reliance on drones grows in places such as Afghanistan and Yemen.

Holloman has long been the testing ground for cutting edge warplanes. These days, German training jets are the few manned aircraft to be seen here.

The skies at Holloman are now ruled by remotely-piloted aircraft, or RPA's, flown by crews that never leave the ground.

Their controls are mainly screens and joysticks. It is here that hundreds of young airmen and women are trained to conduct missions thousands of kilometers away in Afghanistan and Yemen. Read More

60 Dead in Democratic Republic of Congo Mine Collapse

Government officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say 60 miners have been killed in a mine collapse in a remote northeast jungle.

Authorities say the miners were digging for gold about 100 meters deep on Monday when the shaft collapsed. The site is located in Pangoyi in Orientale Province.

Local officials say the area is controlled by militia and that has been complicating rescue efforts.

Thousands of people in the impoverished country try to make a living doing small-scale mining. Safety procedures are virtually non existent in such non-industrial mines and accidents are common. Source

German chancellor Merkel touches down in Canada, business leaders in tow...While Europe falls apart

Team Canada, meet Team Germany.

As Chancellor Angela Merkel and Stephen Harper kicked off their two-day visit at the prime minister’s retreat Wednesday night, a major German warship-builder and a leading Canadian defence contractor were among 10 companies poised for talks of their own.

The chief executives of Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Canada’s CAE Inc., which manufactures defence simulators, are among the 10 that will attend a Parliament Hill business luncheon Thursday with Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Harper. Read More

Tony Nicklinson loses right-to-die High Court bid

Locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson has lost his High Court battle for the right to end his life with medical help.

A 47-year-old man with the same syndrome, who cannot be named for legal reasons and was referred to as Martin, also lost his legal challenge over the ban on assisted dying.

Lord Justice Toulson, Mr Justice Royce and Mrs Justice Macur at the High Court said the facts of the cases were 'deeply moving and tragic' and acknowledged the 'terrible predicament' the men found themselves in.

But they concluded that the court could not depart from the long-established legal position that 'voluntary euthanasia is murder, however understandable the motives may be'. Read More

Louisiana shooting: Two Officers Killed

(Reuters) - Two sheriff's deputies were shot dead and two others wounded early on Thursday in LaPlace, Louisiana, a spokeswoman for the state police said.

The officers were providing security at an off-site parking lot used by contractors at the Valero Energy Corp St. Charles refinery.

State police spokeswoman Melissa Matey told CNN that two of the St. John the Baptist Parish deputies were working off-duty and the other two were on duty.

"They had an encounter, we're not sure they were ambushed," Matey said. "We are in the early stages of investigation."

Two suspects are in custody and a third is being sought, she said.

LaPlace is about 25 miles west of New Orleans. Valero said in a statement that refinery operations were not affected. Source

Ben Raftery Charged with the Murder of 2 year old Roxie Jo-Anne Archer

A man has been charged with the murder of a two-year-old girl who was reported to have fallen down stairs at her home.

Paramedics called to the house in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, discovered that Roxie Jo-Anne Archer had suffered a head injury.

She was taken to hospital in the early hours of March 10 but died the following day.

Her mother, Sophie, had gone on a surprise trip to New York with her father to celebrate her 21st birthday and was informed of the tragedy as they arrived in the US.

Ben Raftery, 20, from the Gorton area, has been charged with murder. He is due to appear at Tameside Magistrates' Court today," said a spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police.

In a statement issued by police shortly after her death, her family said: "Roxie was a beautiful and clever little girl who had a smile that warmed the hearts of everyone who knew her. Read More

South Africa Police Open Fire On Miners

South African police have opened fire on thousands of striking miners near Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine.

A Reuters cameraman said he saw at least seven bodies on the ground at the scene.

Lonmin is the world's third largest platinum producer.

The most recent shooting happened when police laying out barricades of barbed wire were outflanked by some of an estimated 3,000 miners gathered on a rocky outcrop near the mine, 60 miles (100km) northwest of Johannesburg.

Police officers said talks with leaders of the radical Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) had broken down, leaving no option but to disperse them by force.

"Today is unfortunately D-day," spokesman Dennis Adriao said. Read More

5.3 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake has struck the CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 14:14:30 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 971 km (603 miles) NNW of Georgetown, Saint Helena
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND at a depth of 10.1 km (6.3 miles), the quake hit at 13:24:47 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 1429 km (887 miles) Southeast of Easter Island, Chile
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck the CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 12:39:08 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 1128 km (700 miles) NNE of Acarau, Brazil
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck FIJI REGION at a depth of 343.7 km (213.6 miles), the quake hit at 12:21:55 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 354 km (219 miles) NNE of Ndoi Island, Fiji
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE - 16th August 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck the CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE at a depth of 10.1 km (6.3 miles), the quake hit at 12:08:21 UTC Thursday 16th August 2012
The epicenter was 1191 km (740 miles) NNE of Acarau, Brazil
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Afghan helicopter crash kills 11

Eleven people have been killed after a Black Hawk helicopter carrying foreign troops crashed in southern Afghanistan, the Nato-led coalition force says.

Seven American soldiers and four Afghans died in the crash, the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said.

The helicopter came down in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, the Afghan authorities said.

Isaf said it was investigating the cause of the crash.

Three of the Afghans killed were members of the security forces, while one was a civilian interpreter, Isaf said in its statement.

The Taliban said it carried out the attack but its claim could not be verified. Correspondents say the group is prone to exaggeration.

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in Afghanistan, where international forces depend heavily on air transport. Read More

WikiLeaks' Assange Granted Asylum By Ecuador

Ecuador has granted political asylum to Julian Assange in a move that will deepen a bitter diplomatic row with Britain.

The WikiLeaks founder has been hiding out in the country's embassy in London for the last 56 days in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sexual assault allegations.

He watched the announcement from inside the building and welcomed it as a "significant victory", although he warned embassy staff "things will get more stressful now".

A bitter diplomatic row erupted after Ecuador accused the UK Government of threatening to enter its embassy to arrest the Australian.

Despite the latest development, British officials have made clear they will still go ahead and attempt to secure Mr Assange's extradition. Read More

Israel suspects rocket fire caused explosions near Egypt border

(Reuters) - Two explosions shook a southern Israeli city near Egypt on Wednesday, and the military suspected a cross-border rocket attack though searches have thus far turned up no evidence.

The blasts took place in the town of Eilat after darkness fell. Tensions have been running high in neighboring Sinai where Egyptian troops have mounted a sweep after a deadly August 5 attack on a security post by militants who then stormed Israel's border.

There were no reported casualties in Wednesday's incident. "We suspect there was a possible rocket attack," a military spokeswoman said, though searches for explosive remains turned up no results. Searches were expected to resume at daybreak.

Islamist militants were suspected to be behind an increasing number of rocket attacks at Israel from Egypt.

The last such attack on June 16 also caused no casualties. Israel said it has since moved in an Iron Dome missile interceptor system to protect the region. Read More

Rebecca Weiss Missing: Police searching for woman who went missing while free diving ALONE at California resort now suspect foul play

The ocean search for a missing businesswoman who vanished while free-diving alone at a luxury resort has turned into a murder investigation.

Rebecca Weiss, 50, headed out in the morning but failed to return home by the agreed time of 5pm, according to her husband Alan Weiss.

Her brother says it's hard to believe something could have gone wrong.

'My sister is a strong swimmer, and she was wearing a wetsuit, according to my brother-in-law,' brother Bob Causey said.

'So it would have to be something out of the extraordinary for something to happen to her out there.'

Homicide detectives have interviewed Alan Weiss but say he is not considered a suspect.

The case was turned from a missing person investigation to a homicide case.

'There has to be somebody who must have seen,' said mother Vilma Causey.

'This is not an isolated place. This is a resort. There should have been people.'

Her clothes and other belongings were found near her BMW X5, which was parked at the Terennea resort on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, near Los Angeles, California.

Mr Weiss, who co-owns two grocery businesses with his wife, who is described as 5ft 5in tall and Asian, says he spent four hours looking for her.

He reported her missing at 11pm on Saturday and today she still remains officially missing. Read More

David Hang convicted of killing stepdaughter, 12, with sword to get out of sham marriage with her mother

A bus driver murdered his 12-year-old stepdaughter after becoming frustrated at not being able to get out of an arranged marriage with her mother.

David Hang, 43, was yesterday convicted of stabbing Jessica Nguyen more than 40 times with a machete at the family home in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in May last year.

He had married her Vietnamese mother, Kim Vu, so that she could get U.S. citizenship, the prosecution told Montgomery County Circuit Court.

But he met another woman and wanted to end his sham marriage, a request that Vu and her relatives refused.

State attorney John McCarthy said: 'The family would not let him out of the marriage as soon as he wanted. He let it be known he would get revenge.'

Hang took out his anger and frustration on Jessica, stabbing her 43 times with a small sword on May 31, 2011. Read More

Pregnant Polish migrant told British Muslim women wearing hijabs to 'go back to your own country'...In the UK

A pregnant Polish migrant launched a blistering racist verbal attack on two young Muslim women wearing hijab headscarves and told them to ‘go back to your own country’, a court heard.

Drunk Beata Jopek shouted at the two passengers on a Yorkshire train, screaming ‘no-one wants you here, you are f****** disgusting.’

The British women were left ‘fearing for their safety’ as Jopek, 30, told one of them: ‘Take that f****** thing off, a white person wouldn’t do what you are doing.’

Jopek then ripped the headscarf from one of the women and when restrained by a guard said: ‘If I lose the baby I’m going to kill the black b****.’

The drunken foul-mouthed tirade ended with Jopek and her partner Maciej Matysniak, 32, being arrested for what a judge called their ‘yobbish’ behaviour towards Hana Farah and Ithil Ibrahim.

Jopek narrowly escaped a prison sentence after both women said they would rather the foul-mouthed Poles, who have lived in England for some years, be made to recognise what they did was wrong rather than go to jail... Read More

Note: Jacqueline Woodhouse was Jailed for 21 weeks for Racist rant on the tube, so if your English you get Jailed, but it's ok if your a Migrant? in many ways Beata Jopek attack on these woman was worse, these poor woman were frightened and physically as well as verbally attacked.

Many reports have come out accusing courts of being too scared to prosecute in fear of being accused of racism and this restricts them from doing their jobs...Resulting in Criminals and the lowest forms of society back on to the streets to do as they please....

It's hard to disagree when you see the different punishments for similar crimes

Julian Assange will be extradited even if Ecuador grant him political asylum, says Foreign Office....What about extraditing some terrorists first?

The diplomatic row between the UK and Ecuador over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has deepened and looks set to turn into an international row.

The Foreign Office have said the Government would seek to extradite him even if he is granted political asylum by the South American nation.

The Ecuadorian authorities have accused the Government of threatening to raid its embassy in London to seize Mr Assange, who faces sexual assault charges in Sweden.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the UK had a legal duty to extradite Mr Assange and that would not change if he was granted political asylum. Read More

UN official: 2.5 million Syrians in need of humanitarian aid

United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said on Thursday as many as 2.5 million people were in need of aid in Syria, where President Bashar Assad's forces have been fighting rebels seeking his overthrow for 17 months.

Amos, speaking in Syria where she met Prime Minister Wael al-Halki and other officials this week, urged government forces and rebels to do more to protect civilians caught up in the violence.

"Over a million people have been uprooted and face destitution. Perhaps a million more have urgent humanitarian needs due to the widening impact of the crisis on the economy and people's livelihoods," she told reporters in Damascus.

"Back in March, we estimated that a million people were in need of help. Now as many as 2.5 million are in need of assistance and we are working to update our plans and funding requirements." Read More

Lebanon drawn into Syrian crisis with tit-for-tat kidnappings

BEIRUT — Enraged Lebanese clansmen attempting to win the release of a relative they say is being held by rebels in Syria kidnapped as many as 40 Syrians with alleged ties to the rebel Free Syrian Army on Wednesday. It is one of the clearest signs yet that the conflict in Syria is spilling over its borders and destabilizing its neighbors.

The abduction of the Syrian men and a Turkish national in Lebanon came just a day after an Internet video was circulated showing Hassan al-Meqdad, a Lebanese citizen, being interrogated by a Syrian rebel while three gunmen stand behind him. In the video, Meqdad says he is a sniper who was sent to Syria by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement as part of a group of 1,500 fighters with instructions to help the Assad government.

Hezbollah issued a statement Tuesday denying that Meqdad was a member. Meanwhile, Col. Malik Kurdi, a deputy commander of the Free Syrian Army, said he could not confirm whether Meqdad was being held by FSA fighters or members of another armed group in Syria. Read More