Dalit beaten to death for defying diktat

Ballia (UP), Jun 6 (PTI) A dalit youth was beaten to death allegedly by some villagers after he attended a wedding function, defying a diktat, police said here today. A group of villagers barged into the house of Dhirendra Kumar at Panchhua village late last night and attacked him.

When he resisted, they beat him to death, Deputy Superintendent of Police Deshraj Singh said. He said Dhirendra”s family was “socially boycotted” by the villagers some years back.

However, when he went to attend a marriage function last night, he was attacked in order to teach a lesson. Meanwhile, some persons have lodged a complaint alleging that the attack was in retaliation to the rape of a 15-year-old girl by Dhirendra and his two associates.

Six killed in Russia blast

Moscow, May 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti) At least six people were killed and more than 40 injured in a bomb blast that rattled Russia’s southern city Starvropol, officials said.

The toll in Wednesday’s terrorist attack reached six when a ten-year-old girl died in a hospital, a local official told RIA Novosti.

More than 40 people were injured in the blast, which took place outside the city’s House of Culture and Sport ahead of a Chechen band’s concert.

Stavropol Territory Governor Valery Gayevsky said the terrorist attack was aimed at shattering national unity.

A top regional investigator, Yekaterina Danilova, said the explosion was equivalent to 0.2 kg of TNT.

Stavropol is the largest region in the North Caucasus Federal District and hosts its administration, but has remained largely free of the violence in the neighbouring republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan.

Harassed by cops, sisters attempt suicide; one dead

Bhopal, May 27 (IANS) A 13-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh died while her elder sister was battling for life Thursday after the duo attempted suicide following harassment by two constables, who had allegedly clicked obscene photographs of one of them.

The incident took place in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district, about 350 km from here.

While the younger sibling died Wednesday, the elder one is being treated at a hospital in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, police said Thursday.

Two police constables, Kanhaiyalal and Arvind Patel, had allegedly caught the elder sister with her boyfriend May 21 in a deserted area. The cops snatched the mobile phone of the boyfriend and forced him to leave the place, an official said.

They then allegedly molested the girl and clicked some obscene photographs of hers from the mobile phone.

Next day, the girl filed a written complaint with Chhatarpur Additional Superintendent of Police Sushil Tiwari stating that the constables had clicked obscene photographs of hers and were harassing her.

‘On receipt of the complaint, I checked the cell phones of the constables but there was nothing objectionable,’ Tiwari told IANS.

‘However, the constables were suspended with immediate effect and a departmental enquiry was ordered against them,’ he added.

The sisters had told their neighbours that the constables had come to their house Wednesday and were harassing them, police said.

Superintendent of Police Prem Singh Bist said one of the constables accused of harassing the sisters suffered a heart attack on hearing that the girls attempted suicide.

Seven-year-old schoolgirl stumps Michelle Obama with immigration googly

London, May 21 (ANI): US First Lady, Michelle Obama was put in a spot when a seven-year-old girl asked whether her mother, an illegal immigrant would be deported by the Obama administration.

The incident occurred during a visit by the First Lady to the New Hampshire Estates Elementary School just outside Washington, when the little girl told the her that her mother believed “President Barack Obama was taking everybody away that doesn”t have papers”.

When Michelle Obama responded that “this was something we have to work on”, the girl replied: “But my mum doesn”t have papers.”

Michelle Obama replied: “We have to fix that. And everybody”s got to work together in Congress to make sure that that happens.”

The seemingly innocuous question has cast the spotlight on the Obama administration’s immigration policies

According to The Telegraph, Obama supports the idea of granting the country”s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico, a “path to citizenship”. (ANI)

8-yr-old grows new kidneys after old ones fail

London, May 18 (ANI): An 8-year-old girl demonstrated a miracle to doctors when she grew two new kidneys after her original kidneys failed.

Angel Burton was a victim of painful infections and innumerable scans ever since she was a little girl, but when she was to undergo an operation to create an artificial valve, the doctors were amazed to find that she had grown 2 new kidneys.

The new kidneys are fully functional – a sign that she is cured.

Around 1percent of people have an extra “duplex” kidney, but it is very rare for them to be fully formed.

“It’s a real miracle. It’s absolutely amazing that none of her scans picked the extra kidneys up.

“Now you would never know she had been ill at all.

“We’re just so grateful to have ­Angel back to her happy, healthy self,” The Daily Star quoted her mother, Claire Burton.

The child was diagnosed with bilateral reflux, which meant the valves to her bladder were not working properly and urine leaked into her kidneys, causing painful infections.

Angel had to have regular kidney scans.

“They told us her kidneys were permanently damaged,” said Claire.

“I remember Angel coming around and I told her what they’d found. She said: ‘God gave me the healthy kidneys and forgot to take the old ones away.”’’

Consultant Prasad Godbole, from Sheffield Children’s Hospital, who operated on Angel, said, “Duplex kidney rarely comes to light.

“I was surprised we had it in Angel because none of the previous X-rays had shown that. Her kidneys are working fine.” (ANI)

Brit girl, 8, lied to mum about rape, fearing ”she wouldn”t get any sweets”

London, May 14 (ANI): An eight-year-old girl in England, who was allegedly raped by two 10-year-old boys last October, has admitted in a court that she lied to her mother about the incident because she feared she would not get any sweets.

In the trial at the Old Bailey, the child confessed that all three kids had pulled down their own underwear.

She believed it was a “naughty” act, and had not wished to tell it to her mother.

The girl answered the questions of Linda Strudwick, who represented the older boy, via videolink connecting her to the court.

On October 29 last year, the girl she had been playing outside her house in Hayes, west London with the boys.

The court heard how the girl joined the older boys and then they all went into a block of flats, then a bin shed next to the flats, followed by a field nearby. It is there that the alleged rape took place.

Strudwick asked about the moment the youngsters exposed themselves to each other, in a form of “I”ll show you mine if you show me yours”, reports The Telegraph.

Referring to her client, she said: “He took his pants down… The younger boy took his pants down… and you took your knickers down?”

To each question, the girl replied “yeah”.

Strudwick said: “That was a little bit naughty, but nothing too terrible. You were all giggling at the time because it was naughty and it was silly.”

The girl smiled and said shyly: “Yeah.”

Strudwick said: “You knew that you had done something that was naughty? You didn”t want your mum to find out because if your mum found out, no sweeties.

“When your mum came up to you, your mum was not looking very pleased with you? You knew you were going to get into trouble?”

Again, each time the girl replied: “Yeah.”

Strudwick said: “You told her the boys had taken your knickers down because you didn”t want your mother to think that you had been naughty? Is that right?”

The girl replied: “Yeah.”

Justice Saunders asked: “What were you worried about with your mother?”

“No sweeties,” the girl replied.

“Because if you had been naughty you would get no sweeties? Had you been naughty?

“A tiny bit,” said the girl.

Justice Saunders then told the child she had done nothing wrong.

“I am a judge and I know when people have done anything wrong, you have done nothing wrong,” he said.

The boys, now aged 11 and 10, have denied two charges each of rape and two charges each of attempted rape of a child under 13.

The trial continues. (ANI)

Eight-year-old girl raped by 10-year-old boys

London, May 13 (IANS) An eight-year-old British girl tightly clutched a teddy bear as she told a court here about how she was lured and allegedly raped by two 10-year-old boys.

The girl said she was attacked after the boys took her to a field and a bin shed beside a block of flats.

Daily Express reported Thursday that the girl was given the toy to hold during an interview that was filmed and played at the Old Bailey court.

The boys deny the rape charge. They are among the youngest in Britain to be charged with rape.

The girl held an usher’s hand and was lifted into a chair. She was connected through a video link. The judge then gently asked her to take a juice bottle away from her mouth so he could hear her.

She then sat as her interviews were played to the jury.

The jury was told how the girl was playing with her younger sister near her home in October last year when the boys took her away.

The incident took place in Hayes, Middlesex.

The girl later told her mother she had been taken to some flats before being led to the field where she was allegedly raped, prosecutor Rosina Cottage said.

She later went to hospital complaining of stomach pains.

‘This case concerns rape by two boys still at primary school of a girl even younger. Together they took her to different locations near where they lived in order to find a sufficiently secluded spot to assault her,’ Cottage was quoted as saying.

The victim recalled how her scooter was thrown into a bush.

‘They said if I didn’t pull down my pants, they wouldn’t get my scooter from the bush,’ she said.

Clips featuring MJ kids surface on YouTube

New York, May 13 (ANI): Video clips of late singer Michael Jackson’s kids have surfaced on the web.

Until his death, the King of Pop had kept his children away from any sort of media attention.

However, now at least seven videos of Blanket and Paris have emerged on You Tube.

A source close to the Jackson family confirmed to E! that the clips are authentic.

One clips shows the youngest of the three, 8-year-old Blanket, dancing around with a friend flaunting his lightsaber skills.

Also, Jackson’s daughter Paris features in a couple of clips that were reportedly recorded from an iChat conversation via a Webcam.

The 12-year-old girl is seen saying, “Monkey, please help?,” reports the New York Daily News.

In another clip she is lip-synching and dancing to a rap song reportedly made by Jackson family friend Omer Bhatti. (ANI)

Two killed in Kerala mishap

Thiruvanthapuram, May 11 (ANI): A woman and a girl were killed when a truck lost control and rammed into a house at North Paravur on the National Highway 17 during the wee hours of this morning.

According to the sources, the mishap took place when the 47 year old woman and the nine year old girl were sleeping inside the house.

Police said the house was completely destroyed in the accident. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu girl sketches 306-meter-long drawing

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), May 8 (ANI): In an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, a fourteen- year-old girl, Bala Soundarya Lakshmi, hailing from Tamil Nadu”s Coimbatore city claims to have made a 306-meter-long drawing.

Lakshmi chose to draw continuously to enter the ”Longest Drawing by an Individual” category in the Guinness Book of World records.

Lakshmi started drawing on chart papers measuring 328 feet each, and completed her drawing in 57 hours and 45 minutes. Almost 5,000 fishes of 150 varieties had been drawn.

She used more than a hundred boxes of colour pencils, crayons and sketch pens to make the 306-meter-long drawing.
She said that she was very happy to have completed her childhood dream.

“From my childhood, I had an intention to go to drawing classes, so I went to private academy so that I could learn some drawing. I wanted to got to the Guinness World Record, so that I could achieve something in life,” said Lakshmi, at an event organized to felicitate her.

Lakshmi chose the theme of underwater ecology to highlight its importance.

“I am really proud of her. She has achieved Guinness record of having drawn 306 meters drawing in three days using crayons, oil pastels and sketch pens. We selected the theme of underwater ecology to highlight the importance of underwater ecology,” said Shiv Kumar, Lakshmi”s father.

Lakshmi”s family is compiling all documents and forwarding it to Guinness, so that she becomes a certified record-holder. (ANI)

Scarlett Johansson left stunned by Broadway stage invader

London, May 7 (ANI): Actress Scarlett Johansson was left stunned when during a recent performance of Broadway’s ‘A View From The Bridge’, a crazed fan tried to invade the stage.

Johansson, 25, who made her Broadway debut in the Arthur Miller play in January, was playing a 17-year-old girl in 1950s New York with Liev Schreiber as her uncle.

She admits that she was shocked when the crazed fan rushed through security and tried to invade the stage pretending to be her pal.

“People do weird things. We were in the middle of the second scene of the first act and we’re introducing the characters and I saw in the corner of my eye something shiny falling through the audience and I thought it was maybe a light or something,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

“It turns out it was some derelict with a blue guitar running to the stage and turns out he said he was a friend of mine,” she said.

Johansson refused to let the fuss affect her performance and continued with the show – and she’s proud she reacted like an old theatre professional.

“I think half the audience didn’t even realised it happened. The show went on,” she added. (ANI)

Commissioner urges inquiry into child prostitute ‘disaster’

The Tasmanian Government is being urged to immediately commission an independent inquiry into a child prostitution case.

The Children’s Commissioner has described the case of a 12-year-old girl sold for sex as a “disaster’.

At the time she was under a care and protection order, making her a ward of the state.

The Premier, David Bartlett, says he will consider an independent investigation.

A 51-year-old Hobart man was jailed for 10 years jail for acting as a pimp for the girl, when she had sex with more than 100 men.

Mr Bartlett told parliament yesterday that an internal review was underway.

“It is not good enough. The review has already indicated a number of systemic issues with regards to case management and collaborative practice which the Department of Health and Human Services will need to respond to,” he said.

“It would be premature of me to request an independent review before considering the outcome of the internal departmental review. I certainly don’t rule it out.”

Tasmania’s Children’s Commissioner Paul Mason says there is no reason for the delay.

“An internal review can only ever be internal and it cannot satisfy really the Tasmanian people that they are being told what they need to know about what led to this disaster and whether it could have been prevented,” he said.

The Liberal Party has tabled a motion requesting the Government establish and fund the inquiry

Trains collide in north Melbourne

Five people have been taken to hospital after two trains collided near Craigiburn Railway Station in Melbourne’s outer-north on Tuesday night.

It is believed the 7:49pm service from Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station ran into the back of a Pacific National train about 8:40pm AEST.

Those taken to hospital include a 15-year-old girl.

Susanna Wilson, of Ambulance Victoria, says at least three people suffered serious injuries.

“There’s also … a number of what you could call walking wounded – another 10 or so people being assessed by advanced life support paramedics at the scene,” she said.

Kevin O’Callahan, of the State Emergency Service, says crews were quickly on scene.

“Our chaps have said that things are pretty controlled down there,” he said.

“The police ambulance and fire were on scene very quickly because it’s not that far out of the Craigieburn area – probably about two-and-a-half kilometres.

“The trains at that time of night, there’s not a lot of people on it, but there were some people injured.”

Malaysian man jailed for having threesome with minor

Kuala Lumpur, May 4 (ANI): A Malaysian man has been sentenced to seven months jail for involving a girl under the age of 16 in a threesome with him and his fiancee.

Kwek Yui Lam, 22, admitted to two counts of having sex with the 14-year-old girl last December, and had a third similar charge taken into consideration, reports the Star Online.

The victim’s mother had rented the flat for her to live in since October as the girl could not get along with her mother’s new family, and Kwek and his fiancee moved in from December 1.

According to Assistant Public Prosecutor Olivine Lin, one night, Kwek asked the victim if she wanted to play “3P”, slang for threesome, and the victim agreed.

Kwek had sex with his fiancee, followed by the victim, and then with the fiancee again.

But after the incident, the fiancee told him not to have sex with the girl again as she regretted “sharing” him with someone else.

But Kwek had sex with the victim when they were alone at home on December 24.

He could have been jailed for up to five years and fined up to RM24,000 on each charge. (ANI)

Polanski’s lawyer orders Swiss authorities to release the director

London, April 26 (ANI): Film director Roman Polanski’s lawyer has ordered the Swiss authorities to release the embattled director from house arrest in the country.

Polanski, 76, has been confined to his Swiss estate since December (09) following his September (09) arrest in Zurich stemming from a three-decade old sex crime in America.

And the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office wants Polanski to return to California to be sentenced for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl at a party in 1977.

L.A. officials on April 22 ruled that Polanski cannot be sentenced in absentia, but his lawyer Herve Temime is now insisting Swiss officials release the Oscar winner from house arrest immediately.

“It is up to the Swiss authorities to tell the truth and give back Roman Polanski his freedom once and for all, regardless of the roar and unbearable pressure of an ill-informed public,” the Daily Star quoted him as saying.

In February (10), Swiss authorities stated they would not make a decision on the extradition of Polanski to the U.S. until all avenues of appeal are exhausted. (ANI)

Tiny tot, grandma saved 123 hours after deadly China quake

Qinghai (China), Apr.20 (ANI): Rescuers in China’s Sichuan province have pulled out two survivors from the rubble of last week’s devastating earthquake.

A four-year-old girl and her 68-year-old grandmother, who had been trapped for about 123 hours, were miraculously retrieved from rubble in a village in earthquake hit Yushu prefecture.

The girl, Tsering Palkyi, suffered only minor injuries and has returned to her family, according to rescuers.

Her grandma, Urgyen Tsemon, has been kept under medical observation for potential life-threatening injuries.

“They were determined to stay alive,” Ao Dingqiang, a 40-year-old rescuer from Guang”an of Sichuan, told the China Daily.

The latest miracle came as rescuers stretched their efforts from Gyegu to reach remote villages in the mountainous plateau terrain.

Both survivors are from Xinzhai village, about 20 km east of Gyegu town and 3 km from the main road.

An eight-man team was involved in the rescue operation.

They used a hydraulic jack to lift the collapsed mud-brick wall and roll it down a slope to make enough room for the trapped villagers to get free. (ANI)

Girl, 3, set to become world’s youngest tattoo artist!

London, April 17 (ANI): A three-year-old girl is set to become the world’s youngest tattoo artist, after her dad taught her how to use a permanent tattoo machine.

Ruby Dickinson has been receiving lessons from her dad Blane after she gets home from nursery, and he says that she is just weeks away from being good enough to ink her favourite design, a spider, on to his right leg.

“It’ll be a proud and very special moment for me and for her,” the Daily Star quoted Blane, who is a tattooist, as saying.

“She really loves it and I’m pleased I can teach her the skills,” he said.

Blane, 36, who runs tattoo studio Inkaholics Anonymous in Penmaenmawr, Conwy, is importing a miniature tattoo machine from the US specially designed for children’s hands.

“I’m under no illusions that she’ll do a Van Gogh – after all, she’s only three,” he said.

“But I’ve got 70percent of my body covered in tattoos already and it’ll only be the size of a 2p piece, so I’m not too worried she’ll make a mess,” he stated.

Ruby is due to take the record from Emilie Darrigade, from Canada, who tattooed part of a butterfly on to her dad’s arm when she was five.

“I’m not a pushy parent but she’s been in a tattooing environment since she was born. It’s a part of her life. She comes to the studio and she gives my customers advice,” Blane said.

“This will set her off on a fantastic career and a tattoo machine is a lot cheaper than university fees,” he added. (ANI)

Attempted murder accused face Lismore court

Three young people have been charged with trying to murder a man at a lookout on the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

Police say the group stabbed the 21-year-old six times before rolling him over an embankment at Cougal and driving off on Friday afternoon.

They say the victim staggered 3 kilometres to ask for help and was taken to a Brisbane hospital.

A 17-year-old girl, a 19-year-old woman and 20-year-old man were arrested yesterday.

They have faced Lismore Local Court on a number of charges, including wound with intent to murder.

Police investigate Townsville sexual assaults

North Queensland police have launched a public safety campaign after a string of sexual assaults in Townsville.

The operation – codenamed Lava – has been launched after three separate attacks on Townsville women.

The first happened last August when a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted on a bike path at Cranbrook Park.

A 19-year-old woman was also sexually assaulted in February while jogging near Vickers Bridge, and a 14-year-old-girl was assaulted while exercising at the Strand about three weeks ago.

All three women described their attackers as being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander appearance and aged between 17 and 20.

Northern region police are urging people to consider exercising with a friend or in a group.

A personal safety campaign has also been launched encouraging people to remain alert.

3 charged over lookout stabbing

Three young people have been charged with trying to murder a man at a lookout on the border of New South Wales and Queensland.

Police say the group stabbed the 21-year-old six times before rolling him over an embankment at Cougal and driving off on Friday afternoon.

They say the victim staggered three kilometres to ask for help. He was then taken to a Brisbane hospital.

A 17-year-old girl, a 19-year-old woman and 20-year-old man were arrested yesterday.

They have been kept in custody overnight to face court in Lismore today on a number of charges, including wounding with intent to murder.