Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by starmace

Warning over teacher sex messages in Lancashire

starmace — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:31:58 +0800

A mother from Lancashire is warning parents to be vigilant after a teacher sent sexual messages to her daughter.

Ian Goy, of Thornton Cleveleys, sent messages to his young victim via MSN messenger, Preston Crown Court heard.

Goy, of Lockerbie Avenue, was jailed after being convicted of inciting an under-age girl to engage in sexual activity, while in a position of trust.

He had denied the charge. The victim's mother said: "Be aware of the online dangers that children face."

The defendant, who was jailed for 26 weeks, was arrested in June 2008 after his victim's mother became aware of some of the messages he was sending to her daughter, then 15.

He has also been disqualified from working with children for life.

'Overwhelming' evidence

After the sentencing, the victim's mother said: "This has been a terrible thing for us to have to go through but it has brought us closer together.

"My daughter has grown in confidence since the case came to court as she knows that she can speak out and be listened to. The whole thing has been dealt with sensitively by all those involved.

"I am so glad that I found the messages - if I didn't who knows what could have happened.

"I want parents to be aware of the online dangers that their children face.

"If you don't know anything about computers then you should learn, because your children could be at risk of harm from people contacting them online."

Det Con Jackie Wenn said: "By pleading 'not guilty' Goy forced his victim and her family to relive their ordeal.

"Quite rightly the jury found him guilty, on what the judge said was an overwhelming amount of evidence.

"Goy was in a position of trust as a teacher and he abused that position."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...ire/8587260.stm

Dutch coffee shop fined 10m euros for breaking dru

starmace — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:31:02 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8587576.stm

A Dutch court has fined the owner of the Netherlands' biggest cannabis-selling coffee shop 10m euros (£9m, $13.3m) for breaking drugs laws.

Owner Meddie Willemsen, who was tried along with 15 staff of the Checkpoint coffee shop in Terneuzen, was also sentenced to a 16-week prison term.

He was convicted for keeping more than the maximum tolerated amount of 500g (18oz) of drugs at the cafe.

Checkpoint served up to 3,000 people a day before being closed last year.

On a couple of occasions, police found 200kg (440lb) of cannabis when they raided the coffee house.

Willemsen was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, but was released as he had already spent the time in jail ahead of the trial.

He and his staff were convicted of breaking drugs laws, exporting drugs and membership of a criminal organisation.

The 10m euro fine was lower than the 28m euro fine prosecutors had asked for because of the "role of the authorities" in allowing Checkpoint to grow unchecked.

"Checkpoint could not have expanded as much as it did without collaboration from the municipality of Terneuzen," a court statement said.

The town, close to the Belgian border, put up road signs showing the way to the Checkpoint and built a car park near it to reduce traffic congestion in town.

Though technically illegal, the Netherlands decriminalised the consumption and possession of under 5g (0.18oz) of cannabis in 1976 under an official "tolerance" policy.

Teacher cleared of having sex with special needs p

starmace — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:28:41 +0800

A teacher cleared of having sex with a pupil at a Cheshire special school said she knew she was exposing herself to the risk of a false accusation.

Teresa McKenzie, 39, of Meifod, near Welshpool, Powys, said she had been dealing with a "deeply disturbed and suicidal teenager" who demanded care.

She had faced seven charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

But a jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict after less than an hour.

Mrs McKenzie was accused of having a 14-month affair with the boy from London, starting when he was 16.

Mrs McKenzie, a married mother-of-two, formerly of Tarporley, Cheshire, was in tears as the jury at Chester Crown Court returned its verdicts.

In a statement after the hearing, she said: "I am extremely grateful to the jury for seeing the truth of the situation I was in.

"I was dealing with a deeply disturbed and suicidal teenager who demanded exceptional care and support, I gave him the attention he deserved in his desperate predicament.

"I knew that I was exposing myself to the risk of false accusation. I persevered because I was able to distract him from taking his own life.

'Horrified'

"This case demonstrates the risk that dedicated and committed teachers are prepared to take every day."

During the trial, the court heard how the boy had become infatuated with Mrs McKenzie and would follow her around "like a lost dog".

She joined the special school in February 2006 and became his "key worker".

The court heard how the boy had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotionally disturbed behaviour and oppositional defiant disorder.

It was alleged she had sex with the boy four times in the toilets of the British Library.

She was accused of also having sex with the boy in her car at Runcorn train station, at his home and in a London hotel.

The court also heard how she was accused of sending him love notes.

During his cross-examination, the boy spoke of his "love" for his teacher and how they had become "an item".

But Mrs McKenzie told the trial she was "horrified" and "speechless" when she heard of the allegations.

She said that she had been in very close contact with the boy's mother about his problems and development at the school and that they had a good relationship.

Mrs McKenzie had told the jury she had never behaved in an inappropriate manner with the boy and was always dressed conservatively.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/8587655.stm

Woman attacks molester with knife

starmace — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:26:06 +0800

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...5218&sec=nation

Woman attacks molester with knife

A MAN who molested a woman got more than he bargained for when the woman attacked him with a knife, reported Harian Metro.

The woman, in her 20s, was earlier molested by the man at a unit in the people’s housing project in Desa Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur.

The incident happened while the woman was at her friend’s house alone around midnight on Wednesday.

Her friend had gone out to buy some food when the man, believed to be someone close to her friend, came over.

According to sources, they chatted for a while before the man started making advances towards the woman.

When she ignored him, he hugged and groped her private part.

She slapped him and that angered the man who pushed her down, stomped on her stomach and kicked her repeatedly.

She managed to get up and run to the kitchen where she grabbed a knife and attacked the man who fled.

The daily also highlighted the case of a woman who asked her husband for a divorce after being advised by a bomoh in Johor Baru.

Her husband, Zulkifli Abu Hassan, 38, claimed his wife was duped by the bomoh known as “Pak Ungku” into believing that her luck would change for the better if she became a divorcee.

The woman had also left her house, taking along four of her six children and living on her own in a house rented by the bomoh.

The bomoh also provided her with RM1,000 pocket money.

Zulkifli lodged two police reports last month, urging the police to investigate as his wife was being used by the bomoh in rituals to get four-digit numbers.

Patient privacy at heart of hospital redesign

starmace — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:17:24 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8582161.stm

Hospital gowns, bed bays, chairs and washrooms have been given a makeover to prevent patients being exposed and embarrassed.

The initiative, led by the Department of Health and the Design Council, aims to transform a stay in hospital, making it a more modest experience.

The Design for Patient Dignity programme has brought together seven teams of leading UK designers and manufacturers to help solve privacy and dignity issues for patients.

One of these designers is top fashion guru Ben de Lisi. While he is better known for his red carpet dresses, Mr de Lisi took on the challenge to make the backless hospital gown more respectable.

He said: "This is something that affects us all - we all have been in hospital in that horrible situation with your gown opening up at the back.

"It was about well-being, not just about glamour. I wanted to make a difference."

Poppers for access

As well as the patient experience, Mr de Lisi also focused on practicalities, allowing for doctors and nurses to carry out their work.

He said: "Whether it is an actress on the red carpet that gown has to work for the occasion. It has to have the same philosophy, it has to be hard-working, effortless and timeless."

The gown is shaped like a large, long T-shirt. Rather than being tied at the back, like the old one, it is fastened at both sides using plastic poppers to allow drips, drains and fast access. Extra panels can be added at the sides to accommodate larger bodies.

Soon to be available

Health Minister Ann Keen welcomed the design: "As a nurse, I have spent years being embarrassed by asking people to wear revealing patient gowns and I know patients will feel far more confident with the new design."

Debbie Hutchinson, head of nursing for gynaecology at King's College Hospital, London, added: "We are an all-female ward and privacy is particularly important - we do transport patients around the hospital and they can feel quite vulnerable, so I think this a great improvement."

The gowns will be available for hospitals to buy from early next year, at the same cost as the old ones.

A number of other designs to protect modesty were also revealed at the launch. These included:

• BedPod - a bed module that can be installed in a day due to its modular design. It has its own curved ceiling to absorb noise, so people in adjacent beds are unable to hear private conversations. Patients have their own curtains that they can open and close electronically.

• Capsule washroom - a loo, washbasin, and shower all contained in a pod that can be plumbed into existing water and waste pipes over the weekend. It is the same size as a bed bay, so can be put up on any ward to increase the number of washing facilities.

• Reclining day chair - a unique hybrid between a wheelchair and a bed which reclines at a 110 degree angle, the position for maximum comfort. Can be used for day case surgery patients or those on dialysis.

David Kester, chief executive of the Design Council, said: "Here it is a win, win, win situation, for the patients, for the NHS as a whole, for the taxpayer because this is making savings to the system, but also for British business.

"At a time when the economy needs it most, here British designers and British manufacturers have been brought together and that is creating revenues and jobs for Britain."

Man sees red over gender blunder

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:06:50 +0800

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...1424&sec=nation

JOHOR BARU: A lorry driver who waited patiently after applying for a new passport was shocked to see his gender listed as “female” when he received the document.

And that was not the end of the matter for R. Ganes. When he asked the Johor Immigration Department for a new passport, all they did was paste an amendment on the second page of the document.

With the main page still listing his gender as “female”, Ganes has had to put up with jibes from friends and even Singapore immigration officials.

Ganes, 33, said he felt humiliated by the blunder.“Even my employer could not help laughing,’’ he said.

He said that he went to the department’s office at Wisma Persekutuan to renew his passport on March 18.

“I arrived at about 7am and had to wait in a long queue outside the office,” he said, adding that he only managed to submit his documents after six hours.

“They told me to collect my passport at 4.30pm, but when I returned, it was still not ready and I had to come back the next day,” he said, adding that he had to take emergency leave for the second trip.

“When I got the passport the next day, I was shocked to see my gender listed as female and immediately notified the officer. But they just made an amendment on my passport,” he said.

Yesterday, Ganes and his lorry driver friend S. Karunakaran went to the state MIC headquarters to complain about the bad treatment they received at the department.

Karunakaran, 46, said that an immigration officer was also rude to him when he applied for a passport for his four year-old son on March 18.

“When I asked the officer about the long wait, he replied that if I wanted to be in front, I should have came at 4am. When I said that it was not possible to come at that time with a child, the officer threatened to call the police,” he said.

Kahang assemblyman R. Vidyanathan, who handled their complaints, said the department should find a way to ease crowd congestion at its counters.

“More officers should be deployed,” he said, adding that the rude behaviour of certain officers gave the department a bad name.

State Immigration Department director Nasri Ishak, when contacted, said that he would investigate the complaints. He said the department handled about 500 passport applications daily and up to 700 during peak periods.

Youth held for having sex with 13-year-old

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:29:15 +0800

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...1345&sec=nation

Youth held for having sex with 13-year-old

KUCHING: A 19-year-old unemployed youth who allegedly raped his underaged girlfriend at a cemetery in Semariang has been remanded for seven days.

Magistrate Brian Bryan Mason yesterday approved the police’s application to remand the youth until March 29 to help investigations.

The youth and the 13-year-old victim, both from Semariang, were said to have engaged in sexual misconduct in the cemetery.

It was learnt that they had been meeting there for sex for quite some time until the girl’s mother lodged a police report on March 19.

The youth was arrested on Sunday.

Ka Ting: I will not use Chua’s sex CD in polls

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:00:17 +0800

http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/m...ex-cd-in-polls-

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, who created headlines last week when he announced his intention to vie for the party presidency, has promised not to use Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s sex scandal as a part of his campaign for the polls this March 28.

Ka Ting, who is also up against incumbent Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat in the presidential race, expressed disgust at the idea and gave his assurance that he would not launch personal attacks against either of his contenders. “I will not go on personal attacks, I will campaign according to my election manifesto,” he said.

He however added that he would duly rebut any bid by his contenders to launch personal attacks against him. “Of course, if people start anything against me, I would have to react to clear the air,” he said.

Ka Ting, who has been accused by certain quarters of being the mastermind behind Dr Chua’s sex scandal, promised he would not use the scandal as means to gain support for himself.

Between all three candidates for the post of president, support for Ka Ting and Dr Chua is believed to be a close tie. “No, no, I will definitely not (use the sex CD). And if anyone were to use it, I would disagree also,” he said, adding that he would also like to urge both Tee Keat and Dr Chua to employ clean campaign tactics over the week...

India's unbearable lightness of being

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:58:25 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm

It is being called "Snow White syndrome" in India, a market where sales of whitening creams are far outstripping those of Coca Cola and tea.

India also has the world's second most lucrative marriage industry - the first being neighbouring China - that has grown to a whopping $40bn a year spent on weddings, dowries jewellery etc.

And demand for fair-complexioned brides and grooms to grace these occasions is as high as ever

Fuelling this demand is the country's 75-odd reality shows where being fair, lovely and handsome means instant stardom.

As a result, the Indian whitening cream market is expanding at the rate of nearly 18% a year. The country's largest research agency, AC Nielson, estimates that figure will rise to about 25% this year - and the market to be worth an estimated $432m, an all-time high.

With the Indian middle class expected to increase 10-fold to 583 million people by 2025, it looks as if things will only get better.

But there have been questions by medical experts about the effect of these creams on the skin.

Brand ambassador

The implicit assumption by many is this: the whiter the skin, the more attractive you are.

John Abraham, a top Indian actor and model, says that "Indian men want to look better".

And he should know. The market is booming like never before. Launched way back in 1978, Hindustan Unilever's Fair & Lovely is the leader in women's lightening skincare while Calcutta's Emami group leads the male equivalent with its brand, Fair And Handsome.

The company calls this brand - launched in 2005 - the world's number one fairness cream.

It achieved sales of $13m in 2008-9 and has Shahrukh Khan, another Bollywood superstar, as its brand ambassador.

And then there are female stars endorsing similar products. Katrina Kaif, naturally fair, sells Olay's Natural White while Deepika Padukone sells Neutrogena's Fine Fairness range.

Sonam Kapoor sells L'Oreal's White Perfect while Preity Zinta, once a top star, endorsed Fem's Herbal Bleach.

And there are many brands on the shelves to choose from: lightening, brightening, clearing, whitening, anti-pigmentation, freshening, anti-dullness and even illuminating.

"India is on a fairness hook, everyone wants to look fair," says Mohan Goenka, director of the Calcutta-based Emami group whose Fair and Handsome brand (for men) - the first of its kind in the market - fights for shelf space with Hindustan Unilever's Fair and Lovely (for women).

A recent study by Hindustan Unilever showed how men in southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are fervent purchasers of whitening creams.

For example, Tamil Nadu has been recording - for the last year - the highest number of sales for Narayanan, a skin-whitening cream from the Unilever stable.

Another report in the daily Economic Times says sales of skin-whitening cosmetic products were also high in tribal-dominated states like Jharkhand and Chattisgarh.

"The market in India is huge, really huge," says a Proctor and Gamble spokesman.

Experts say that demand has boomed because of the tendency to discriminate against a person's skin colour, a practice which is still wide across rural India.

Steroids

"But if your complexion is fair, you avoid that pinch. Everyone in India wants to be fairer. At times it is repulsive, worse than chalking of geishas' faces in Japan but everyone wants to have a jar or tube of skin-whitening cream," says fashion designer Rohit Bal who has dressed Bollywood actresses and visited the sets of reality shows.

As a result, the products - priced between 50 cents and $150 a jar/tube - are in great demand countrywide.

No study has ever been done to discover what "fairness in four weeks" achieves.

Worse, there are several controversies attached to such products.

"If you apply anything on the skin, there will obviously be side effects," says Rues VK Sharma, Head of the Dermatology Department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

"Very few know that many of these creams contain steroids. Whatever doctors say will always be a drop in the ocean, as advertisements flooding the market have a far larger impact on the minds of people."

But companies say otherwise.

"We are not selling steroids and till date, the company has not been involved in a single lawsuit where someone has blamed us for messing up their skin. Our products are lab-tested and we vouch for it." says Mohan Goenka, of the Emami group.

US thieves sentenced after boasting on TV show

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:41:06 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8582096.stm

A US couple who boasted on a TV show they made as much as $3,500 (£2,318) a week by selling shoplifted toys online have been sentenced to prison terms.

Matthew Eaton, 34, got 27 months in jail. His wife Laura Eaton, 27, was sentenced to one year.

The couple from southern California pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

The pair were arrested last September - nearly a year after an appearance on the Dr Phil television show.

The couple from San Marcos, north of San Diego, were sentenced by a district judge on Monday.

Assistant US Attorney Nicole Acton Jones had earlier said the couple made at least $100,000 from June 2007 to March 2009 by stealing Lego toy kits, transporting them across state lines and selling them on eBay and other online auction sites, the San Diego 6 website reported.

Ex-South Wales Police CID chief jailed for miscond

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:35:46 +0800

A retired head of CID at South Wales Police has been jailed for using his police contacts to get information for his private investigation agency.

A judge told ex-Det Chief Supt Philip Jones, 63, of Aberkenfig, Bridgend he lacked "moral fibre" as he jailed him for 18 months for misconduct and fraud.

Ex-Det Con David Lloyd, 55, of Penyfai, Bridgend, was jailed for four years for passing on police computer information.

Lloyd had also supplied information to a known criminal involved in drugs.

Bristol Crown Court heard Jones, who served 30 years with South Wales Police, launched his own private investigations agency called Hillside Investigations.

It followed his retirement at the rank detective chief superintendent of the force's Criminal Investigation Department.

He persuaded former colleague Lloyd, who retired as a detective constable at Bridgend police station in 2003 before being re-employed as a civilian casework director on the force's Investigative Support Unit (ISU), to pass him information from police computer systems.

Bugging cars

Lloyd would use the police national computer, the Quick Address Search system and the Niche search system to perform address checks, searches for previous convictions, car registration checks, and other information searches for Jones.

An agreement between the men lasted from September 2005 to January 2008, when they were arrested after a lengthy investigation by anti-corruption police which involved bugging their cars.

The court heard at the same time Lloyd had also been supplying police information to a man named Robert Morgan, a known criminal involved in drug dealing.

When Lloyd was arrested he was found to be concealing more than £200,000 of Morgan's money in his attic.

Jones had admitted conspiracy to commit wilful misconduct in a public office and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Jailing him Judge Simon Darwall Smith criticised his ''lack of moral fibre''.

''This lack of moral fibre on your part goes to the root of the corrupt culture existing in parts of the force," added the judge.

Thai holidays

Lloyd admitted conspiracy to commit wilful misconduct while in a public office and last month a jury convicted him of money laundering.

The judge told him: ''You clearly enjoyed Mr Morgan's high-life of fast cars, expensive jewellery and free holidays in Thailand while you were receiving evidence that he was hands-on in drug operations.

''The number of arrests and searches that came to nothing because you had pre-warned the suspect through your friend Mr Morgan does not bear thinking."

A third man, freelance investigator Christopher Barnett, 37, of the Vale of Glamorgan received a 12 month suspended sentence.

Barnett had previously admitted one count of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation with Jones and another count of fraud.

Speaking after sentencing Assistant Chief Constable Nick Croft of South Wales Police said: "The vast majority of our staff work very hard to keep south Wales safe and it is a shame that the actions of a few tarnish the professionalism of the organisation.

"Behaviour like this will not be tolerated, and I would like to reassure the public that police officers and staff employed by South Wales Police can expect to be dealt with robustly if they break the law or engage in other misconduct."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/s...ast/8580959.stm

Unclaimed £3.6m lottery prize goes to charity

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:22:41 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotlan...nds/8579682.stm

A jackpot of more than £3.6m has been donated to the National Lottery's charity fund after the ticket holder failed to claim the prize.

The ticket for the main Lotto draw held on 23 September 2009 was bought in the Highlands, and had the winning numbers 23, 25, 28, 41, 46 and 47.

The National Lottery had previously said the holder had until 1730 GMT to claim the prize.

But the £3,681,197 prize remained unclaimed 180 days after the draw.

The ticket was bought in the constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.

Camelot Group, operator of the lottery, has confirmed that the money, plus the interest it has earned, has now passed over to the National Lottery Good Causes.

A National Lottery spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately, I can confirm that the ticket-holder did not come forward within the deadline to claim their prize and has now sadly missed out on this substantial amount of money.

"We tried very hard to find the ticket-holder and it's a real shame that they have missed out, but there is still one winner - the nation."

Woman smuggled into Trident base

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:21:21 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotlan...est/8579661.stm

A Marine is facing disciplinary action after smuggling a woman into the home of Britain's Trident submarine fleet in the boot of his car.

It is understood that he was caught with the woman as he escorted her out of the high-security base at Faslane.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Marine had been interviewed following "a potential breach of security" at HM Naval Base Clyde on 12 March.

A spokesman said the matter was now subject to an internal investigation.

"We can confirm a member of the naval service was interviewed by MoD police following a report of a potential breach of security at HMNB Clyde on 12 March," he said.

"It's not Navy command policy to divulge personal details. The matter is now subject to an internal investigation."

Two Navy personnel were detained by police last month after a weapon was discharged at the base.

Officers recovered an air rifle from a room following reports of a shot fired from an accommodation block on 12 February.

Paedophile returned to prison over Facebook fear

starmace — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:17:46 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...set/8581733.stm

A paedophile has been recalled to jail after police were alerted to concerns that he had contacted children using the social networking website Facebook.

Alain Hegarty, of Burnham-on-Sea, was jailed in 2005 for sexually abusing a girl aged under 13.

The 62-year-old, formerly of Kingswood, Bristol, was rearrested after his victim's family became concerned that he may have contacted children.

Hegarty was released on licence in 2007 from a two-and-a-half year sentence.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokeswoman said that Hegarty would be held while it was investigated whether he had breached his probation terms.

A relative of the victim told BBC Points West: "We were really shocked that he had a Facebook account.

"It's difficult dredging up things that happened five years ago and the victim is still dealing with the aftermath of what's happened."

Good manners guidelines ahead of India games

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:29:01 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8575879.stm

The government of the Indian capital Delhi has prepared guidelines for residents which will warn them not to urinate or spit in public.

The list of dos and don'ts is being compiled to ensure that people of the city are charming hosts for the Commonwealth Games, officials say.

Authorities say a major media and advertising campaign is being planned to teach good manners to people.

Tens of thousands of tourists are expected to attend the games.

They are due to be held in Delhi from 3 to 14 October.

'Keep clean'

"We want to change Delhi's public culture; their behaviour towards each other and to guests… so that they are courteous," The Hindustan Times quoted Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit as saying.

"We want tourists to go back with the impression that Delhi is a sophisticated city," she said.

"We want to tell them don't urinate in public, don't spit, keep your houses and shops clean, keep public transport safe and such things," the newspaper quoted Delhi tourism chief Rina Ray as saying.

"This will tell every Delhiite that instead of being on the sidelines as a spectator, he or she can contribute to a better games."

The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi says that spitting and urinating in public - primarily male traits - are a common sight across India.

A few months ago, Home Minister P Chidambaram also advised Indians to brush up on their manners and stop spitting and urinating in public places.

Critics say poor civic sense and a lack of public urinals are the main reasons why people indulge in such activities.

A number of states have tried to introduce measures to ban urinating in public in the past.

Three years ago the government of the state of Rajasthan banned graffiti and spitting and urinating in public.

Calcutta has also tried to introduce measures to penalise men for urinating in public.

In some places, images of gods and goddesses have been put up to deter people from urinating or spitting there.

Dubai jails Indian pair for 'sexy texts'

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:23:33 +0800

I have a time machine installed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8573565.stm

Steamy text messages have resulted in a three-month jail sentence for an Indian man and an Indian woman in Dubai.

Judges ruled that they had planned to "commit sin", a reference to an extramarital affair - which is illegal in the United Arab Emirates.

The unnamed pair, aged 47 and 42, were working as cabin crew for Dubai's Emirates airline.

Their "sexy texts" first surfaced last year, in a divorce lawsuit by the woman's estranged husband.

Crimes of passion

The Indian pair were originally sentenced to six months in jail, followed by deportation.

But an appeals court reduced the term and gave them the option to remain in the country.

The court said there was not enough evidence to determine whether the man and the woman had actually had an affair, which could have brought a harsher sentence.

This is the latest in a series of cases where foreigners have been found to have broken Dubai's conservative laws.

Earlier this week, a British couple said they would appeal a one-month jail sentence for exchanging a passionate kiss in a restaurant.

In 2008, two Britons were sentenced to three months in jail for what authorities described as sex on the beach. The sentences were later suspended.

Hardship in Europe's PIGS countries

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:21:41 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8571139.stm

Hardship in Europe's PIGS countries

The unflattering acronym PIGS has been coined to refer to the eurozone's most financially troubled and debt-laden countries - Portugal, the Irish Republic, Greece and Spain.

Here four people from those countries describe their experiences.

IOANNIS MATZAVRAKOS, 25, NETWORK ENGINEER, ATHENS, GREECE

The situation in Greece is pretty bleak and seems to deteriorate by the month.

I earn a salary of approximately 13,500 euros and I fear that in the future the austerity measures for civil servants will expand to all business sectors, including private firms such as mine.

This is a common fear for many people my age here. If it happens, I will have to start planning my emigration to another country, inside or outside the EU.

The salaries here are not nearly enough to get by if you want to pay all your debts - I have student debt which will eat up a third of my income for the next five years.

The wages in Greece are also too low to have a car loan or a mortgage - let alone think about having a family.

Prices are going up, taxes are going up but wages are staying the same and for many in the public sector especially, they threaten to go down.

Because of the austerity measures planned for 2011, 2012, and beyond, it promises to be a horrid three-year period.

So there is a lot of frustration and people are finding it hard to plan for the future.

The EU bailout plan will hopefully do some good, but the view here is generally pessimistic.

The only tangible solution is for everyone who can get out of this country to rush and do so.

Greece is a wonderful place to visit, but I would not currently recommended living here on a permanent basis.
VERONICA WALKER VADILLO, 31, STUDENT, ALCALA DE HENARES, SPAIN

The situation in Spain has been bad for a very long time, most likely due to the inefficient work of our last three governments.

We cannot buy houses because they are very expensive and the banks are refusing to lend money.

When they do, people find themselves married to the banks for most of their lifetime, while our parents could easily pay for their houses in eight years with just one salary 30 years ago.

I don't think I will ever be able to buy an apartment.

We can't even rent, because owners are in debt and they won't lower the prices. The average monthly salary is between 800 and 1,000 euros, but rents start at 600 in Madrid.

Because they don't trust people a lot of landlords ask for six months' rent in advance, which isn't actually legal but they get away with it.

I work part-time in a shop in Madrid but I could not afford to rent in the city so I had to move out to Alcala, near the capital.

We have not seen an increase in our salaries but the government has raised the tax they take out and in July will raise sales tax from 16% to 18%.

A poll from last November found 56% of young adults from Spain did not have aspirations for the future. It's just sad. Smart people will start emigrating somewhere else.

When I have completed my PhD in archaeology in two years' time my idea is to get out of Spain and find a job somewhere else - probably the US or Britain.

I don't think it's going to get better at all here.

CARLOS FILIPE MIRANDA COLLACO, 45, UNEMPLOYED CIVIL ENGINEER, LISBON, PORTUGAL

By now, at the age of 45, I had hoped I would be buying a home and setting myself up in life.

Instead I am unemployed and living with my parents.

I am a civil engineer and have worked in several countries including England, Norway and Oman.

But in December 2007 I was suddenly let go from my job. It was very painful.

But I was very optimistic at the time. I thought I would find another job within three months, or even six at the most.

But I have been let down several times.

In November 2008, just as the downturn hit Portugal, I was offered a job in South Africa but no sooner had I got a work permit than the job just disappeared.

I am not married, don't have dependants and I don't have a mortgage.

In Portugal your unemployment benefits are stopped after two years, so I am now beginning to eat into my savings.

I have had to economise in order to save money. I haven't had a holiday since losing my job.

Portugal has real structural problems and has had them for decades.

It will take a strong government and a sense of collective purpose to change some of those problems.

TONY WINTERS, 25, UNEMPLOYED SOFTWARE ENGINEER, DUBLIN, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Competition for jobs here is fierce, especially in the computer industry where I work.

A few years ago there might be 20 people going for the same job, but now it's literally hundreds.

I have had two interviews in four months but quite often you don't even get a reply to your application.

I got a degree from University College Dublin, worked for a year and then went back to get a master's degree.

In 2008 when I left college you could walk into the job of your choice or literally take your pick.

I joined a small software engineering firm but about a year later rumours started circulating about the company.

The pay was late one month and at the end of November 2009 we were told the bad news - we were given our marching orders. I had to cut down on my spending straight away.

I signed on the day after I lost my job but I had to wait 14 weeks for any social welfare. The whole thing was a pretty harrowing experience.

Fortunately I don't have a mortgage or a family to look after. There are people who are worse off than me.

Dublin and Cork haven't been as badly affected as the Irish midlands, where loads of companies are going into receivership.

I have thought about emigrating to Australia but it's not like when people moved to America 30 years ago. There's no guarantee of a job over there.

I now live on 194 euros a week in benefits but I still have to pay off a student loan, which is about 250 euros a month. In fact I missed a payment last month.

Dutch fury at US general's gay theory over Srebren

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:17:14 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8575717.stm

Dutch officials have rejected a retired US general's claim that its forces failed at Srebrenica because of poor morale over openly gay soldiers.

A defence ministry spokesman dismissed as "complete nonsense" the remarks by John Sheehan, a former Nato commander.

Gen Sheehan had been speaking at a US Senate hearing on allowing gay people to serve openly in the US military.

He said Dutch leaders had told him that the presence of gay soldiers had contributed to the Bosnian massacre.

Srebrenica was a UN safe haven under the protection of Dutch peacekeepers when, in 1995, Bosnian Serb forces overran the town, killing some 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Gen Sheehan said the former chief of staff of the Dutch army had told him that the presence of openly gay soldiers in the Dutch peacekeeping force were seen as "part of the problem" which contributed to the fall of Srebrenica.

He argued that since the end of the Cold War, European militaries had changed and he concluded "there was no longer a need for an active combat capability".

'Totally off-target'

This "socialisation" process, Gen Sheehan said, "included open homosexuality" and led to "a focus on peacekeeping operations because they did not believe the Germans were going to attack again or the Soviets were coming back".

"It is astonishing that a man of his stature can utter such complete nonsense," Dutch defence ministry spokesman Roger van de Wetering said in response.

"The Srebrenica massacre and the involvement of UN soldiers was extensively investigated by the Netherlands, international organisations and the United Nations.

"Never was there in any way concluded that the sexual orientation of soldiers played a role."

The Dutch ambassador to the US, Renee Jones-Bos, added in a statement on the embassy's website that she "couldn't disagree more" with the claims by the former general, who retired from the military in 1997.

In the US Senate itself, Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, told Gen Sheehan he was "totally off-target".

Several countries - including Britain, Canada, Australia and Israel - allow openly gay people to serve in the armed services.

New York police say sorry with cheesecake to pensi

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:14:53 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8577579.stm

New York's police chief has delivered a cheesecake to an elderly couple in Brooklyn, to apologise for dozens of mistaken police visits to their home.

A computer glitch had led officers to Walter and Rose Martin's home 50 times in the past eight years, police said.

The latest intrusion came on Tuesday, with officers pounding on the front and back doors, shouting "Police, open up!"

Thursday's visit - cheesecake in hand - went well. The Martins, aged 82 and 83, shared pictures of their grandchildren.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly visited the couple's modest home on Friday to "apologise and explain" for the mix-up, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told the Associated Press.

The problem started in 2002, when the Martin's home address was used as "test data" for a new computer crime-tracking system.

The couple complained about the harrowing visits in 2007, but the data remained in the system despite efforts to "purge the records", Deputy Commissioner Browne said.

He added that the Martin's address had now been flagged with alerts "barring officers" from questioning the octogenarians.

Drinkers urged to make a sandwich after Gwynedd re

starmace — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:11:32 +0800

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/n...est/8578914.stm

Firefighters have warned of the dangers of cooking after drinking - and suggested making a sandwich before going out or buying a takeaway.

It follows the rescue on Saturday of a man in Llanllechid, near Bangor, Gwynedd, from a fire that started when he fell asleep with the cooker on.

"Alcohol can cause people to become oblivious to danger," said Gwyn Jones of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The man in his 30s did not hear a smoke alarm, but a neighbour called 999.

The man was led outside to safety by firefighters and was treated by paramedics at the scene for smoke inhalation.

The fire was caused by a cooking pan left unattended.

Clear warning

Mr Jones said: "This incident acts as a clear warning that drinking and cooking simply don't mix.

It appears that this man has switched on the hob to cook himself something to eat but had fallen asleep."

He added: "We are growing increasingly frustrated at attending incidents where the lives are being put at risk because of basic fire safety ignorance.

"Our advice is to never cook after drinking - please prepare a sandwich before you go out or get a takeaway instead."

The service said it offered free home fire safety checks.