Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Portland State University police fatally shoot man who was trying to break up a fight

Jason Erik Washington was interviewed by CNN affiliate KATU hours before he was killed.

Portland State University police shot and killed a man who was trying to break up a fight outside a sports bar early Friday, multiple witnesses told our affiliate KATU, sparking outrage and protests against the university's armed police force.

Witnesses said the man, whom they identified as Jason Washington, was fatally shot by campus police after a fight at 1:30 a.m. Friday outside a local bar.
The Multnomah County, Oregon, Medical Examiner's office also identified the deceased as Jason Washington. Portland police said in a statement there was an "officer-involved shooting" at that time outside the Cheerful Tortoise bar, but did not identify the person who was shot.
Witnesses told KATU that Washington was trying to break up a fight. During the scuffle, a gun fell out of his holster, witnesses told the news station, and when he reached for it, officers fired at him.
"From there it just kind of took a turn for the worst, and the good guy ended up getting shot," Keyaira Smith, who filmed the shooting, told KATU.

Philippines v Australia basketball: Mass brawl at World Cup qualifier

Players fight during the Philippines v Australia basketball match

Punches, kicks and chairs were thrown as a mass brawl broke out between players in a Philippines v Australia World Cup qualifying tie.

The Philippines ended the game with just three players left on court after nine of their side were ejected.

Four Australia players were also ejected from the game, which their side went on to win 89-53 in Manila.

The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has opened disciplinary proceedings against both sides.

The fight broke out in the third quarter of the game at the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena.


"Basketball Australia deeply regrets the incident in tonight's match between the Boomers and the Philippines in Manila. We are extremely disappointed with what happened and our role in it," Basketball Australia chief executive Anthony Moore said.

Tech’s ‘Dirty Secret’: The App Developers Sifting Through Your Gmail


App developers can sift through the emails of millions of Gmail users, The Wall Street Journal reports. This practice has been known in the industry for a long time, but Google had promised last year that it would stop its computers from scanning the messages of Gmail users to personalize advertisements.

While that may be true, the tech giant continues to give access to “hundreds of outside software developers scan the inboxes of millions of Gmail users who signed up for email-based services offering shopping price comparisons, automated travel-itinerary planners or other tools,” WSJ reports.

This access enables these third parties to view Gmail users’ emails, recipient addresses, timestamps, and the entire content of those messages. Google suggests that all of this happens “with” user consent, however, it may be another case of tricking users into giving consent without properly informing them about it first.

Monday, July 2, 2018

Man accused of plotting terror attack on July 4th parade in Cleveland

Image result for A Cleveland man was arrested after allegedly telling an undercover agent he was planning a terrorist attack on the city's downtown July 4th parade, authorities said Monday morning.

A Cleveland man was arrested after allegedly telling an undercover agent he was planning a terrorist attack on the city's downtown July 4th parade, authorities said Monday morning.

Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, who used the name Abdur Raheem Rafeeq on Facebook, was taken into custody Sunday and has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, Stephen Anthony of the FBI said in a news conference. He was scheduled to appear in court later Monday.
Pitts told the undercover agent he had surveyed Voinovich Park and the US Coast Guard Station in Cleveland and had scouted locations to park an explosives-filled vehicle that would be detonated during crowded Independence Day festivities, Anthony said.

Actress Tessa Thompson comes out as Bisexual as she reveals Janelle Monáe and herself "Love each other deeply"


Actress Tessa Thompson comes out as Bisexual as she reveals Janelle Mon?e and herself "Love each other deeply"

American actress, Tessa Thompson, 34, has opened up on her sexuality and her relationship with singer Janelle Monáe in a new interview with Porter magazine.

According to the Westworld and Thor: Ragnarok star, 'I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion.'

'That was something I was conscientious of in terms of this declaration around Janelle and myself. I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones. But so many people don't.'

Speaking on her relationship with Janelle Monáe who came out as pansexual months ago, she said: 'We love each other deeply.'

She added:

Bystanders To Fatal Overdoses Increasingly Becoming Criminal Defendants




Alexis Santa Barbara is a 39-year-old mother of three from a working-class suburb of Philadelphia.

Santa Barbara's addiction story follows a familiar course: she had been prescribed Percocet years ago to treat back pain. When the drug became unavailable, she turned to heroin. And she became hooked — not long after getting laid off from her job at a local deli.

Across the street from her, her neighbor, identified just as "J.M." in court papers, was also in the grip of an opioid addiction.

How the two of their lives intersect next dramatically altered their connection, from two people in the same community dealing with the same sickness to something else: an alleged victim and a perpetrator, cast that way because of a drug transaction that took a deadly turn.
One evening in late March, that neighbor handed Santa Barbara $10 and asked if she'd score him a fix of heroin.

"He just asked her to grab it, so she did," said Emily Mano, Santa Barbara's 18-year-old daughter. "She doesn't always do stuff like that. It was just a favor. She'd never mean to harm someone. Never."

To prosecutors, it wasn't just a favor. It was crime. Authorities say Santa Barbara obtained heroin, and whether she knew it or not, the batch was laced with the powerful and often deadly synthetic drug, Fentanyl. Shortly after, court records show, Santa Barbara texted her neighbor: "Are you OK??"

He wasn't.

"His wife comes home and finds him collapsed on the floor of a bedroom," said George Yacoubian, Santa Barbara's defense lawyer.

Notorious gangster Redoine Faid escapes French prison, again, on hijacked helicopter




A notorious French gangster has managed to escape prison again. This time, with help from armed friends using a hijacked helicopter and smoke bombs.

Redoine Faid, 46, who escaped prison five years ago using explosives, broke out of a prison near Paris on Sunday. He was serving a 25-year sentence for planning a robbery where a police officer was killed.

Two or three men armed with assault rifles hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to fly to Faid's prison in Seine-et-Marne. When the helicopter landed, two men dressed all in black, opened the prison door using a grinding machine and took Faid. At the time, he was meeting with his brother in a visitation room, members of the guards’ union, told France's BFM television. The men set off smoke bombs to blur the scene from video surveillance, union member Loic Delbroc said.

France’s Justice Ministry said the escape was over in just "a few minutes."

Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet, who travelled to the Sud-Francilien prison in Réau on Sunday evening, called it "a spectacular escape," BBC reports.

In the 1990s, Faid led a gang known for robbing banks. He escaped prison in 2013 using explosives hidden in packs of tissues.

Soccer team found alive after 9 days trapped in cave

The missing boys, with their coach, are seen here in a photo taken from the coach's Facebook page.

Rescue teams have found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive in a cave in Thailand nine days after the group went missing, according to a high-ranking person involved in the search and rescue operation.

The boys, who range in ages from 11 to 16 years old and are all members of the Wild Boar soccer team, entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system on Saturday, June 23, for a team outing, but became stranded in the dark tunnels by a sudden and continuous downpour.
The international rescue operation -- which includes the Thai Navy SEALs as well as experts from the US, China, Australia and the UK -- had been working to reach a large, deep chamber, informally named Pattaya Beach, where they believed the missing boys had taken refuge.

The missing boys, with their coach, are seen here in a photo taken from the coach's Facebook page.
"I confirm they are all safe," Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn told reporters on Monday night.

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Air pollution linked to 3.2 million new diabetes cases in one year


Which cities face most, least air pollution according to new WHO data


Levels of air pollution well below what is considered safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization are causing an increased risk of diabetes worldwide, according to a study published Friday in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.

In 2016 alone, the study found that air pollution contributed to 3.2 million new diabetes cases --14% of the total -- around the world. In the United States, air pollution was linked to 150,000 new cases of diabetes per year.
"There's an undeniable relationship between diabetes and and particle air pollution levels well below the current safe standards," said senior study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, an assistant professor of medicine at Washington University. "Many industry lobbying groups argue that current levels are too stringent and should be relaxed. Evidence shows that current levels are still not sufficiently safe and need to be tightened."
Particulate or particle air pollution is made up of microscopic pieces of dust, dirt, smoke and soot mixed with liquid droplets. The finest particles regulated by the EPA are 2.5 micrometers; to put that in perspective, a strand of human hair is 70 micrometers, or more than 30 times larger.
Anything less than 10 micrometers can not only enter the lungs, it can pass into the bloodstream, where it is carried to various organs and begins a chronic inflammatory reaction thought to lead to disease.

California father's killing at campsite leads to investigations into 7 past shootings

The dad killed while camping with his 2 daughters was shot once in the head, coroner says

Authorities are looking into whether the death of a man who was shot while camping with his daughters in California is linked to previous shootings at the campsite.

Tristan Beaudette was shot once in the head on June 22 as he slept in a tent with his 2- and 4-year-old daughters at the Malibu Creek State Park, officials said.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death a homicide this week.
In a statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it's looking for links between the 35-year-old's killing and seven shootings dating to November 2016.

Detectives have not determined a motive behind the shooting and currently there's no evidence that suggest all the incidents are connected, the statement said.
The shootings detectives are investigating took place on November 3 and 9, 2016; January 7, June 6, July 22, July 30, 2017 and most recently on June 18.
Incidents include a man shot in the 8,000-acre park in 2016, and a woman whose car was hit by a bullet while she was camping there with her boyfriend in January 2017, CNN affiliate KABC reported. It's unclear whether the shootings resulted in fatalities.
Earlier this week, the sheriff's department said it was reviewing only three prior shooting incidents.
The Malibu Creek State Park is a scenic recreation area 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles that's been used as a backdrop for movies and television shows.

Baby boom at Texas hospital: 48 babies born in 41 hours


Image result for baby boom texas

The nursery at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth has never been as full as it has in the last 41 hours. And the halls have never been so busy.

Since June 26, 48 babies were born in less than 2 days, 3m360 Dallas / Fort Worth reports. That's an average of more than one baby an hour. And, there's definitely a lively discussion here about why.

"There's always talk about full moon, we definitely had a big full moon this week," OB-GYN Dr. Jamie Erwin said. "Maybe there is something to that as well, maybe not. But it's always a busy time of the year."
It is a busy time indeed. According to Texas state records, most babies are born in the months of July, August and September.

Nursing director Michelle Stemley's phone blew up with messages on Wednesday.

"People were asking about staffing," she recalled. "I was like, 'what's going on?' "

But, she said the hospital was prepared. Extra staff was called in; pizza ordered and even after 48 babies in a short span of time, they are ready for more. "We are trained for this," she said.

Two-day old Isaiah Johnson is one of the 48 babies born this week.

Glimmer of hope in search for soccer team missing in Thailand cave

Thailand Cave Search

The effort to locate 12 boys and their soccer coach missing in a cave in Thailand for a week picked up pace Saturday. A break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the rescue mission.

The search effort in the northern province of Chiang Rai has been going slowly, largely because flooding has blocked rescuers from going through chambers to get deeper into the cave.

Thai prime minister tells families of soccer team missing in cave to have faith
There were hundreds of civilian volunteers here helping out Saturday, BBC News reports. On Saturday morning, BBC News correspondent Howard Johnson said he saw three cavers going off into the hills to try and find routes into the caverns below.

Pumping out water hasn't solved the problem, so increasing efforts have been made to find shafts on the mountainside that might serve as a back door to the blocked-off areas where the missing may be sheltering.

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the sprawling Tham Luang Nang Non cave after a soccer game on June 23, but near-constant rains have thwarted the search for them. Authorities have nevertheless expressed hope that the group has found a dry place within the cave to wait, and that they are still alive.

A solution for kids' social media addiction? Teach them to use tech more responsibly


Image result for kids' social media addiction

The World Health Organization declared last week that “gaming disorder,” or video game addiction, is a “mental health disorder” similar to an addiction to gambling. Less than 24 hours later, at a standing-room-only session at the Cannes Lions festival, two prominent executives, Tristan Harris of Google and Scott Hagedorn of Omnicom, issued a dire warning that we are on the verge of a global public health crisis, particularly among teenagers, because of an “addiction to likes.” And data from the analytics firm Flurry shows that we spend five hours a day interacting with about 88 apps, including those connected to video games, on our smartphones.

Is it any wonder, then, that Cam Adair, the founder of the online support community Game Quitters, stressed recently in an interview that, “There’s a massive tsunami coming that we’re not prepared for.”

Truth be told, we should have been. Technology’s dark side was actually brought to bear a decade ago by Dr. Karen Sobel-Lojeski, a researcher at Stony Brook University and tech entrepreneur who identified the problem as "virtual distance," the mathematically quantifiable and scientifically researched measure of what is lost when human beings rely heavily on smart, digital devices to communicate.

America's oldest man, 112, had bank account compromised by thieves, family says



America's oldest man, a 112-year-old who served in World War II, had his bank account compromised by thieves, his family said.

Richard Overton's account was infiltrated and used to purchase savings bonds without his knowledge, his cousin, Volma Overton Jr., told KVUE.

He said he noticed on June 27 that there were several debts from Overton's bank account for savings bonds. He wouldn't say how much was in the account, or how much was taken, but Overton Jr. said a very large amount of money was taken from Overton.

A police report was filed Friday. Overton Jr. said both Social Security and banking account numbers were used to make withdrawals.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

World Cup 2018: All you need to know about the last 16

Image result for World Cup 2018: All you need to know about the last 16

2018 Fifa World Cup last 16
Venue: Russia. Dates: 30 June - 3 July
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, Red Button and iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app; listen on Radio 5 live; follow text updates online.
The knockout stage of the World Cup gets under way on Saturday, when France face Argentina in Kazan at 15:00 BST, a match you can watch live on BBC One.

The last 16 features eight matches over four days in seven cities across Russia.

Hosts Russia are through, along with former winners Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, England, France and Spain.

Defending champions Germany were among the 16 teams who did not qualify from the group stage.

3m360 to show France-Argentina last 16 - TV picks announced
World Cup last-16 line-up in full
Lawro's predictions for last-16 matches
World Cup Daily: Hodgson's tattoos and being Ronaldo's translator
The 21st edition of the World Cup has provided 122 goals, 36,349 completed passes, 158 yellow cards and lots of video assistant referee drama.

'Blood moon' to stun UAE with longest eclipse of century



The last blood moon phenomenon took place in January.
The UAE will bear witness to a total lunar eclipse which will stun the senses next month.

The longest "blood moon" lunar eclipse of the century will take place for nearly 103 minutes.

On July 27, at 9:14pm UAE local time, the moon will enter into the eclipse phase and continue for five hours until 2:19am
This as related by Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Deputy Director of the Sharjah Centre for Space and Astronomy.

Totality will occur from 11:30pm until 1:30am for 103 minutes.

The peak eclipse time will take place at 12:21am.
The blood moon will be visible in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand but excluding America.

The last eclipse had taken place on January 31, a super rare blue blood moon that combined three lunar phenomena - supermoon, blue moon and blood moon.
Image result for queen elizabeth


Royalists have defended The Queen and Prince Philip after a new book made sensational claims about their sex life.

Lady Colin Campbell caused offence after she suggested the Queen had a ‘healthy sexual appetite’ and her husband was a ‘flirt’.

The 68-year-old, who was married to the Duke of Argyll’s son Lord Colin Campbell, said the couple had been discussed among their servants after having a wild wedding night in 1947.
When discussing Prince Phillip in the book entitled, The Queen’s Marriage, she wrote: “He loves the company of beautiful women. He’s a huge flirt.

Friday, June 29, 2018

A young father took his own life outside a probation office when he was told he couldn't see his baby son.

Young dad killed himself after he was banned from seeing his baby son

A young father took his own life outside a probation office when he was told he couldn't see his baby son.

Harry Slaughter, 21, was banned from seeing his son because he sent text messages to a schoolgirl he met on a train asking her to perform a sex act. A week before he killed himself last November, Harry Slaughter warned probation services what he was planning to do if he was not allowed to visit three-month-old Frankie.

He was convicted last year and tried to take his own life by drowning but he was rescued by police who saw him walking into the sea. After an assessment by mental health teams, it was found that he should not be admitted.
His mother, Jane Ward, told an inquest that he had tried to kill himself five times since the age of 16 after her marriage with his father broke down. She said he heard voices in his head and had panic attacks.

New music video to XXXTentacion’s single “SAD!” has just been released and it already has over 3 million views

New music video to XXXTentacion?s single ?SAD!? has just been released today and it already has over 2 million views

An official music video for slain rapper XXXTentacion's single titled SAD! was released today and it's already got over 2 million views in only a few hours.
It is unclear when the video was recorded but back in April of this year XXXTentacion said on his Instagram Story that he would be releasing a video soon, so that might have been pertaining to this clip.
The video shows XXXTentacion come into the church during his own funeral. As mourners bow their head in sorrow, the rapper walks down the aisle to the pulpit where his body lay in a casket.
He stands for a while, looking at his dead body. Then all of a sudden, his body comes to life and attacks him. For most of the video, he is seen wrestling with his deceased self; a battle that he ultimately wins.

Ed Sheeran 'sued for $100m over Marvin Gaye song'

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran faces a $100m lawsuit for allegedly copying components of Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get It On" in his 2014 single, "Thinking Out Loud."

Ed Sheeran has reportedly been hit with a $100m (£76.5m) lawsuit for allegedly using many of the musical components in Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” for his 2014 hit, “Thinking Out Loud”.

A lawsuit filed in the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York claims the "Shape of You" singer copied Gaye’s “melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bassline, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping” for the single that appeared on his album X, according to gossip website TMZ.

“Thinking Out Loud” reached No 1 in the UK chart and No 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the album has sold over 15m copies.

The lawsuit was filed by Structured Asset Sales, which owns part of the copyright for the song Gaye released in 1973, the website claims.

Best evidence yet for alien life on Saturn's moon found by scientists

Earth from the ISS

Large organic molecules blasted into space from deep-sea vents on one of Saturn's moons, show that it contains "all of the basic requirements for life as we know it”.

Plumes of material from cracks in Enceladus' icy surface were sampled by Nasa spacecraft Cassini, shortly before it plunged to its death in Saturn’s atmosphere.

A study of this data by an international team of researchers has found evidence of carbon-rich substances formed in the heart of the moon.

The scientists said they were “blown away” by the discovery.

Complex organic molecules do not necessarily provide a habitable environment, but on the other hand they are a necessary precursor for life,” Dr Frank Postberg from the University of Heidelberg, who led the research, told The Independent.

BreakingNews Maryland shooting: Five killed in attack on US newspaper

Image result for shooting in maryland Image result for shooting in maryland
A gunman has opened fire at a local newspaper office in Maryland, killing five people and wounding three.
Staff at the Capital Gazette building in Annapolis said he shot through a glass door into the newsroom.
"There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you're under your desk and then hear the gunman reload," tweeted reporter Phil Davis.
Police said a suspect was now in custody and was being questioned.
He is reportedly refusing to co-operate with officers and a police source told CBS News that he had "damaged" his fingertips to avoid being identified.
The suspect, who police say is a white male in his 20s, surrendered to officers without a struggle.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

London couple who murdered nanny get life sentences

Sabrina Kouider and Ouissem Medouni

A couple who tortured their French nanny before killing her and throwing her body on a bonfire have been sentenced to life in prison.

Sabrina Kouider, 35, and her partner Ouissem Medouni, 40, were found guilty last month of murdering 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet at their home in Wimbledon, south-west London, last September. The trial heard they had a deluded belief she was in league with Mark Walton, the ex-Boyzone band member turned music mogul, with whom Kouider once had a relationship.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Nicholas Hilliard said there was no excuse for the “horrible cruelty” and “humiliation” they inflicted on Lionnet during taped interrogations before her death.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Dbanj loses his son Daniel D'Third at just 13-month old

The saddest news yet! Dbanj loses his son Daniel D

The most painful thing to happen to any parent has happened to Nigerian musician, Dbanj

The music star who arrived Los Angeles two days ago to attend the 2018 BET Awards is reported to have lost his only son, Daniel D'Third who celebrated his 1st birthday just one month ago.
Dbanj's son, who he welcomed with his wife, Lineo Didi Kilgrow, last year May, drowned at the family residence in Ikoyi today June 24th. D'banj wasn't at home at the time. The little boy's body has reportedly since been moved to a morgue in GRA.

Shocking trade in stolen UK passports: How gangs sell them for £2,500 – so criminals and terrorists can sneak in to the country

Dozens of false documents seized by an organised crime unit in Greece, including hundreds of ID cards and scores of passports

A disturbing trade in stolen British passports is exposed today by the Daily Mail.

Swiped by criminal gangs in Western Europe, they are flown to Istanbul or Athens for sale by people smugglers.

Security experts said owning a genuine British passport was like ‘winning the lottery’ for jihadis and criminals – allowing them to slip across borders undetected.

In response to the Mail’s findings, MPs called for action to address Britain’s ‘shocking vulnerability’ to potentially dangerous illegals.

Our investigation reveals that British citizens are selling their passports to be bought by migrants of similar appearance.

And fake EU identity cards that can be used to enter the UK are also being made to order within three days in the Balkans.

The Mail bought a UK passport for £2,500 from Abu Ahmad, a people-smuggling kingpin in Turkey. It had been stolen from a Milton Keynes man working in Brussels.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Ukraine Roma camp attack leaves one dead

Police photo from the scene of the attack

One person has been killed in an attack on a Roma camp in western Ukraine late on Saturday night.

A masked group armed with batons and other weapons targeted the camp on the outskirts of the city of Lviv shortly before midnight, according to police.

A 24-year-old man died of stab wounds, while four others - including a 10-year-old boy - were injured.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on Ukraine's Roma community (also known as gypsies).

Seven suspects aged 16 and 17 have been arrested, as well as a 20-year-old accused of planning the attack.

Ukraine's national police force and Ministry of Internal Affairs have launched a criminal investigation into the "deliberate murder", which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova has asked the interior minister to personally oversee the investigation and to arrange temporary accommodation for the victims.

Lewis Hamilton retakes championship lead after dominating win at French Grand Prix... as title rival Sebastian Vettel's clumsy first lap collision with Valtteri Bottas

Lewis Hamilton stands on top of his Mercedes after winning the French Grand Prix to reclaim the world championship lead

Lewis Hamilton is back in charge of the world championship after Sebastian Vettel’s mistake at the start of the French Grand Prix.

With a new Mercedes engine, Hamilton was dominant all weekend, taking a crushing victory from pole position. His lead over Vettel, who finished fifth, is 14 points.

Vettel has shown a tendency in the past 12 months to make mistakes at important moments, and so it was again. The German got away from the line well but locked up around the first corner and banged into Valtteri Bottas as they vied for second place at 210mph.

Lewis Hamilton cruised to victory at the French Grand Prix, reclaiming the lead in the world championship

World Cup 2018 fixtures and results so far: Every match, kick-off time and venue



GROUP STAGES

Thursday, June 14

Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia - Moscow (Luzhniki) 4pm

Friday, June 15

Egypt 0-1 Uruguay Ekaterinburg 1pm

Morocco 0-1 Iran St Petersburg 4pm

Portugal 3-3 Spain Sochi 7pm


Germany building explosion injures 25

Damaged building in Wuppertal (24 June)

German police say 25 people have been injured, four severely, in an explosion that destroyed a several-story building in the western city of Wuppertal.

The explosion tore through the building shortly before midnight, police said, leaving parts of the structure burning.

Firefighters rescued four severely injured people and 21 more were treated at the scene for light injuries.

Police said firefighters were still tackling the blaze, while the cause of the explosion was being investigated.

The blast left a large hole where the building used to be, with flats either side in danger of collapse and vehicles crushed by debris.

Turkish voters head to the polls to decide whether to keep Erdogan in power

Turnout is expected to be as high as 85 per cent


Millions of Turks are heading to the polls in presidential and parliamentary elections to decide whether to allow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to continue his 15 years in power and to preserve his party’s majority in parliament.

Turnout is expected to be as high as 85 per cent as energised supporters of both Mr Erdogan and his opponents cast their ballots in the first election since Turkey’s constitution was changed to give the president sweeping new powers.

Mr Erdogan goes into voting day ahead in the polls but facing the most serious election challenge since he first came to power in 2003.

It is not clear if he will be pass the 50 per cent vote threshold he needs to avoid a one-on-one runoff election against Muharrem Ince, the leader of the centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP). The runoff would take place July 8.

Polling stations close at 3pm UK time and results are expected around 8pm UK time.

Mr Ince and other opposition leaders have warned that Mr Erdogan’s supporters may try to rig the results to keep the Turkish president in power.

By Sunday afternoon, opposition parties were already claiming that Mr Erdogan’s allies had attempted to stuff ballot boxes in the rural district of Suruc near the Syrian border. Videos appeared to show a man opening a ballot box there.

TODD KOLHKEPP CASE: CONFESSIONS OF THE S.C. SERIAL KILLER

Todd Kohlhepp arrest

A woman found chained in a storage container. Her captor: a successful realtor who confessed to seven murders -- a double life beyond belief. Now, "48 Hours" has the story behind the story. The court has just released hundreds of documents, photographs and even hours of videotape that reveal, in stunning detail, a serial killer's journey into darkness.

"I've never done anything to anybody who didn't have it coming," Kohlhepp tells detectives.
This bizarre and frightening story began Labor Day weekend 2016, when 30-year-old Kala Brown and her 32-year-old boyfriend, Charles David Carver, went missing near Spartanburg.

Dan Herren: Kala Brown is a very good friend of mine … she's really a wonderful person. …She always wants to please people.

Dan Herren: One day Kala met Charlie … she said they had a love that went beyond anything superficial.

Dan Herren: I found out they were missing on Labor Day weekend … after searching for her for two months … I then got a text message from another good friend of mine and she said, they found Kala—she's alive.

But her boyfriend Charlie was not with her. Kala Brown told her rescuers that Todd Kohlhepp, her captor, had killed Charlie almost immediately. Kala said she had witnessed Charlie's murder.

Joanne Shiflet: Charles David Carver is my son. He is my firstborn [in tears]. He could bring a smile to the saddest person. He loved to laugh.

Charlie Carver operated a printer at a local business. His father, Chuck, says he was a gentle soul.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

A nother popular US rapper, Jimmy Wopo shot dead

Another popular US rapper, Jimmy Wopo has been fatally shot in the Pittsburgh neighbourhood he helped make famous.
He was 21 years old.

CNN reports that police said they found Wopo and another man shot inside a car shortly before 4:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighbourhood.
The vehicle was in the middle of the street and had been struck by gun bullets several times.
Both men in the vehicle were transported to a local hospital where the rapper later died.
Police said the other victim, who was not identified, was transported in stable condition.
Police said the shooting is currently being investigated and initial reports indicate it was an isolated incident.
Wopo died the same day fellow young rapper XXXTentacion was gunned downduring an apparent robbery in Florida.
Born Travon Smart, Wopo first came to fame with his 2016 song “Elm Street,” which documented his life in his beloved hometown.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

NEWSExtremist reveals how he wanted to kill UK prime minister, May

England’s Old Bailey central criminal court in London on Tuesday heard how an extremist plotted a suicide attack on British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, allegedly wanted to make “big news” by storming Downing Street as May spoke outside her office.

Rahman, who said he was fully prepared to die in the attack, was arrested in November last year.

“Before his arrest prevented it, he was, he believed, just days away from his objective, which was no less than a suicide attack, by blade and explosion, on Downing Street and, if he could, upon the Prime Minister Theresa May herself,” Guardian quoted prosecutor Mark Heywood as saying.

In a chat with an undercover security service agent on the Telegram messaging app, Rahman said: “I want to do a suicide bomb on parliament. I want to attempt to kill Theresa May.”

“My objective is to take out my target. Nothing less than the death of the leaders of parliament.”

He told an undercover police officer that he would make a “10-second sprint” for the door of 10 Downing Street, with his main objective to “take her head off”.

The defendant is also accused of helping his friend Mohammad Aqib Imran, 22, join the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria by recording a sponsorship video.

Heywood said the two men shared the “warped ideology” of Islamic State.

Rahman denied two counts of preparing terrorist acts.

workplaces are ‘concerned’ about dealing with legal weed

More than half of Canadian businesses are concerned or “very concerned” with the upcoming legalization of cannabis, a new report by the Conference Board of Canada claims.

The findings state that employers’ top concerns include workplace safety, impairment or intoxication and increased use of cannabis in the workplace.

You’ve got some that are feeling, you know we’re going to be fine. You’ve got others where all the time in the world wouldn’t allow them to feel comfortable. What organizations are coming to terms with more and more is that the change is coming, it’s imminent and that they’re not going to have all the answers,” said Bryan Benjamin, with the Conference Board of Canada.

The report states that employers will be instrumental in shaping the practices around cannabis use in the workplace, which seems to be the very thing that’s making them nervous.

“Organizations are generally still scratching their heads,” said Benjamin.

On Tuesday evening, the Senate voted 52-29 to approve the government’s newest version of Bill C-45, the marijuana legalization bill. Bill C-45 now moves to royal assent, the final step in the legislative process, meaning that cannabis could officially be legal in Canada by August or early September.

According to Benjamin, organizations will likely have to educate their employees about cannabis and the company’s position on usage largely on their own, depending on the nature of the industry. In safety-sensitive organizations, for example, where employees are operating heavy machinery or driving long distances, regular drug testing is being explored as an option to curb cannabis use at work.
In office environments, on the other hand, managers may have to find other methods for dealing with intoxication at work and creating a safe environment for employees to ask questions.
“[Organizations should recognize] that months and even years post-legalization, they’re going to need to be able to adapt as more information becomes available, to potentially implement new policies to even rewrite them as they learn more. So, I don’t think any amount of time would get organizations all the way there,” Benjamin concluded.

At a meeting of the World Cannabis Congress in Saint John, N.B., last week, concerns were expressed that Canadian employers are not ready for legal weed. Jason Fleming, vice-president of human resources for Ontario marijuana producer MedReleaf, said there’s still a lack of definitive testing, and many employers have not educated staff on new policies.

“Employers are having to write policies and have to prepare, but in many cases they are still using really outdated, anecdotal information,” he said at the two-day event in Saint John.

Canada legalises recreational cannabis use

Canada's parliament has passed a law legalising the recreational use of marijuana nationwide.

The Cannabis Act passed its final hurdle on Tuesday in a 52-29 vote in the Senate. The bill controls and regulates how the drug can be grown, distributed, and sold.

Canadians will be able to buy and consume cannabis legally as early as this September.
The country is the second worldwide to legalise the drug's recreational use.

Uruguay became the first country to legalise the sale of cannabis for recreational use in December 2013, while a number of US states have also voted to permit it.
Cannabis possession first became a crime in Canada in 1923 but medical use has been legal since 2001.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Kanye West Crowns Billboard 200 & Post Malone Moves to No. 1 on Hot 100



Kanye West's Ye launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated June 16), marking his record-tying eighth consecutive leader and sparking his first week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.

Plus, Post Malone notches his second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Psycho," featuring Ty Dolla $ign, who earns his first.

1. As West's Ye rules the Billboard 200, all seven songs from the set debut in the Hot 100's top 40. Click here for the rundown.

2. From The Beatles to JAY-Z to Bruce Springsteen and more, West ranks among the acts with the most No. 1 albums in the Billboard 200's history. Click here for a look at the all-time leaders.



3. The soundtrack to The Greatest Showman becomes 2018's first million-selling album in U.S., according to Nielsen Music. Click here for this week's Billboard 200 Chart Moves.

medical marijuana can save lives - isn't it time to make it legal?

Many believe more research needs to be done on the medical properties of marijuana 

In a ward at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Billy Caldwell’s life hangs in the balance. Billy is 12 years old, autistic and severely epileptic. His illness has become a life-and-death stand-off between Charlotte Caldwell, his mother, and the Home Office: last Monday, she flew into Heathrow from Canada with supply of cannabis oil in her bag which was confiscated at customs. Caldwell insists it is the only treatment that has ever brought her son’s frightening condition under control and without it he will surely die.

Billy was rushed into hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning after suffering a severe fit following the withdrawal of his medicine. "It is beyond cruelty.

medical-marijuana-vs-opioids-www.endoca.com

Colorado Politics comments on the study and it’s amazing findings. Researchers found that in the nine states where medical cannabis is legal, painkiller prescriptions, anti-anxiety medication and antidepressant use dropped remarkably. Anti-nausea medication prescriptions fell by 17%, anti depressants by 13% and anti- seizure and psychosis medicines dropped by 12%

Bizarre moment it rains OCTOPUS as freakish storm sucks creatures out of sea



Drivers were left stunned as octopuses and starfish began raining down onto their cars during a freakish storm.

The creatures - along with mollusks and shellfish - were sucked out of the sea and dumped along with heavy rain and hail.

Photos posted on social media show the marine life stuck to car windscreens after violent weather battered the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao.

The phrase "seafood rain" became a trending topic online as the photos went viral in the aftermath of a storm that left a trail of destruction.

Eid truce between Afghan army and Taliban marred by deadly blast

An Afghan Taliban militant carries a rocket-propelled grenade in Jalalabad as residents look on

A blast at a ceasefire meeting of Taliban fighters in the country's east has killed up to 20 even as the war-weary country celebrated an unprecedented holiday truce in the long-running conflict.

The explosion hit a meeting in Nangarhar province as fighters met to mark the Taliban's three-day ceasefire to mark the religious festival of Eid al-Fitr.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion. At least one hardline Taliban splinter faction had previously said it would not abide by the truce, while the area is also known as a stronghold of the Islamic State group.


Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai, provincial police chief, said the attack in Rodat district came as dozens of fighters had gathered to celebrate the truce and most of the dead were Taliban.

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