‘A would-be murderer who defecated on trains to “purge” himself of inner voices urging him to kill has been detained indefinitely in a secure mental hospital.
Over several months Bonney Eberendu, 36, ran up a £50,000 damages bill as teams of “specialist cleaners” were forced to withdraw rolling stock from service and spend hours cleaning up after him. [..]
Eberendu, of no fixed address, who has a previous conviction for blackmail involving threats to cut off his victim’s fingers, later told police he had spent years hearing “voices in his head”.
They caused him “such distress he wanted to murder a woman or a child by frenziedly stabbing them”.
[..] “But he didn’t carry out an act of murder because by defecating and smearing his excrement he purged himself of the urge to kill.”‘
‘With Islamist violence brewing in various parts of the world, the set of rules that seek to guide and justify the killing that militants do is growing more complex.
This jihad etiquette is not written down, and for good reason. It varies as much in interpretation and practice as extremist groups vary in their goals. But the rules have some general themes that underlie actions ranging from the recent rash of suicide bombings in Algeria and Somalia, to the surge in beheadings and bombings by separatist Muslims in Thailand.’
‘Officials began investigating after a train was stopped between stations in Berlin on May 31, as an electronic signal from its cabin alerted railway controllers that the train had no driver.
Drivers have to press a safety button – a ‘dead man’s switch’ – at regular intervals, otherwise a computer on the train stops it automatically, and alerts authorities that there is a problem.
The driver was found dead with his trousers open by the side of tracks several hundred metres away from the train, and police now say that it appears he fell out of the locomotive after he opened a door to relieve himself from the train.
The train was travelling at 70 mph at the time.’
‘The Port Arthur killer should be allowed to die following several attempts to kill himself in his prison cell, euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke says.
Martin Bryant, Australia’s worst mass murderer, is serving 35 life sentences for the 1996 killings of 35 people at Tasmania’s historic Port Arthur penal settlement, in the world’s worst mass murder by a lone gunman.
Bryant has made at least five suicide attempts in Tasmania’s Risdon Prison and has been treated at hospital twice this year after slashing himself with disposable razor blades. [..]
“The sole goal of his (Bryant’s) imprisonment is punishment and punishment without hope of release is tantamount to torture,” Dr Nitschke said.
“As a society we should admit we are sanctioning torture here and in those circumstances we should allow him to die or provide him with the means to obtain a peaceful death.”
He said that giving Bryant an opportunity to end his life would quickly determine if he wants to kill himself.’
‘After checking in at the Mukti Bhawan hostel, guests have two weeks to die or else they are gently asked to leave.
The hostel — a short walk from the Ganges river in the northern Indian city of Varanasi — is a final stopover for elderly Hindus hoping they will shortly end up on one of the hundreds of funeral pyres lit on the riverbank each day.
“While the rest of the world celebrates a new life when a child is born, similarly we celebrate death,” said Bhairav Nath Shukla, the cheerful manager of Mukti Bhawan, one of several places offering shelter to outsiders wanting to die in the city.
Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi and having their remains scattered in the Ganges allows their soul to escape a cycle of death and rebirth, attaining “moksha” or salvation.’
‘A medical examiner blamed a 17-year-old track star’s death on the use of too much anti-inflammatory muscle cream, the kind used to soothe aching legs after exercise.
Arielle Newman, a cross-country runner at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, died after her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in sports creams such as Bengay and Icy Hot, the New York City medical examiner said Friday.
The medical examiner’s spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove, said the teen used “topical medication to excess.” She said it was the first time that her office had reported a death from using a sports cream.’
‘You better watch out, my uncle has a dead baby at home.’
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‘A lion and a tiger kept as exotic pets on the roof of a Mexican meat processing plant killed a man feeding them Monday, Mexican media said.
Caretaker Angel Aguilar, 56, was taking pieces of chicken to feed the two big cats when the lion swiped at him through the bars of its cage and pulled him inside, Reforma daily said. The tiger then joined in the attack.
Paramedics arrived at the plant in the rough Mexico City neighborhood of Iztapalapa while the man was still alive but they could not get past the animals to treat him. [..]
After the attack, which left scraps of bloodstained clothing on the floor of the cage, the animals were sedated and the tiger’s jaws tied around a chunk of wood.
The tiger later died, apparently of suffocation, after being transported by animal protection authorities to a nearby zoo in a small container. The lion survived the journey.’
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‘A blind athlete was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Florida shortly after his team lost the championship game in a national “goalball” tournament. [..]
John Mulhern, one of Green’s teammates on the Delaware County Blind Sports Organization’s Venom team, said Green had been hanging out with other athletes from the tournament when he went back to his hotel to use the bathroom.
Green apparently made a wrong turn while returning to the party and got lost, Mulhern said. He was on his cell phone with a teammate, who was trying to guide him back, when he was killed.
“The way the highway was there, there was no step-off,” Mulhern said. “The last thing they heard was the drop of his phone.”‘
‘A Filipino in a drunken rage hacked dozens of people with a machete, killing 10 and wounding 19.
The killings took place in Gadgaran village on the central island of Samar.
A local police chief said suspect Danny Guades went from house to house before dawn hacking dozens of people, including relatives.
After attacks in two houses, he continued his stabbing spree at another home where villagers were attending a wake for a dead neighbour.’
‘A condemned inmate wants to leave them laughing.
Patrick Knight is collecting jokes and will pick the funniest one for his last statement before he is set to die June 26 for shooting his neighbors, Walter and Mary Werner, to death almost 16 years ago outside Amarillo.
Randall County Sheriff Joel Richardson thinks the whole idea is insensitive. “This tells you a little bit about the guy’s character, anyway,” said Richardson, who was chief deputy at the time of the Werners’ killings and plans to witness Knight’s execution. [..]
Knight acknowledges there’s nothing funny about his execution. [..]
“I’m not trying to say I don’t care what’s going on. I’m about to die. I’m not going to sit here and whine and cry and moan and everything like that when I’m facing the punishment I’ve been given.
“I’m not asking for money. I’m not asking for pen pals or anything like that. All I’m asking for is jokes,” Knight said.’
‘A suspected burglar in Miami was found dangling from a large ventilation fan after he apparently stepped on the on switch while his body was inside the machine and killed himself, according to police.
Miami investigators said a “known burglar” in the area was found dead in the powerful fan at the Maranatha Used Clothing store Thursday when the store opened up for business.
A witness said an employee of the store noticed feet dangling from the fan and called police.’
‘Police in Bihar, one of India’s poorest states, are investigating claims that an eight-year-old boy has killed in cold blood three babies — including his eight-month-old sister and nine-month-old cousin.
The case came to light when a mother could not find her six-month-old daughter after leaving her asleep at a school in Musahari village. After a police search the child’s body was found buried nearby.
A few hours later, Amarjeet Sada, who police claim suffers from psychiatric disorders, apparently admitted that he had strangled her and led villagers to the spot where he had disposed of the body.’
‘US officials have warned consumers to avoid using toothpaste made in China after a shipment was found to contain a poisonous chemical used in anti-freeze.
The Food and Drug Administration said it could contain diethylene glycol, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 50 people in Panama last year.
The brands affected are usually sold at “bargain” retail outlets, the FDA said.
The warning comes amid a series of contamination scandals involving Chinese exports to the Americas.
On Thursday, Nicaraguan health authorities seized 40,000 tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste after they were found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG).
The Dominican Republic, Panama and Costa Rica had already removed thousands of tubes of toothpaste from store shelves. ‘
‘Authorities in Arkansas said an 18-month-old boy died inside a dishwasher that turned on automatically when its door closed.
Officials are still investigating, but said the boy’s death appears to be accidental. They said the likely cause of death was heat exposure.
Authorities said the boy’s 13-year-old brother found him inside the dishwasher Wednesday. It was still running. Authorities said the toddler’s brother opened the dishwasher after noticing the child’s blanket lying on the ground on front of the appliance.
The child died before paramedics arrived.’
‘Before he became known as “Monster Pig,” the 1,051-pound hog shot in Delta was known by another name.
Fred.
Rhonda and Phil Blissitt told The Anniston Star on Thursday evening that, on April 29, four days before the hog was killed, Fred was one of many livestock on their farm.
Late Thursday evening, their claims were confirmed by Andy Howell, Game Warden for the Alabama Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.
“I didn’t want to stir up anything,” Rhonda Blissitt said. “I just wanted the truth to be told. That wasn’t a wild pig.”
Added Phil Blissitt:
“If it went down in the record book, it would be deceiving, and we’d know that for the rest of our lives.”‘
Followup to Boy Bags Wild Hog Bigger Than ‘Hogzilla’.
‘A man has been shot dead by a security guard for singing out of tune in a Philippine karaoke bar.
Romy Baligula, 29, was halfway through his song on Tuesday night in a bar in San Mateo town, east of Manila, when 43-year-old security guard Robilito Ortega yelled that he was out of tune.
When Mr Baligula ignored his comments and continued singing, Ortega pulled out his revolver and shot him in the chest.
Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas said Mr Baligula died instantly. [..]
Deaths and violence are not uncommon in Philippine karaoke bars.
The popular Frank Sinatra song My Way has been taken off many karaoke bars in Manila after it was found to be the cause of fights and even deaths when patrons sang out of tune.’
‘A 5-year-old panda who last year became the first to be released into the wild after being bred in captivity has died, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said Thursday.
The body of Xiang Xiang was found Feb. 19 in the forests of Sichuan province in China’s southwest, Xinhua said. He survived less than a year in the wild after nearly three years of training in survival techniques and defense tactics.
Xiang Xiang, who may have fallen from a high place while fighting with wild pandas, died of serious internal injuries, the report said, citing the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan.’
‘As the out-of-control police cruiser hurtled toward them Wednesday night, Crystal Legrand grabbed her two youngest children and took cover behind a wall.
Legrand’s boyfriend snatched up her eldest, a 4-year-old boy named Daviay, trying to reach safety, too, but they couldn’t escape.
The patrol car struck them, killing Daviay Legrand and shattering the boyfriend’s legs. Furious residents later massed at the crash scene and threw bottles and rocks at police. [..]
Two officers – one a rookie, the other an eight-year veteran – had been responding to the same report of a man with a gun when their cruisers collided at a downtown intersection. One of the cruisers slid onto the sidewalk, just a half-block from Legrand’s home. [..]
Another witness, Crystal Spearman, said: “First you heard the sirens, then you heard the tires screech, then you heard the bang. The little boy was laying there, severed in half.”‘
‘Could it be that our soldiers died to enrich five or six International Oil Companies (Four of them American)? Or that possibly a million Iraqis suffered the same fate for the same reason? You might recall that President Bush claimed that one of the Benchmarks the Iraqi Government must meet is a deal to share the Oil revenues. What he didn’t say is with whom they, the Iraqis, will have to share. Seems like it’s not the Iraqis. [..]
Seems that those International Oil Companies (can you say EXXON, MOBILE, and BP for starters), stand to pluck the Iraqi people for about $21 Trillion. Folks that’s twenty one thousand BILLION. In perspective, that’s about double the United States current cash debt, and a little over 40% of the accrued National Debt of $50 Trillion. Figured another way, it’s about $70,000 for every American currently alive. And it will all go to about six Oil companies. Well not all, there’s the Congress to be bought off, actually it seems they already have, but they still need to get a little more of the harvest.’
‘A new house in northern China collapsed and killed at least 16 people during a banquet being held to celebrate its completion, state media reported today.
Yang Hongyi, a resident of Wulanji, a village in northern Inner Mongolia, held the banquet yesterday, inviting more than 50 people who had helped build the house.
More than 40 people were buried in the collapse and 30 suffered injuries, Xinhua news agency said.
The roof beams had been put up that afternoon, Xinhua said, citing rescuers.
The accident is under investigation.’
‘Mercury Energy says it was unaware that disconnecting power to a south Auckland home could have potentially life-threatening consequences.
Folole Muliaga, 44, died within two hours of a contractor cutting power to her Mangere home at 2pm yesterday.
Today a relative said Mrs Muliaga’s family had told the contractor that the mother-of-four was dependent on an oxygen machine, which needed electricity to run.
Mrs Muliaga’s son told TV One News that his mother – sitting with the machine – had asked the contractor to give them a chance, but the man had replied he was just doing his job.’
‘A ship’s doctor has died in Western Australia after eating blowfish, a delicacy that can prove fatal if not prepared properly.
Authorities were called to an iron ore ship off Dampier early on Saturday after a 43-year-old Chinese man suffered paralysis and his breathing became laboured.
“We did a co-ordinated rescue effort through Australian Search and Rescue,” said Acting Sergeant Chris Hinch. [..]
“The other person who had eaten the fish fell ill and made himself vomit,” he said.
“There was another gentleman who did CPR on the doctor and fell ill because the doctor had vomited while he was giving him CPR.
“We bought him to shore as a precautionary measure.”‘
‘When Dana Acker went to check on her 15-year-old son in the bath, she never imagined she would never see him alive again. Joshua Dean Knight died after inhaling from an aerosol can used to clean electronics. [..]
More and more kids around the country are engaging in a dangerous practice they call “computer dusting.” The product, made by a variety of manufacturers, produces a burst of air which is meant to blow dust off keyboards, cameras or other hardware.
Acker says more and more kids are dying each year because they don’t realize the burst of air contains a chemical, Freon, which is used in refrigerators and air conditioners. She says officers who responded to her son’s death told her it’s a growing problem.’
‘An obsessive nicknamed The Dettol Man died after continually cleaning himself and his home with the disinfectant, an inquest heard.
Recluse Jacques Niemand may have been overcome by fumes from the dozens of bottles of the cleaning fluid he kept in his flat.
The 42-year-old had so much of the chemical in his system his body was starved of oxygen, the inquest was told.
More than 100 bottles of Dettol were found crammed in a suitcase at Mr Niemand’s home. Several buckets containing the fluid were also found.
His sister, Ruth Bain, said the man had suffered from an obsessive cleaning disorder for years and she would not go into his home because it was ‘stifling’.’
‘Not fake – He’s dead. It happened Wednesday 1 April 1981, in Hawaii.
This is the news report of the incident:
Australian stuntman Jim Bailey, known as ”The Human Torpedo,” fell 500 feet to his death from an airplane while making a film for television Wednesday, authorities said.
Initially, authorities said Baily was performing for ABC-TV’s ”That’s Incredible,” but the show’s producer denied having any connection with the accident.
Witnesses, including members of the Maui Fire Department and the rescue unit, said Bailey, a resident of Brisbane, Australia, was suspended underneath a single-engine Ballanca by a strap and belt when the belt broke. He hung onto the strap for a few seconds before falling.’
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‘In the early 1960s, America’s top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to kill innocent people and commit acts of terrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a war against Cuba.
Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible assassination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, hijacking planes, blowing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent terrorism in U.S. cities.
The plans were developed as ways to trick the American public and the international community into supporting a war to oust Cuba’s then new leader, communist Fidel Castro.
America’s top military brass even contemplated causing U.S. military casualties, writing: “We could blow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba,” and, “casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.” ‘
‘Lopes had already started work on both her second solo album and on songs for the fourth TLC album, 3D, when she was killed in a car accident in Honduras on April 25, 2002. She was the sole victim of seven people in the vehicle (a Mitsubishi Pajero). The vehicle rolled several times, throwing Lisa out the window. She died from severe head injuries. Lisa’s mother Wanda later tried to sue Mitsubishi Motors, as the Pajero was prone to rollovers.’
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