Thursday, 19 April 2012

Breivik 'hoped attacks would kill hundreds'

Breivik 'hoped attacks would kill hundreds'

Anders Behring Breivik (R) with his lawyer Geir Lippestad (L) and guards in court (18 April) Breivik (r) devoted a "sabbatical" year to an online role-play game
Norway's confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik says he intended hundreds should die in his attack on a Labour Party camp last year.
Breivik, 33, told his trial he planned to behead former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland during the rampage, and post a video of it on the internet.
He also hoped his car bomb in Oslo would kill the entire government.
The attacks killed 77 people. Breivik, 33, disputes a report by a psychiatrist describing him as insane.
He also told the court he used computer games to rehearse attack scenarios.
Arriving in court on day four of his trial, Breivik made no far-right salute, unlike previous days. His lawyers had asked him not to salute.
He says he acted to protect Norway and Europe from multiculturalism.
The BBC's Steve Rosenberg, at the trial in Oslo, says Breivik was behaving differently from his irritable performance on Wednesday: he was answering most of the questions put to him and seems calm.
'Weapon of mass destruction' Breivik's waking thought on the day of the attacks - 22 July 2011 - was "today is the day I will die", he told the court in testimony setting out details of his plans and preparation.
First he set off a car bomb outside a government building in Oslo, killing eight people; he claimed he had intended to kill the entire government.

At the scene

Steve Rosenberg BBC News, Oslo
It wasn't only the words words today that were so chilling. It was the way Anders Breivik delivered them. Calmly, almost proudly, he described the objective of his attack on Utoeya Island.
It was to kill everybody who was there, more than 500 people. And not by shooting them all. Breivik calculated that most of his victims would drown in the lake attempting escape. The waters around the island would, he said, be his weapon of mass destruction.
He named former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland as his primary target. She had been visiting the camp. Breivik planned to capture and then decapitate her using a bayonet and knife.
"I stand for what I did, and would still do it again," he said. In the courtroom, some of the survivors broke down in tears.
Earlier Breivik revealed his original plan had been for three bombs targeting the government, the Labour Party HQ and the Royal Palace. But he found it harder than expected to make explosives. And settled for one car bomb and one gun attack.
He had apparently wanted to instigate three such bombings, but settled for one when he discovered how difficult it was to make the bombs.
Instead he made his way to Utoeya island and shot dead 69 people - many of them teenagers - at a summer camp being held there.
Breivik claimed he had wanted to kill all 600 or so people on the island, using the surrounding lake as a "weapon of mass destruction" in which they would drown.
His main target had been Mrs Brundtland, whom he planned to capture and behead - and post a video of this on the internet; Breivik said he had got the idea from al-Qaeda.
However the former prime minister had left the island before Breivik arrived.
"I stand for Utoeya and what I did, and would still do it again," he said - as survivors and victims' relatives cried quietly, shaking their heads in disgust at some of the harshest words Breivik has uttered in the trial, AFP news agency reported.
However he insisted he was not a "child murderer".
"I believe that all political activists who choose to fight for multiculturalism are legitimate targets. And 44 out of the 69 people [killed on the island] had leadership positions," he told the court.
"Does this also apply to the 14- and 15-year-olds?" the prosecution asked.
"It is not desirable to focus on people under the age of 18 but there was no other desirable political target on that day," Breivik replied.
Asked what it was like to carry out such a rampage, Breivik responded that it was an "extremely difficult" thing to do. "It goes against human nature in many ways," he said.
'Sabbatical' Breivik has admitted the killings but denies criminal responsibility, saying he acted to protect Norway and Europe from multiculturalism.
"Militant nationalists in Europe are divided," he told the court on Thursday.
"Half of them think we should attack Muslims and minorities, the other half that we should attack elites, those responsible, and hold them accountable."
In other points, Breivik said:
  • he was 15 when he became sceptical of Muslim immigration, and 18 or 19 when he first thought about committing violence
  • he named his manifesto 2083 to represent the 400th anniversary of the Battle of Vienna, when the Ottoman Turks were defeated
  • he named the guns he used in the Utoeya shootings after characters in Norse mythology
  • he joined the Masons as soon as he was old enough because they were a "Christian organisation that protects its members"
  • he took a year's "sabbatical" from business activities in 2006 because he was planning a "suicide action"
  • he spent the year playing the online role-play game, World of Warcraft, for up to 16 hours a day.
The court heard that Breivik formed a company in the Bahamas as a front for money-laundering funds intended for nationalist activities.
The court is seeking to determine whether Breivik is sane. If so, he will be jailed for at least 21 years, although that sentence can be extended.
If he is deemed insane, he will be committed to a psychiatric institution.
Breivik's evidence is scheduled to last five days, concluding on Monday. The entire proceedings are expected to last 10 weeks.
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Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Bill Cosby Breaks Silence on Trayvon …

Bill Cosby has weighed in on the Trayvon Martin case.
The famed comedian told the Washington Times that neighborhood watch volunteers like George Zimmerman, who shot and killed the unarmed black teenager, should not be allowed to carry guns.
"We've got to get the gun out of the hands of people who are supposed to be on neighborhood watch," Cosby said in his first public remarks about the case, published today.
"Without a gun, I don't see Mr. Zimmerman approaching Trayvon by himself," Cosby added. "The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone. Even police call for backup in similar situations.
"When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody."
"The Cosby Show" star's remarks were immediately circulated on the Web, including conservative sites that took issue with Cosby's pinpointing "the gun" as the problem.
Cosby steered clear of mentioning race in a case that has sparked allegations of racism and a nationwide outcry for justice. In the past, however, he has been unafraid to jump into the fray and has even caused controversy of his own.
In the late 1980s, Cosby inserted himself into the case of Tawana Brawley, a black teenage girl who said she was sexually assaulted by six white men, including a police officer and an assistant district attorney. Cosby pledged his public support to her and contributed to a $25,000 reward for information in the case.
"Bill and I don't care who the perpetrators are, whether they're black, white, pink, yellow or family. They should be caught," Essence magazine publisher Edward Lewis, who also contributed to the reward, told People at the time.
A grand jury later found insufficient evidence of a rape, and Brawley and her advisers -- including Rev. Al Sharpton, who was thrust into the spotlight -- were successfully sued for defamation. The incident inflamed racial tension nationwide.
Nearly two decades later, Cosby stirred racial tension, this time within the black community. During a 2004 NAACP celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education school-desegregation decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Cosby upbraided poor black parents for buying their children expensive sneakers but not teaching them proper English.
"These people marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around," Cosby said at the event.
"I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... and I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk," Cosby continued. "And then I heard the father talk. ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth."
After his comments sparked a nationwide debate, Cosby said in a statement that he meant for his remarks to be a call to action.
"I feel that I can no longer remain silent," he said. "If I have to make a choice between keeping quiet so that conservative media does not speak negatively or ringing the bell to galvanize those who want change in the lower economic community, then I choose to be a bell ringer."
Since then, Cosby, who has a doctorate degree in education, has continued to espouse responsible parenting, the importance of good education and personal accountability.
"Stand up and stop looking for somebody to blame," he told an audience of community association leaders in 2008.
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Identity of Titanic's 'unknown child' a sad mystery for nearly a century

Identity of Titanic's 'unknown child' a sad mystery for nearly a century

By The Canadian Press | Associated Press – Tue, Apr 10, 2012
HALIFAX - Little Sidney Leslie Goodwin was laid to rest in Halifax's Fairview Lawn Cemetery nearly a century before anyone knew who he was.
The toddler's body was plucked from the North Atlantic by crew members aboard the Mackay-Bennett, one of two cable ships tasked with recovering Titanic's dead after the ship sank on April 15, 1912.
"When they brought in this small child, tiny child, with no life-jacket, they were very much moved," says Alan Ruffman, a Halifax author and researcher who ultimately helped find the child's identity.
"They resolved among themselves that if no one claimed this body, they would see that it got a decent burial."
Days later, the boy's remains were buried at the end of a row of Titanic victims, beneath a grey tombstone dedicated to an "unknown child."
It would be 90 years before he was finally given a name.
In 2002, DNA technology and dental analysis concluded the exhumed remains were those of a 13-month-old Finnish boy named Eino Viljami Panula.
Two years later, a family from Ontario donated a pair of mottled brown shoes to a Halifax museum, claiming they belonged to the boy.
But the shoes were too large for such a young child.
Scientists went back to work using a more advanced form of DNA decoding. Last May, it was announced that the toddler was in fact 19-month-old Sidney Leslie Goodwin, a third-class English passenger whose family perished in the sinking.
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breaking news -FBI replaces bin Laden on Ten Most Wanted list


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A child pornography suspect has been placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list to replace al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. forces last year.
Eric Justin Toth, 30, a former private school teacher, was indicted in 2008 in Maryland on one count related to producing child pornography, according to court records. Authorities found pornographic images on a camera in his possession, the FBI said.
Authorities are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Toth's arrest.
There also is a sealed two-count complaint against Toth that has been filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., which charges him with possessing a video that includes an image of child pornography and transporting it across state lines, according to the FBI.
Toth may advertise himself on the Internet as a tutor or a male nanny and was believed to have lived in Arizona as recently as 2009. Prior to that he was believed to have been in Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the FBI said.
If convicted on the charge in Maryland, Toth would face at least 15 years in prison and as many as 30 years.
The addition to the list comes almost a year after bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by U.S. forces. The FBI said putting Toth on the list was the culmination of a lengthy process including surveying its 56 field offices for candidates and approval by top FBI officials.
Toth is the 495th person to be on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. There is another vacancy on it due to the capture of reputed mobster James "Whitey" Bulger last year.

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Okonjo-Iweala gets United Nations job

Okonjo-Iweala gets United Nations job

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was on Tuesday selected by the United Nations to participate in a worldwide effort to address child malnutrition, a day after she was interviewed by the World Bank board for the post of the president of the global financial institution.
Okonjo-Iweala and 26 other global leaders were picked for the job by the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
An announcement by the UN Department of Public Information, said Ban appointed 27 individuals, including some heads of state and other reputable individuals to focus on improving nutrition as key to progress in health and development.
The group is to represent the many countries, organisations and sectors working to improve nutrition, and serve as strategic guides for the global movement. It is also expected to scale up nutrition, which is committed to advancing the strength and security of nations by improving maternal and child nutrition.
SUN is a global push for action and investment to improve maternal and child nutrition.
“Never before have so many leaders from so many countries and fields agreed to work together to improve nutrition,” said Ban.
He explained that “the SUN movement gives all of us, including the UN, an opportunity to support countries in their efforts to end hunger and malnutrition.”
Okonjo-Iweala will be joining the lead group, which includes heads of state from countries that have prioritised efforts to scale up nutrition, as well as representatives of the donor, civil society, business and UN system organisations that are aligning resources to help SUN countries drive progress.
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Friday, 23 March 2012

Drowning killed Houston but drugs took high toll

Drowning killed Houston but drugs took high toll

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Drugs took many things from Whitney Houston — her pristine voice, clean image and her career — and coroner's officials revealed Thursday that cocaine also played a role in the Grammy winner's death in the bathtub of a luxury hotel nearly six weeks ago.
Houston drowned accidentally at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Feb. 11, and autopsy results revealed heart disease and her recent and chronic cocaine use were contributing factors.
The results ended weeks of speculation about what killed the singer-actress at age 48 on the eve of the Grammy Awards and a planned comeback. Instead, Houston now joins the long list of entertainers who have died early with drugs at least partly to blame.
Coroner's officials did not reveal how much cocaine was found in Houston's system, but said there were signs of recent and chronic use. It was unclear whether she suffered a heart attack before drowning, Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said.
"We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure," Patricia Houston, the singer's sister-in-law and manager, said in a statement.
Houston's death the night before the Grammys altered the awards ceremony and brought back immediate memories of the singer in her better days, belting out hits and starring in the feature films such as "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale." Years later, Houston's drug use had robbed her of her ability to hit high notes and left her once clean image tarnished.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 television interview with then-husband Bobby Brown by her side.
In 2009, after she had divorced Brown, she told Oprah Winfrey that her cocaine and marijuana use took over her life. Both drugs were found in Houston's system after she died, though the marijuana and several other prescription drugs played no role in her death, coroner's officials said.
"I had so much money and so much access to what I wanted," Houston told Winfrey. "I didn't think about the singing part anymore. I was looking for my young womanhood."
Houston's planned comeback after that interview didn't pan out, but she was taking another shot this year with her appearance in a remake of the film "Sparkle."
She stars as the mother of a family of girls who form a singing group and struggle with fame and addiction. She also sang for the film, delivering a soulful rendition of the gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow."
It is unclear what impact, if any, the autopsy results will have on the film, although untimely death has not been an impediment to the posthumous releases of other actors and entertainers. Heath Ledger's performance in "The Dark Knight" helped propel the film to blockbuster status and earned the actor a posthumous Oscar. He died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January 2008, months before the film's release.
More recently, Amy Winehouse's duet "Body and Soul" with Tony Bennett earned them a Grammy Award, months after the singer died unexpectedly in London. An inquest determined she died from an accidental alcohol overdose.
A spokesman for Sony Pictures did not return an email message Thursday seeking comment on whether Houston's autopsy results would alter marketing of "Sparkle."
It will be a couple weeks before the exact amount of cocaine in Houston's system is released, officials said.
The drug has been known to cause damage to the heart and could have cause Houston's death, said Dr. Michael Fishbein, professor of pathology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He had no role in the investigation.
He said a likely scenario was that Houston's cocaine use interfered with the normal function of her heart.
"There's no reason to drown in a bathtub unless you're incapacitated," Fishbein said.
Houston's friend and collaborators said after her death that they didn't believe she was still abusing drugs, and she described as being a complete professional on the "Sparkle" set.
Houston, a sensation from her first, eponymous album in 1985, was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, turning out such hits as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," ''How Will I Know," ''The Greatest Love of All" and "I Will Always Love You."
She was buried last month in a New Jersey cemetery next to her father after an emotional four-hour funeral service that was attended by friends, family and superstars such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Roberta Flack
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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
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Associated Press writers Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York and Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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woman throws powder on Kim Kardashian

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Sheriff's deputies say a woman threw powder on Kim Kardashian in the lobby of a West Hollywood hotel where the television personality was hosting an event.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says deputies were called to the unidentified hotel on North San Vicente Boulevard shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday.
Deputy Peter Gomez says the woman who allegedly threw the powder was detained by hotel security and later released at the scene.
Gomez says Kardashian told the deputies she did not want to press charges against the woman and a non-criminal battery report was taken
Gomez says paramedics were called to the hotel, but Kardashian refused medical treatment.
He says Kardashian returned to her room, removed the powder from her hair and clothing and returned to the event.
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