Sunday, April 24, 2005

St. Petersburg, Florida police were taped on video handcuffing a five-year-old kindergarten student who had earlier torn papers off a bulletin board and punched an assistant principal. The camera happened to be filming on March 14 as part of a classroom self-improvement exercise at Fairmount Park Elementary. Video of the event has been released by a lawyer for the child’s mother.

The little girl had already calmed down from her tantrum by the time of arrival of the police, but they cuffed her anyway. Police had been called when a phone call to mother Inga Akins, had led teachers to believe that it would take an hour for Ms Akins to arrive and take the girl away.

The video reportedly shows three officers pin the passive girl’s arms behind her back and put on handcuffs, as she screams, “No!”

Attorney for the mother, John Trevena, called the incident “incomprehensible”. He provided the tape to the media this week, after obtaining it from police.

“The image itself will be seared into people’s minds when you have three police officers bending a child over a table and forcibly handcuffing her,” said Mr Trevena.

Police planned to investigate the incident and make public the findings in around two weeks.

Monday, June 26, 2006

The famous Baywatch star, Pamela Anderson, arrived today in Athens, Greece, taking part in the pan-European promotion of the MAC cosmetic products as well as in the fight against the sprawl of HIV (AIDS). Anderson held a press conference at a central Athens Hotel, during which a 30,000-Euro check issued by the MAC AIDS Fund was handed to Kentro Zois, a Greek non-profit organization. Later today, fans of Pamela Anderson would have the opportunity to meet her in downtown Athens, in the crowded Ermou street, in an organized appearance of the famous actress in a specific store.

Accompanying the Hollywood actress in Athens is Peter Lichtenthal, MAC global general manager. Established in Toronto, Canada, in 1984, MAC soon flourished through cool combinations of recycling strategies and show-biz glitz. The famous Canadian–American actress is committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS, including working with children and supporting associations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. MAC company’s cosmetics are known for pushing the limits of the global beauty industry. The same happens when it comes to its efforts in fighting AIDS, for which the company is currently collaborating with Pamela Anderson, organizing a promotion-trip around Europe.

Monday, September 7, 2015

The US economy added 173,000 jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. The unemployment rate fell from 5.3 to 5.1 percent, the lowest since April 2008.

Although August job gains were lower than most economists forecast, job growth numbers for June and July were revised upwards by a combined 44,000. Average job gains over the past three months stand at 221,000, compared to March-May’s 189,000 monthly average. Over the past twelve months, job growth has averaged 247,000 per month.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent, or 8 cents, marking the largest increase in earnings in seven months. Hourly earnings had risen by 6 cents in July. Wages have risen by 2.2 percent over the past year.

Job growth in August was primarily concentrated in the health care and social assistance, financial activities, and professional and business services sectors. Those three areas of the economy added a combined 108,000 jobs. Food service and drinking places employment increased by 26,000 over the month, and other economic sectors saw employment hold steady. Manufacturing, on the other hand, saw employment decline by 17,000 in August. A stronger dollar and worldwide economic weakness make US exports less desirable, leading to a flattening in manufacturing employment so far this year after steadily rising in the early years of the US economic recovery.

The solid overall job gains led analysts to slightly raise expectations for a decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month. Investors raised the likelihood of a September rate increase from 26 percent before the jobs report to 30 percent, and stocks dropped by over one percent on Friday. “The payrolls data is certainly good enough to allow for a Fed rate hike in September,” said Deutsche Bank’s head of currency strategy, Alan Ruskin. “The big question is still whether financial market volatility will scupper the plans.”

“This is the first time the market has looked at a Fed meeting and really has no idea what the Fed is going to do,” said Mark Kepner, a New Jersey equity trader with Themis Trading. “Right now you’re looking at the overall uncertainty and that’s what’s hanging on the market. I don’t think this number in and of itself changes how somebody’s going to vote.”

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

AUSTRALIA —Following hospitalisation for pancreatitis and ongoing speculation about his leadership, Mark Latham has resigned from his roles as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and also the Federal Member for Werriwa. He cited as reasons the media harassment, and a desire to put his family and health first.

Mr Latham became leader of the ALP just over a year ago, on 2 December, 2003, leading the party during the October 2004 federal election. He was hospitalised in the run-up to that election, also for treatment of pancreatitis. Following the defeat of his party, his leadership increasingly came under question.

He fell ill a second time almost simultaneously with last year’s Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. His failure to issue a statement on the tsunami drew criticism from the media and calls for his resignation from within his own party, even after it was revealed that he had been incapacitated at the time.

Mr Latham’s resignation sidesteps the possibility of a leadership challenge by other members of the party and leaves no clear successor.

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Aylesbury, England — The Arsenal F.C. midfielder Jermaine Pennant, currently on loan to Birmingham City, has today pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance by Aylesbury magistrates court. Pennant received a sentence of three months imprisonment. Pennant’s lawyer, Bary Warbutton, has said that the footballer will appeal against the severity of the sentence.

The incident occurred on January 23 of this year, Pennant was arrested after crashing teammate Ashley Cole’s car into a lamppost. The 22-year-old claimed that he crashed the car after attempting to operate the car’s Satellite navigation system.

Despite the claim by Warbutton that imprisonment “could completely destroy his career”, Birmingham City have said that they will stand by the player, and help to rehabilitate him. Arsenal released a statement saying that the sentence would not impact the player’s future with the club; his contract with club expires in the summer, at the same time as his loan-spell with Birmingham ends.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

18 members of the Granny Peace Brigade (an anti-war activist group) were acquitted on charges of disorderly conduct during a protest outside a Times Square military recruiting center in New York City last fall.

The defendants in the case – some were in their 80s and 90s – were charged with two counts of disorderly conduct during their October 17, 2005 protest of the Iraq war.

The Judge Neil Ross says that his verdict is not a critique of any particular police agency but that evidence showed there was no blockage of pedestrian traffic and anyone who wanted to enter the recruiting center could do so. The Manhattan courtroom erupted into applause after Judge Ross said that the prosecution “failed to prove each defendant guilty of each charge.”

The defense lawyer Norman Siegel said that the women were pleased by the verdict and was quoted saying that, “They are great Americans, and they walk the shoes of great Americans who have made America the place that it is,”

If any of the defendants were convicted, they each could have faced up to 15 days in prison.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A London man charged on Sunday with drugging and murdering four men made his first court appearance yesterday. Stephen Port, 40, was remanded to appear before a higher court tomorrow.

Port faces four counts of murder and four counts of “administering a poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm”. He is alleged to have administered overdoses of recreational drug GHB. He allegedly murdered the men at his home before dumping the bodies, after finding victims online using gay dating services.

Three of the deaths were last year. Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, was found dead on June 19, 2014 in Cooke Street. Port lives in Cooke Street. The other three alleged victims were found in the vicinity of St Margaret’s Church on North Street. Gabriel Kovari, 22, was discovered dead on August 28. Daniel Whitworth, 21, was found dead the following month on September 20. Fourth alleged victim Jack Taylor, 25, was found a year later on September 14.

Whitworth and Kovari were known to each other, according to testimony at inquest. The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission concerning what police called “potential vulnerabilities in [our response] to the four deaths.” Police did not initially link the deaths.

Special needs teacher Port, who was guarded by three officers in the dock, spoke in court to confirm his identity. He did not indicate if he will deny the offences. He was arrested following a police appeal to trace a man seen with Taylor shortly before his death.

Police at the time released security footage of Taylor’s movements, with an officer telling the press “the man captured on CCTV may well be the last person to talk to Jack.” The four deaths were finally linked and passed to the Metropolitan Police’s serious crime investigators on Wednesday last week.

The Magistrates’ Court ordered Taylor to appear at the Old Bailey, a famed London courthouse, tomorrow. He spent the hearing holding one arm, and repeatedly looking at the floor, whilst clad in a grey tracksuit given to him by the authorities holding him.