Japan Executes Three Convicted Murderers

Japan has executed three inmates convicted of murder in its first executions since the new Government took office in December.

Kaoru Kobayashi, 44, abducted, assaulted and killed a seven-year-old girl in 2004, and sent a photograph of her body to her mother.

Masahiro Kanagawa, 29, killed one man and injured seven other people in a knifing spree outside a shopping mall in a Tokyo suburb in 2008; he also murdered another man in a separate incident the same year.

The third man hanged was Keiki Muto, 62, who strangled a bar owner for money in 2002.

"I ordered the executions after giving careful consideration to the matter," Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said as he confirmed they took place early on Thursday morning.

"These were extremely cruel cases in which victims were deprived of their precious lives for very selfish reasons."

The executions were Japan's first since two death-row inmates were hanged in September under a centre-left Democratic Party of Japan Government.

Japan did not execute any condemned inmates in 2011, the first full year in nearly two decades without an execution amid muted debate on the rights and wrongs of a policy that has wide public support.

But in March last year, Tokyo resumed its use of capital punishment with an unapologetic Government minister signing death warrants for three multiple murderers.

Apart from the US, Japan is the only major industrialised democracy to carry out capital punishment, a practice that has led to repeated protests from European governments and human rights groups.

International advocacy groups say the system is cruel because death row inmates can wait for their executions for many years in solitary confinement and are only told of their impending death a few hours ahead of time.

The Japan branch of Amnesty International has said it "strongly condemns" Thursday's executions.

"The Japanese Government cannot be excused from abiding by international human rights standards by citing how the public are feeling," the organisation said.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

College Bans Frat House 'Fun' On Campus

Florida's biggest public college has halted frat house initiation rituals over "alcohol and hazing" concerns.

The University of Central Florida (UCF) said fraternity and sorority chapters must stop virtually all of the Greek Life social and recruitment activities so they can "comprehensively address" the issues.

The only permitted activities for the organisations, until further notice, are philanthropic or other items specifically approved by the UCF Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

The Phi Delta Theta fraternity website said it has a 'no hazing' policy

The college said on its website: "Recent events have demonstrated that our Greek community needs a culture change when it comes to issues related to alcohol use and abuse and hazing."

It added: "Chapter activities will resume when we are satisfied that our Greek culture reflects the values of the UCF Creed and, more importantly, that we can ensure compliance with laws and university regulations governing hazing and alcohol.

"For many chapters, we are hopeful that will occur before the end of the spring semester."

Vice president of student development and enrolment services Maribeth Ehasz said a string of hazing events prompted the move on campus.

The announcement on the college website about the suspension

The decision caused a swift reaction with public university students across Florida taking to Facebook to complain, but experts praised UCF for tackling a problem affecting colleges across the United States.

Hazing is often associated with North American Greek letter organisations with initiation rituals that may involve humiliation, physical or psychological abuse, nudity or sexual activities.

Activities of frat house life were made famous by the late comedy actor John Belushi in the 1978 film Animal House, which also starred Kevin Bacon.

A John Belushi lookalike at the 25th anniversary of Animal House

Students who attain membership as undergraduates of the single-sex chapters can share social engagements and later gain internships or employment with former fraternity or sorority members.

UCF suspended two fraternities earlier this month, with one - Sigma Chi - receiving its second probation. In 2011 an underage female drinker, Ann Hefferin, died after attending a party at the frat house.

Last December Alpha Tau Omega was also put on disciplinary probation by authorities.

In the last three years Greek organisations have broken alcohol-related rules 13 times and violated hazing rules at least three times, according to UCF.

The UCF statement said: "The university will be engaging members of the Greek community, including students, advisers, national organisations and chapter alumni, in conversations about the future of Greek Life at UCF.

"We also are encouraging chapters and national organisations to share best practices for promoting responsible behaviour."

So-called dry social events, where alcohol is banned, have also been temporarily outlawed by the college.

UCF told all of its chapter members: "We expect you to be aware of the potential risks and consequences associated with alcohol use and other inappropriate behaviours."

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sony Reveals Next-Generation PlayStation 4

PS4 Buzz Turns To Disappointment

Updated: 1:26pm UK, Thursday 21 February 2013

By Niall Paterson, Media and Technology Correspondent

It wasn't so much a case of "blink and you'll miss it", as "close your eyes and imagine it".

Launching a product without showing anyone what it looks like is a bold marketing tactic indeed - but that's exactly what Sony did with the PlayStation 4.

Given the company lost £3.2bn in the last financial year, you'd have thought the successor to the 75m-selling PS3 would have been front and centre.

Which, without physically being on show, it was.

It is, of course, far more important to consider what the PS4 can do, rather than what it looks like sat next to your telly.

And whilst nothing that was announced on Wednesday was particularly revelatory, gamers, particularly the PlayStation faithful, will have started to get butterflies.

Described by Sony as having "supercharged PC architecture", the PS4's X86 CPU, enhanced GPU and 8 GB memory, plus a new controller communicating with a motion-sensing camera on the console, promise a substantial technical leap forward from the six year old PS3 - if not an "exponential improvement on its predecessors" as Mark Cerny, lead PS4 system architect, hyperbolically commented.

"A PC in a box", as one PS fan described it on Twitter. Not far off the mark.

But we didn't get a price. Nor did Sony announce a firm release date, pointing to "holiday 2013".

We did discover that it would not be "backwards compatible" - that it would not play PS3 games - save, perhaps, through the Gaikai cloud-sharing service Sony bought last year.

The rumoured "share button" did materialise - meaning the console will monitor and buffer your last fifteen minutes of gameplay, and allow you to share your achievements with your friends.

But that was perhaps where the excitement began, and ended.

Despite all the buzz ahead of the launch there has been something of a lacklustre response from tech websites concerned, or perhaps annoyed, at a lack of substance.

"Talk is the cheapest thing there is," commented Wired. "And that's basically what Sony did today.

"It espoused a philosophy, said the names of a lot of popular games, but didn't give us any real, concrete information in an age where it's more important than ever."

Gizmodo snarkily observed: "As the hours of demos and introductions dragged on, it became increasingly obvious that we weren't actually going to see the PlayStation 4.

"Sony either isn't ready for primetime, or Sony thinks the best way to get us interested is to play hard to get."

CNet delivered perhaps the most crushing assessment: "The PS4 looks like it's long on promises and big-picture dreaming, but currently short on clear, concrete reasons why anyone would be tempted to buy one."

The launch was clearly an attempt to steal a march on the expected X-Box launch at the E3, the annual video games expo held in June.

But for interest to have been truly piqued, Sony needed to show a little more leg along with the ankle.

And perhaps the biggest question remains: who, Sony or Microsoft, will get to market first?

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shard Team To Build World's Tallest Tower

The team behind the construction of the Shard in London has landed a contract to project-manage the $1.2bn (£780m) construction of the world's tallest building.

London-based Mace will work with fellow British firm EC Harris to create the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, which will stand at more than 3,280ft high.

The building, overlooking the Red Sea, is expected to take over from the 2,717ft Burj Khalifa in Dubai as the world's tallest skyscraper and be more than three times the height of the 1,017ft Shard.

The Kingdom Tower will have floor space of more than 5,381,955 square feet and will be a mixed-use building featuring a five-star Four Seasons hotel, apartments, office space and an observatory.

The Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), which appointed the two firms to provide project, commercial and design management, said the vision for the building belonged to Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

JEC's chief executive officer, Waleed Abdul Jaleel Batterjee, said: "His vision is also that the project itself will set the world's sights on our beloved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and particularly on Jeddah."

Mark Reynolds, chief executive of Mace, said: "Kingdom Tower is a project of international importance and immense ambition and we are delighted to be part of the joint venture team tasked with its delivery."

Keith Brooks, head of property and social infrastructure at EC Harris, said: "The Kingdom Tower is a landmark building that will clearly demonstrate Saudi Arabia's ambitions to the world."

Building work will start later this year and will be completed within 63 months.

Meanwhile, JEC is in final talks about appointing a quantity surveyor consultancy which will also be a UK-based firm.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Oscar Pistorius: 'No Forensic Evidence For Murder'

There is no forensic evidence to prove that Oscar Pistorius murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the Olympian's lawyer has told the court.

Barry Roux, acting for Pistorius, today attempted to pick apart the prosecution's claims arguing that the athlete better known as Blade Runner should be granted bail.

He said that the quality of the police evidence against the 26-year-old was poor and exposed "disastrous shortcomings" in the case.

Mr Roux outlined his case on the third day of Pistorius' bail hearing as the sporting hero sobbed in the dock.

Speaking from the court in Pretoria, Sky's Alex Crawford said: "He (Mr Roux) has started going point-by-point through each of the charges, or points, that the state has made as to why he (Pistorius) should not get bail.

"He has basically tried to steer the magistrate towards thinking that Oscar Pistorius has exceptional circumstances why he should be granted bail."

Oscar Pistorius holds a tissue as the defence outlines its case

The defence also pointed out that:

:: Pistorius tried to save Miss Steenkamp's life by carrying her downstairs and calling Netcare.

:: Pistorius didn't know the toilet door was locked when he shot - addressing the prosecution question over why a burglar would lock themselves in the bathroom.

:: Lead investigating officer Hilton Botha "did not show honesty" when giving evidence.

:: Botha tailored his evidence to incriminate Pistorius as much as possible.

:: Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp had a loving relationship and the prosecution had not proved otherwise.

:: If Pistorius had waited for police to arrive after Miss Steenkamp's death, why would he abscond now?

The family of Pistorius watch proceedings intently

Magistrate Desmond Nair asked Mr Roux: "Do you think there will be shock if the accused is released?"

Mr Roux replied: "No, after hearing his defence I think there will be shock if he's not."

The defence laid out its case amid scenes of high drama as proceedings were halted because of a "threat outside the court". However, no threat emerged and the court reconvened with no explanation from the magistrate over the adjournment.

Responding, the prosecution said:

:: He fired four shots so it was clear that Pistorius planned to kill someone.

:: Asked why he had not woken his girlfriend to ask her if she had heard and intruder?

:: Questioned why Miss Steenkamp had taken her mobile phone with her to the toilet at 3am.

The court has been adjourned and will reconvene tomorrow.

Detective Hilton Botha is facing charges of attempted murder

Earlier in the morning it had emerged that the leading officer in the case, Botha, is himself facing seven charges of attempted murder.

He is alleged to have shot at seven passengers as he attempted to stop a minibus in October 2011 while drunk on duty.

The charges were initially dropped but the state prosecutor reinstated them in the days before Miss Steenkamp was killed.

Police said that they were only informed of the reinstated charges yesterday and had subsequently bolstered the team investigating the killing of Miss Steenkamp.

Botha, who will himself appear in court in May, denies that he had been drinking and said that the people he was shooting at were suspects in an investigation.

The officer was summoned to the court by the magistrate this morning, however, the attempted murder charges were not addressed.

Instead Botha was asked about mobile phone records for Miss Steenkamp and Pistorius around the hours of the shooting.

Under cross-examination on Wednesday, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in the Paralympic star's home and backtracked on key details, including the distance of witnesses from the house.

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years experience as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the shots that killed Miss Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene.

Nike has suspended its endorsement of Pistorius

Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area.

He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was.

Miss Steenkamp, 29, was hit by three bullets - one in the head, the hip and arm, Pretoria Magistrates Court heard.

Pistorius has admitted shooting the model with a 9mm pistol pulled from under his bed, but claims he did so thinking she was a burglar who was in the bathroom.

After realising his mistake, he said he broke down the door with a cricket bat and carried her downstairs.

As today's hearing started, Nike confirmed that it had suspended its endorsement contract with Pistorius.

A spokesman said: "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

:: The family of the athlete have devoted his official website to updates about the bail hearing and messages of support.

"We will issue at least two statements a day, in order to provide the media with the freshest news, taking into account the time differences," said Janine Hills, the chief executive of Vuma corporate reputation management.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pistorius Cop Facing Attempted Murder Charges

The police officer leading the Oscar Pistorius investigation has been replaced.

The move comes after it emerged that Hilton Botha is facing attempted murder charges.

Botha and two other officers are alleged to have opened fire on seven passengers in a taxi mini-bus in an attempt to stop it. It is claimed that the officers, who were on duty at the time, were drunk.

They were arrested after the event in October 2011 and charges were initially dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor in the days before the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court for the third day of his bail hearing

In a news conference after the bail hearing was adjourned until tomorrow, National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega said Botha had been replaced by senior detective Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo, divisional commissioner of the Detective Service.

Describing the "significance", "importance" and "severity" of the investigation, she said: "This matter shall receive attention at a national level and this is why I am announcing the person who will be leading this."

The South African Police Service has confirmed the charges against the detective and launched an investigation which may see Botha suspended.

Neville Malila said they had bolstered the investigation team

Spokesman Neville Malila said: "We were only informed yesterday that attempted murders charges against Hilton Botha have been reinstated."

Botha was summoned to the courtroom at the beginning of the third day of Pistorius' bail hearing, however, he was only asked to clarify why there had been delays in getting the mobile phone records of Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp in the hours surrounding the shooting incident.

The police only discovered the charges against Botha had been reinstated yesterday, although the decision was made before Miss Steenkamp's death. He is to appear in court in May.

Prosecutors admitted that the timing of the attempted murder charges had been "totally weird".

Hilton Botha arrives at court to give evidence at Pistorius' bail hearing

It is unclear why the charges against Botha were reinstated. He denies being drunk and has told a South African news channel that he was chasing suspects.

Sky's Alex Crawford said he was "absolutely shocked" and only heard about the charges being reinstated this morning.

Under cross-examination during Pistorius' bail hearing, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in the Paralympic star's home and backtracked on key details, including the distance of witnesses from the house.

Oscar Pistorius is due to find out whether he will be granted bail

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the shots that killed Miss Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene.

Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area.

He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in multiple Paralympic champion Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was.

The lead defence counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and mistakes on their initial investigation.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria: Dozens Killed In Car Bomb Attack

At least 53 people have been killed in a car bombing near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party in Syria's capital, state media said.

Around 200 others were hurt, it claimed, adding the atrocity was a suicide attack by "terrorists" battling President Bashar al Assad in a two-year uprising.

Most of the victims in the Mazraa district of Damascus were reportedly civilians, including children, possibly from a school behind the Baath building, and it was the deadliest attack inside the capital in nine months.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence via a network of sources inside Syria, said at least 42 people were killed.

The organisation reported the device was detonated at a checkpoint close to the Baath party building, about 200 metres from the Russian embassy, and members of the Syrian security forces also died.

Syrian television broadcast footage of several bodies along a main street and firefighters dousing dozens of burning vehicles.

Debris was spread over a wide area and black smoke billowed into the sky.

President Assad's forces are battling Syrian rebels

The windows of the Russian embassy were blown out by the blast but none of its staff were hurt, Russian news agencies reported.

One local resident said: "It was huge, everything in the shop turned upside down."

Damascus has so far mostly avoided the large-scale violence that has destroyed other Syrian cities.

But rebels who control districts to the south and east of the capital have been attacking Mr Assad's power base for nearly a month, and have carried out devastating bombings several times in the last year.

The United Nations has said around 70,000 people have died in the uprising since it began in March 2011.

The attack came as the opposition umbrella group, the National Coalition, was meeting in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss proposals to hold conditional talks with Mr Assad's regime.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arrests After Gang Attacks Spurs Fans In Lyon

Three men have been arrested after three Tottenham fans were taken to hospital after a group of up to 50 masked thugs attacked a bar on the eve of Spurs' game in Lyon.

Rhone police prefect Jean-Pierre Cazenave-Lacrouts said they have detained three Frenchmen, one a member of a far-right organisation and the other two fans of Olympique Lyon.

Three English fans were hurt during the clashes between rival supporters. Seven people were slightly injured," Mr Cazenave-Lacrouts said.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers smashed doors and threw cast iron chairs, wooden objects and a flare into The Smoking Dog pub in Lyon.

Up to 150 Spurs fans were drinking in the bar, popular among ex-pats in the French city, ahead of tonight's Europa League match.

Damaged caused inside the Smoking Dog pub

It is the second time that Tottenham fans have been targeted in apparent anti-Semitic attacks in the last three months.

In November, fans of the club, which has a traditionally strong Jewish following, were ambushed inside a pub in Rome on the eve of their game against Lazio.

Eyewitnesses inside The Smoking Dog said the thugs attacked the bar at 10.18pm on Wednesday night and then returned shortly after to launch another assault on the pub, which was damaged extensively as a result.

The pub's landlord, Dave Eales, from Retford, said the pub was "rammed with Tottenham fans watching the Champions League on the television. The front of the pub, which is made up of reinforced glass, was attacked by 20-25 people."

He added: "They threw projectiles through the windows. There was a stand off. They didn't get in to the bar. Then it calmed down. Then they came back a second time and it all started again.

"There were three injured Tottenham fans taken away by ambulance. One of them had a head injury. I'm not sure how bad it was."

Scene of the attack on Spurs fans in Rome in November

Far-right thugs were blamed for the knife attack on Tottenham's supporters in Rome and two eye-witnesses claimed the attack could have had an anti-Semitic motive.

One, who did not want to be named, said: "There were 50 who attacked in the first wave and 25 in the second.

"It's a pretty scary thing when you're confronted by people doing Nazi salutes."

Spurs fan Christian Radnege, who was in the bar at the time of the attack, said: "They came in making Nazi salutes. It was frightening."

Mr Eales, 42, said he had anticipated trouble may occur and that he had told the Lyon police as much earlier this week.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of an attack on British nationals in France and are offering consular assistance."

A Tottenham spokesman said: "Club officials attended an incident last night in Lyon.

"A group of around 50 people confronted fans. The situation was dealt with and arrests were made within the hour. Three fans sustained minor injuries and received prompt medical assistance."

He said Spurs officials and stewards will be in the city along with French police ahead of kick-off.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hyderabad 'Terror Attack': Multiple Deaths

At least 11 people have been killed and dozens others are missing after two blasts in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.

The blasts were about 10 minutes apart and took place in the early evening - the first going off just after 7pm local time.

The blasts happened near a cafe, cinema and a bus station in the busy district of Dilsukh Nagar.

Dozens have been rushed to hospital with injuries, a police spokesman said.

The bombs were attached to two bicycles about 500 ft apart, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said.

Relatives gather at Omini hospital to enquire about relatives

Mahesh Kumar, a 21-year-old student, was heading home when a bomb went off.

"I heard a huge sound and something hit me, I fell down, and somebody brought me to the hospital," said the student who suffered shrapnel wounds.

Hyderabad, India's fourth most populous city of 6.8 million people, is a hub of India's information technology industry and has a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus.

A relative in tears at the Omini hospital

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote on Twitter: "This is a dastardly attack, the guilty will not go unpunished.

"I appeal to the public to remain calm and maintain peace."

India has been in a state of alert since Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri, was hanged in a New Delhi jail nearly two weeks ago.

Guru had been convicted of involvement in a 2001 attack on India's parliament that killed 14 people including five gunmen.

Many in Indian-ruled Kashmir do not believe Guru received a fair trial, and the secrecy with which the execution was carried out has fuelled anger in a region where anti-India sentiment runs deep.

India's other cities are now on high alert.

Police are working on the theory that the explosions are "the work of a professional terror group".

The last major bomb attack in India was a September 2011 blast outside the high court in New Delhi that killed 13 people.

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three Dead In Las Vegas 'Rolling Gun Battle'

Three people are dead and at least three wounded after a "rolling gun battle" and multi-vehicle crash on the Las Vegas strip, police have confirmed.

Sergeant John Sheahan said five vehicles were involved, including a taxi that burst into flames and killed two people at a busy intersection.

It deadly accident took place after people in a Maserati and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) began exchanging gunfire before the high-end sports car hit the taxi, he said.

Three other vehicles were involved in the wreck, but the SUV was gone when police arrived, he added.

Several people were taken to hospital, including a passenger from the Maserati. Four were taken to University Medical Centre.

Hospital spokeswoman Danita Cohen said three were treated and released, while one person remained in hospital. Their condition was not released.

The intersection is expected to be closed for hours as officers investigate.

A tourist who witnessed the aftermath of the crash told KLAS-TV the burning taxi looked like a fireball.

Sgt Sheahan said more people may be hurt.

The shooting and crash is the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year.

Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage on February 6, and a tourist was stabbed in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay on February 16.

A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, said his organisation did not immediately have a comment on the incident and deferred to the police unit that patrols the tourism district.

More follows...

23.31 | 0 komentar | Read More