Hong Kong police hunt young girl over diamond heist

Local media reported that the theft was from an Emperor Jewellery store in the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district. Photo: Antony Dickson.

Hong Kong police say they are hunting a girl aged between 12 and 14 years old over the theft of a diamond necklace worth more than HK$36 million (US$4.6 million) from a luxury jewellery store.

Police say she helped carry out the audacious theft with two women and a man, all aged between 30 and 40.

The adults "pretended to be customers choosing items from the shop" police said, while the girl stole the necklace.

The gang of four then left the store before a staff member realised it was missing.

The necklace was 100-carat gold embedded with more than 30 diamonds, the South China Morning Post said, and police confirmed it was worth HK$36 million.

The young girl managed to steal a key from a drawer to open a cabinet while staff were distracted, the SCMP said, citing an unnamed police source.

"The three adults posed as big spenders and demanded employees show them jewellery in an apparent move to divert staff attention," the source said.

Local media reported that the theft was from the Emperor Jewellery store in the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district, but the store would not confirm it had been targeted when contacted by AFP.

The girl was caught on CCTV as she left the mall, the SCMP said, showing a picture of a girl dressed in black trousers, a blue shirt and a grey hooded top.

Police described her as "slimly built".

The gang spent around half an hour in the shop and staff did not notice the necklace was missing until later in the day, the SCMP added.

Source: Yahoo! News SG

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Microsoft unveils Windows 10

Photo: Google

Microsoft has lifted the curtain much higher on Windows 10, showing off a whole slew of new features that will be coming to PCs and phones later this year.

At its Redmond, Washington, headquarters on Wednesday, Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) detailed how its new operating system will work across desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones -- oh, and it's going to use holograms.

Microsoft understands that Windows 8 wasn't well-received by customers, and most of its updates to Windows 10 reflect that. It offers a much more familiar experience to Windows 7 users who never made the jump to Windows 8. But it also brings some innovations to the PC that tablet and smartphone users have become accustomed to. And by adding holographic representations to Windows 10, Microsoft is hoping to take Windows to a world beyond screens.

"Today really is a monumental day for Windows," said Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's operating systems unit. "Windows 10 is so much more than the latest version of Windows. Windows 10 changes the rules of the game."

Like a smartphone or tablet upgrade, Microsoft's new operating system will be available as a free update for anyone using Windows 8.1. That's a big deal for Microsoft, which makes a tremendous amount of money on Windows sales.

Windows 10 is Microsoft's first major operating system upgrade since Windows 8 was introduced in 2012. Windows runs on more than 91% of the world's computers, according to NetMarketShare.

Holograms. By far the coolest part of Microsoft's presentation was "Windows Holographic," Microsoft's attempt to immerse its customers into a computerized world. Windows 10 has been built to integrate holographic representations of its software. With the companion HoloLens glasses, Windows 10 users can interact with holograms all around them.

HoloLens comes with a holographic processing chip that understands your gestures, voice and where you're looking. It can map the world around you and display holograms that appear to be in thin air or on objects that surround you.

With Windows 10's HoloStudio app, Microsoft lets users create 3-D objects with their voices and gestures (like pinches and flicks) and then print them on a 3-D printer.

Cortana. Microsoft's version of Siri will be part of Windows 10. By using voice commands, Cortana can show your notifications, stock information, sports news, and other functions typical of smartphone voice assistants.

But you can also say "Hey, Cortana, show me PowerPoint slides about the charity auction" or "show me photos from December," and it will quickly run the search query.

No more Internet Explorer. Microsoft introduced a new, stripped-down browser that has been codenamed "Project Spartan." The new browser will ship with Windows 10, and it will function similarly to Chrome and Firefox.

The Spartan browser supports pen interactions, so people can mark up websites with their fingers or styluses and share them. Wit also features a reading mode and Cortana integration.

Spartan will be built on a different software platform from IE and the two are not compatible. That means Microsoft will continue to also ship IE with Windows to ensure that corporate apps continue to function properly.

Return of the Start menu. After being removed from Windows 8, Microsoft announced that the Start Menu will make a full comeback in Windows 10.

The new Windows 10 Start menu includes a new personalizable space for favorite apps, programs and websites. It can be viewed as a full-screen Windows 8-like display of tiles or a more familiar Windows 7-like drawer of apps.

Continuum. The biggest Windows 8 headache that Windows 10 is expected to cure is the way the operating system manages its separate "desktop" and "tablet" modes. At its event, Microsoft introduced a new Windows 10 design interface called "Continuum."

Windows 10 sticks to desktop mode when it recognizes a mouse and keyboard and tablet mode when there is no keyboard and mouse. But hybrid devices, such as the Microsoft Surface, will be able to transition seamlessly between the two modes. Pull off the keyboard, and you'll enter tablet mode. Snap the keyboard back on, and you're back in desktop mode.

One Windows for all your devices. There are currently three different versions of Windows: Windows 8.1, Windows RT for tablets and Windows Phone. Last year, CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft planned to scaling back.

Windows RT and Windows Phone are just becoming Windows 10. Windows 10 phones will be able to live-sync with Windows 10 PCs, and the apps will function similarly across different devices. They'll still be incompatible with most traditional Windows software, but they'll be able to run all of the apps from the Microsoft store.

Xbox. Microsoft said the new Xbox app for Windows 10 will let gamers stream and play Xbox games on their PCs. They can also play games from the Steam video game network and save and share game-play clips.

A new look for Windows. Microsoft said that Windows Store apps and regular desktop programs will both run in traditional windows in Windows 10. The programs can be resized and minimized from the bar at the top.

Windows 10 will feature something Mac users have enjoyed for years: the ability to create new desktops and quickly switch between them.

The new "Snap" feature will allow Windows 10 users to work on up to four apps at once on the same screen. Snap has been around since Windows Vista, but Microsoft redesigned it for Windows 10 to include a new quadrant layout.

And a new button on the task bar will take you straight to a single screen that displays all your open apps and files.

Source: CNN Money

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Mayweather lays blame on Bob Arum for delay in signing Pacquiao fight

After Manny Pacquiao set a deadline for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to sign the contract by the end of the month, the American boxer finally spoke up to air his side of the negotiations.

In an interview with Shade 45 Radio, Mayweather said he wants to fight Pacquiao and said that the deal is still ongoing but they are yet to reach an agreement.

"We’re trying, but it’s been extremely difficult dealing with Top Rank," said the undefeated pound-for-pound king. "I don’t want to sit right here and point the finger at Pacquiao and say that it’s him, because it’s not Pacquiao. It’s his promoter."

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that Pacman had already agreed to the terms of the fight but Mayweather has yet to put down his signature to the contract.

The American boxer, however, said that Pacquiao has no say at all in the negotiations.

"Lot of times when Pacquiao says, ‘I agree,’ you don’t have nothing to do with this. You’re not a boss. On the chessboard, you’re a pawn," he said. "They want to point the finger at the other guy, which is me."

Mayweather said he is committed to making the fight happen, but expressed concerns about  Pacquiao's ability to attract an audience and generate revenue.

"Once again, we have to look at his pay-per-view numbers. His last fight didn’t even do 300,000 homes," he said. "So let’s make this make sense. I mean, he did get knocked out not too long ago."

The boxers will reportedly split the purse 60/40 for the potential May 2 fight, with the lion's share of around $120 million already assured for Mayweather.

Mayweather hinted that he is the bigger of both fighters and the one who will bring the money on the fight due to his unblemished 47-0 professional record.

Source: GMA News

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WATCH: Incredible iPhone 6 drop test from outer space

Apple’s iPhone always gets put through some pointless destruction tests.

We’ve seen it boiled in coke, shot with a gun and popped in the microwave.

But someone’s just put it through the most ingenious and biggest test to date.

Case maker, Ultimate Armour Gear, has just sent an iPhone 6 into space to show off how strong their cases are.

Attaching the phone and a GoPro camera to a weather balloon the phone reached a height of over 100,000ft before being released.
 

DROP: An iPhone 6 has been put through the ultimate test [YOUTUBE]

On it’s way back to earth the iPhone achieved speeds of over 70 miles per hour and temperatures of -79 fahrenheit.

After the nerve-racking decent the phone finally bumped its way back to earth.

According to the films makers the iPhone survived without a scratch and with a quick charge was as good as new.

But we guess they would say that!

Source: Daily Star

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UPDATE: Divers find bodies belted in seats near AirAsia fuselage

PANGKALAN BUN: Indonesian divers Thursday (Jan 22) found five bodies still belted into their seats near the main section of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month with 162 people on board, and are hopeful of reaching the fuselage.

A total of 58 bodies have now been found following the crash of flight QZ8501 which went down on Dec 28 in stormy weather as it flew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

"Our divers found five bodies buried in mud, close to the plane fuselage. They were still belted to their seats," S.B. Supriyadi, a rescue agency official coordinating the search, told AFP. "We believe they spilled out of the fuselage, which is 50 to 100 metres away," he said.

Three bodies have been retrieved and taken to the warship Banda Aceh, while the other two were still being recovered, he said. He added that divers had yet to reach the main section of the plane, which is thought to contain the bulk of passengers and crew, as visibility under water was only two metres.

"But it is a bright, clear day so we remain optimistic that the divers might reach the wreckage today (Thursday)," he said.

The main body of the Airbus A320-200 was spotted on the seabed by a military vessel last week following an arduous search in shallow Indonesian waters, but strong underwater currents and rough seas have prevented divers from reaching it. The jet's black boxes - the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder - were recovered last week, and investigators are analysing them.

Indonesian Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan said this week that the plane climbed abnormally fast before stalling and plunging into the sea. Just moments before the plane disappeared off the radar, the pilot had asked to climb to avoid a major storm but was not immediately granted permission due to heavy air traffic.

Source: Channel News Asia

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5-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shoots 9-Month-Old Brother in the Head

Elmo, Missouri, home where the shooting occurred

A 5-year-old Missouri boy shot and killed his 9-month-old baby brother Monday morning after grabbing a gun from a shelf built into the headboard of a bed in his grandfather's home.

According to a press release from the Nodaway County Sheriff's office, the baby was reportedly shot in the head in what appears to be an accidental shooting.

"[The gun] was just lying out," Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White told The Washington Post. "Little kids are curious. It was in the headboard of the bed, and he found it."

Their mother, Alexis Widerholt, was inside the home at the time of the shooting and frantically called 911, initially telling a dispatcher that the infant had been shot in the head with a paintball gun, per The Post.

When law enforcement and medical personnel arrived, they reportedly determined that the child had been shot with a .22-caliber magnum revolver.

The child was flown to Children's Mercy Hospital but did not survive his injuries, The Post reported.

The case is currently under investigation.

Source: People

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Burning bus on Ayala flyover snarls EDSA traffic

MANILA, Philippines - Rush hour traffic along the Ayala interchange crossing EDSA in Makati City was snarled by a burning bus on Wednesday afternoon.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said a burning Manrose bus with plate number UVB-618 was spotted by its Metrobase through closed circuit television cameras at 4:45 p.m.

The Metrobase said a team from the MMDA’s Road Emergency Group was deployed at the scene. Cars following the burning bus stopped as they waited for firefighters to arrive.

No one was reported hurt in the fire, the MMDA Metrobase said in a tweet posted at 5:06 p.m.

Source: Philstar

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UPDATES: AirAsia plane climbed too fast, then disappeared

Investigators examining the tail of AirAsia flight QZ8501

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An AirAsia plane that crashed last month with 162 people on board was climbing at an abnormally high rate, then plunged and suddenly disappeared from radar, Indonesia’s transport minister said Tuesday.

Ignasius Jonan told Parliament that radar data showed the Airbus A320 was climbing at about 6,000 feet a minute before it disappeared on Dec. 28.

“It is not normal to climb like that, it’s very rare for commercial planes, which normally climb just 1,000 to 2,000 feet per minute,” he said. “It can only be done by a fighter jet.”

He said the plane then plunged and disappeared from radar.

Jonan did not say what caused the plane to climb so rapidly.

In their last contact with air-traffic controllers, the pilots of AirAsia Flight 8501 asked to climb from 32,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid threatening clouds, but were denied permission because of heavy air traffic. Four minutes later, the plane disappeared. No distress signal was received.

An excessively rapid ascent is likely to cause an airplane to go into an aerodynamic stall. In 2009, an Air France Airbus A330 disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Investigators were able to determine from the jet’s “black boxes” that the plane began a steep climb and then went into a stall from which the pilots were unable to recover.

Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon said Tuesday that it was too early to comment on possible similarities between the two crashes.

Survey ships have located at least nine big objects, including the AirAsia jet’s fuselage and tail, in the Java Sea. The plane’s black boxes — the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder — have been recovered but are still being analyzed.

The plane was en route from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, to Singapore.

Only 51 bodies have been recovered so far. Rough sea conditions have repeatedly prevented divers from reaching the wreckage.

Source: Washington Post

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WATCH: Video of man pretending to be hit by a car in Hong Kong goes viral

A video of an elderly man apparently faking being hit by a car is sweeping across Facebook this morning, already racking up more than 600,000 views. The “injured” man was quickly called out for his scam by the driver, who happened to be filming the entire incident, and a passerby who also saw the faker take the plunge. You be the judge, but we don’t think any Oscars are in this guy’s future.

Watch video here:


Source: Localiiz

Photo: newshongkong.wordpress.com

 
 
 

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ISIS threaten to kill 2 Japanese captives unless $200 million ransom is paid

Press Association - This image taken from Islamic State video claims to show a militant who looks and sounds similar to the infamous "Jihadi John" threatening to kill two hostages.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The militant group Islamic State released an online video on Tuesday purporting to show two Japanese captives and threatening to kill them unless it received $200 million in ransom.

A black-clad figure with a knife, standing in a barren landscape along with two kneeling men wearing orange clothing, said the Japanese public had 72 hours to pressure their government to stop its "foolish" support for the U.S.-led coalition waging a military campaign against Islamic State.

"To the prime minister of Japan: Although you are more than 8,500 km away from the Islamic State, you willingly have volunteered to take part in this crusade," said the militant, who spoke in English.

He demanded "200 million" without specifying a currency, but an Arabic subtitle identified it as U.S. dollars.

The footage named the men as Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.

The video was not dated, but on a visit to Cairo on Jan. 17, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged around $200 million in non-military assistance for countries battling Islamic State.

Abe, speaking in Jerusalem on Tuesday towards the end of a six-day tour of the Middle East, said Islamic State's threat against the two purported captives was "unacceptable".

"We strongly demand the immediate release of the Japanese citizens unharmed," Abe said. "The international community needs to respond firmly and cooperate without caving into terrorism."

The video resembled others distributed by Islamic State outlets in which captives were threatened or killed. It appeared to be the first time that an Islamic State video specifically demanded cash for captives.

CABINET MEETS IN TOKYO

Abe stressed that Japan's aid announced on his trip was for humanitarian purposes, and said Tokyo would keep contributing to peace and prosperity in the region.

"We'll coordinate with the international community from now on, and contribute more to (the) peace and prosperity of the region. This policy is unwavering and we won't change this policy."

The apparent capture of the two men marks the first hostage crisis for Abe's government since January 2013, when 10 Japanese were killed by Islamist militants at a gas complex in Algeria.

Asked whether Japan would pay ransom to secure the captives' release, Abe replied: "With regard to this case, we attach the utmost priority to saving lives, and gathering information with the help of other countries."

In Tokyo, Japan's foreign ministry said it was checking the video to see whether the footage was genuine. Cabinet ministers also announced they were meeting to discuss the government's response to the video.

Goto is a freelance reporter who was based in Tokyo. He has written books on AIDS and children in war zones from Afghanistan to Africa and reported for news broadcasters in Japan.

Goto met Yukawa last year and helped him travel to Iraq in June, he told Reuters in August.

Yukawa, 43, travelled to Iraq and Syria last year after telling friends and family that he thought it represented a last chance to turn his life around.

Over the previous decade, he had lost a business to bankruptcy, lost his wife to cancer and become homeless, according to his father and an online journal.

It was not clear what exactly he was doing in the region. Yukawa's father, Shoichi Yukawa, declined to comment, saying he was overwhelmed by the news reports.

The militant in the footage, who spoke with a British accent, appeared to have the same voice as a jihadist shown with captives in previous Islamic State videos.

Similar videos have shown captives beheaded, including Western aid workers and journalists.

The hardline Islamist group, which holds territory in Syria and Iraq, has also killed more than 1,000 Syrians off the battlefield since it expanded a caliphate under its control in June, according to a monitoring group.

Source. Yahoo! News SG

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ISIS militants throw men off roof in Iraq for being gay

The final moments before a man was executed for being homosexual (Picture: Twitter)


These harrowing photographs show the shocking final moments before a man was thrown from the roof of a building in Iraq by Isis as ‘punishment’ for being gay.

Two of the photos show a man being held by Isis militants before being pushed to his death, while another displays the large crowd gathered to watch the barbaric act.

Further shocking photographs, which are too graphic to be published, show the man’s body after being thrown from the top of the building in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

A large crowd gathered to watch the brutal execution (Picture: Twitter)

The images appear to show the men being pushed off, as a large crowd controlled by militants watches on from below

A caption on one of the photographs explains that the man had committed a crime of ‘the people of Lot’, meaning that he is alleged to have committed an act of sodomy, and was ‘thrown from a high place’ as punishment.

It is not the first time that the group has carried out barbaric persecution of homosexuals in Syria in Iraq.

Two men were stoned to death in the Syrian city of Raqqa in November, while a separate incident last December saw a gay man thrown off a rooftop and stoned to death for committing an alleged act of blasphemy.

Source: Metro UK

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One dead in Taiwan airport shootout

An man fires off multiple rounds during the incident near Taichung airport on Monday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

A man was shot dead in a shootout with police near Taichung Airport in Taiwan on Monday.

The 45-year-old-man was shot in the chest, back, hip and stomach and died in hospital at 3.23pm, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.

Twenty-six shots were fired in the incident.

Video of the shootout:


A police constable and a 23-year-old woman were also wounded, but their injuries are said to be not life-threatening.

The man was riding a motorbike with his daughter to the airport, but was stopped by the police as his child was not wearing a helmet, the report said.

During questioning, a police officer’s gun fell on the ground and the man seized it and opened fire.

The magazine of the seized gun was emptied, suggesting the man fired 12 shots and the police 14, the report said.

Police said they will hold a briefing about the situation later in the day, but denied media speculation that the incident was related to Chen Fu-hsiang, the fugitive suspected of shooting two men at a parking lot in Ximending, Taipei earlier this month.

Source: South China Morning Post

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Filipinos bid goodbye to Pope Francis

The Philippines bids goodbye to the beloved pontiff after 4 fruitful days in the country

BON VOYAGE. Pope Francis boards a Philippine Airlines plane at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City at the end of his 5-day apostolic visit to the country. Photo by Ben Nabong/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Pope Francis ended his 5-day state and pastoral visit today, as he returns to the Vatican after his first-ever trip to the Philippines.

Departure ceremonies for the Pope began at 9:42 am at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Monday, January 19 where President Benigno Aquino III himself sent the pontiff off.

Aside from Aquino, 13 Cabinet Secretaries also bade Pope Francis goodbye, as well as 12 church leaders and the ambassador of Argentina to the Philippines, Roberto Sebastian Bosch Estevez.

Pope Francis passed through Honor Guards with Aquino and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on their walk to the airplane, before the President and the Cardinal bade him farewell on the bottom of the plane's stairs.

His ride, a special flight via Philippine Airlines with the flight number PR 8010, took off at 10:12 am Philippine time.

Prior to leaving the nunciature, the Pope met with top government officials who were involved in the preparations for the state and apostolic visit.

The Pope departed after 4 fruitful days in the country which included 3 masses – one in Manila Cathedral, another in Tacloban for Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) victims, and a public mass in Luneta which gathered a record crowd of 6 million people.

During his stay in the country, the Pope met with religious leaders, families, youth and street children. He also paid a visit to Malacañang Palace where he was welcomed by government officials.

Francis is only the 3rd pope to visit the Philippines where up to 80% of the population are Catholic. Throngs of Filipinos have lined the streets over the past few days to get a glimpse of the Pope everywhere he went, even braving winds and rain.

Crowds again awaited the Pope on his route from the Apostolic Nunciature to Villamor, this time, to say goodbye.

PAALAM! Pope Francis waves goodbye to the crowd assembled at the Villamor Airbase tarmac (not seen in photo) as he boards the plane that will bring him to Rome. Rappler screengrab

End of second Asia trip

The pontiff visited Sri Lanka and the Philippines on his second trip to Asia in five months, as he seeks to promote the Catholic Church in one of its most important growth regions.

Sunday saw one of the highlights of his journey, with an estimated 6 million people turning out in Manila's Luneta he celebrated mass – a world record for a papal gathering.

The pope began this Asian tour with two days in Sri Lanka, where he canonized Sri Lanka's first saint in front of another record crowd.

Police said a million people in the majority Buddhist nation turned out for the event, making it the biggest public celebration ever for the capital of Colombo. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

Source: Rappler

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Fury as Indonesia executes foreigners by firing squad

Police officers and security personnel stand guard as a ferry carrying ambulances sets off for Nusakambangan island where the executions of the five of six drug convicts will be performed, at Wijayapura port in Cilacap, Central Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. Five foreigners and an Indonesian woman sentenced to death on drug charges will be executed by firing squad despite international pleas, Indonesian officials said Saturday. (AP Photo/Wagino)

JAKARTA — Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia and expressed fury Sunday after Jakarta defied their pleas and executed two of their citizens along with four other drug offenders by firing squad.

The other convicts were from Vietnam, Malawi, Nigeria and Indonesia. The six were the first people executed under new President Joko Widodo.

Indonesia has tough anti-drugs laws and Widodo, who took office in October, has disappointed rights activists by voicing support for capital punishment despite his image as a reformist.

A spokesman for Brazilian President Dilma Roussef said she was “distressed and outraged” after Indonesia ignored her last-ditch pleas and put to death Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, who was convicted of smuggling cocaine into Indonesia in 2004.

“Using the death penalty, which is increasingly rejected by the international community, seriously affects relations between our countries,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The Brazilian ambassador to Jakarta was being recalled for consultations, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the Netherlands had also recalled its ambassador over the execution of Dutchman Ang Kiem Soei, and  described all six deaths as “terribly sad” in a statement.

“My heart goes out to their families, for whom this marks a dramatic end to years of uncertainty,” Koenders said. “The Netherlands remains opposed to the death penalty.”

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte had been in contact with the Indonesian president about the matter, he said, and the government had done “all in its power” to attempt to halt the execution.

In line with law

Indonesia’s attorney general, H.M Prasetyo, said Sunday the death penalty was not “something pleasing or fun” but insisted the executions had been carried out in accordance with the law.

“I hope everyone can understand this,” he told reporters.

“Indonesia must be saved from narcotics… this is a crime against humanity that damages the morals of the younger generation.”

He also insisted the death penalty was a “positive law for Indonesia.”

All the prisoners, who had been sentenced to death between 2000 and 2011, were executed around the same time shortly after midnight, the attorney general’s office said.

The 53-year-old Brazilian, who was caught with drugs stashed in the frame of his paraglider at Jakarta airport, and the 62-year-old Dutchman were executed on Nusakambangan Island, home to a high-security prison, off the main island of Java.

A Nigerian, Daniel Enemuo; Namaona Denis, from Malawi; and an Indonesian woman, Rani Andriani, were executed at the same location.

The sixth convict, Vietnamese woman Tran Thi Bich Hanh, was executed in the Boyolali district in central Java.

They were all caught attempting to smuggle narcotics apart from the Dutchman, who was sentenced to death for operating a huge factory producing the drug ecstasy.

All had their appeals to the president for clemency — their last chance to avoid the firing squad — rejected last month.

Jakarta had an unofficial moratorium on executions for several years from 2008 but resumed capital punishment again in 2013. There were no executions last year.

Widodo, known as Jokowi, has taken a particularly hard line towards people on death row for narcotics offences, insisting they will not receive a presidential pardon since Indonesia is facing an “emergency” due to high levels of drug use.

Following Sunday’s executions, the number of people on death row in Indonesia for drugs-related offences stood at 60, around half of whom are foreigners, said a spokesman for the national narcotics agency.

Widodo’s tough stance has sparked concern for other foreigners sentenced to death, particularly two Australians who were part of the “Bali Nine” group caught trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia in 2005.

One of the pair, Myuran Sukumaran, also had his clemency appeal rejected last month but authorities say he will be executed with fellow Australian Andrew Chan as they committed their crime together.

Chan is still awaiting the outcome of his clemency appeal.

Also on death row is British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford. She was sentenced to death in 2013 after being caught trying to smuggle cocaine into Bali.

Source: Inquirer

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Photos of People Dressed as Officers in Diapers for Pope’s Philippine Mass

Photos of people dressed as police officers wearing no more than adult diapers are circulating around the net and it has many netizens commenting.

Although police and security personnel were officially required to wear adult diapers, we assumed it would hidden under usual pants or clothes. There are photos emerging showing a whole different approach though…

The photographer: Tony Ahn, had these statements to go with these pictures:

"You probably wouldn’t believe this if I didn’t have photos. I laughed so hard at Diaper Patrol that I almost peed my pants! That wouldn’t slow them down though!"

But don’t worry, although these photos are 100% authentic, these don’t seem to be real government officers. As per our sources, these people were apparently having a social experiment as part of a possible online video or show. Although that did not stop people from feeling a bit irked from seeing these.

At the same time, we do want to thank and give credit the hardworking people who did sacrifice a lot and really did wear adult diapers for the Pope’s visit! We salute you!  

Photos by Tony Ahn and Paul A.

Photos by Tony Ahn and Paul A.

 

Photos by Tony Ahn and Paul A.

As per our sources, these people were apparently having a social experiment as part of a possible online video or show.

Source: When In Manila

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Taiwanese man dies after online gaming for 3 consecutive days

A man died after a three-day gaming binge, the Taipei Times reported. AFP

A 32-year-old Taiwanese man has reportedly died after a three-day gaming binge at an internet cafe in the island's south, the second such case this year.

The man, identified by his family name Hsieh, was found slumped motionless in his chair in the cafe in Kaohsiung city.

Other patrons initially thought he was sleeping, but when an employee realised he was not breathing he was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Taipei Times reported.

Doctors confirmed he had suffered cardiac failure, ruling it a "sudden death" from prolonged computer gaming, the report said.

"Hsieh was a regular customer here and always played for consecutive days. When tired, he would sleep face-down on the table or doze off slumped in his chair. That is why we were not aware of his condition in the beginning," the employee was quoted as saying.

It was not clear what Hsieh was playing at the time of his death, with the report describing it only as "combat computer games".

The case came after a 38-year-old man was found dead at an internet cafe in New Taipei City on January 1 following five days straight of video game binging.

Police said in both cases other patrons appeared nonchalant about the deaths, continuing playing even when tables were cordoned off for investigators to gather evidence.

Source: ABC News

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