World News joined 0012

[JohnCenaFan28]

At least three people have died in a suspected bomb blast near a police post in the Pakistani city of Lahore.



At least nine people were hurt in the explosion. It is unclear if the blast was caused by a suicide bomber.

The attack comes as Pakistan prepares to celebrate the 61st anniversary of its independence on Thursday.

Pakistani security forces are often attacked by Islamist militants allied to the Taleban militia based in the rugged north-west of the country.

Twelve militants were killed in a missile strike in north-western Pakistan on Tuesday.

Thirteen people also died in the north-western city of Peshawar in a bomb attack on an air force bus on Tuesday.

Thursday's attack in Lahore appears to have targeted policemen on guard duty for the Independence Day celebrations.

According to AFP news agency, a policeman interviewed by the private Express TV station said he had seen the burning body of motorcyclist, whom he believed to be a suicide bomber, lying next to bloodied policemen.

"It appears the motorcycle rider blasted them. His body was making burning noises," the policeman was quoted as saying.

BBC News

[Black Widow]

THIS is the dramatic moment a Georgian TV reporter is shot by a sniper on LIVE television.

News girl Tamara Urushadze suddenly disappears from view in this live report on public television in Georgia.

Gunshots are clearly heard in the background as the cameraman jumps out of the way.

After scenes of panic and commotion, Urashadze reappears with her arm bleeding.

Unbelievably she tries to continue her report as colleagues bandage her up.

In the dramatic footage she says that her arm had been grazed by a sniper bullet.

The incident was close to Gori, a city on Georgia’s main east-west highway, the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting.

Russian troops are still reported to be in the area despite a ceasefire being agreed between the two countries.

Video.

the sun.co.uk

[Black Widow]

A WOMAN cop has been suspended after colleagues discovered she was working as a hooker.

The WPC, 28, offers her services as a £100-an-hour escort on a website.

She was one of eight women and six men arrested by officers investigating prostitution and police corruption across Greater Manchester, Northumberland, Cleveland, Co Durham and the Scottish Borders.

The cop, a member of the Northumbria force, is one of the so-called Notorious Girls on a website run by Neil Lock and wife Natalie.

The WPC is believed to be a hazel-eyed brunette who features on the site with the working name Kelly — but with her face blanked out.

A source said: “It is amazing that a serving officer got mixed up in this. She must have known she was gambling with her career.


Satisfaction

"If she is found guilty in a court or of an internal disciplinary offence then she is finished. She could never work as an officer again.”

The site boasts: “The Notorious Girls offer the finest value for money. Your satisfaction is guaranteed!!!”

The girls pay £117.50 a week to be registered on the site.

Their charges range from £50 for half an hour to £1,650 for two girls for 24 hours.

Bentley-driving Mr Lock and his wife, both 27, live in a villa in Galashiels, Selkirkshire, with their two young children.

They insist they are not acting illegally. They claim payments to the escorts are for “companionship” only and anything else is “a matter of choice between two or more consulting adults”.

Northumbria Police said of the investigation: “We can confirm that one of those arrested is a serving woman officer.”


the sun.co.uk

[JohnCenaFan28]

It's a good thing that guy was a bad sniper, that was so shocking.

[Black Widow]

TWO hunters claim to have found the body of a dead BIGFOOT.

The legendary hairy creature – about 2m tall, with human like teeth – was said to have been found in the US two weeks ago and is being preserved in a freezer.

Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, who run Bigfoot expeditions, claim they made the astonishing discovery in the woods of north Georgia, in the southeast of the US.


Proof

The pair and "the real Bigfoot Hunter" Tom Biscardi, who has endorsed the find, plan to front a press conference in California, presenting DNA and photographic "proof."

Mr Whitton, a Georgia police officer, and Mr Dyer, a former prison officer, have posted photos of the ape like beast on their searchingforbigfoot website.

They say it is a "part human and part ape" male and weighs over 230kg with reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes.

Its feet are flat and 41cm long with five toes.

The hands also have five fingers and and the teeth are more "human-like than ape like".

And they are adamant the find is not a hoax.

"We trekked for a day a half ... what kind of lunatic would be out here in a monkey suit? I saw the thing, I touched it," said Mr Biscardi, who has been searching for Bigfoots since 1971.

The hunters say several Bigfoots were spotted walking around close to where they found the body but refuse to reveal the location in a bid "to protect the creatures".

But now the group are hatching plans for a secret expedition to capture a LIVE Bigfoot.


the sun.co.uk

[JohnCenaFan28]

Wow, that's shocking. Thanks for the news.

[Black Widow]

Wow, that's shocking. Thanks for the news.

i know where was she when i needed frisking

[JohnCenaFan28]

That's shocking, I can't wait for the proof it will be very interesting to see how this turns out.

[JohnCenaFan28]

An Ohio man with a hatred of paper money slapped down $8,000 in coins at a car dealership to buy a Chevrolet pick-up - then paid the rest by cheque.



James Jones, 70, produced 16 coffee cans full of coins to buy his new Chevrolet Silverado in Cincinnati and staff spent 90 minutes counting it.

But his coin hoard only covered half of the $16,000 (£8,500) price tag.

The man's son said the most amazing thing for him was his father deciding to replace his 1981 pick-up at all.

As far back as he could remember, Dennis Jones told the Cincinnati Enquirer, his father had always had coins.

“He gave me lunch money in coins and each time he ever gave me money it was in coins,” he recalled.

“I am amazed that we were able to talk him into buying a new truck, because he is pretty tight with his money.”

According to the paper, James Jones walked into the Jake Sweeney dealership, plunked down his cans and said: “I want that Chevy truck.”

"In my 19 years in this business I have never seen anything like this,” said Biff Arnold, finance manager for Jake Sweeney.

“I have seen many buyers come in with a lot of cash money, but never this much money in coins.”

Salesman David Crisswell said the coins included "dimes, quarters, half-dollars, silver and Susan B Anthony dollars".

The new owner of the Chevy says he does not trust banks or paper money.

“Paper money will burn, but it is hard to damage coins," the retired engineer pointed out.

"I bought four or five rolls of coins each month. I don't know how long it took me to save this amount, probably all my life.”

BBC News

[JohnCenaFan28]

US aviation officials have accused American Airlines of major breaches of safety, including intentionally flying planes known to need repairing.



The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it wanted to fine the company a total of $7.1m (£3.8m).

It said two MD-83 passenger jets were used on dozens of flights in 2007, even though repair work reported as necessary by pilots had not been done.

Problems with drug and alcohol testing were also found, officials said.

American Airlines, which can appeal against the fine, had no immediate comment.

The FAA statement comes hours after British Airways confirmed it had sealed an alliance with American Airlines, allowing the two carriers to agree fares, routes and schedules together.

The alliance also includes Spain's Iberia, which is merging with BA.

Safety regulations

In a statement, the FAA said that in December 2007, "American used the wrong provisions of its Minimum Equipment List (MEL) to return two MD-83 aircraft to service after pilots had reported problems, and flew the planes 58 times in violation of FAA regulations".

The MEL contains components and systems without which the aircraft may operate safely under specific limitations.

On 11 and 12 December, the airline "operated the first MD-83 on eight flights in airspace it should have been restricted from after maintenance on part of the autopilot system was improperly deferred", the FAA said.

An FAA inspector discovered the error and informed American Airlines, but the plane was still flown on 10 further flights until the problem was fixed, it added.

In another incident involving the same aircraft on 21 December, the autopilot disconnected during landing because of a faulty altimeter.

However, technicians did not check the problem and instead deferred maintenance, allowing a further 36 flights to take place, the FAA said.

A second MD-83 also experienced an "autopilot disconnect" on 27 December.

"Although American mechanics correctly diagnosed the problem, they again deferred maintenance under the wrong item of the MEL. As a result, the aircraft operated on four revenue flights without a fully functioning autopilot," the FAA said.

The FAA proposed a $4.1m civil penalty for the violations in the first case and $325,000 for the second. It said the fines were appropriate because the airline deferred repairs even when it was aware.

"In intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft, the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew," the FAA said.

The FAA is also proposed $2.7m in civil penalties for "alleged past deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing programs and for allegedly operating aircraft in past years without timely inspections of emergency escape path lighting systems".

BBC News