Woman found with 3 crocodiles strapped to body at Gaza border crossing
By: Associated Press - | ∞
JERUSALEM -- A woman with three crocodiles strapped to her waist was stopped at the Gaza-Egypt border crossing after guards noticed that she looked "strangely fat," officials said Monday.
The woman's shape raised suspicions at the Rafah terminal in southern Gaza, and a body search by a female border guard turned up the animals, each about 20 inches long, concealed underneath her loose robe, according to Maria Telleria, spokeswoman for the European observers who run the crossing.
"The woman looked strangely fat. Even though she was veiled and covered, even with so many clothes on there was something strange," Telleria said.
The incident, which took place on Thursday, sparked panic at the crossing.
"The policewoman screamed and ran out of the room, and then women began screaming and panicking when they heard," Telleria said. But when the hysteria died down, she said, "everybody was admiring a woman who is able to tie crocodiles to her body."
In her defense, the woman said she "was asked" to carry the crocodiles, said Wael Dahab, a spokesman for the Palestinian guards at the crossing. She was permitted to cross without the animals.
The reptiles, which had their jaws tied shut with string, were returned to the Egyptian side of the border.
Dahab said the animals were likely meant for sale to Gaza's small zoo or to private owners. The crocodiles would fetch "good money," even in the impoverished territory, he said. In Gaza, the animals can fetch about $500 -- roughly two months' salary for a low-ranking policeman.
The woman was not the first to try to illegally smuggle exotic wildlife through the Rafah crossing, Dahab said: another woman tried to bring in a monkey tied to her chest, and other travelers tried to smuggle in exotic birds and a tiger cub. Border guards more frequently confiscate cigarettes, prescription drugs and car parts.
The crossing is the only way in and out of Gaza for residents of the crowded coastal strip.
Since Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005, the crossing has subject to a complex system of control: Egypt and the Palestinians are responsible for the crossing, with European monitors stationed at the terminal and Israeli inspectors watching from a distance over closed-circuit TV.
Israel retains final say over whether the crossing can open, and has kept it closed over 80 percent of the time since an Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas-linked militants in Gaza nine months ago, charging that the crossing is being used to smuggle money and weapons to militants.
Chilean diplomat found dead in Syrian capital, victim of 'criminal act'
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Chile's consul in the Syrian capital of Damascus was found dead at his home on Monday, the victim "of a criminal act," the Foreign Ministry said.
A brief communique from the ministry did not provide details about the death of Hector Faundez, but said "Syrian authorities have vowed to diligently investigate the facts to determine the circumstances under which his death occurred."
The diplomat's body will be brought back to Chile for burial, the communique said.
The press office at the ministry said no further details were available.
There has been no official comment from Syrian authorities on the death of the consul, and an official at the Chilean embassy in Damascus declined to say anything about the case. Syrian press reports were saying only that an investigation has begun.
A next-door neighbor to the consul, contacted by The Associated Press, also declined to comment.
Guatemala interior minister resigns following slaying of 3 Salvadoran politicians
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- Guatemala's Interior Minister resigned on Monday in the wake of a scandal over police officers' alleged involvement in the grisly murder of three Salvadoran politicians last month.
While President Oscar Berger rejected a congressional declaration expressing a lack of confidence in Vielman, "he can't force anyone to stay," government spokeswoman Krista Kepfer said.
The charred bodies of three Salvadoran members of the Central American Parliament, which is based in Guatemala, were found along a rural road on Feb. 19. Autopsies determined that two were burned alive, while the third legislator and their driver died before their bodies were set on fire.
Officials have identified seven Guatemalan police officers as suspects, including four who were arrested but later killed in prison under circumstances that remain murky. Another officer is in custody, and two remain at large.
Four more people were arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of orchestrating the killings.
But authorities still have not determined a clear motive for the crime.
14-year-old Mexican boy allegedly kills 4-year-old girl over acne jokes
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) -- A 14-year-old boy was detained after allegedly killing a 4-year-old girl because her father made fun of his acne, Mexican prosecutors said Monday.
Yurani Yuliec Garcia Organes was killed on March 16 in the Pacific resort town of Zihuatanejo, where the victim and her father lived just a few yards from the boy's house.
Authorities said the boy, who was detained Saturday, told police the girl's father had called him "graniento," or "zit-face."
"He acknowledged having taken the girl's life out of resentment he felt toward the girl's father ... because he made fun of the problem he has with acne," said Guerrero state prosecutor Loyo Malabar.
"He acknowledged hitting the girl twice with his hands and putting his foot on her neck until she died of asphyxiation," the prosecutor told reporters.
Loyo Malabar said the boy wrapped the body in plastic bags and hid it in his house for two days before dumping it outside her grandparents' home, where it was discovered the next day.
The victim's father denied he made fun of the boy, and said he had only recommended an ointment he could use to reduce his acne problem.
Neighbors said the boy had long shown signs of disturbed behavior.
The boy was remanded to a center for juvenile offenders. Under Mexican law, he cannot face trial and can be held only until he turns 18.
Rome show features ancient perfume from the world's oldest known perfume factory
ROME (AP) -- It's a rare chance to smell the scent of ancient history -- typically a mix of natural spices and olive oil -- thanks to an exhibit in Rome featuring fragrances from the world's oldest known perfume factory.
On display are four perfumes recreated by a team of archaeologists from 14 original fragrances dating from 4,000 years ago. Digging at the Pyrgos-Mavroraki site in Cyprus, they turned up a complex believed to have been used as a perfume lab.
The archaeologists used fragrances extracted from traces left in containers at the site to recreate ancient aromas with the same techniques used in the past, said Maria Rosaria Belgiorno, the leading archaeologist who discovered the factory in 2003.
"Today, we are used to chemical and alcoholic scents, but these are fresher ones, smelling of herbs and spices, like almond, coriander, myrtle, conifer resin, bergamot -- and not flowers," said Belgiorno, who is also the curator of the exhibit at Rome's Capitoline Museums.
The perfumes were made through the lengthy steeping of the spices in water and oil and other ancient techniques, she told The Associated Press.
The perfumes -- named for the Greek goddesses Hera, Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis -- are displayed behind glass, with a lid that visitors can lift up to smell the fragrances. Alongside are 60 items, including amphorae, jugs, grinders and distilling equipment, discovered at the site some 60 miles southwest of Nicosia.
While perfumes and ointments have been found in tombs in Egypt and Mesopotamia, Belgiorno said this was a rare case where an entire factory dedicated to making perfume was found.
The 42,300-square-foot lab, believed to have been destroyed in an earthquake in antiquity, is exceptionally well-preserved, Belgiorno said, and shows that making perfume was a serious business. The 2000 B.C. complex included an olive press room, areas dedicated to the working and refining of copper, and five 106- to 132-gallon oil-storage containers. It employed dozens of people, show organizers said.
Throughout the Bronze Age and into the 1st millennium B.C., Cyprus played a key role in copper and olive oil production and trade. Olive oil was used as a base for medicine, cosmetics and perfume, some of which were exported, mainly to Greece.
"The Perfumes of Aphrodite and the Secret of Oil" exhibit, which opened March 14, runs through Sept. 2.
Russian regulators find serious violations at coal mine where more than 100 killed
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian regulators have found serious safety violations at a Siberian coal mine where a methane gas explosion last killed more than 100 miners last week, authorities said Monday.
A preliminary inquiry found the Ulyanovskaya mine, operated by subsidiary of steel and mining giant Evraz SA, had problems with equipment safety rules, federal industrial watchdog Rostekhnadzor said in a statement. It did not give further details.
Rostekhnadzor also said it had begun inspecting 60 coal mines in the Kemerovo region, where the Ulyanovskaya mine is located, for violations of safety rules, and would inspect mines nationwide in coming weeks.
Company and government officials have repeatedly emphasized that the Ulyanovskaya mine, one of the newest to be put into operation in Russia, had modern equipment.
The explosion on March 19 killed 108 and was Russia's worst mining disaster in more than a decade.
The blast highlighted the hazardous state of Russia's mining industry, which fell into disrepair when government subsidies dried up after the Soviet collapse. ITAR-Tass said it was the deadliest mine accident in the coal-rich Kuzbass region in 60 years.
Company: Man who fell from cruise ship to sail on; woman plans to disembark in Mexico
GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- A man who fell about 50 feet from a cruise ship was released from the ship's medical center Monday, and a woman who also fell plans to have follow-up testing on land, the cruise line said.
The 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman had only minor injuries after falling into the Gulf of Mexico from a balcony on the Grand Princess ship, said Julie Benson, a spokeswoman for Princess Cruises. They have asked that the circumstances remain private and requested that no personal information be released.
The man planned to continue on the cruise, while the woman planned to disembark Monday in Mexico, Benson said. The rescued passengers were not married, Benson said. She did not know how long they had known each other.
The Grand Princess was about 150 miles off Galveston when friends notified the crew early Sunday that the two had fallen, Benson said.
The captain turned the ship around, and the crew used high-powered spotlights to scan the water and launched rescue boats to find them.
"Just falling 50 feet, you can do some serious damage and basically knock the wind out of you," said Coast Guard swimmer Micah Franklin, who participated in the four-hour rescue. "If you survive that part, then you've got, depending on your swimming ability, how long are you going to be able to survive in the seas."
The waves were swelling up to 6 feet, and the wind was gusting to 30 mph, Franklin told NBC's "Today" show Monday. He said he was impressed that the two survived.
The railing around the cabin balcony is at least 4 feet high and meets all standard safety requirements, she said.
The ship was on its way to Costa Maya, Mexico, Benson said. The Grand Princess was carrying 2,783 passengers on a seven-day tour of the western Caribbean.
On the Net: http://www.princess.com
Va. gov. proposes making it easier for parents to exempt daughters from cancer vaccine
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The governor on Monday proposed a measure to make it easier for parents to exempt their daughters from receiving a vaccine for the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.
Last month, the Legislature passed bills to require all girls entering the sixth grade to get the vaccine for the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's amendment would eliminate the need for parents or guardians to submit written requests for their children to opt out of the vaccine, called Gardasil.
"While I believe that this vaccine shows great promise for preventing cancer, I believe that the decision to administer this vaccine should be made by parents," Kaine said in a statement.
The Legislature will reconvene for a one-day session April 4 to consider Kaine's proposal.
Virginia's legislature was the first to pass a bill requiring the vaccine for girls. Texas Gov. Rick Perry sidestepped the Legislature and ordered the shots for girls there, but lawmakers are considering overriding that order.
Bills were introduced in about 20 states to require the vaccine, but some have backed off because of concerns over the vaccine's safety and protests from conservatives who say requiring it promotes promiscuity and erodes parents' rights.
After weekend of wildfires, more blazes reported in Tennessee, 10 related to arson
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Two new wildfires began Monday, adding to an outbreak of more than a dozen blazes in eastern Tennessee that included 10 suspected as arson.
As of Monday morning, the fires north of Knoxville had burned 2,300 acres -- more than three and half square miles, said Nathan Waters, a state assistant district forester. Ten were arson related, one was caused by fireworks and two were debris fires that got away, he said.
"We've still got all kinds of fire left," said Robert Rhinehart, assistant district forester in the Chattanooga Forestry Division office.
A fire below Signal Mountain, near Chattanooga about 10 miles from the Georgia line, was still causing firefighters trouble Monday morning, Rhinehart said.
The blaze was bad enough Sunday that crews used a fire-retardant drop for the first time in the region since 1991, he said. The retardant slowed the spread of the fire, but firefighters were still working along the eastern end of the blaze where authorities worried it could jump a creek and threaten homes.
Warm, dry weather contributed to the fire danger. Sunday's high temperature at Chattanooga was a record 88 degrees. Authorities haven't discussed details of the fires they believe to be arson.
Firefighters in Campbell County worked to keep flames away from 23 vacation cabins on Sunday. A 15-man, volunteer crew of inmates from Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex was sent for "mop up" duty to help firefighters manning fire lines after only a few hours of sleep, Waters said.
The Highway Patrol also stationed troopers along Interstate 75 to caution drivers to slow down because of smoke produced by one fire that had charred more than 100 acres.
Scattered afternoon showers were forecast Tuesday and Wednesday but were expected to have little effect. More significant rainfall was expected Saturday, said Doug Schneider, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.
The area's rainfall total since Jan. 1 is 6.28 inches -- less than half the 30-year average of 15.34 inches for that time period.
Blaze kills 1 child in Richmond, Va., injures 13; cause accidental
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Fire in a crowded house sent people climbing out windows to safety early Monday, and killed one child and injured 13 other people, fire officials said.
A 4-year-old child was killed and two other children under 4 were critically injured, Fire Department Capt. William Martin said.
The fire appeared to be accidental, Martin said. He said the wooden bungalow had no smoke detectors.
There were conflicting accounts on the number of people in the home. Fire Department Lt. Alfred Holmes had said there were 15 occupants.
Neighbor Margaret Cousins said a woman came to her house after the fire broke out.
"She was yelling, 'Somebody help me with my children!' She just fell on me. She was half burned," Cousins told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
The house was quickly engulfed in flames, Holmes said.
"When our first units arrived, people were climbing out a downstairs window telling them there were people still inside and trapped," Holmes said.
Martin said a 14-year-old boy was tossing siblings to safety out a window in the back of the small house.
The injured included the two children in critical condition and 11 other children and adults, Martin said. One of the injured was a neighbor who tried to help residents of the house.
Guilty pleas in boat accident that killed 20 elderly tourists on N.Y. state lake
QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (AP) -- A cruise line and the captain of a boat that capsized on Lake George, killing 20 elderly tourists, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge.
Shoreline Cruises and Capt. Richard Paris pleaded guilty to not having enough crew members aboard the Ethan Allen tour boat when it overturned during a fall foliage cruise on Oct. 2, 2005, throwing its passengers into the cold water of the Adirondack Mountain lake.
Paris was the only crew member aboard; state navigation law required at least two for the 47 passengers that day.
Warren County Judge John Hall fined both Paris and the company the maximum $250. Paris also agreed to serve more than 200 hours of community service in lieu of 15 days in jail.
District Attorney Kate Hogan had said a more serious charge of criminal negligence was not supportable because there was not enough evidence to show the operators knew the boat would capsize.
Paris said he was eager to get the whole situation behind him. "It's over," he said outside court.
James Quirk, Shoreline Cruises' owner, declined to comment.
At least nine civil lawsuits are pending over the drownings. Nineteen of the victims were from Michigan and one was from Ohio.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board believe the 40-foot boat was rocked by a wake produced by on or more passing boats. A grand jury heard conflicting testimony from survivors -- some said there was no wake, others said it was 6 to 8 inches.
The federal board concluded last year that the boat was dangerously unstable and should have carried only a quarter of the passengers onboard.
The Ethan Allen was certified to carry 48 passengers plus two crew, according to weight limits that have since been modified. There were 48 people on the boat -- including Paris -- when it capsized, but federal investigators said the boat should not have been certified to carry that many people.
The boat's passenger capacity was calculated when it was manufactured in 1966, but modifications over the years made it less stable and its capacity should have been slashed to 14 people, the NTSB reported.
Rapper Busta Rhymes to go on trial in New York City on 2 charges of assault
NEW YORK (AP) -- Busta Rhymes will face trial on two assault charges after a judge withdrew a plea offer Monday that would have let the rapper remain free.
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Tanya Kennedy withdrew the offer that included probation, community service and a series of lectures to troubled youth. She cited his recent arrest for driving with a suspended license as the reason.
"The court's offer is off the table," Kennedy told Rhymes.
His attorneys declined to comment as they left court.
Rhymes' attorney, Robert Kalina, has said previously that Rhymes had been prepared to accept the deal.
After the judge withdrew her plea offer, the 34-year-old rapper rejected a follow-up offer by the prosecution of one year in jail for each of two counts of assault -- to run concurrently -- and a $500 fine for the suspended license charge, and will go to trial instead.
Kennedy tentatively set the trial to begin May 8.
In February, Rhymes rejected a prosecutor's offer of six months in jail on the two assault charges, but said he would consider the judge's deal that would have allowed him to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and remain free.
Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, is accused in a complaint with beating Edward Hatchett, 39, his former driver, "with a closed fist about the head and neck" and kicking him in the ribs and torso during a dispute over back pay. The attack on Dec. 26 outside Rhymes' lower Manhattan office left Hatchett with cuts, bruises and substantial pain, according to the complaint.
In the other case, Rhymes is charged with assaulting a fan, allegedly for spitting on the rapper's car, after an Aug. 12 performance at the AmsterJam Music Festival on Randalls Island.
In February, the rap star was jailed briefly after police stopped his car for running a red light and discovered he was driving with a suspended license.
Police also have tried to question Rhymes as a potential witness in the February 2006 shooting death of his bodyguard, Israel Ramirez. Police say Rhymes so far has refused to cooperate with their investigation.
Rhymes, known for wild outfits and an antic performance style, has hits that include, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," "Dangerous" and "Touch It." He also has appeared in movies, including "Shaft" and "Finding Forrester."
Man rescued from river ice less than 1 mile from Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) -- A man apparently trying to sneak into the United States was rescued from an ice floe less than a mile upstream from Niagara Falls, authorities said.
Guards from Ontario Power Generation said they heard the man screaming for help at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday near the company's water intakes near Chippawa, Ontario.
"If he hadn't been discovered," said Peter Larsen, a control operator at the intakes, "he would have gone through one of those gates and then very likely could have been swept over the falls."
Rescuers in boats plucked the shivering man from the ice floe and got him ashore.
Authorities said the unidentified 42-year-old man had an inflatable air mattress with him and was apparently trying to get to the United States. The ice chunk he was on apparently broke loose.
The man was treated for mild hypothermia before being charged by Canadian immigration authorities.
USPS unveils new 'forever' first-class stamp
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An image of the Liberty Bell, an icon of American freedom and independence, will adorn the Postal Service's new forever stamp.
The design of the stamp was unveiled Monday at the National Postal Forum, a gathering of companies in the mailing industry.
The forever stamp goes on sale April 12 at 41 cents. The rate for first-class postage rises to 41 cents May 14.
The stamp, which will carry the word "Forever" instead of a price, will remain valid for sending a letter, no matter how much rates go up in the future.
That will eliminate the annoyance of buying one- and two-cent stamps to make up the new rate when prices rise, and folks who want to hedge against inflation could lay in a supply of the stamps for long-term use.
"Who said nothing lasts forever?" Postmaster General John E. Potter said in a statement.
He said the Liberty Bell was selected because it resonates as one of the nation's most prominent and recognizable symbols associated with American independence.
On the Net:
U.S. Postal Service: http://www.usps.com
One dead, two injured in catamaran accident
HONOLULU (AP) -- Fifty people on a whale-watching catamaran near Maui had to be rescued after the vessel's mask broke, killing one man and causing the 55-foot-boat to sink.
A 48-year-old man died, two others were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in stable condition and three people were treated for hypothermia. Maui officials hadn't released the names of the casualties.
Other boats, the Coast Guard and firefighters helped transport the passengers to the shore as the boat foundered.
The Kiele V catamaran was nearly two miles from Kahana Beach near Kaanapali when the mask broke, the Coast Guard said.
The boat, owned by the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, does $60 sunset cruises, taking passengers off the west side of Maui to spot Humpback whales. The whales migrate to warm Hawaiian waters for the winter to breed and calve after feeding near Alaska during the summer.
Winds were about 20 mph, at the time, the Coast Guard said.
Two other whale-watching boats responded to a radio call for help.
When the other boats arrived, the Kiele V captain and crew were trying to cut away the rigging lines so the sail could get away, said Jason Moore, staff photographer for Maui No Ka Oi Magazine, who was aboard the Teralani III.
"The back side was being pulled down and the captain only had a hacksaw to cut the rigging," Moore said.
The Coast Guard reached the scene with a 47-foot rescue boat, the icebreaker Polar Sea, which released several smaller boats, and the HH-65 Dolphin helicopter.
It was the second death aboard a Hawaii tour catamaran in less than four months. In December, 13-year-old Jordan James Loser of Riverside, Calif., was killed when the 65-foot mast of the tour catamaran Na Hoku II snapped in brisk winds off Waikiki, pinning him.
On Christmas Day 2003, 3-year-old Ryker Hamilton died aboard a whale-watching ship off Oahu. The toddler suffered head and neck injuries when the ship either abruptly swerved, as the ship's captain contends, or hit a whale, as the family contends. The family's financial claims were settled out of court.
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