A JAPANESE woman who drove home with the body of an 80-year-old pedestrian lodged in her windscreen has been arrested on charges of causing a deadly traffic accident and fleeing the scene, police said today.
The 23-year-old driver was believed to have struck the elderly woman in the early hours of Sunday north of Tokyo before driving seven kilometres (four miles) home with the victim's body wedged in the shattered windscreen.
Michiko Sato, a catering school student, was arrested after her boyfriend called police to report the accident, a police spokesman said.
When police called at Ms Sato's home, they found the body of the elderly woman still stuck in the car's windscreen.
"The suspect said she was so shocked that she didn't know what to do," the police spokesman said. He added Ms Sato was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
She was charged with causing a traffic accident resulting in death and escaping after running over a person with a car and faces up to 17 years in prison or a fine of up to two million yen ($23,736) if convicted.
News.com.au
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Prince William Gets Qualifies as a Pilot
"Prince William has graduated from an advanced helicopter training course, watched by his father and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The 27-year-old prince, known as Flt Lt Wales, spent 12 months training at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire.
Price Charles gave medals to RAF personnel, before attending the graduation ceremony and presenting a flying badge to his son.
William plans to become a qualified RAF search and rescue pilot.
Later this month he will move to RAF Valley on Anglesey, where he will be taught to use his new skills to fly Sea King helicopters.
He follows in the footsteps of his father, who served as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot, as did his uncle, the Duke of York, a Sea King helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War."
BBC News
Woman's car repossessed with toddler inside
MADRID (AFP) – Police and firefighters in Spain have rescued a woman who spent eight days trapped in the lift of her apartment building, police said Thursday.
The 35-year-old was found conscious but disorientated and was taken to hospital after she was found in the private lift in the town of Sitges near the northeastern city of Barcelona, police said.
The police were alerted by relatives in Madrid who had reported her missing, and then heard her cries for help when they visited the building.
Police said it was not clear how the woman, who lived alone, managed to survive for that length of time.
The lift had apparently stalled due to an electrical fault.
AFP
The 35-year-old was found conscious but disorientated and was taken to hospital after she was found in the private lift in the town of Sitges near the northeastern city of Barcelona, police said.
The police were alerted by relatives in Madrid who had reported her missing, and then heard her cries for help when they visited the building.
Police said it was not clear how the woman, who lived alone, managed to survive for that length of time.
The lift had apparently stalled due to an electrical fault.
AFP
Boy calls police to surrender pacifiers
TARANTO, Italy, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Police in an Italian city said a 4-year-old boy who considered himself too old for his pacifiers called authorities to surrender the baby toys.
Taranto police said the boy called the emergency line a few days before his birthday and explained that he thought the police should have his old pacifiers, ANSA reported Thursday.
"I'm old enough now so you can have my dummies," the boy told the operator.
Police said two officers visited the boy's birthday party and traded him a souvenir hat in exchange for his four old pacifiers.
UPI
Taranto police said the boy called the emergency line a few days before his birthday and explained that he thought the police should have his old pacifiers, ANSA reported Thursday.
"I'm old enough now so you can have my dummies," the boy told the operator.
Police said two officers visited the boy's birthday party and traded him a souvenir hat in exchange for his four old pacifiers.
UPI
Priest's parish pooch 'never barks' at Mass
BADEN, M.O. — Our Lady of the Holy Cross Catholic Church got a new priest last summer, the Rev. Don Buhr.
With Buhr came Elijah, also known in this North Side parish as the Church Dog.
Elijah is a Labrador and border collie mix who attends every Mass that Buhr celebrates.
"A dog in church — I know it doesn't sound right and doesn't seem right," Buhr said. "But this dog is a gift from God."
Elijah is slim and black with white paws and a splash of white fur on his chest in the shape of a cross that, Buhr said, marks the animal as "a real priest dog."
Buhr, 69, insists that Elijah smiles at people he likes. "But it's the stupidest smile you ever saw," he said, stretching his lips and gritting his teeth in imitation.
When Buhr came to the church, he asked the parishioners if it would be all right if Elijah attended Mass. He said he didn't want anyone's prayer to be disturbed. So far, he said, no one has complained.
Buhr's last assignment was at a country parish where Elijah was allowed to roam the fields and woods.
The dog has made a smooth transition to the inner city. He is the terror of squirrels and other animals that trespass on the parish grounds, at 1018 Baden Avenue.
Inside the church, however, Elijah is as gentle as a lamb.
During Mass, he tends to quietly meander.
He may stroll onto the altar to sit beside Buhr or server Brittany Pfaffenback, 16. At one Mass, Brittany petted Elijah with one hand and rang the bell with the other.
"I'm a dog lover so I'm glad to have him around," she said.
Elijah occasionally wanders down the aisle and sticks his nose into the pews, seeking affection.
In the summer, he prefers lounging on the cool terrazzo tiles of the high altar.
On a recent cold Sunday, he favored a spot beside a radiator to the side of the altar.
When the crowd lined up to receive Communion, he took up his regular post in front of the first pew on the left. From there, he watched as Buhr distributed the Eucharist.
"He loves that little space and plants himself there every Communion," said a parish deacon, Gerry Quinn, 63, of Affton. "We do worry sometimes that someone will trip over him, but we've all adjusted fine."
At the end of Mass, Elijah trotted ahead of the servers, deacons and priest as they filed down the main aisle.
Growing up, Buhr always had a dog. But he wasn't sure a pet would fit into the lifestyle of a priest.
Then, eight years ago, he decided to give it a try.
He had heard that border collies were supposed to be the smartest and black Labs the gentlest of dogs.
"I told a friend one day that that was the mix I wanted," he said. "The very next day, I saw an ad in the paper. A guy was moving and had to get rid of his dog — a 1-year-old border collie and black Lab mix."
Buhr named the dog Elijah because he came into his life like a whirlwind, "the same way the prophet Elijah went up to heaven," Buhr said.
Buhr knows of no other dog that attends Mass.
Elijah, in fact, had never tagged along to church with Buhr until the priest came to Our Lady of the Holy Cross.
Buhr was an associate pastor at his previous parish, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Villa Ridge.
Elijah was not allowed inside that church.
"It was not my decision to make," he said.
But at Our Lady of the Holy Cross, the congregation has embraced Elijah, said a longtime member, Charlotte Flowers.
"We have a true church dog," said Flowers, 68. "He's a joy and so well-behaved. The children especially love him. And he never barks in church."
Buhr points out that Elijah is not the only unusual element at the church.
The church, built in 1909, was designed by two architects from Cologne, Germany, in a 13th-century motif.
It has a 185-foot spire visible for miles. Renowned artist Emil Frei designed the 10 stained glass windows, each 25 feet high and 6 feet wide.
Amid the historic features is a distinctly modern touch: The processional cross bears an African-American figure of a crucified Christ.
The priest hopes that word of the Church Dog will spread and perhaps draw people to the parish.
"Maybe there are some dog lovers out there who haven't been to church in a while," Buhr said. "And they will come and meet this special dog."
USA Today
With Buhr came Elijah, also known in this North Side parish as the Church Dog.
Elijah is a Labrador and border collie mix who attends every Mass that Buhr celebrates.
"A dog in church — I know it doesn't sound right and doesn't seem right," Buhr said. "But this dog is a gift from God."
Elijah is slim and black with white paws and a splash of white fur on his chest in the shape of a cross that, Buhr said, marks the animal as "a real priest dog."
Buhr, 69, insists that Elijah smiles at people he likes. "But it's the stupidest smile you ever saw," he said, stretching his lips and gritting his teeth in imitation.
When Buhr came to the church, he asked the parishioners if it would be all right if Elijah attended Mass. He said he didn't want anyone's prayer to be disturbed. So far, he said, no one has complained.
Buhr's last assignment was at a country parish where Elijah was allowed to roam the fields and woods.
The dog has made a smooth transition to the inner city. He is the terror of squirrels and other animals that trespass on the parish grounds, at 1018 Baden Avenue.
Inside the church, however, Elijah is as gentle as a lamb.
During Mass, he tends to quietly meander.
He may stroll onto the altar to sit beside Buhr or server Brittany Pfaffenback, 16. At one Mass, Brittany petted Elijah with one hand and rang the bell with the other.
"I'm a dog lover so I'm glad to have him around," she said.
Elijah occasionally wanders down the aisle and sticks his nose into the pews, seeking affection.
In the summer, he prefers lounging on the cool terrazzo tiles of the high altar.
On a recent cold Sunday, he favored a spot beside a radiator to the side of the altar.
When the crowd lined up to receive Communion, he took up his regular post in front of the first pew on the left. From there, he watched as Buhr distributed the Eucharist.
"He loves that little space and plants himself there every Communion," said a parish deacon, Gerry Quinn, 63, of Affton. "We do worry sometimes that someone will trip over him, but we've all adjusted fine."
At the end of Mass, Elijah trotted ahead of the servers, deacons and priest as they filed down the main aisle.
Growing up, Buhr always had a dog. But he wasn't sure a pet would fit into the lifestyle of a priest.
Then, eight years ago, he decided to give it a try.
He had heard that border collies were supposed to be the smartest and black Labs the gentlest of dogs.
"I told a friend one day that that was the mix I wanted," he said. "The very next day, I saw an ad in the paper. A guy was moving and had to get rid of his dog — a 1-year-old border collie and black Lab mix."
Buhr named the dog Elijah because he came into his life like a whirlwind, "the same way the prophet Elijah went up to heaven," Buhr said.
Buhr knows of no other dog that attends Mass.
Elijah, in fact, had never tagged along to church with Buhr until the priest came to Our Lady of the Holy Cross.
Buhr was an associate pastor at his previous parish, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Villa Ridge.
Elijah was not allowed inside that church.
"It was not my decision to make," he said.
But at Our Lady of the Holy Cross, the congregation has embraced Elijah, said a longtime member, Charlotte Flowers.
"We have a true church dog," said Flowers, 68. "He's a joy and so well-behaved. The children especially love him. And he never barks in church."
Buhr points out that Elijah is not the only unusual element at the church.
The church, built in 1909, was designed by two architects from Cologne, Germany, in a 13th-century motif.
It has a 185-foot spire visible for miles. Renowned artist Emil Frei designed the 10 stained glass windows, each 25 feet high and 6 feet wide.
Amid the historic features is a distinctly modern touch: The processional cross bears an African-American figure of a crucified Christ.
The priest hopes that word of the Church Dog will spread and perhaps draw people to the parish.
"Maybe there are some dog lovers out there who haven't been to church in a while," Buhr said. "And they will come and meet this special dog."
USA Today
Governor in hot water over prisoner massage
SAIPAN (AFP) – The governor of the US-administered Northern Mariana Islands is feeling the heat after ordering the temporary release of a jailed suspect to give him a massage.
Benigno R. Fitial, the most senior politician in the western Pacific territory, demanded Chinese masseuse, Qing Mei Cheng, be set free on January 8 to treat him for back pain.
The masseuse was taken from the local prison, where she was being held on people smuggling charges, to the governor's mansion before being returned to jail.
"I made this request because this was an unusual situation where I needed to address the extraordinary pain I was experiencing," Fitial said in a statement received Saturday.
A federal court in Saipan on Friday postponed a hearing to investigate the unusual release of a suspect.
Fitial, who won re-election for a second term in a run-off election in November, made headlines late last year when he had to drive himself around after his driver was convicted of dealing drugs from the official car.
Reuters
Benigno R. Fitial, the most senior politician in the western Pacific territory, demanded Chinese masseuse, Qing Mei Cheng, be set free on January 8 to treat him for back pain.
The masseuse was taken from the local prison, where she was being held on people smuggling charges, to the governor's mansion before being returned to jail.
"I made this request because this was an unusual situation where I needed to address the extraordinary pain I was experiencing," Fitial said in a statement received Saturday.
A federal court in Saipan on Friday postponed a hearing to investigate the unusual release of a suspect.
Fitial, who won re-election for a second term in a run-off election in November, made headlines late last year when he had to drive himself around after his driver was convicted of dealing drugs from the official car.
Reuters
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Snake saves family from fire
A Chinese man who nursed a dying snake back to health claims it saved his family by raising the alarm when their house was on fire.
Yu Feng, of Fushun, in Liaoning province, found the dying black snake outside his home, reports the Liaosheng Evening Post.
"I treated it with herbal medicines, and in 20 days it recovered," he said.
He took the snake to a nearby mountain more than a mile away to release it back into the wild - but the next morning it was back at his house.
"I then set it free another two times, but it always came back," Yu added. "People around me said the snake had come back to repay my kindness, so I kept it."
He named the snake Long Long and adopted it as a pet - then one night, he claims it saved the whole family.
Yu explained: "I was asleep when suddenly I felt something cold on my face. I opened my eyes and it was Long Long.
"He had never woken me up before but I was so sleepy I went back to sleep. But Long Long grabbed my clothes with his teeth and whipped the bed with his tail.
"Then he went to my mother's bed and whipped her bed with his tail. I woke up then and smelt something burning, and saw my mother's electric blanket was on fire so I leapt up and turned it off."
Local reptile experts say snakes don't have the intelligence to act in this way - but Yu believes Long Long acted out of kindness, to repay Feng for saving his own life.
Ananova
Yu Feng, of Fushun, in Liaoning province, found the dying black snake outside his home, reports the Liaosheng Evening Post.
"I treated it with herbal medicines, and in 20 days it recovered," he said.
He took the snake to a nearby mountain more than a mile away to release it back into the wild - but the next morning it was back at his house.
"I then set it free another two times, but it always came back," Yu added. "People around me said the snake had come back to repay my kindness, so I kept it."
He named the snake Long Long and adopted it as a pet - then one night, he claims it saved the whole family.
Yu explained: "I was asleep when suddenly I felt something cold on my face. I opened my eyes and it was Long Long.
"He had never woken me up before but I was so sleepy I went back to sleep. But Long Long grabbed my clothes with his teeth and whipped the bed with his tail.
"Then he went to my mother's bed and whipped her bed with his tail. I woke up then and smelt something burning, and saw my mother's electric blanket was on fire so I leapt up and turned it off."
Local reptile experts say snakes don't have the intelligence to act in this way - but Yu believes Long Long acted out of kindness, to repay Feng for saving his own life.
Ananova
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