TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum - World News http://teakdoor.com en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:33:43 GMT vBulletin 60 http://teakdoor.com/images/td_default/misc/rss.jpg TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum - World News http://teakdoor.com <![CDATA[Transsexual linked to Italy's sex scandal 'found dead']]> http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60481-transsexual-linked-italys-sex-scandal-found.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:52:16 GMT i havent been looking to see whats be going on n Europe for ages. i just looked at the headlines on BBC. anyway a
Transsexual linked to Italy's sex scandal 'found dead'

A Brazilian transsexual named in a sex scandal involving a former Italian politician is believed to have been killed in a fire in her Rome flat.

that didnt bother me so much, but i did want to find out what 'she' looked like, considering most people say that brazilian ladyboys are on par with Thai's. but i had a bit of a shock when i followed another link.



"Brenda" was friends with another Brazilian transsexual, known as Natalie, who was filmed allegedly having sex and taking drugs with Piero Marrazzo, the governor of Lazio province, which encompasses Rome and its surrounding region.


The film was secretly recorded and obtained by four police officers who are being investigated for allegedly trying to blackmail Mr Marrazzo.


The centre-Left politician initially denied any involvement in the scandal when it broke last month, but days later was forced to resign after admitting that he had been a client of the prostitutes and took cocaine with them.


no wonder he jacked his job in. it wouldnt be so bad if it resembled a woman and admited he couldnt tell the differnace, but this, this is shocking!! ]]> World News WujouMao http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60481-transsexual-linked-italys-sex-scandal-found.html human fat for cosmetics in Peru http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60476-human-fat-for-cosmetics-in-peru.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:44:31 GMT *Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of killing dozens of people in order to sell their fat and tissue for cosmetic uses in Europe. ... Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of killing dozens of people in order to sell their fat and tissue for cosmetic uses in Europe.


The gang allegedly targeted people on remote roads, luring them with fake job offers before killing them and extracting their fat.
The liquidised product fetched $15,000 (£9,000) a litre and police suspect it was sold on to companies in Europe.



At least five other suspects, including two Italian nationals, remain at large.
Police said the gang could be behind the disappearances of up to 60 people in Peru's Huanuco and Pasco regions.
One of those arrested told police the ringleader had been killing people for their fat for more than three decades.



The gang has been referred to as the Pishtacos, after an ancient Peruvian legend of killers who attack people on lonely roads and murder them for their fat.
Human tissue
At a news conference in the capital, police showed reporters two bottles containing human body fat and images of one of the alleged victims.



One of the alleged killings is reported to have taken place in mid-September, with the person's body tissue removed for sale.



Cmdr Angel Toledo told Reuters news agency some of the suspects had "declared and stated how they murdered people with the aim being to extract their fat in rudimentary labs and sell it".



Police said they suspect the fat was sold to cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies in Europe, but have not confirmed any such connection.

The group allegedly sold body fat to be used in cosmetics in Europe

Human fat is used in modern cosmetic procedures but in most cases it is the patient's own fat that is used and under strict legal guidelines.



Medical authorities have expressed scepticism about a black market for human fat, partly because of the wide availability of fat for use in surgical procedures.



'Detailed confession'

Gen Felix Burga, head of Peru's police criminal division, said there were indications that "an international network trafficking human fat" was operating from Peru.
The first person was arrested earlier this month in a bus station in Lima, carrying a shipment of the fat.



The Associated Press news agency quoted Col Jorge Mejia as saying one of the suspects had described to police in detail how the victims were killed and their fat removed.



The suspect said the fat was then sold to intermediaries in Lima and that the gang's leader, Hilario Cudena, had been carrying out such murders for decades, AP reported.



The alleged buyers of the fat are also being hunted by police.



Grim eh. £9,000 a litre! ]]> World News WujouMao http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60476-human-fat-for-cosmetics-in-peru.html Button joins Hamilton at McLaren http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60413-button-joins-hamilton-at-mclaren.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:06:59 GMT I wonder who'll lead the pack?



Button joins Hamilton at McLaren
By Andrew Benson
Jenson Button has signed to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-English line-up at McLaren next season.
The world champion's move was announced on Wednesday following news that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not race in F1 next year.
Button described leaving the Brawn team for whom he won the title as a "difficult decision".
But the 29-year-old added: "Life is about challenges. Most important of all, it's about challenging yourself."
In new team-mate Hamilton, Button will be competing against a man many regard as the fastest driver in F1.
And while the move leaves McLaren with one of the most exciting driver line-ups, Button is facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.
He added: "Although I won the World Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I'll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges.

Lewis is a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver - I'm sure there's plenty that we can learn from each other
Jenson Button
"That's why I've decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. You can't help but be affected by this team's phenomenal history.
"McLaren is one of the greats of world sport, and its achievements and list of past champions read like a Who's Who of Formula 1 - Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and of course my new team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
"I've followed the McLaren team ever since I was a small boy, and it feels unbelievable to finally be a part of it.
"When I visited the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this month, it wasn't simply the technical resources and the incredible standards of excellence that impressed me.
"No, I was equally struck by the ambition, the motivation and the winning spirit that flow through everybody there. And then there's the team's epic history: put it this way, the trophy cabinets seem to stretch for miles.
"From a personal point of view, it's also a great pleasure to be joining a fellow British world champion.

"Lewis has achieved an incredible level of success in a very short period of time, and he's a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver.
"I'm sure there's plenty that we can learn from each other, and I'm really looking forward to using our combined knowledge to push the team forward."
Button paid tribute to Brawn, whose participation in F1 last year was only confirmed with a month to go before the start of the season following Honda's decision to quit F1.
"I want to say that the 2009 season will always have a special place in my memory, and I'm absolutely sure that everybody at Brawn GP who worked so hard to achieve our world championship successes feels exactly the same way about it," he said.
Button's switch means McLaren will be fielding the last two world champions in the same team, with Hamilton having won the drivers' title in 2008.

"It has always been our policy to employ the two very best possible drivers," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
"In Jenson and Lewis, we feel we not only have the fastest pairing on the 2010 grid but also the two most complete, professional and dedicated drivers in Formula One.
"I want to make clear that Jenson's decision to join us was in no way motivated by money. We'll be paying him no more than he could be getting elsewhere."
Hamilton wished his former team-mate Heikki Kovalainen the best for the future, describing the Finn as "one of the nicest human beings I've ever met".
Hamilton added: "It's fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join McLaren - and I'm looking forward to working with him and our engineers to make sure we kick off the 2010 season with a car that's competitive enough to win the world championship
"I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together.
"We both really want our team to succeed. Although we'll be pushing each other hard, I'm sure we'll very quickly establish a great working relationship.
"He's an exceptional driver: very controlled and very smooth, and he has a real depth of knowledge and experience. I think we'll complement each other very well, and our collaboration will make the team stronger as a result. I believe we can pull together to make McLaren the best team on the grid."
Button's former team Brawn, who have been taken over by Mercedes, made Button an offer, but he did not consider it acceptable.
After a poor start to the 2009 season, McLaren came back strongly in the second half of the year, while Brawn, after dominating the first third of the season, slipped back in competitiveness as the year went on.

McLaren will be the first team to start a season with the last two world champions as their drivers.
And it will be the first pairing of two British world champions since Graham Hill joined Jim Clark at Lotus in 1968.
Brawn emerged from the ashes of the former Honda team, after the Japanese company pulled out of F1 last winter.
Button took a pay cut last winter to help secure the team's future and they went on to win the world championship together in Brawn's debut season.
Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers.
His fellow German Nick Heidfeld is the favourite for the second seat.

Story from BBC SPORT:
BBC Sport - F1 : Button joins Hamilton at McLaren

Published: 2009/11/18 13:05:51 GMT ]]> World News jandajoy http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60413-button-joins-hamilton-at-mclaren.html <![CDATA[Taser gun used on 10-year-old girl who 'refused to take shower]]> http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60401-taser-gun-used-10-year-old.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:56 GMT . A police officer used a Taser stun gun to subdue a 10-year-old girl in her own home. By Nick Allen in Los Angeles Published: 12:12AM GMT 19 Nov... .
A police officer used a Taser stun gun to subdue a 10-year-old girl in her own home.

By Nick Allen in Los Angeles
Published: 12:12AM GMT 19 Nov 2009

A police officer using a Taser gun Photo: PA
The officer had been called to the girl's home in Ozark, Arkansas, by her mother because she was behaving in an unruly manner and refusing to take a shower.
In a report on the incident the officer, Dustin Bradshaw, said the mother gave him permission to use the Taser.
When he arrived, the girl was curled up on the floor, screaming, and resisting as her mother tried to get her in the shower before bed.
"Her mother told me to take her if I needed to," the officer wrote.
The child was "violently kicking and verbally combative" when he tried to take her into custody and she kicked him in the groin.
He then delivered "a very brief drive stun to her back," the report said.
The girl's father, Anthony Medlock, who is divorced from her mother, said the girl showed signs of emotional problems but did not deserve to be "treated like an animal".
He said: "Ten years old and they shot electricity through her body, and I want to know how the heck in God's green earth can they get away with this.
"If you can't pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don't think you need to be an officer. She doesn't deserve to be treated like a dog. She's not a tiger." Local Mayor Vernon McDaniel said the FBI should investigate.
He said: "People here feel like that he made a mistake in using a Taser, and maybe he did, but we will not know until we get an impartial investigation." The local Police Chief Jim Noggle said no disciplinary action was taken against Bradshaw.
"We didn't use the Taser to punish the child, just to bring the child under control so she wouldn't hurt herself or somebody else," he said.
He said if the officer tried to forcefully put the girl in handcuffs, he could have accidentally broken her arm or leg.
Mr Noggle said the girl will face disorderly conduct charges as a juvenileview-source:Taser gun used on 10-year-old girl who 'refused to take shower' - Telegraph ]]> World News crippen http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60401-taser-gun-used-10-year-old.html Women organize paedo ring. http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60366-women-organize-paedo-ring.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:15:35 GMT This is going to upset our forum feminists little world. ---Quote--- *Grandmother held in connection with Vanessa George paedophile ring* ... This is going to upset our forum feminists little world.
Quote:
Grandmother held in connection with Vanessa George paedophile ring

A 43-year-old grandmother has been arrested in connection with the internet paedophile ring which included nursery worker Vanessa George.



By Matthew Moore
Published: 10:30PM GMT 18 Nov 2009


The woman from Bootle in Merseyside was last night charged with sexual offences involving a child and is due to appear in court tomorrow.
She is the fourth woman to face charges in relation to the paedophile ring involving George, a 39-year-old mother-of-two who last month admitted a string of sexual crimes against children in her care.
She used he mobile phone to take more than 150 obscene photographs of infants at Little Ted’s Day Nursery in Plymouth, and shared the images online with accomplices Angela Allen, 39, from Nottingham, and Colin Blanchard, 38, from Manchester.
It is understood that the latest woman to be arrested was an associate of Blanchard who was identified by police officers who are still analysing records on his computer. Police do not believe she was in contact with George.
Blanchard was questioned in his prison cell on Friday afternoon, and the 43-year-old woman was arrested shortly afterwards. News of her arrest was texted by police to 33 families who fear their children were sexually abused.
A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said: "We have arrested a woman from the Southport area. She has been charged with a number of offences relating to the possession and making of indecent images of children and sexual activities with a child.
"She will appear at Bootle Magistrates Court on Thursday Nov 18."
All three convicted members of the ring have been warned to expect lengthy jail terms when they appear before a judge at Bristol Crown Court on December 15.
Police are still not aware of the identities of all of George's victims.
Before trial she consistently refused to name any of the children she had abused, although she subsequently provided her defence lawyers with some of the names, which were passed on to police.
Another woman from Portsmouth has also been charged with child sex offences after she was arrested by police investigating the ring.
Tracy Lyons, 39, a pregnant mother-of-eight, who had also worked in a nursery, has been remanded in custody until the New Year.
Grandmother held in connection with Vanessa George paedophile ring - Telegraph ]]> World News Dug http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60366-women-organize-paedo-ring.html What a beautiful thought! http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60331-what-a-beautiful-thought.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:02:05 GMT Beauty queens 'filmed hardcore sex tape'


12:30 AEST Wed Nov 18 2009
ago

By ninemsn staff







Miss Japan 2008 Hiroko Mima. (Getty Images)

Miss Trinidad and Tobago 2008 Anya Ayoung-Chee. (AAP)



The beauty pageant industry has been rocked by another sex tape scandal, this time reportedly involving the 2008 Miss Universe finalists from Japan and Trinidad and Tobago.
In a video now circulating the web, Japan's contestant Hiroko Mima and Tobago's Anya Ayoung-Chee are seen participating in hardcore sex acts with a male photographer, website TMZ.com reports...



The photographer was not named in the report.
A Miss Universe spokesperson told the website the pageant was in no way connected to the footage.
"This was apparently eight months after the pageant and neither were the reigning titleholder," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
"The photographer is not a Miss Universe staffer so we have nothing to say or any involvement ... thank goodness."
The scandal comes just two weeks after beauty queen Carrie Prejean dropped a discrimination lawsuit against the Miss USA pageant after officials discovered she had made a sex tape.
Prejean's Miss California crown was relinquished in June amid accusations she kept missing events.
The Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants are both co-owned by US magnate Donald Trump and network NBC Universal. ]]> World News Another Farang http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60331-what-a-beautiful-thought.html <![CDATA[Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys']]> http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60306-plastic-chemicals-feminise-boys.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:44:22 GMT Chemicals in plastics alter the brains of baby boys, making them "more feminine", say US researchers.
Males exposed to high doses in the womb went on to be less likely to play with boys' toys like cars or to join in rough and tumble games, they found.
The University of Rochester team's latest work adds to concerns about the safety of phthalates, found in vinyl flooring and PVC shower curtains.
The findings are reported in the International Journal of Andrology.
Plastic furniture
Phthalates have the ability to disrupt hormones, and have been banned in toys in the EU for some years.
However, they are still widely used in many different household items, including plastic furniture and packaging.
There are many different types and some mimic the female hormone oestrogen.


BBC NEWS | Health | Plastic chemicals 'feminise boys' ]]> World News Jesus Jones http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60306-plastic-chemicals-feminise-boys.html <![CDATA[Row As Labour Candidate Calls Queen 'Vermin']]> http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60303-row-labour-candidate-calls-queen-vermin.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:42:11 GMT A row has erupted after a Labour Party candidate called the Queen a "parasite" and likened her to "vermin".


Not amused: Peter White's comments have been slated by the Tories





Peter White used the Facebook networking site to express his feelings about the monarch to Tory MP Andrew Rosindell.


Mr White is contesting the South Hornchurch council ward in Havering next year.
The former election agent in Romford made his comments as he condemned plans to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.


Mr Rosindell last week presented a bill calling for a national holiday to coincide with the anniversary.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with a public holiday but lets [sic] have one that means something, rather than celebrating vermin.
Peter White's Facebook message

South Hornchurch is in the constituency of Dagenham and Rainham, currently held by Labour's Jon Cruddas.


Mr White wrote: "What is the point of celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of someone who is born into a position of privilege, she is a parasite and milks this country for everything she can.


"She has more front than Margate asking for extra money from the civil list. Maybe she should sell a couple of her properties.


"Maybe if she wants Buckingham Palace to be maintained from public funds she should open it to the public.




The full Facebook message



"Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with a public holiday but lets [sic] have one that means something, rather than celebrating vermin."


Romford MP Mr Rosindell said he was "disgusted" by Mr White's remarks.


He told Sky News Online: "I think for someone holding a responsible position in the Labour Party to state publicly that the Queen is a parasite and vermin is most outrageous and disgusting.


"He wrote the comments on my Facebook and immediately dozens of people started slating him.


"He tried to justify himself but he quickly removed the post. I think he's gone to ground."


Mr White today appeared to stand by his remarks.


"Maybe you could say I went too far, but that's for other people to judge," he told the London Evening Standard.


"I think that Republicanism is a valid viewpoint and there are plenty of people who agree with me."


A London Labour Party spokesperson said: "Peter White has been summoned to a meeting with key members of the local party and officers from the London Regional Labour Party.


"He will be required to explain his comments and they will consider his future." :england:


Queen Insult: Peter White, A Labour Candidate, Calls Monarch Vermin On Facebook Message | UK News | Sky News ]]> World News English Noodles http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60303-row-labour-candidate-calls-queen-vermin.html Nice Little Investment Opportunity http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60302-nice-little-investment-opportunity.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:35:35 GMT *A picturesque bridge over the River Thames that has the added perk of being a tax haven has gone on public viewing ahead of going up for auction.* ... A picturesque bridge over the River Thames that has the added perk of being a tax haven has gone on public viewing ahead of going up for auction.


The Swinford Toll bridge in Oxfordshire was built 240 years ago and an old Act of Parliament rules that its owner can collect a toll from those crossing the river - without being subject to tax.


What's more, the bridge owner enjoys something of a monopoly as the Act also states that no other river crossing can be constructed for three miles in either direction.


Currently around 10,000 vehicles use the crossing every day, with cars paying 5p to cross and double-decker buses 20p.


Despite appearing small, the tolls give a relatively healthy return to the owner, generating a gross profit of £200,000 a year.


How the bridge makes its money



The bridge is on the market for a little over £1m, and Charlie Mason of surveyors Humberts Leisure said there had been plenty of interest in the property, which also includes a two-bedroom toll cottage and over four acres of land.


"It's a unique opportunity, but most importantly it's tax free - which particularly for the 50% taxpayer is going to be very attractive," he told Sky News.


"Also there is no inheritance tax on the bridge and no stamp duty associated with it."
However, any potential buyer will have to cope with disgruntled local residents who want the toll to be scrapped.


They argue that it slows down traffic dramatically on an already-congested route, causing fumes to be pumped into the air, and describe the enforced payment as "highway robbery".


More than 750 people have already signed a petition asking their local MP - who happens to be one David Cameron - to have the local council compulsorily purchase the bridge and scrap the tolls.




The Georgian-era bridge is up for sale along with its toll-keeper's cottage



The brewing row did not appear to have put off prospective buyer Michael Testler, who was among the first to view the bridge.


"I think it's a very unusual piece of heritage - a one-off situation," he told Sky News, adding that he would look to see if tolls could be increased if he were to become the new owner.


However, Sky's Matt Smith, reporting from Swinford Toll bridge, warned it could not be seen as a get-rich-quick scheme.


"The Department of Transport has to approve any rise in tolls," he cautioned.
"That said, the sums add up quite nicely and for those who have got that sort of money in the recession, it's sounding like a pretty good investment."


Swinford Toll Bridge Up For Sale In Oxfordshire: Buyer Gets Tax-Free Income Due To Traffic Tolls | Business | Sky News ]]> World News English Noodles http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60302-nice-little-investment-opportunity.html This world gets sicker and sicker http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60290-this-world-gets-sicker-and-sicker.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:19:47 GMT Don't open this link if you have a young son and would not like to think anybody is capable of such a thing.
It literally made me sick.
Couple had sex with 9-year -old-son with live webcam video.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...32-948,oo.html ]]> World News noelbino http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60290-this-world-gets-sicker-and-sicker.html French Bank Robber Surrenders! http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60275-french-bank-robber-surrenders.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:54:53 GMT The man responsible for the bank heist in France two weeks ago has surrendered. Tony Musulin, who initially got away with almost $17 million, only to... The man responsible for the bank heist in France two weeks ago has surrendered. Tony Musulin, who initially got away with almost $17 million, only to have French police later recover all but $3.4 million, has surrendered to police in Monaco after two weeks on the run. No reason for the surrender was given. Now let's see how much time he actually gets.:frog::sorry1: ]]> World News Davis Knowlton http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60275-french-bank-robber-surrenders.html Another pervert goes down http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60270-another-pervert-goes-down.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:53:22 GMT Santa actor 'preyed on children'


A small-time actor and former children's entertainer who was known for playing Santa Claus, has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for his role in an international sex tourism ring that preyed on young children.
Wayne Nelson Corliss, whose 2008 arrest was the culmination of an international manhunt, had admitted travelling to Thailand three times between 2000 and 2002 to have sex with at least two boys, aged six and nine.
He pleaded guilty last October to five counts that included distribution and possession of child pornography and travelling to foreign countries to engage in illegal sexual activity.
"You have acted beyond the bounds of human decency," US District Judge Joseph Greenaway told Corliss on Monday.
The bearded, white-haired Corliss, who is 61 and acted under the name Casey Wayne, was described by people who knew him as witty and friendly and "the best Santa Claus anyone has ever seen."
He worked as an entertainer at corporate parties, art fairs and bar mitzvahs, where his activities sometimes included painting children's faces.
That image clashed with the one presented in court on Monday, in which Assistant US Attorney Lee Vartan called Corliss "an irredeemable sexual predator" who bragged on the internet about fondling young boys while dressed as Santa.
Corliss, who had spoken sparingly in a handful of previous court hearings, pleaded with Greenaway for "a fair sentence, not a death sentence."
While acknowledging his crimes, he claimed that internet chat postings in which he bragged about abusing other boys as young as four were the equivalent of playing a role and did not reflect his true personality.
"I'm not that person," he said. "I'm not that monster."
Corliss' trips allegedly were arranged by John Wrenshall, a Canada native who immigrated to Thailand and has been charged in an 18-count federal indictment.
Two Alabama men who accompanied Corliss, Mitchell Jackson and Burgess Lee Burgess, have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced to six and a half years in prison.
Corliss could have received a maximum prison sentence of more than 27 years under federal sentencing guidelines, but the government requested about 19 1/2 years because Corliss' co-operation aided in the cases against Wrenshall, Jackson and Burgess.
Without that constraint, Greenaway told Corliss Monday, he would "not have hesitated" to give him the full sentence. He characterised the case as the most disturbing he has come across in 25 years in the criminal justice system.
"I cannot think of something more heinous," he said. "These children are going to have to live with this for eternity, when their memory should be of a joyful, carefree time."
Corliss' arrest in May 2008 came two days after Interpol took the rare step of asking for the public's help in identifying a man shown in pornographic images. Hundreds of leads flooded in the first day, and eventually led to Corliss' arrest at his Union City home in northern New Jersey.


Vartan, the prosecutor, said investigators believe more people were involved in the ring and that the investigation was continuing. ]]> World News peterpan http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60270-another-pervert-goes-down.html Edward Woodward has died http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60260-edward-woodward-has-died.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:41:48 GMT * Actor Edward Woodward dies at 79 * ... Actor Edward Woodward dies at 79


Woodward played a spy in TV series Callan

Veteran actor Edward Woodward has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed.
The Croydon-born star had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital, said Janet Glass.
Woodward is most famous for his roles in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, alongside Sir Christopher Lee, and US TV series The Equalizer.
Sir Christopher described Woodward as "a very good friend and a splendid actor".
Ms Glass said he had been ill for several months and passed away surrounded by members of his family.
The actor, who lived in Hawker's Cove near Padstow, died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
"I knew him a very long time and he was a superb human being," she said.
"That integrity shone through in the roles he played. I can't ever remember, in all the productions he undertook, anyone having a bad word to say about him and he never had anything bad to say about anyone else either."
Ms Glass added: "Universally loved and admired through his unforgettable roles in classic productions, he was equally fine and courageous in real life, never losing his brave spirit and wonderful humour throughout his illness.
"His passing will leave a huge gap in many lives," she said.
Albert Square
He was last seen on screen in BBC One soap EastEnders as Tommy Clifford earlier this year.
Barbara Windsor said she was "deeply saddened" at the news.
"I have such fond memories of our time working together," she added.
Diederick Santer, executive producer of EastEnders, said: "All of us at EastEnders are very sad to learn that Edward has passed away.
"We were thrilled when he joined us for a stint of six episodes earlier this year. He was a delight to work with, and delivered a characteristically touching and layered performance. Our thoughts are with his family."
Woodward won a Golden Globe in 1987 for his role in The Equalizer

Robin Hardy, who directed The Wicker Man, said of Woodward: "He was one of the greatest actors of his generation, without any question, with a broad career on American television as well as British film.
"He was the absolute star of The Wicker Man. He was an extremely nice human being."
Film critic Barry Norman described Woodward was a "very fine" actor.
"He made about three dozen movies but he was rarely given the chance to star in a movie, " he told BBC News.
"The two films that do stand out are obviously The Wicker Man and Breaker Morant, about three British soldiers in the Boer War. In both he gave excellent performances."
Actor Simon Pegg, who was a big fan of Woodward and cast him in his 2007 film Hot Fuzz, said on Twitter: "So sorry to hear we have lost the great Edward Woodward. Feel lucky to have worked with him."
He later released a statement, saying that Hot Fuzz rehearsals "were often gleefully tossed aside just to hear him (Woodward) recount stories from his life and career.
"Edgar Wright and myself sought him out because we were fans of his work, by the time the cameras stopped rolling, we were devoted fans of the man. My love and sympathy goes out to Michelle and his family."
Woodward is survived by his second wife, the actress Michele Dotrice, and four children, three of whom he had during his first marriage. ]]> World News Fuzzy Bob http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60260-edward-woodward-has-died.html Last Ice Age took just SIX months to arrive http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60240-last-ice-age-took-just-six.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:23:26 GMT It took just six months for a warm and sunny Europe to be engulfed in ice, according to new research. Previous studies have suggested the arrival of... It took just six months for a warm and sunny Europe to be engulfed in ice, according to new research.
Previous studies have suggested the arrival of the last Ice Age nearly 13,000 years ago took about a decade - but now scientists believe the process was up to 20 times as fast.
In scenes reminiscent of the Hollywood blockbuster The day After Tomorrow, the Northern Hemisphere was frozen by a sudden slowdown of the Gulf Stream, which allowed ice to spread hundreds of miles southwards from the Arctic.
Geological sciences professor William Patterson, who led the research, said: 'It would have been very sudden for those alive at the time. It would be the equivalent of taking Britain and moving it to the Arctic over the space of a few months.'
Professor Patterson's findings emerged from one of the most painstaking studies of climate changes ever attempted and reinforce the theory that the earth's climate is unstable and can switch between warm and cold incredibly quickly.
His conclusions, published in New Scientist, are based on a study of mud deposits extracted from a lake in Western Ireland, Lough Monreagh - a region he describes as having the 'best mud in the world in scientific terms'.
Professor Patterson used a precision robotic scalpel to scrape off layers of mud just 0.5mm thick. Each layer represented three months of sediment deposition, so variations between them could be used to measure changes in temperature over very short periods.
He found that temperatures had plummeted, with the lake's plants and animals rapidly dying over just a few months.
The subsequent mini Ice Age lasted for 1,300 years and was probably caused by the sudden emptying of Lake Agassiz in Canada, which burst its banks and poured freezing freshwater into the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
That would have disrupted the Gulf Stream - the flows of which depend on variations in saline levels and temperature - and allowed the ice to take hold.
Some scientists believe that if the Greenland ice cap melts it could disrupt the world's ocean currents and have a similarly dramatic effect


Read more: Ice Age took just SIX months to arrive... not 10 years | Mail Online ]]> World News crippen http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60240-last-ice-age-took-just-six.html Why boys are turning into girls http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60239-why-boys-are-turning-into-girls.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:59:11 GMT Gender-bending chemicals are largely exempt from new EU regulations, warns Geoffrey Lean. Published: 7:00PM BST 23 Oct 2009 Girls will be girls and... Gender-bending chemicals are largely exempt from new EU regulations, warns Geoffrey Lean.

Published: 7:00PM BST 23 Oct 2009
Girls will be girls and boys will be girls: everyday 'gender-bending' chemicals are feminising increasing numbers of babies
Here's something rather rotten from the State of Denmark. Its government yesterday unveiled official research showing that two-year-old children are at risk from a bewildering array of gender-bending chemicals in such everyday items as waterproof clothes, rubber boots, bed linen, food, nappies, sunscreen lotion and moisturising cream.
The 326-page report, published by the environment protection agency, is the latest piece in an increasingly alarming jigsaw. A picture is emerging of ubiquitous chemical contamination driving down sperm counts and feminising male children all over the developed world. And anti-pollution measures and regulations are falling far short of getting to grips with it
Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are less fertile than their fathers and produce only a third as much, proportionately, as hamsters. And gender-bending chemicals are increasingly being blamed for the mystery of the "lost boys": babies who should normally be male who have been born as girls instead.
The Danish government set out to find out how much contamination from gender-bending chemicals a two-year-old child was exposed to every day. It concluded that a child could be "at critical risk" from just a few exposures to high levels of the substances, such as from rubber clogs, and imperilled by the amount it absorbed from sources ranging from food to sunscreens.
The results build on earlier studies showing that British children have higher levels of gender-bending chemicals in their blood than their parents or grandparents. Indeed WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund), which commissioned the older research, warned that the chemicals were so widespread that "there is very little, if anything, individuals can do to prevent contamination of themselves and their families." Prominent among them are dioxins, PVC, flame retardants, phthalates (extensively used to soften plastics) and the now largely banned PCBs, one and a half million tons of which were used in countless products from paints to electrical equipment.
Young boys, like those in the Danish study, could end up producing less sperm and developing feminised behaviour. Research at Rotterdam's Erasmus University found that boys whose mothers were exposed to PCBs and dioxins were more likely to play with dolls and tea sets and dress up in female clothes.
And it is in the womb that babies are most vulnerable; a study of umbilical cords from British mothers found that every one contained hazardous chemicals. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminisation of the genitals.
The contamination may also offer a clue to a mysterious shift in the sex of babies. Normally 106 boys are born for every 100 girls: it is thought to be nature's way of making up for the fact that men were more likely to be killed hunting or in conflict. But the proportion of females is rising, so much so that some 250,000 babies who statistically should have been boys have ended up as girls in Japan and the United States alone. In Britain, the discrepancy amounts to thousands of babies a year.
A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic.
Yet gender-benders are largely exempt from new EU regulations controlling hazardous chemicals. Britain, then under Tony Blair's premiership, was largely responsible for this – restricting their inclusion in the first draft of the legislation, and then causing even what was included to be watered down.Confidential documents show that it did so after pressure from George W Bush's administration, which protested that US exports "could be impacted".
Now the Danish government is planning to lobby to have the rules toughened up. It is particularly concerned by other studies which show that gender-bending chemicals acting together have far worse effects than the expected sum of their individual impacts. It wants this to be reflected in the regulations, citing its discovery of the many sources to which the two-year-olds are exposed – modern slings and arrows, as it were, of outrageous fortuneview-source:Why boys are turning into girls - Telegraph ]]> World News crippen http://teakdoor.com/world-news/60239-why-boys-are-turning-into-girls.html