Pink schoolbag that can stop a bullet

Washington -

Worried parents in America are snapping up the latest fashion in bulletproof schoolbags and jackets for their children.

One £195 pink rucksack (blue for boys) lined with a Kevlar-type material that can stop a 9mm bullet has been flying off the shelves.

It’s just one of many measures to protect children in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut in December 2012, in which 20 children and six adult staff members were killed. Some schools are also looking to buy bulletproof vests for every pupil in case of an emergency.

Teachers are being supplied with ballistic shields which are made to look like whiteboards, but can be used defensively to shelter behind or to charge at a gunman. And bulletproof sheets - disguised as posters of rainbows - are also being pinned up on classroom walls. - Daily Mail 

SOURCE : http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/pink-schoolbag-that-can-stop-a-bullet-1.1508618#.UX--Gko4rFw

Nisham, owner of Ferrari, surrenders

Alappuzha: Muhammad Nisham, owner of the Rs 2.75 cr Ferrari F 430 Scuderia appeared before Peramangalam Circle Inspector P.C. Bijukumar on Thursday. Nisham was summoned by the police following a You Tube grab showing his nine-year-old son Ishan Nisham driving a high-powered Ferrari. The video had sparked public protests with people coming down on the guardians of the minor boy. 
The Circle Inspector said Nisham arrived at the police station at around 12 noon. “We summoned him on the petition pertaining to a Ferrari ride which was forwarded by Thrissur Traffic Sub Inspector T.K. Unnikrishnan on Tuesday. “Nisham confessed he had filmed his son’s Ferrari dive and had uploaded it on You Tube.
He said the ownership of the Chandigarh-registered Ferrari with the registration CH04K8545 was with a firm he had been running on a partnership basis in Chandigarh. “Based on what he said, we can proceed further only with the support of the cyber cell to know whether Nisham is telling the truth or not”, said the Circle inspector.
The probe team will be headed by Jayarajan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Guruvayoor. Further action on the case will be taken up by Saturday. “We required a statement from the accused to register a case. Hence, we asked him to come to the station”, said the CI.
Traffic Sub Inspector Unnikrishnan had asked Nisham to appear before traffic police by Tuesday. But he did not respond to it. Following this, the issue was forwarded to the Peramanagalam police, where the incident took place.  The case was taken up City Police Commissioner P. Praksh on April 15, following a Deccan Chronicle report and a petition was forwarded to the Traffic police SI to look into the matter.
Even as the video created much furore, the boy's mother came out on April 21 justifying the illegal act. Amal Nisham, the mother, said her son had taken out the Ferrari on a “private road” in their residential colony. According to the mother, the kid was allowed the Ferrari ride as a birthday gift. She also said she had ensured that no child was around at the time. But contrary to her claims, the video shows some children and a heavy vehicle following the car.
 

 

SOURCE : http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130426/news-current-affairs/article/nisham-owner-ferrari-surrenders

Sea Surface Temperatures At Highest Level In 150 Years On Northeast Continental Shelf

(Newsroom America) -- Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).
These high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are the latest in a trend of above average temperature seen during the spring and summer seasons, and part of a pattern of elevated temperatures occurring in the Northwest Atlantic, but not seen elsewhere in the ocean basin over the past century.
The advisory reports on conditions in the second half of 2012.
Sea surface temperature for the Northeast Shelf Ecosystem reached a record high of 14 degrees Celsius (57.2°F) in 2012, exceeding the previous record high in 1951. Average SST has typically been lower than 12.4 C (54.3 F) over the past three decades.
Sea surface temperature in the region is based on both contemporary satellite remote-sensing data and long-term ship-board measurements, with historical SST conditions based on ship-board measurements dating back to 1854. The temperature increase in 2012 was the highest jump in temperature seen in the time series and one of only five times temperature has changed by more than 1 C (1.8 F).
The Northeast Shelf’s warm water thermal habitat was also at a record high level during 2012, while cold water habitat was at a record low level. Early winter mixing of the water column went to extreme depths, which will impact the spring 2013 plankton bloom. Mixing redistributes nutrients and affects stratification of the water column as the bloom develops.
Temperature is also affecting distributions of fish and shellfish on the Northeast Shelf. The advisory provides data on changes in distribution, or shifts in the center of the population, of seven key fishery species over time. The four southern species - black sea bass, summer flounder, longfin squid and butterfish - all showed a northeastward or upshelf shift. American lobster has shifted upshelf over time but at a slower rate than the southern species. Atlantic cod and haddock have shifted downshelf.

SOURCE : http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/360943/sea_surface_temperatures_at_highest_level_in_150_years_on_northeast_continental_shelf_.html

Florida Woman Stole $170,000 From Boss, Bought Breast Implants: Authorities

A former accountant with a Florida camper sales company is facing a grand theft charge after authorities say she stole nearly $170,000 and spent some of the money on new furniture and breast implants.

Steffani Lariscy, 37, was arrested on Thursday in Iredell County, N.C. after a warrant was issued for her arrest out of Volusia County, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

She was being held on $100,000 bond and it was unknown whether she has an attorney.

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Authorities say Lariscy stole the money over a three-year period while she was an accountant for Robbins Camper Sales in Ormond Beach. It was spotted by the company's owner in March 2012, when he noticed a $1,000 discrepancy in financial records related to the sale of a camper.

When the owner confronted Lariscy about the missing money, Lariscy at first said she didn't know anything about it but would look into the matter, authorities said.

The owner confronted Lariscy a second time and admitted to taking the money, saying she needed it to help with her divorce and that she was planning to pay it back, authorities said.

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When the owner told her he was reporting the incident to law enforcement, Lariscy took off, the sheriff's department said.

Investigators spent a year combing through the company's paperwork and Lariscy's bank records, which showed a complex network of accounts at about a dozen banks, authorities said.

An audit team found Lariscy had taken $169,822.63, the sheriff's office said. An anonymous tipster told investigators that Lariscy had a lot of unexplained cash at her house and had been bragging about it, and said Lariscy had spent $7,000 on breast implants, authorities said.

SOURCE : http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/weird/Florida-Woman-Stole-170000-From-Boss-Bought-Breast-Implants-Authorities-204099681.html

Woman Surprised by Tiger in the Bathroom

SALINA, Kansas (KWCH/CNN) — A tiger escaped during a circus act in Kansas over the weekend. The animal was quickly rounded up by security, but not before a close encounter in the women’s bathroom.
Jenna Krehbiel says the tiger show had just finished, and she thought it was a good time to head to the restroom.
But while she was gone, Leah the tiger decided she needed a break, too.
“We watched (the tiger), it jumped out and it was looking around for where to go,” said Thomas Denton Devore.
Then Devore’s thoughts shifted toward his wife, who had just gone to the bathroom.
“I called my wife and told her to lock herself in a stall,” Devore said.
And that’s exactly where Leah headed — to the women’s restroom.
Jenna soon came face-to-face with the tiger … close enough to touch.
“My first thought was, ‘Okay, you need to be calm, turn around, walk out … you’ll be fine.’ And that’s what I did,” said Jenna.
Officials from the circus venue say the tiger was on the loose for a few minutes.
No one was hurt.

SOURCE : http://fox8.com/2013/04/23/woman-surprised-by-tiger-in-the-bathroom/

8th grader arrested at school over NRA t-shirt

The t-shirt has the NRA logo and says “protect your rights.” It also has a picture of a hunting rifle on it and that was too much for Jared Marcum’s teacher.
When the teacher protested the shirt the two argued leading to the suspension and eventual arrest of Jared.
Marcum now faces charges of obstruction and disturbing the education process.
Jared’s dad is not happy with the situation and points out that school policy doesn't say you can’t have images of guns on T-shirts.
The school does have a dress code rule against clothes that display violence but gun images are not specifically listed.
Jared’s dad told WOWK-TV that his son "did not violate any school policy, he did not become aggressive."
Jared said he’s had a ton of support people are saying that I did the right thing, that they're proud."
The family has retained an attorney to get the charges dropped and possibly to file a federal or civil lawsuit.

SOURCE : http://www.610wagg.com/feed/news/weird-news/8th-grader-arrested-at-school-over-nra-t-shirt/fG7GJ/

Hubble Sees a Horsehead of a Different Color and Graceful Eruption

Hubble Sees a Horsehead of a Different Color

Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to photograph the iconic Horsehead Nebula in a new, infrared light to mark the 23rd anniversary of the famous observatory's launch aboard the space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990.

Looking like an apparition rising from whitecaps of interstellar foam, the iconic Horsehead Nebula has graced astronomy books ever since its discovery more than a century ago. The nebula is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers. It is shadowy in optical light. It appears transparent and ethereal when seen at infrared wavelengths. The rich tapestry of the Horsehead Nebula pops out against the backdrop of Milky Way stars and distant galaxies that easily are visible in infrared light.

Hubble has been producing ground-breaking science for two decades. During that time, it has benefited from a slew of upgrades from space shuttle missions, including the 2009 addition of a new imaging workhorse, the high-resolution Wide Field Camera 3 that took the new portrait of the Horsehead.

Image Credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team 

A solar prominence began to bow out and the broke apart in a graceful, floating style in a little less than four hours (Mar. 16, 2013). The sequence was captured in extreme ultraviolet light. A large cloud of the particles appeared to hover further out above the surface before it faded away. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA





SOURCE : http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html

Images show what FBI says are parts of Boston Marathon bombs

BOSTON FBI agents zeroed in Wednesday on how the Boston Marathon bombing was carried out - with kitchen pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and other lethal shrapnel - but said they still didn't know who did it and why.
An intelligence bulletin issued to law enforcement and obtained by The Associated Press and the Reuters news agency late Tuesday included pictures of a mangled pressure cooker, a torn black bag, a circuit board and a battery connected to wires, all of which the bulletin said were from the two bombs used in the attack.

Screen grab of Reuters video shows image the news agency says was included in an FBI bulletin given to Reuters by an unnamed federal official. The bulletin says the image is of evidence gathered at scene of Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013 and shows what appears to be a piece of circuit board that could have been part of one of the two bombs used in the attack. Blood can also be seen.

/ Reuters video

Both explosive devices appear to have been placed in metal pressure cookers packed with nails and ball bearings designed to amplify the damage from the explosions, CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports.

Investigators believe the bombs were hidden in black nylon backpacks and housed inside the sealable metal pots called pressure cookers. Pressure cooker bombs can help boost the power of relatively small devices by briefly constraining the blast. And when the cookers do explode, they can add large chunks of metal to the shrapnel spray.
The IEDs have been popular with terrorists. Al Qaeda published a how-to recipe in an online Jihadi magazine. Several of the bombs were used in the 2006 attack on trains in Mumbai, India. Pressure cooker explosives have been recommended for lone-wolf operatives by al Qaeda's branch in Yemen.

Screen grab of Reuters video shows what leaked FBI bulletin says is what's left of battery and wires that could have been part of one of the two devices

/ Reuters video

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies repeatedly pleaded for members of the public to come forward with photos, videos or anything suspicious they might have seen or heard.
"The range of suspects and motives remains wide open," Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston, said at a news conference Tuesday. He vowed to "go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime."

Screen grab of Reuters video shows what leaked FBI bulletin says is pressure cooker and black vinyl bag that were used in the attack

/ Reuters video

Law enforcement sources told CBS News a Saudi Arabian man who was being questioned by investigators is not considered a suspect at this time, and it appears he was a spectator who was injured in the attack.
President Obama branded the attack an act of terrorism but said officials don't know "whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual."
Mr. Obama plans to attend an interfaith service Thursday in the victims' honor in Boston. He has traveled four times to cities reeling from mass violence, most recently in December after the schoolhouse shooting in Newtown, Conn.

SOURCE : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57579984/images-show-what-fbi-says-are-parts-of-boston-marathon-bombs/

Beetroot juice 'helps lower blood pressure': A glass a day can reduce it by 7%, say researchers

Drinking beetroot juice every day could help to lower blood pressure, say researchers.
They found a dose of eight ounces – around one cup – may help people with high blood pressure, cutting their readings by about 7 per cent.
Tests suggest the effect is produced by beetroot’s naturally high levels of nitrate.

A glass a day can keep the doctor away: Researchers say beetroot juice can help lower blood pressure

High concentrations of nitrate are also found in celery, cabbage and other leafy green vegetables such as spinach and some lettuce.
Eating high-nitrate foods triggers a series of chemical reactions in the blood, which can increase oxygen in areas of the body which are specifically lacking supply.

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The beetroot juice used in the study contained about 0.2g of dietary nitrate, levels found in a large bowl of lettuce or two beetroots.
Amrita Ahluwalia, lead author of the study and a professor of vascular pharmacology at The Barts and The London Medical School, said: ‘We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect.

‘Our hope is that increasing one’s intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health.’
Beetroot juice is found in most health food shops and usually costs around £2 a bottle.
An estimated 16million people in the UK have high blood pressure, including a third who do not know they have it, and it is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.
Changes in lifestyle, such as cutting down salt and alcohol and taking more exercise, may control blood pressure and there are a number of drug treatments available.
A high blood pressure reading is one that exceeds 140/90 mm Hg. The first figure, the systolic pressure, corresponds to the ‘surge’ that occurs with each heart beat.
The latest study recruited eight women and seven men with systolic pressure between 140 and 159 mm Hg who were not taking blood pressure drugs.
The participants drank 250ml of beetroot juice or water containing a low amount of nitrate, and had their blood pressure monitored for 24 hours, says a report in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
Compared with those drinking water, people having beetroot juice cut their systolic pressure by about 10 mm Hg. 
The effect was most pronounced three to six hours after drinking the juice but still present even 24 hours later.
Previous research has shown beetroot increases stamina, and can boost blood supply to vital areas of the brain.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2309667/Beetroot-juice-helps-lower-blood-pressure-A-glass-day-reduce-7--say-researchers.html#ixzz2QdD5HeI6

The weird and wonderful Darwin Deez returns

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ONE of Indie music’s most colourful and unique talents has returned with a terrific second album of typically surprising tunes. The Mail spoke with the irrepressible Darwin Deez about the inspirations for his new record and his upcoming UK tour dates.
NEW Yorker Darwin Deez emerged on the music scene in 2010 with his self-titled debut LP full of offbeat and weirdly wonderful tunes, including Constellations and Radar Detector.
He has not been in hiding since then but did make a major choice personally and creatively as he decamped from his long-term New York home to write and record album number two in a much different location.
He chose the small town of Asheville, North Carolina and the album he has emerged with has been described as ‘the most fascinating and thrilling record this year’.
Songs For Imaginative People has also been heralded as a more personal record.
Deez told the Mail what he has been up to since finishing the touring run for his debut album and played down talk of the new record being particularly personal.
He said: “I left New York City and went to a new town, rented a house for a year, did the new record and recorded it there as well.
“Right in the middle of the process I started to get into the swing of it but it was kind of a rush at the beginning.
“It is different to what I’ve done before. I wouldn’t say it’s more personal – it’s as personal as the last one.
“However, I don’t think I’ve ever got as personal as the last two songs on this record.”
I spoke to Deez while he was on the road in the US but he is soon to return to these shores for a short run of shows, including a stop off in Nottingham.
He is renowned for exciting, yet quirky live performances where he often breaks out into spontaneous, synchronised dances on stage.
I asked him if he was looking forward to bringing his shows back to the UK later this month.
He said: “Well it is probably about the 10th time I’ve toured in the UK. It is all part of the magic and I’m kind of glad to have this job and to be touring.
“I try not to look forward too much and just make sure I enjoy the moment. If you build up your excitement you are often disappointed.
“The fans are really excited about shows over there so that is good. I enjoy being able to interact casually with fans at shows and that is more possible in the UK than in America.”
Songs For Imaginative People was released in the UK earlier this year so Deez’s growing fanbase have had a chance to savour its many joys.
Deez said the reaction at shows so far on the other side of the Atlantic has been very encouraging.
He said: “I’ve been playing the new stuff live since November and the songs have been going down better and better as people get to know them and get to know the lyrics.
“It takes a while to learn the lyrics but once they have it adds to the shows a lot I think.”
Although Deez comes across as having quite an outgoing and offbeat persona, he admitted that his heart really lies in writing and recording, rather than performing in front of an audience.
He said: “I much prefer the writing and recording side of the business but I like being around my band.
“I like that I’m not isolated when I’m touring as I tend to isolate myself and it’s not the most fun. I enjoy the company when I have it.”
For many artists the lifestyle of touring is the highlight of the job – waking up in a new city every morning and often a different country.
However, Deez said those perks of the job are over-exaggerated and his chances to explore further than the hotel room and tour bus are limited.
“You would be surprised,” he said. “As many times I have been to Germany on European tours we always find ourselves on the same streets, eating at the same restaurants and doing the same lap of specific places.
“I think Berlin is a really nice place but I’ve only been to one small part of it. Five separate times.
“You don’t get to see much of these places, unless you budget time to see more things.”
Looking ahead, even if Deez prefers not to, Deez said New York is calling – even if he it doesn’t appeal to him like it used to.
He said: “I think we will be doing more tours until about November time and then I don’t know. I hope to move back to New York City.
“I can’t say I care about New York anymore I just don’t know where else to go. I just don’t think I want to be in Asheville.
“I spent seven years in the same apartment in New York before this recent period but I got bored and left.
“I guess I just needed a change.”
So with all these changes and different inspirations has it helped fire the creativity for Deez?
“I think that in the pop music world you just write about love and relationships so it does not have much to do with places,” he said.
“I think you can probably write just as much if you had just a bunch of relationships on a farm.”

SOURCE : http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Whats-On/Music/The-weird-and-wonderful-Darwin-Deez-returns-20130411101932.htm

At least 60 killed in southern Nigeria road accident

BENIN, Nigeria, April 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 60 people lost their lives on Friday in a road accident which occurred on Benin- Ore road located in southern Nigeria, according to rescue officials and officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) .
A truck, luxury bus and fuel-laden tanker went aflame after a collision on the busy road, causing the multiple deaths, according to rescue officials.
One rescue official who declined to be mentioned said more than 60 people were burnt in the incident which also involved several vehicles on the road linking the two southern states of Edo and Ondo.
"The fire spread to a mechanic workshop in the area and more than eight more vehicles undergoing repairs were burnt," the source said.
The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Commission in a short message also confirmed the accident and said so far 62 lives had been lost.
The commission said it was still expecting more details of the incident from its field officers before issuing a complete official statement.

SOURCE : http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2013-04/06/c_132286879.htm

Powerful Quake Hits Indonesia, No Damage Reported, No Tsunami

A powerful earthquake has struck eastern Indonesia, but there have been no early reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck Papua province on Saturday at 4:42 a.m. ((13:42 UTC). The agency put the depth of the 7.2 magnitude quake at 68 kilometers. It was centered 239 kilometers east of the city of Enarotali.

Officials say hundreds of people in the area ran into the streets, fearing building collapses and aftershocks.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

SOURCE : http://www.voanews.com/content/powerful-quake-hits-indonesia-no-damage-reported-no-tsunami/1635994.html

Motorcycling Easter Bunny Unmasked

The biker dressed as a giant, white Easter bunny and pulled over this past weekend in southern California has been unmasked.

Ed Bell, was found by an NBC 7 San Diego news crew at a BMW motorcycle shop Monday, hours after photos swept the Internet showing the bunny pulled over on a freeway for not wearing a helmet.

The man behind the mask would only publicly admit that he may have an alter ego that involves that red bike.

"I was kind of taken aback by the huge response it's gotten,” he said.

Bell said the bunny was simply on the way to a charity event Saturday to cheer up a sick friend. He attached a bungee cord to the helmet to it could fit on the costume’s head.

"If we felt it was an unsafe action, we wouldn't have done it in the first place,” he said. “Because the last thing anyone needed was a wounded Easter bunny the day before Easter."

While Bell was riding down a freeway he was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer. Fortunately for him, the CHP had some holiday spirit and gave him a written warning.

"So, the Easter bunny pulled over, straightened his ears out so he could hear the officer,” Bell said. "They were all professional, polite, courteous. They got into the mood real quick. Gave him a stern warning.”

Bell said the reason he donned the costume was purely comical.

"There's a lot of bad stuff going on this was something people could point to and get a good laugh,” he said.

As for whether this will become a holiday tradition, he says never lose faith in the Easter Bunny.

“Never say never to the Easter Bunny,” he said. “If the Easter bunny does come back, they'll probably have a better helmet, or one more recognizable."

Source: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/weird/Easter-Bunny-Biker-Unmasked-201024151.html#ixzz2PJRaVAoY