KFC ordered to Pay $8.3 million to Australian girl

SYDNEY: Fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was on Friday ordered to pay Aus$8 million (US$8.3 million) to an Australian girl who suffered severe brain damage and was paralysed after consuming a Twister wrap.

Monika Samaan was seven when she suffered salmonella encephalopathy -- a brain injury linked to food poisoning that also left her having a blood infection and septic shock -- in October 2005.

Several other family members also fell ill plus they claimed Samaan's injuries, which include severe cognitive, motor and speech impairment and spastic quadriplegia, were caused by a chicken Twister wrap from the Sydney KFC outlet.

The brand new South Wales Top court ruled in the family's favour the other day and on Friday ordered KFC to pay for the lady Aus$8 million in damages plus legal costs.

Inside a statement, the family's lawyer George Vlahakis said they were relieved the battle was over.

"Monika's severe brain damage and severe disability has already exhausted the limited resources of the family," he said.

"Monika has become a large girl and they are discovering it increasingly difficult to lift her and to take care of her basic needs in addition to take care of Monika's younger siblings.

"The compensation ordered is very necessary. KFC need to date been determined that Monika does not get a cent."

Last week KFC indicated it'll appeal your decision but is yet to do this.

During the trial, Justice Stephen Rothman said the chicken became contaminated "because of the failure of one or more employees of KFC" to follow proper preparation rules, that they referred to as "negligent".

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Man Accuses Wife of Sleeping with His Father – Kills Son, Burns Her with Hot Iron & Peels Skin

For 36 year-old Mrs Mercy Nnamdi, the girl whose one-year-old son was allegedly killed by her husband recently in Ago, Okota area of Lagos, over her husband’s allegation that they was sleeping together with his father, life could never have been more cruel.


This is because never in her own wildest imagination had she envisaged that the man she'd known just about all her life could mete such inhuman treatment on her. While you read this piece, Mercy is certainly going through excruciating pains inside a private hospital in Okota where doctors are battling in order to save her lifetime.In fact, the once bubbling woman looks a shadow of herself, as medical report showed that she sustained another degree burns from the hot iron her husband of two years utilized on her on Saturday, April 7 2012, that was exclusively reported.


Presently, the badly burnt woman maintains a particular position, by resting on her back. She wears a grownup pampers when she eases herself, with a tissue paper by her side, with which she cleans the fluid being released from the burns. Help, as gathered, was not even close to the Imo state-born woman, as none of her neighbours attempted to go and find out that which was happening when she was desperately shouting for help. It had been learnt their neighbours didn't react to her cries for help since it has turned into a daily occurrence.


Crime Guard gathered additionally that on several occasions, some of the neighbors invited policemen from Ago division who cautioned her husband after which he is made to sign an undertaking not to raise his hands on his wife.

Family sources hinted that signs of danger in the marriage reared its ugly face early after the two love birds fell in love 16 years back, when Mary was barely 22 years old. But she was apparently blinded by love, hoping that her heartthrob would outgrow his anger someday, which was never to be.
Narrating what resulted in her as being a patient within the hospital, Mary stated, “It all happened on a Saturday. I had prepared boiled yam, awaiting the appearance of my husband. Following a long wait, I made a decision to consume mine and left his on the table. He came back couple of minutes to 11pm and went straight to bed. Then at about 1 a.m., power was restored and he visited put off the ability generating set and switched over to electricity.


Next, he started ironing his customers’ clothes while he is a dry cleaner.
I had been later woken up by the cry in our one-year-old baby who apparently needed breast milk. Even while, we were outside before power was restored. Before retiring inside, I took my bath and fetched water for him to have his.
 The unforgettable night


I had been fast asleep after i was woken up by a sharp pain on my small back. I believed it was an evening mare. However when I opened my eyes, lo and behold, my hubby was planting the hot iron he was using around the clothes on me. Immediately I turned, he planted it on my chest. When I raised my hand to prevent it, he planted it on one of my hands .


By then I did not know what to do. I started screaming and calling on my neighbours for help. I raised my leg to avoid him, again, he landed the hot iron on me.


As he planted the iron difficult on my flesh, he'd use a screwdriver to remove the flesh. At a point, I became too weak to shout. I begged him to stop but he'd not. Rather, he'd ask me to tell him how often his father slept with me. Even in pains, I begged him to listen to himself and imagine what he was saying.


My response seemed to anger him the more because he would plant it harder, leaving it on my small skin and at the same time frame, inquired about to tell him the truth.”


At this point, Crime Guard asked if she was guilty of the claim. She grimaced and replied, “How can that be? The daddy already has a wife.” Pausing for some time and staring at the ceiling , a situation she has been maintaining for many hours, she continued, “ at that point, my baby woke up and started crying . I begged him to permit me breastfeed the infant .


But before I could finish the statement, he placed the hot iron on my small breasts, threatening to kill me basically shout. As he lifted the iron, I saw the flesh from my breast had stuck to the iron surface. Again he pressed it harder on my stomach, leaving it there. I managed to turn, only for the iron to land on my lap.


He explained there was not a way of escape for me personally that night, that people in his gang were outside to take my corpse for an unknown destination when he carried out with me. At that point, I knew the end had come for me. I were able to shout out for help with all the strength in me however i couldn't.


At that time, he forcefully took Ebuka from the bed and went outside. I decided to visit out because I didn't understand what he'd do next when he returned. I am unable to tell how I crawled from the room. However i found myself in the kitchen area naked, where two men who saw me gave me wrapper to cover myself.


“As I had been there, attempting to fathom how I would avoid the compound, somebody shouted that my husband had killed my child. Which was the last thing I heard. I guessed I given out because I later opened my eyes and located myself in the hospital.”


Residents of # 3, Lambe street, Ago confirmed to Crime Guard that they simply refused to go to Mary’s rescue that night since it was late and also that her shout for help have been one too many .


One of them said, “ Given that they started living as husband and wife, there had not been a period we didn't experience shout or crisis using their one-room apartment. It is worse whenever the man came home drunk. We've even attended are accountable to the police if this became too much because we didn't desire a situation where he would kill her one day and we could be held accountable. Even at that, he did not stop.


“Several times, the girl had took it back to her family but she wouldn’t. Even her father-in-law had advised her to depart when she travelled home last December while he was fed up with the endless reports of his son battering his daughter in-law.”


Weeping, after pausing for a while, Mary recalled how he met her 37-year-old husband. “ We knew each other since 1996. The connection blossomed until 2010, as he went for introduction during my village. I left my hair dressing skill and moved in with him with the expectation of continuing later.”


But which was never to be as she says instead of continuing learning hair dressing, she started selling pap, all in a bid to make ends meet and apparently as a demonstration of her fascination with Henry.




“He started showing his real colour later. He started by refusing to decrease money for house keep and even after i begged him to rent a shop for me personally, he didn’t. Rather, he used the money to drink beer and smoke . When I advised him against his drinking and smoking habit, he'd break out and the next thing would be to hit me. Many times I have begged the police that helped me to beg him not to raise his on the job me but he wouldn’t”


 Another predicament befalls Mary


Sadly, the anguished woman is confronted with another predicament which is her inability to pay her medical bills. Already, Crime Guard gathered that her bill had amounted to N200,000 . After this development, a healthcare facility is threatening to prevent treatment. Presently, the dressing of the burns which carried out on regular basis has been extended to once in two or 72 hours, as a daily dressing cost s N10,000.


Sobbing uncontrollably and at the same time questioning her selection of partner, she revealed that her family members hadn't shown up because the incident occurred, as not one of them, based on her, was aware of the incident.


MY WIFE CAUGHT ME After i Involved TO HAVE SEX WITH MY NEIGHBOUR - WHAT CAN I actually do?


“My mother mustn't hear of this since it will kill her. She is presently taking care of my sister who just put to bed in Owerri. I am unable to reach my relatives either because my phone is not with me and I do not have their phone numbers off hand.”


Crime Guard learnt that since the incident happened, her father in-law have been accountable for a healthcare facility bills. But there's little Pa Nnamdi could do as the bill, as gathered, choose to go beyond his capacity. Hospital sources disclosed that though their management had tried to attend to Mary’s case, you will find indications that it might discharge her if the accrued bill is not cleared.


Among the doctors who identified himself simply as Eze explained that “she had a third degree burn and her case may deteriorate if she doesn't receive adequate care. She even fainted last Tuesday because she was not given food and her people lacked the fund to create her normal again state.”


He further disclosed that Mary was rushed towards the hospital in a condition of coma, adding that , “ The husband used pliers on her skin and decimated her. A hot iron was put on her face, body chest, and her two breasts. Meanwhile, she's not been informed of the demise of her one-year-old son considering her present state.”


However, the alleged perpetrator of this dastardly act, Mr Henry Nnamdi who was arrested by neighbours, happens to be in the State Criminal Investigation Department , Panti, Yaba. Efforts to speak with him proved abortive.

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9 Signs That "He" Might Be Cheating On You

When you get suspicious that the spouse is cheating, be careful not to seem to be paranoid. You need to walk a fine line you won't want to make false accusations. So, while I'm sharing this list of cheating warning flags, I concede that it's a tricky situation. 

It's hard to be certain if someone's cheating, but protect yourself: Be vigilant, and focus on your mind and spirit within the relationship. But, at the same time, take care not to let anxiety lead the way because unnecessary paranoia will just drive your lover away.

Here are some red flags that may signal that your significant other is cheating: 

Less Sex

Unless he's Superman, he can only have so much sex. So, if he's getting it from another source, you might notice. Whether it's another woman or a porn addiction — even if he's not cheating — a decrease in sex signals serious issues in the relationship.

Jumpy Cell Phone Habits

In a perfect world, we'd be open about sharing our correspondence with our significant others. Most of the time, we trust that we don't have to worry about who is texting or calling them. But, if you notice that he is getting protective and/or nervous when he gets calls or texts, it may be cause for alarm.

Gushing or Talking About Someone Suddenly

You know that exhilarating feeling you get when you meet someone new and exciting? You want to tell the world about him. One of my exes began talking about a guy a lot near the end of our relationship — he just always seemed to be at her social gatherings that I didn't happen to attend. Sure enough, after she dumped me, she began dating him.

Disconnect

Even though relationships ebb and flow naturally, if you're sensing that he's drawing away from you, then there may be someone else. Emotional disconnect should be investigated regardless of whether it's caused by cheating. There's a problem if he's not laughing or seeming as passionate as usual. It's hard to spread love/passion between two people, so the person who used to have it will feel it slipping away if it's being given to someone else.

He's Pulling Houdinis

If he's disappearing, traveling, or unavailable to the point where you are starting to wonder, then he could be cheating. Also, these times tend to take on a pattern because it's tough to synch up schedules, especially in secret.  

Friends Acting Strange

His friends will certainly remain loyal to him in most cases. They will not let you know what's going on, but they will definitely be racked with guilt, and their behavior may change slightly when they are around you while protecting his secret.

Caught in Other Lies About Other Things

If you catch him in a lie, your trust will naturally be damaged. Don't hold a grudge — forgiveness is a good thing. You can forgive, but don't forget. If he consistently breaches your trust, it's establishing a pattern of behavior that leads to cheating. Do yourself a favor: If he keeps lying, whether these lies are big or small, get out while you can and don't let him talk his way back in.

Been There, Done That

I always say: "Once a cheater, always a cheater." If he's done it before, he's definitely capable of doing it again. It has nothing to do with you, which is why you can't say that he cheated on his previous lover because she didn't keep him happy. Cheating is a self-serving act in which the cheater doesn't take his significant other into consideration. If someone is upfront with you that he's made mistakes in the past, maybe give them a chance — but make it a long probationary period before you let your guard down.

Your Gut Tells You So

Don't ignore your sixth sense. People are gifted at sensing when something doesn't feel right. Whether there are red flags in your relationship that are clueing you in or not, if something feels off, don't ignore this feeling. Usually that feeling is right, and something intangible may have led to you figuring it all out.

Do you have any red flags that you'd add to this list? Would you say that you're generally good at figuring cheaters out, or do you seem to find yourself getting cheated on often? What sorts of behaviors do you think are characteristic of someone who could be a cheater?

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Mexican Woman is Pregnant with Nonuplets (Nine babies)

A Mexican mom is pregnant with nine babies. She is likely to give birth towards the nonuplets on May 20. Currently she is on bed rest in a hospital in the state capital Saltillo. The successful delivery of nonuplets could be among the highest multiple births ever recorded. 

Mexican woman, Karla Vanessa Perez, is within headlines nowadays as she is pregnant with an incredible nine babies. As per the report on Thursday in the country's main broadcaster Televisa, she is expecting six girls and three boys. 

She's in the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and already mother of triplets. According to Reuters’ reports, Karla Vanessa Perez is getting treatment in a hospital in the state capital Saltillo and she received the multiple pregnancy from fertility treatments. The due date of this future mom is May 20.

Nickname for 32-year-old, Karla Vanessa Perez, was already selected as "Nonomom" by Gawker. She claimed financial hardship, and her town mayor Ernesto Cepeda Valdes is promised her to become like godparents to people babies and give all of the possible support. The thought of the 'mega-multiple mom' has changed into a contemporary Icarus story. In addition to, this indicates how medical improvements may cause amazing physical achievements and unforeseen troubles.

Now, Perez’s doctors are focusing on her healthy delivery and she or he is expecting that everything goes well. Birth of multiples causes serious health problems for mom and infants. Women could face the problems of high blood pressure, internal bleeding, and heart disease by carrying so many fetuses at once. In addition, these stages take a number of of the babies in the risk for birth defects and losses.

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Woman Gives Birth To 38 Cm Worm After Labour

Inside a case of suspected witchcraft, a 38-year-old woman from Bulawayo's North End suburb gave birth to a 38cm long worm on Sunday morning. The woman, Ms Anna Mbizi, was five months pregnant when she allegedly experienced labour-like contractions and gave birth to a worm in her own bathroom. 

The bizarre incident happened on Sunday and her boyfriend has reportedly abandoned her. When reporters visited her at her home yesterday, she seemed weak and was holding that which was left from the worm, that was put into a tin. 

She said she was shocked when her doctor told her that they was not carrying any baby within the womb and her tummy was mysteriously growing big without any baby inside. "I am still lacking words because I consulted my doctor after i was 8 weeks pregnant and was told everything was normal. 

This was likely to be my third baby and i believe someone bewitched me," said Ms Mbizi. She said she suspected that certain of her neighbours who owed her $150 was behind her misfortune. "I really thought I had been five months pregnant when i had all the indications of an expectant woman. After i experienced the pains, I thought I was likely to miscarry but was shocked whenever a worm arrived on the scene," said Ms Mbizi, who separated in the father of her two children. "My boyfriend was not supportive enough since he learnt of this incident and I am afraid he's going to leave me. 

MAN KILLS GIRLFRIEND OVER ABORTION MONEY

He really wanted an infant and now that I delivered a worm I am not his favourite person." She said her neighbours had advised her to place coarse salt around the worm to ensure that she's not cursed again. "I put salt around the worm also it shrinked, changing to some liquid like thing so that as you can see there's some blood within the residue," said the emotional Ms Mbizi. The woman's friend, Ms Tafadzwa Shumba, confirmed that her friend had problems with a neighbour within the debt. "Anna and the woman who owes her $150 have for a while now been exchanging harsh words. 

They used to threaten one another each time Anna visited request the money," said Ms Shumba. Ms Mbizi's doctor, who runs a surgery within the city centre, confirmed the incident. "The case is extremely unusual when i also examined the girl following the alleged incident and may not find any baby. 

The problem left us to believe the worm had been acting just like a baby. "I examined the woman 3 months ago and she or he seemed to be two months pregnant however when she returned on Sunday night nothing indicated that she'd been pregnant although there were signs and symptoms of stress on her uterine tissue," said a doctor.

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Woman Poops in a Grocery Store

SHOCKING surveillance video captured the moment a lady pooped in the middle of a grocery store aisle!

The girl can be seen creating a swift turn around an aisle, then leans toward the corner as she waits for any shopper ahead of her to exit the section. Seizing her moment of brief privacy, she drops her pants and shits a foul mess on the floor before she leaves the scene.

The disturbing footage is becoming an online hit!

A compassionate commenter on LiveLeak offers this observation on what happened:

“The only explanation is that she's been fucked so often in her ass and damged her anus muscle. So its either shitting at the super market or shitting in her own panties.”

And another commenter observes:

“I won’t judge unless I hear the entire story. I’ve literally experienced the same situation, though within an alley and not in a retail center. Sometimes you need to fucking go like no tomorrow, and the only choice is to shit yourself or look for a quiet spot and let er rip. I made my decision and i’m pleased with it. On the other hand, she could just be fucking nuts, or maybe she gets off on it.”

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Breaking News: Suspect - Why I Killed the Woman I Slept With

When the headless body of a woman was discovered inside a sack near a cemetery at Oke Aremo area of Ibadan on Friday, April 20, 2012 lots who first viewed it or heard about it rained curses around the perpetrator(s) from pity that a human being could be so callously handled. Little did they already know their prayers that God should expose the killer(s) could be answered earlier than they expected. 


 2 days after, many were shocked for their marrows once the news spread the police had arrested the person who committed the dastardly act, which it was no other person than the deceased’s lover, Mr Asimiyu Ayantayo. The arrest of the man also resulted in the revelation of the identity of the woman whose name was handed as Mrs Sekinat Emiola. Taking Sunday Tribune on the memory lane of events that occurred before his mother’s death, the first son of the woman, who gave his name as Hafiz Amidu said:


 “My mother had called me on Thursday, April 19, asking basically will come to her place at Abebi area that day. I replied her which i would come after leaving my workshop. I knew Asimiyu like a herbalist whom my mother accustomed to patronise. I didn't know these were in a relationship until this incident. “At about 10a.m on that Thursday, the person called me and asked me to come to his house at Oke Aremo. I acquired there and met him at his door, getting ready to go and take his bath. 


He did not let me enter his room as always because he explained he was travelling and could be back on Sunday, asking me to come back then. “On my way to avoid it of the area, I met one of his sons and gave him N10. He asked me whether I didn't see my mother inside and that i replied him that his father did not allow me in. I attempted my mother’s number but it was turned off. I attempted Asimiyu’s own too, it was also turned off. I left for my shop. In the evening, I visited my mother’s place around 8p.m., but she'd not arrived home. My sister who endured my mother told me that she said she would Oke Aremo. 

Then, I called the man’s number again and he answered, stating that he had already told me that he would Ijebu Ode. He confirmed that my mother came to his house but had left. I visited the house on that day. “On Friday, I continued to ponder on my mother’s whereabouts. When my sister explained that our mother was yet to return home, I called my maternal aunt and uncle to inform them. It had been following this which i learnt from the headless body that was discovered at Oke Aremo, but I never linked my mother by using it. 


My aunt called Asimiyu and he gave different versions of my mother’s movement after she supposedly left his house. When I heard what he explained, I called him and narrated the storyline from the headless body found but he replied me that he wasn't around. “On Saturday, I went to my mum’s place but my sister asked me to go to my shop. Later she called me and asked me to come to Yemetu Police Station, from where i was taken to the mortuary.




 Immediately we had my mother’s wrapper outside the mortuary, we knew it was my mother that was killed. “On Sunday, my aunt received a phone call from the man who called himself Asimiyu’s brother who told her I ought to come. It had been from them we learnt that Asimiyu had been arrested through the police. They told us that they guessed he killed my mother from what his daughter said and the way he was behaving in Ijebu Ode whenever he received my call. 


These were those who lured him to Total Garden section of Ibadan around the pretence they desired to collect money from a client who wanted to engage them as drummers. Among his brothers reportedly kept him waiting in company of others while he visited Yemetu police station to see law enforcement agents of the brother’s perceived act.


 Which was how the police arrested him.” Speaking with journalists in the police headquarters on Monday, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Tambari Yabo Mohammed, described Asimiyu’s act as ungodly, saying nobody would accept such. Based on Mohammed, “this man called Asimiyu Ayantayo butchered his woman friend after having carnal knowledge of her. 


He thereafter severed her head and hands from the wrist having a cutlass and also got an accomplice in one Femi Isiaka who helped him in carrying your body in a sack to a nearby cemetery where it had been dumped. Younger crowd collected the woman’s blood in a container which was recovered in his room. “The suspect has confessed towards the ungodly act, stating that the deceased’s husband laced her having a charm called magun, and very quickly, he'll be charged to the court,” law enforcement boss said. He warned the people of the state to become wary of ritual killers and report anyone seen or suspected of committing such act.


 Saturday Tribune gathered that the suspect said that he slept with the deceased on Thursday April 19, being unsure of that her husband had laced her with magun. Asimiyu had reportedly added the woman started foaming within the mouth after he had sex with her, and she or he eventually died. Claiming he would never know what to do, Asimiyu decided to cut off the woman’s head and hands “so that she would not be easily recognised.” He also drained the blood in a container so as not to leave a trace.


 On how he got involved, the second suspect, Femi, said he was asked by Asimiyu to purchase a sack with N400 on Thursday. “He came to me before 5a.m., on Friday and asked me to follow him to his room. Whenever we got there, he explained I ought to swear an oath of secrecy with him. He gave me a concoction to drink, once i helped him in placing a tied sack on his head. I followed him to the cemetery side where he dumped the bag. It had been on our go back to his room that I saw the top. I exclaimed but he reminded me of the oath and said I ought to keep your secret.


 He visited bury the head and the hands at his backyard,” he said. However, an interesting twist arrived to the entire story once the suspect made good his threat to kill himself when the police would not kill him, as he was found hanging in the toilet of the cell where he was kept in the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Iyaganku, Ibadan on Wednesday. Saturday Tribune gathered that, Ayantayo committed the act in the dead from the night when others detainees were asleep. He was believed to have removed his shirt, climbed the bathroom . that was created using brick and is about two and a half metre high, to get to the little opening barricaded with iron rods.


 He'd tied a sleeve from the shirt to one from the iron rods while the remaining area of the shirt is made to create a noose. It was also learnt the second suspect, Isiaka, also started behaving funny he needed to be restrained with leg chain and handcuffs and known a hospital for clinical assessment of mental state. It had been, however, gathered that he have been charged to Iyaganku Magistrate’s Court 3 on Thursday on a two-count control of conspiracy to commit felony to wit murder and murder. The magistrate was reported to possess ordered he be remanded imprisonment custody while the case was adjourned till May 22.

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Video of Female Reporter Poops on Her Pants During Interview

This reminds me of times I almost shit myself at the office. See, I went to the toilet, but my underwear was still being completely fucked up in the shart, and so i waited until the coast was clear and tossed them in to the trash through the sink. It smelled awesome inside for quite awhile.

Herd that one on Howard Stern today. I just looked it up. Appears in the comments you tube that it's a fake or staged. Either way it's still pretty funny. I don't know why somebody pooping their pants is funny but it's.

The girl can be seen creating a swift change an aisle, then leans toward the corner as she waits for a shopper in front of her to exit the section. Seizing her moment of brief privacy, she drops her pants and shits a foul mess on the ground before she leaves the scene.

The disturbing footage has become an Internet hit!

A compassionate commenter on LiveLeak offers this observation on what happened:

“The only explanation is the fact that she's been fucked so often in her own ass and damged her anus muscle. So its either shitting at the super market or shitting in her panties.”

Someone else adds that it played out just like a nod to the fetish viral video Two Girls, One Cup:

“YO DAWG All of us MISSED PART 2 Of the WERE 2 GIRLZ COM OUTTA NO WHERE Having a CUP AND SHIT AND SCOOP THAT SHIT UP AND START FUCKIN SMASHIN CRACKERS On the website FEET AND ELBOWZ AND SHIIIIIIT NICCAH.”

And another commenter observes:

“I won’t judge unless I hear the entire story. I’ve literally experienced exactly the same situation, though in an alley and not at a retail center. Sometimes you have to fucking go like no tomorrow, and also the only option is to shit yourself or find a quiet spot and let er rip. I made my decision and i’m happy with it. On the other hand, she could just be fucking nuts, or maybe she gets off onto it.”

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The Naked Festival of Japan

It is the annual Hadaka Matsuri of Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Japan. In case you're wondering, "hadaka" means "naked" and "matsuri" means "festival" -- therefore it is the "naked festival" even when many people appear to be wearing some type of diaper.

A few of the 9,000 men who taken part in the 2010 Hadaka Matsuri in the Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Japan, get ready for the festivities.

It's known as the "naked festival," but in reality nobody actually gets completely naked. They wear these sumo-style loinclothes -- aka diapers -- because they fight for lucky sticks tossed in to the crowd of man-flesh by the temple priests.

The men that get the sticks get lucky. I mean, they become known as the "lucky men."

They do not actually get lucky, as far as I understand... but maybe they are doing.

What I'm saying is, that's not necessarily a part of the festival itself.

Also it all occur in the middle of the night time, based on the Japan Event Calendar.

Men at the Hadaka Matsuri at the Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, Japan get ready "purified" through the freezing cold Yoshii River before they are doing battle over lucky sticks.

The sticks are simply an inch and a half across and nearly 8 inches long, and they are thrown in to the crowd by a priest from the window 13 feet over the festivities.

As the men climb all over one another to try and grab the sticks, they shout "Wasshoi! Wasshoi!" that is kind of like "heave-ho, heave-ho."

Oh, and the lights are turn off because this happens AND the men are splashed with freezing cold water AND it takes place in the center of winter when it is already pretty darned cold out.

When a man grabs the sticks, it isn't over. They may be taken away -- rugby-style -- as the naked men keep fighting for them until the bitter end.

The one that finally gets to place the sticks right into a wooden box of rice gets to be called the "lucky man."

Part of his prize: a year of happiness, although I hear that's not actually guaranteed.

The event is considered one of the "three most eccentric festivals" of Japan, based on the Japan National Tourist Organization.

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Martin Lawrence Getting Divorced

Martin Lawrence's latest news is no laughing matter.

The Big Momma's House star and wife Shamicka Lawrence (née Gibbs) are getting divorced after making "the joint decision to part ways," a rep for that duo confirms to E! News.

Maybe marriage wasn't the best choice for that longtime couple...

MORE: Martin Lawrence Weds Longtime Love

Lawrence and Shamicka were together for 15 years before getting married at their Beverly Hills home in 2010. They've two children together.

"Out of affection and respect for each other we will continue to remain friends and lift our two beautiful daughters together," i was told that inside a statement.

It was Lawrence's second marriage. He also has a daughter with ex-wife Patricia, who's now married to NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.

The funnyman recently shot a sitcom pilot for CBS and wrapped a national stand-up tour.

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Drives Van Off Cliff Allegedly To Elude Police, Wife Jumps From Vehicle

A California woman was forced to jump from a speeding van, because her husband was driving towards a cliff to be able to escape from police.

Malibu cops state that Michael Kheop, 44, started to flee in the stolen van at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday during a traffic stop. His wife Meru is at the passenger seat. and she told CBS2 that they wanted him to surrender and assured him that everything could be all right.

Publish Post

But Kheop wanted to get away and allegedly turned toward a 200-foot cliff.

"I said ... 'Get out of the car, we are able to handle this,'" Meru Kheop told the station. "He said, 'Get out,' and I opened the door, after which that's when the vehicle turned."

"I jumped when it was about to go down," she added.

She made it just over time. Her spouse cascaded down the grassy cliff, but miraculously survived. He eluded cops again by allegedly hiding in the brush.

The van was smashed, KTLA reported.

Cops searched for him for five hours. He had escaped -- until Meru Kheop heard a knock at her window that evening. It was Michael, but Meru didn't let him in. She called police who arrested him without incident.

Police charged him with attempted murder for endangering his wife and car theft. His bail was set at $100,000.

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New species of purple crab in the Philippines

Four new species of crab have been discovered in the Philippine island of Palawan. And one of the crabs truly stands out with its unusually bright purple shell.

National Geographic reports that the Insulamon palawanese may use its uniquely colored shell to help identify its own kind.

"It is known that crabs can discriminate colours. Therefore, it seems likely that the colouration has a signal function for the social behaviour, e.g. mating," Hendrik Freitag of the Senckenberg Museum of Zoology in Dresden, Germany told AFP.

"The particular violet coloration might just have evolved by chance, and must not necessarily have a very specific function or reason aside from being a general visual signal for recognition," Freitag told National Geographic. Freitag's report on the new species of crabs was published in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

Despite the big news, the newly discovered crabs are quite small in stature, each from about an inch to two inches wide.

While many species of crab are known by their red rust hues, some differently colored crab species are quite popular around the world, perhaps most notably the Chesapeake blue crab.

Freitag said the purple crabs likely have several natural predators, including some humans in remote areas. But he said the greatest threat to the species is ongoing forest clearing for farming, mining and home building.

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Secret Hypersonic Super Aircraft Flew Out of Its Skin

It turns out that tearing through the atmosphere at 20 times the rate of sound isn't good for that skin, if you are an excellent high-tech aircraft developed by the government's best engineers at its far-out research agency.

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research study Agency, makes public its best guess about what might have caused its unmanned arrowhead-shaped Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV-2) to suddenly lose contact and crash within the Pacific just a few minutes after slicing through the sky at Mach 20 last August: it was going so fast its skin taken off.

After an eight-month investigation, DARPA figured even though the HTV-2 was expected to lose a number of its skin mid-flight, "larger than anticipated servings of the vehicle's skin peeled from the aerostructure," the company said inside a statement Friday.

The company said it expected the HTV-2, which matches so quick it can make the commute from New York to Los Angeles in 12 minutes, to see "impulsive shock waves" at such speeds, but shocks it experienced last August were "more than 100 times exactly what the vehicle was created to resist."

As the test was very public, the facts from the HTV-2's design, stability system and potential purpose remain highly classified.

Two months after DARPA's test, the Army tested its very own hypersonic aircraft - that one a long-range weapon system called the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) designed to strike any target in the world in just a couple hours.

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Virginia Woman Wins $1 Million Lottery "Twice in the Same Day"

Winning the lottery once-in-a-lifetime is fairly lucky. Winning the lottery twice within the same day? Virginia Pike is among the few individuals that may describe that feeling.


The Berryville, Va., resident had two tickets that matched five from the six Powerball numbers in an April 7 drawing to ensure that each ticket was worth $1 million.


"I'm in shock!" Fike said inside a news release in the Virginia lottery.


In early April, Fike stopped in an Olde Stone Truck Stay in Virginia together with her numbers ready and purchased two tickets.

"I picked numbers based on my parents' anniversary as well as their ages in those days, divided by the year these were married," Fike said within the release. "I just love the jackpot games and I play when I can afford it."


The jackpot that week was at $80 million. To be able to win the jackpot, check in holder has to match 5 numbers and the sixth Powerball number.


Following the drawing, it was announced that nobody had won the jackpot, but 14 people nationwide had matched five from the numbers and were eligible for $1 million prizes each. A couple of the winning tickets were in Virginia.


Pike was in a healthcare facility keeping her mother company.


"I saw a scroll on television about there being two $1 million winners. I looked at my mother and said 'Wouldn't it be funny if it was us?'" she said.


When she stopped by a convenience store, Pike had the clerk check her tickets and she learned that she had won each of Virginia's $1 million prizes.


Per Virginia state lottery rules, winners split the jackpot, regardless of how many there are, but non-jackpot prizes from matching area of the winning sequence aren't split and may be won many times.


"It's not too uncommon for individuals to buy tickets in games with the same number, but this is the biggest prize we've ever had in Virginia of two tickets within the same drawing," Virginia Lottery spokesman John Hagerty told ABCNews.com.


Pike was presented with a cheque for $2 million on Friday in the truck stop where she purchased check in. Winners in Virginia are required to come forward and become identified. She will receive $1.4 million after taxes. The store also received a $200,000 bonus for selling the 2 winning tickets.


Pike didn't respond to a request for comment from ABCNews.com. For now, Virginia's newest millionaire is basking in her shocking win.


"I must be dreaming," Pike said. "I anticipate assisting to look after my parents and paying some bills."

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Tracking The App’s Spread Worldwide - The Rise Of Instagram

The just can’t stop analyzing the Instagram success story, which month, it’s app store analytics firm Distimo’s use take a crack at it. The organization, which typically releases reports revealing notable mobile app and app marketplace trends, has turned its focus towards the rise of Instagram. In its latest report, Distimo checked out how Instagram became successful, the way it spread across the world, the way the app’s usage compares to the number of downloads it received and more.


Instagram was launched in regards to a year and a half ago, in October 2010. At the time, Distimo says the app was seeing under 10,000 downloads per day in the U.S. However, by April 2012, Instagram was generating well over 100,000 downloads per day within the iTunes App Store within the U.S.


Using data from real-time photo internet search engine Skylines along with its own, Distimo charted the app download increases from May 2011 to April of this year, and found the cumulative downloads of Instagram were about 7 times higher in March 2012 compared to May 2011. Instagram shares on Twitter had also increased a lot more than 12 times - a metric that matters much more than downloads to some degree, because it points to active users and also the average quantity of shares per user increasing.


After the release of the Android app and the Facebook acquisition, Instagram downloads increased being around eight times greater than in May 2011. Shares also spiked to improve more than 20 times over May 2011.


Distimo then examined the way the app fared outside the U.S. by analyzing trends within the top non-U.S. markets: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea and also the U.K. Combined with U.S., which alone makes up about 25% from the free downloads within the App Store for iPhone, these countries generate around 72% of the free app downloads.


Interestingly enough, Instagram isn't equally successful in all these markets. It took Instagram just one day to achieve the number one position in the Photography category within the App Store for iPhone in the U.S., however it took it over a year and a half in Korea and nearly two months in China. The reason for the slower rise is that these markets showed a preference for apps like Instagram, but that allowed sharing to local networks like Sina, QQ Space and me2day.

Instagram never reached the very best 300 apps list one day post-launch in China and Korea, and in Germany it only made it to position #288 one day post-launch, then disappeared off the top 300 list for any week.

In English-speaking countries, however, the app followed exactly the same general course because it did within the U.S. It rose in popularity during the first month, drizzled with December 2010, then rose again gradually during 2011, eventually becoming the most popular app within the whole iTunes App Store.


During March and April 2012, Instagram hasn't been ranked lower than the top 35 overall app in English-speaking countries. Around australia, the U.S. and Canada, it never dropped out of the top 25 during the same time.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Instagram followed the same general pattern as with the U.S. over the past year, but in France, Germany, China and Korea, it lagged behind in popularity in comparison with the U.S. Instagram continues to be fairly popular car period in Japan, but its popularity grew less there over the year of computer did elsewhere, with its average monthly rank between 35 and 85.


In Japan, Italy and Australia, Instagram became a top ten app within a month of its launch. In Germany, the U.S. and Canada, it took around 350 days. As soon as it reached that spot coincided with when Instagram announced it reached 10 million users. Twitter sharing had also increased, with over 200,000 pictures posted to the network in one day via Instagram - 14% more than a week prior.


In China, Instagram never made it in to the top 10 position. The highest it's been there's #12, so it reached on April 11, 2012.

Some of Distimo’s report looks into iTunes trends, Instagram did launch on Android on April 3, 2012. When Google’s algorithm began ranking the app a few days post-launch, it had been already a millionaire. By April 6, it was #3 in the U.S. Google Play store. Similar to iPhone trends, the app was most popular in the U.S. and less popular in Korea and China. It never made the top 300 in Korea and ranked #48 in China. In all English-speaking countries and Italy, Instagram reached the #1 spot in days as well as in France, the Android version became accepted the iPhone version, reaching spot #9. In Germany, however, Instagram only reached #51.


The industry, media, pundits, and critics alike happen to be analyzing Instagram’s phenomenal rise in the last months, and debating whether it was well worth the $1 billion cost Facebook paid. Distimo says Instagram certainly “made its mark on the app market,” noting also that Instagram is really a new type of social networking Body built entirely from an app. That alone was sufficient cause for Facebook to consider interest, we’d say. Adds Distimo: “Instagram definitely proved the app store economy is something everybody ought to keep track of because the next big thing could come from an app store.”

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Playstation Vita: Skype Video Calling Comes

A while ago, people opined the PS Vita - despite horrible battery life and a dearth of compelling games - could be a sort of “gamers iPad,” a tool that winds up being not only a console. That dream is originating closer to fruition with the announcement of Skype for Vita.

The Vita are now able to make voice and video calls and you can even receive calls in the background while playing games. Skype credit allows you to call out to landline phones.

While the addition of the Skype app doesn’t result in the Vita a fully-fledged cellphone, the app does support Wi-Fi and 3G WLAN calls and essentially makes the device the N-Gage everyone always wanted.

The app will be available for download in the Vita app store tomorrow. It will be free.

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Woman Found her Missing Dog After Spotting Him on TV

A Bronx woman was reunited with her lost dog Friday after she spotted him on NBC's "Today" inside a segment showing off pets set up for adoption.

"It would be a miracle," said Ruth Torres.

Torres got separated from her beloved Irish Wolfhound, Dusty, 3 weeks ago, when her brother took your dog. Torres didn't realize Dusty was really lost until she saw "Today" Friday morning.

This is when animal advocate Jill Rappaport and Center for Pet care and Control official Richard Gentles were introducing an Irish Wolfhound within the recurring "Bow to Wow" segment.

"They said, 'Here comes Mooki,'" said Torres, who watched in disbelief as the black Irish Wolfhound was brought to the set. "I said, 'That's not Mooki! It's Dusty!' I said, 'Oh my God, Mommy, hurry, hurry! Dusty's on television.'"

Torres and her mother rushed towards the Pet care and Control Center in East Harlem to claim Dusty. There is no mistaking it was her pet and friend of three years -- the dog wagged his tail excitedly as he saw Torres and leapt up repeatedly to lick her face.

Torres learned from shelter workers that Dusty have been found abandoned in a dog run in the Bronx. Torres believes her brother, who she said continues to be through some a down economy, left Dusty in the park and not called to inform her.

To complicate matters, Dusty wasn't wearing a name tag and didn't have a microchip, nor was he properly licensed.

Torres works during the night and says she may not be awake to watch "Today." But for some reason Friday, she just happened to wake up early.

"It was a miracle," she said. "That doesn't happen like this, it's no coincidence. I believe it was to get Dusty."

Before Torres could bring her dog of three years back to her home, he needed to be microchipped and licensed to avoid Dusty from getting lost again. He returned to his old owner Saturday.

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U.S. watches for North Korea's next move after rocket crash

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States kept a wary eye on North Korea after the reclusive state's unsuccessful launch of a long-range rocket and President Barack Obama said on Friday Pyongyang faced further isolation if it continued to defy the international community.

The White House suspended a deal to provide significant food aid to North Korea following the rocket launch, which it had warned Pyongyang against. U.S. officials also consulted other powers, including North Korean ally China, on how to respond.

Obama said he was deeply concerned by North Korea's rocket launch, which violated U.N. Security Council resolutions, although he noted that "they've been trying to launch missiles like this for over a decade now and they don't seem to be real good at it.

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