Anti-smoking measures move a step closer to becoming law

By Calvin Palmer
Western Australia looks set to join the ever growing number of democratic governments imposing bans on smokers.
New anti-smoking measures have passed the Lower House of Parliament and the Bill’s sponsor, London-born Independent MP Janet Woollard, is hopeful it will be passed by Parliament’s Legislative Council as early as next week.
Woollard’s draconian measures include [...]

Texas couple accused of opening fire on ‘trespassers’

By Calvin Palmer
A Texas landowner and his wife took turns to fire shots at four people they believed were trespassing on their property last night, critically injuring two of them, police said today.
Gale and Sheila Muhs, both 45, are charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after taking one shot each at the group with [...]

Florida child welfare agency official jailed for nude photos of boys

By Calvin Palmer
A former Florida child welfare agency official was sentence to more than 24 years in prison today for taking nude photographs of teenage boys, including a 16-year-old under the agency’s care.
Al Zimmerman’s arrest prompted a review of hiring policies at the Florida Department of Children and Families to make sure every employee has [...]

Ohio student faces suspension if he attends girlfriend’s high school prom

By Calvin Palmer
A fundamentalist Baptist school in Ohio will suspend one its students if he attends his girlfriend’s high school prom because the event involves rock music and dancing.
Despite the warning, issued by a school committee on Wednesday, 17-year-old Tyler Frost says he plans to attend Saturday’s dance at Findlay High School.
Frost attends Heritage Christian [...]

Armored vehicles help in recovery of police officer’s body as siege goes on

By Calvin Palmer
The police siege of a gunman suspected of killing three New Zealand police officers continues.
Earlier media reports that gunman Jan Molenaar, a 51-year-old former army reservist, had killed himself were incorrect.
Police called in two armored personnel vehicles to recover the body of Senior Constable Leonard Snee, 53, from the driveway of the property [...]

Four British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

By Calvin Palmer
Four British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday in three separate incidents in Helmand province, taking the number of UK service personnel killed in the country since 2001 to 157.
Cpl Kumar Pun, 31, from 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles and Sgt Ben Ross, 34, from 173 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police, were [...]

Suspected killer of Wesleyan University student turns himself in to police

By Calvin Palmer
The man suspected of killing Wesleyan University student Johanna Justin-Jinich was arrested last night after surrendering to police in Meriden.
Stephen Morgan, 29, walked into a convenience store on Old Colony Road in Meriden about 9:00 p.m. and told the clerk, Sonia Rodriguez, he needed to call the police. She gave him a phone.
Minutes [...]