Clipmarks | mickfinn's 'police' clips

Tibet 1 - Olympics 0

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:27:21 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Tibetan protests against Chinese rule have spread to another part of China

Chinese troops patrolled the streets of Lhasa on Sunday

Clashes between Tibetan protesters and police in Aba, Sichuan province, saw a police station and cars attacked

Rights groups said several people had been killed in the clashes

violence came after exiled Tibetan leaders said a Chinese crackdown had killed at least 80 people in Lhasa.

Indian-based officials said the figure was confirmed by several sources, even though China had put the death toll during Friday's riots at 10

In Lhasa, where rioting erupted on Friday after days of mainly peaceful protests, Chinese troops were out in force

China says Tibet always part of its territory

Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th century

1950: China launched a military assault

Opposition to Chinese rule led to bloody uprising in 1959

Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India

BBC has learned that troops in Sichuan province have been recalled from leave

Tags: chinese government oppression in tibet

Elephant Run

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:33:40 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: The police shy away from detaining the elephants’ handlers, also known as mahouts, because the officers fear they will not be able to control the animals on their own. (NYT)

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Of all the illegal activities that animate the streets of Bangkok

one stands out more than others

Elephants are not supposed to saunter down the city’s streets as they do almost every night

stopping off at red-light districts and tourist areas where their handlers peddle elephant snacks of sugar cane and bananas

Occasionally the elephants knock off the side-view mirrors from cars or stumble into gutters

The police shrug, politicians periodically order crackdowns and animal lovers despair

The creation of a Stray Elephant Task Force in 2006 did not keep the elephants off city streets

“To be honest, nobody wants to do this job, nobody wants to deal with the elephants,”

“An angry elephant can destroy cars and make trouble — and then we have responsibility for the damage.”

“We’ve been fined many times,” said Nattawut Inthong, a 24-year-old mahout who travels around Bangkok with his 2-year-old elephant

Mr. Nattawut makes about 2,000 baht a day, or about $67

a typical factory wage is

$269) a month

Tags: bangkok, elephants

''Does my bum look big in this?''

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:52:09 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: I suppose it's preferable to be nicked by a WPC with a nice figure.

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Female police officers up and down the country rebelled have against the regulation trousers they are forced to wear

They were particularly aggrieved by the high waistbands which cover up curves and the bulky, ill-fitting material which makes it difficult to run

WPC said: "Police uniform for women is awful. When my uniform was issued I requested men’s trousers as the women’s were so high waisted that they did absolutely nothing for a woman’s figure

"It does wind me up that we get these terrible trousers - they make your bum look huge - they are massive around the hips. The force needs to listen to us, the old uniforms are old-fashioned and need updating."

The female officers also complained about uncomfortable stab vests and impractical fleeces

"My force brought in trendy fleeces and took away our car coats and jumpers. What happens in minus temperatures and the rain? The fleeces apparently 'look good’ - it does not seem to matter that we are freezing."

Tags: unflattering police uniforms

Oh, What a Circus . . .

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:31:45 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: There is a serious risk that without the continuing copy the late Diana provides, some British newspapers would go out of business. Please.

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

It had been a routine day at the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed

a former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, was accused of concealing a conspiracy to murder the mother of the second-in-line to the throne

an estranged Fayed bodyguard gave evidence via a faltering video link from Nigeria

and an Argentinian dandy called Roberto Devorik waxed lyrical about his dear friend Diana, her loves and fears

and the unmatched quality of the cucumber sandwiches at Kensington Palace

Ahead lay the evidence of Rita Rogers, Diana's medium, promising an other-worldly take on the events of August 31, 1997

The woman standing on her own was well-spoken, dressed smartly and in her late sixties or early seventies

She was there

because of a personal interest in the case

But first, could she say how annoyed she was about a newspaper article alleging that the public gallery

full of "weirdos"?

before adding that she herself was being stalked by men from MI6 intent on killing her

Tags: diana inquest

X-Ray gun becoming reality

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 03:37:56 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: Mr Shie said: "They are likely to cost several thousand pounds and we think we will be able to improve the image."

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The superhero power to see through walls will soon be within the grasp of ordinary mortals, thanks to a new hand-held X-ray scanner

Inventors hope the gadget could revolutionise police work and Customs searches by allowing officers to seek out contraband, weapons, bombs or hidden people

The LEXID device sends out low-level X-rays which are collected in a lens based on the design of a lobster's eye

Rick Shie, senior vice-president of its American inventors, Physical Optics Corporation, said that lobsters' eyes, which are able to see in deep, murky water, use thousands of tiny squares to focus by reflection rather than the bending or refraction of light like human eyes

"The LEXID works by emitting a low-level X-ray and then the lobster eye interprets what is returned and the image is produced on a screen

It will show up anything within a couple of metres."

The images are not crystal-clear but are sharp enough to reveal a weapons cache or bomb parts.

Tags: x-rays

Understanding the Natives

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:13:12 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: "You must immediately leave the area," "Get down from the pole" and "This area has been declared an unlawful assembly." -LATimes

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Los Angeles police Capt. Dennis Kato stands in a rooftop parking lot, a device in hand resembling a clunky 1980s-era cellphone

He selects Korean from the device's menu, then speaks into the microphone: "Medical assistance." A speaker on his vehicle booms in Korean: "If you require medical assistance, please approach the nearest officer."

Switching to Spanish, Kato says:

"Bienvenidos a éste evento. Estamos aquí para facilitar sus derechos de la primera enmienda constitucional,"

Phraselator may have found an ideal home in Los Angeles, where police have long struggled to find officers who can communicate in all 224 languages spoken in the immigrant-rich city

But as anybody knows who has read the sometimes comical texts provided by voice-recognition software, getting translations right is difficult

"It is not quite like that translator thing on 'Star Trek.' It's a step or two away," Kato said. "But when it comes to crowd control, natural disasters or medical emergencies, it can be a lifesaver."

Tags: community, language, police

Schoolboy causes chaos on tram system

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:51:26 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A teenage boy who hacked into a Polish tram system used it like "a giant train set", causing chaos and derailing four vehicles

The 14-year-old, described by his teachers as a model pupil and an electronics "genius", adapted a television remote control so it could change track points in the city of Lodz

Twelve people were injured in one derailment, and the boy is suspected of having been involved in several similar incidents

A police statement said he had trespassed at tram depots in the city to gather information and the equipment needed to build the infra-red device

"He studied the trams and the tracks for a long time and then built a device that looked like a TV remote control and used it to manoeuvre the trams and the tracks

He treated it like any other schoolboy might a giant train set, but it was lucky nobody was killed. Four trams were derailed, and others had to make emergency stops that left passengers hurt

He clearly did not think about the consequences of his actions."

Tags: sabotage

London's first 'police' force

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:40:02 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: The story is being dramatised in Ch4's City of Vice.

Clip Source: entertainment.timesonline.co.uk

Eighteenth century London was a violent den of brothels, murderers and street gangs. It fell to Henry Fielding, the author of the novel Tom Jones, and his half-brother Sir John, a leading social reformer, to bring order to the streets

In 1749 Parliament permitted the magistrate brothers to put together a small crime-fighting force to clean up London

the Bow Street Runners

“Eighteenth century London was much more dangerous than today

“The very wealthy rarely went anywhere without their servants who often acted as the first line of defence against crime

“The very poor parts of London were virtually lawless. Covent Garden with its numerous drinking establishments was the sight of many murders throughout the era and the ill-lit streets were ideal hiding places for pickpockets and gangs of robbers.”

The Bow Street Runners, who travelled across Britain to arrest rogues, were credited with providing a blueprint for the Metropolitan Police Force, established by Sir Robert Peel in 1829

Tags: social history.

Iraqi interpreters are being 'betrayed'

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:38:02 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: A shabby tale. I hope they and their families do ultimately find sanctuary in Britain (or elsewhere in the West).

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

At least 40 Iraqi interpreters working for the British have been targeted and murdered by militias, according to the authorities in Iraq

Jane Corbin reports on the plight of the men who helped the UK military

in Damascus

I met two nervous men clutching a bundle of documents and shielding their faces

They were Iraqi exiles

and their work for the British

had forced them to flee the city

Amir and Latif - showed me their certificates of commendation from

British regiments which had employed them

Shia militias, especially the all-powerful Madhi Army, have targeted the thousands of interpreters who have worked for the British government in southern Iraq over the past four years and nine months as 'collaborators'. Many have become victims of torture and death squads.

The British

confirmed

that at least 40 Iraqis who worked for their military, civilian and police training missions had been killed

at least 50 more interpreters may have been murdered

"We need asylum anywhere, but we hope it could be Britain."

Tags: iraqi interpreters left to the dogs of war

Angolan actors 'killed by police'

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:28:07 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: A breakdown in communications an/or utter incompetence on the part of the police. Hold on, did this happen in Angola.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The director of an Angolan crime film says police have shot dead two of his actors after mistaking them for real armed robbers.

The duo were carrying unloaded firearms as they filmed a scene in a rough suburb of the capital Luanda, director Radical Ribeiro told AFP news agency.

He said police roared up to the set and began shooting at close range.

Angolan officials have not commented on the incident. Mr Ribeiro says he had permission to film in the area.

Mr Ribeiro told AFP that police arrived at the scene in a pick-up truck and "started shooting at everybody at close range".

He was "stunned" when he saw the two actors fall down, he added.

"They went on shooting until I shouted out: 'Please don't shoot, this is a movie.'"

The officers then stopped firing and left without attending to the wounded, who were taken to hospital, Mr Ribeiro said.

Tags: angola, police, incompetence

Thieves steal holy man's 'magical' leg

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:04:40 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A Hindu holy man is recovering in hospital after two men cut off his 'magical’ right leg and ran off with it. Eighty-year-old Yanadi Kondaiah, claimed that those who touched his leg would be cured of illness or have wishes granted

Police said that the self-proclaimed 'baba’ - or holy man - was approached by two men who asked him to help them with his magical powers. Kondaiah, who lives in a village near the city of Tirupati, told officers that pair returned to him on Tuesday, offering him a drink as thanks

"As the old man had the weakness of drinking, he accepted their invitation to have drinks with them,"

"They took him to a deserted spot in the outskirts of the village. After the old man had passed out under the influence of liquor, they cut off his right leg from the knee,"

The victim was then left alone, bleeding heavily, until he was found by passing villagers and taken to hospital

Superstitions, belief in magic and the occult remain widespread in much of rural India.

Tags: baba, or hindu holy man

Beware of the multitude of minicabs

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:09:11 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: They are, in London at least, truly dodgy.

Clip Source: www.thisislondon.co.uk

A crackdown by police and council officials in Westminster uncovered cars with bald tyres or no MOT certificates and drivers without insurance or who were unlicensed

Safety check: Police and council officials examine a vehicle in Charing Cross

Some vehicles were found to have broken headlights, doors that would not open and springs sticking out of seats

More than £9,200 in unpaid parking, congestion charge and bus lane fines was collected during the night-time swoop on minicabs

at Charing Cross

Eight minicabs were towed away, deemed unfit for the road, and four Public Carriage Office licences were withdrawn

The worst offender was the driver of a Vauxhall Vectra with three bald tyres who was found to owe £3,500 in parking fines and had no licence, MOT, tax or insurance

One man was arrested on an outstanding court warrant for unpaid fines

Among the other motoring offences that came to light during the evening

were those of Prince Rashid Kenku of Liberia,

pulled over for 12 outstanding

fines.

Tags: dodgy drivers

NY cop says wife made 'grass' meatballs

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:36:53 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

A US counter-terrorism police officer who says he failed a drugs test because his wife spiked his meatballs with marijuana is suing to get his job back.

Anthony Chiofalo, of New York Police Department (NYPD), has asked Manhattan Supreme Court to challenge his firing.

He was suspended in 2005 after 22 years of service, for failing a random test.

His wife told investigators she had secretly drugged his meatballs hoping a failed test would force him to retire. NYPD said the story was "not credible".

Both Mr Chiofalo and his wife Catherine have passed lie detector tests about how the marijuana entered the police officer's system.

Mrs Chiofalo told investigators she had put enough marijuana for six cigarettes in her meatball recipe in July 2005, according to court papers.

She testified at a hearing that she just wanted her husband "not to die of a heart attack or get killed" while still in service

Mr Chiofalo hopes the court will rule his dismissal unconstitutional and force

NYPD to re-hire him.

Tags: marijuana, meatballs

Egg spell is no joke

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:52:23 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn

Clip Source: www.mirror.co.uk

A woman who claimed to be able to put magic back into a marriage by cracking an egg into a man's underpants is on trial for sorcery.

She vowed to lift a supposed curse on his wife and mum-in-law with a spell which also used a spoon, nail and pubic hair. But she wanted £6,100, a court in Nicosia heard.

The 37-year-old man complained to police. Sorcery is illegal in Cyprus.

Tags: daft

Bike rider is a mug

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:18:47 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: Not all of them are that daft. Really.

Clip Source: www.mirror.co.uk

A biker was stopped by police on a notoriously dangerous road for riding while holding a mug of tea.

A patrol officer was stunned to see the man steering with one hand.

Police said: "He was taking the corner with a mug of tea in his hand.

"He was stopped and spoken to and dealt with by a traffic officer."

There are "I survived the Burnham bends" T-shirts referring to the twisting stretch where the biker was, near Burnhamon-Crouch, Essex.

Police said 199 riders have died or been hurt this year on the county's roads.

Tags: biker, mug, tea