« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »

Facebook Stabbing Application Gets the Chop

July 28, 2008 9:04 AM

By Stephen Webb, ABC News London

Facebook has hundreds of applications. Some are handy for daily tasks -- such as organizing social events and sharing photos -- while others have wackier uses, like throwing a virtual sheep at your friends. But getting stabbed by your friend has proved to be a step too far.

Members of Facebook could send a message to anyone else on the site informing them they had been “shanked” – street slang for stabbed. If they accepted the request, their profile would show they had been stabbed and by whom, illustrated by a knife icon.

Facebook didn’t actually make the stabbing application. It, like hundreds of applications available on the social networking site was created by an outside company. In this case, Slide, an American software company.

Slide added the option to stab your friends to their popular SuperPoke! application, which allows users to perform all kinds of virtual actions like hugs, kisses and dances.

It has now been removed following angry complaints from anti-knife crime campaigners.

The uncle of Rob Knox, the Harry Potter actor who died after being stabbed in May, told the British newspaper, The Sun, that the application "incited" violence.

Facebook has released a statement to the press stating the application has been removed and was produced by a third party. Slide was not available for comment.

July 28, 2008 in Stephen Webb | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

No Ping Pong For Saddam But Table Foosball For Karadzic

July 25, 2008 1:17 PM

By Stephen Webb, ABC News London

Bosnian Serb ex-President Radovan Karadzic, currently under arrest for war crimes and genocide, will soon be moved to a detention unit at The Hague, where he will wait to be put on trial. What awaits this man, who was one of the world’s most wanted? The answer might surprise you: an en suite room with home-cooked food and a foosball table.

The International Criminal Court told Reuters that its detention facilities exceed international standards. They are on a par with college dorms, with shelves, a table and a television.

Karadzic, due to stand trial on charges relating to the massa cre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims and the 43-month siege of Sarajevo, will occupy a 15-meter-square cell.

When former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein awaited trial, he had a bed, chair, toilet and prayer rug, according to an account from one of Saddam’s guards in GQ Magazine. But while Karadzic can fill his hours with foosball, Saddam’s request for a pingpong table was turned down.

The International Criminal Court must follow the Rome Statute, which provides that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sets out the rights of those accused.   

ABC News contacted the ICC but they weren't available for comment at this time.

Read more about Karadzic’s detention here

July 25, 2008 in Stephen Webb | Permalink | User Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Welcome to the Sand-Hotel

July 24, 2008 2:25 PM

By Ammu Kannampilly, ABC News London

The world’s first-ever sand hotel is open for business.

That’s right, it’s a hotel made entirely of sand – 1,000 tons of it, to be exact – and it’s accepting guests at the rate of $20 a night.

Situated on Weymouth Beach in Dorset, England, the hotel offers twin and double bedrooms, but no roof – all the better to enjoy a starlit sky at night.

The beds are made of sand, there are no toilets and, if it rains – as it does so often during the English summer – well, then the hotel’s doors will literally be washed away.

The hotel was built by sand sculptor Mark Anderson and his team of four for the U.K. Web site Laterooms.com.

Jenny Lomas, a spokesperson for the Web site, told ABC News that the hotel was built to capitalize on British “nostalgia about childhood beach holidays.”

The site claims that 57 percent of would-be vacationers in the U.K. are staying home this summer because of a rising cost of living and green concerns about air travel.

But Britons keen to return to the seaside and try out this hotel had better hurry – the first night is already sold out, and there’s no predicting when the rains might strike and wash this sand castle away.

July 24, 2008 in Ammu Kannampilly | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Looking for a Car?

July 23, 2008 1:33 PM

By Ammu Kannampilly, ABC News London

If anyone is looking for a new car during these cash-strapped times, here’s an interesting idea. How about buying one of Saddam Hussein’s old cars?

Two of the Iraqi dictator’s cars are up for grabs on eBay. Both of them are Rolls Royce models, each with a price tag of $369,515.

That price is negotiable, says Steven Brown, owner of the Autocontinental car dealership in Surrey, England, which is selling the cars.

Brown tells ABCNews.com that an Iraqi associate of his bought 14 of Saddam’s cars nine months ago. Once these two models are sold, he plans to sell the remaining 12 as well.

The cars were bought at an Iraqi government auction and come equipped with Iraqi government documents confirming their original ownership.

The two cars – one maroon and the other blue – are Corniche sports cars, and they are equipped with a climate control system and heated leather seats.

But they are missing stereos – Brown claims that U.S. soldiers removed the stereos when they discovered the cars inside the basement of Saddam’s palace.

He plans to install new stereos before handing over the car keys to the new owners. The cars are currently waiting to be shipped from Iraq.

But who would want to buy one of Saddam’s cars? And for that price?

“Well, these cars have very low mileage – one’s done 900 kilometers (559.2 miles) and the other’s done 1900 kilometers (1180.6 miles),” Brown says, “so they are worth at least $289,610 in any case.”

And, he claims to have already heard from one interested buyer – “an American colonel who wants to fix SADDAM license plates to the car.”

Furthermore, if any Americans are interested in acquiring the cars, Brown promises a discounted price, “since I can ship them directly from Iraq, so that’s a saving of about 27 percent on U.K. duties.”

The auction for the two cars will end in 14 days – Brown is hoping to sell them to “someone in Japan or the U.S.”

July 23, 2008 in Ammu Kannampilly | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

British Prime Minister in Sticky Situation

July 23, 2008 1:17 PM

By Stephen Webb, ABC News London

The right to peaceful protest is an important part democracy. Most protesters choose to stand around shouting and waving placards, but the British environmentalist group, Plane Stupid, is a little more imaginative.

Yesterday evening, Dan Glass, member of Plane Stupid, glued himself to the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, while visiting 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, to receive an award for his campaign work.

Plane Stupid campaigns against the expansion of aviation because concerns about climate change. The group recently made a protest on the roof of the British Houses of Parliament, and has blocked airport runways in the past.

According to them, Dan Glass covered his hand with superglue that he had smuggled in, and then placed it onto the sleeve of the Prime Minister’s suite.  At the same time, he asked why the PM and his ministers had refused to meet London residents opposed to the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. 

The consultation for the expansion has been highly controversial, particularly after last year allegations arose that the British government had colluded with the airport operator, BAA, in the process. However, the government and BAA deny the allegations. This week, a BBC Panorama investigation reported that BAA argued that ‘green’ super planes would ensure pollution was kept within limits, despite the fact the planes do not exist and no manufacturer has any plans for any aircraft of this kind. The government responded that they were only an “illustrative example”, according to The Times Newspaper. John McDonnell, a member of the British parliament has called for a public inquiry.

ABC News asked London’s Metropolitan Police who are in charge of security at Number Ten, if they were worried about more dangerous substances being smuggled in this way. A spokesperson said that there had been “no security breach” since “he was an invited guest.”

Plane Stupid say that every step was taken to ensure the glue did not come into contact with the Prime Minister’s skin, in line with their commitment to peaceful protest.

July 23, 2008 in Stephen Webb | Permalink | User Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

The Beautiful Side of Globalization

July 22, 2008 2:18 PM

By Nick Schifrin, ABC News Digital Reporter, New Delhi

VIENTIANE, Laos – ABC News producer Clark Bentson and I were covering the Myanmar cyclone from neighboring Bangkok, Thailand, when we thought we might be able to get a Myanmar visa by applying from Laos.

The capital, Vientiane, is about an hour and a half from Bangkok and is one of the unknown jewels of southeast Asia.

It is a sparsely filled place, with one traffic light on the 25-minute drive from the airport to our hotel. It is perhaps most often noted by tourists for the local suds -- Beerlao, a beer that would be akin to naming Budweiser "American Beer."

After failing to get a visa, we set out to explore. We saw the beautiful Buddha Park on the outskirts of town, filled with statues of the Buddha -- reclining Buddha, fighting Buddha, meditating Buddha. We (actually, Clark refused) ate frog legs with our driver Sari, and we climbed up Patuxai, Vientiane's version of the Arc de Triumphe. 196 steps, 3 tourist shops.

But despite that ratio, the city is wonderfully calm and left alone by the Westerners who usually fill Bangkok and Hanoi instead.

We came across one American woman who'd been living there for 19 years. Her shop is hard to miss. Lao Textiles is located in a beautiful old French colonial mansion in the center of town and is the headquarters for Carol Cassidy, a professional weaver who has spent her adult life combining indigenous Asian and African talent with her own designs. In so doing she has created industries in India, Cambodia, Lesotho and Laos that sell exquisite local textiles to an audience from Hong Kong to Rome to New York.

"I build on indigenous culture and skill to create an international product of a high standard," she says. "The goal is to enable these rural producers to benefit. We're the beautiful side of globalization."

Her Next Big Thing: a bag made out of jungle vine by the women of Pakor, a village of about 100 people in Northern Laos filled with members of the minority khummu.

Through two translators, one of them told me by phone: "I hope the bag generates income and gets our products to someone who's interested. I hope it helps the women here have an income. Because usually it is the men who earn and decide everything."

Asked what she knew about the United States, another villager told me: "I don't know where it is. It's a country far away with many, many people who could get to know about Laos and our people through our bags."

Read the full story here.

July 22, 2008 in Nick Schifrin | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

India's Special Parliamentary Session Allowing Criminals To Vote

July 22, 2008 8:17 AM

By Karen Russo, ABC News Digital Reporter, Mumbai

While little shocks Indians about the ever-changing politics of the world’s largest democracy, the release of convicted criminals to vote in India’s special two-day parliamentary session has raised some eyebrows. “Nothing surprises anyone about Indian democracy,” said Brahma Chellaney, professor of Strategic Studies in New Delhi’s Center for Policy Research. But, he added, “this has surprised many, many Indians.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was seeking a vote of confidence over a controversy stemming from a possible US-India nuclear deal. Over the past few weeks, left-wing parties withdrew their support from Singh's Congress party-led coalition. The parties opposing the nuclear agreement diverge on their complaints - some stating they want no relations with the US, while others fear the deal will compromise India's ability to test nuclear weapons in the future.

Mr. Singh has been forced to seek the vote of support and, as a result, MPs who are convicted criminals have received an Indian version of furlough to attend the debates and vote. Although these MPs are convicted, they have not completed their appeals process- partly because India’s courts are so overburdened-and are therefore allowed the special release. At the end of yesterday’s session, the MPs were returned to jail in New Delhi. After the vote is completed, they will return to jail in their respective states.

July 22, 2008 in Karen Russo | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (2)

Putting The China Bus Blast Into Context

July 22, 2008 7:53 AM

By Jo Ling Kent, ABC News Beijing

With three short weeks remaining until the Beijing Olympics kick off, security and tension in China are at rare levels. When two buses exploded in downtown Kunming on Monday morning, the rumor mill started turning. Was it a traffic accident? Disgruntled farmers? Terrorism?

Before the Kunming blasts are chalked up to terrorism or pre-Olympic protests, it's important to note three recent developments in China.

First, bus explosions do occur throughout China from time to time. In May, days prior to the Sichuan earthquake, a self-detonated bus bomb killed three people in Shanghai. Often, blasts like these go unreported. Such attacks are typically carried out by angry workers or farmers airing their grievances over corruption, wages or poverty. The Kunming incident, while tragic, is not something new.

Second, with the Olympics around the corner, the Chinese government has been clamping down on activity that could be considered suspect and publicizing it more than usual. Officials want to address the unrest at a local or provincial level in order to reduce the likelihood that potential activists and terrorists will come knocking on Beijing's door next month. Without the world's watchful eyes on Beijing and the Olympics, this bus explosion could have gone unreported altogether.

Third, the Kunming bus explosions happened during a highly sensitive period for China.  A lot of unrest has been bubbling to the surface over the past few months and especially in recent weeks. Just two days ago, Yunnan police opened fire and killed two rubber farmers in the province's Menglian County. Forty-one police officers were injured during that incident, which was reportedly caused by a dispute between farmers and a private rubber company, Xinhua stated. The Kunming and Menglian incidents are most likely unrelated. The government has sent a group to investigate.

Less than two weeks ago, 82 suspects in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region were detained. According to Chen Zhuangwei, head of the Public Security Bureau of Urumqi, the individuals were arrested for allegedly plotting sabotage activities against the Beijing Olympics.

Thousands of protesters in Guizhou and Guangdong provinces have also rioted in the past month, grabbing headlines and making their case.

With the Games just around the corner, the atmosphere in China is certainly far from normal.

As for the Kunming blasts themselves, various reports are in the air about who is behind the blast. The state-run Xinhua news agency blamed the explosions on "sabotage."

The Southwest Metropolis Daily, a Chinese newspaper, reported that several residents received cryptic text messages early Monday.

"The general mobilization of ants... [I] hope citizens receiving this message will not take bus lines 54, 64 and 84 tomorrow morning," the newspaper quoted the message as saying.

In an effort to squash rumors, the Ministry of Public Security immediately dispatched an investigative team to Kunming yesterday and tightened security to prevent potential suspects from escaping.

Roadside checkpoints have been instituted in the city as well.

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is 1,500 miles southwest of Beijing. Though far away, the blasts managed to aggravate the capital. In reaction to the incidents, the police voiced growing concern that domestic terrorism is on the rise and may disrupt the Olympics.

Beijing is also doing its very best to prevent any unwanted interruptions during the Olympics by instituting safety measures from all angles. In June, police began searching and scanning bags at subway entrances. Vehicles entering Beijing city limits are now subject to police inspection, which has caused a great deal of congestion and inconvenience.

According to Xinhua, the city has organized an anti-terror force of 100,000, as well as nearly 300,000 volunteers and 150,000 security guards to help maintain order during the games. Last week, the Ministry of Public Security published a safety handbook for citizens that explains how to identify suspicious behavior during the Olympics.

Whether these tightened security measures will allow Beijing to maintain a "harmonious society" during the Olympics remains to be seen. As China inches closer to the Olympics, Beijing is on high alert.

July 22, 2008 in Jo Ling Kent | Permalink | User Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Israeli Soldier Point Blank Shooting Video

July 21, 2008 10:50 AM

By Sara Sorcher, ABC News Jerusalem

B’Tselem, the Israeli information center for human rights in the territories, released shocking video of an Israeli Defense Forces soldier shooting a tied and blindfolded Palestinian detainee with a rubber-coated bullet yesterday.

IDF soldiers stopped Ashraf Abu-Rahama, 27-year-old Palestinian demonstrator, after taking place in a riot in the village of Nil’in in the West Bank. The video shows a soldier fire a bullet at his foot from close range.

Abu-Rahama told Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz that he was left in the sun for four hours, until an officer picked him up and shot him. “It felt like my leg was a goner,” he told Ha’aretz, adding that the soldiers had beaten him beforehand. “My eyes were covered, and I could not see a thing.”

The incident took place on July 7, but B’Tselem, received the footage yesterday from a teenaged Palestinian girl who had shot the video from a window in her home in the village. She had borrowed a camera from her school, according to B’Tselem spokesperson Sarit Michaeli.

The fact that no one from the IDF reported the incident since the time it took place is “very serious,” Michaeli told ABC News. “This wasn’t just one soldier in a field, it involved a lieutenant colonel, someone high up on the chain of the command, who didn’t see fit to inform military police of this event but preferred to keep it quiet,” she said. “If the video hadn’t seen light of day issue would have been hushed up.”

An IDF statement released yesterday said that the event was in “stark violation” of the IDF’s rules of conduct and safety. “The IDF's rules of conduct clearly forbid any harm against those in its custody and are committed to human dignity and safety of all detainees.”

Major Avital Leibovich, senior foreign press spokesman for the IDF, told ABC News that an IDF medic treated the man after the incident before he was released. “The final result of the incident is that the guy got up, and he went home with a swollen toe,” Leibovich said. “However, the conduct of the soldiers is not something we encourage and goes against the code of ethics of the IDF.”

The incident leaves questions over possible post-editing of the video, Leibovich said. “When you see the footage, you can see there’s jumping between different sequences,” she said. “It raises the question of editing. You can hear that the sound was made in a room—you can hear the echo of a room and not a riot. In a riot, you can hear the sound of people shouting, rioting. You don’t hear any of those sounds here.”  

Michaeli rejects any claims that the film was doctored. “Trying to cast doubts over the authenticity of footage compounds the IDF’s image as an organization that tries to hide and whitewash anything that will present it in a negative light,” Michaeli told ABC News. “The army should deal at this point not in attempting to reject authenticity of this footage but instead on combating culture of whitewash rife within the organization.”

According to Leibovich, the IDF will treat this “very seriously” and will open the investigation.

Click here to watch the video

July 21, 2008 in Sara Sorcher | Permalink | User Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

Pick Up Your Garbage Or Bite A Policeman?

July 18, 2008 10:31 AM

By Stephen Webb, ABC News London

Today in London, two police officers were assaulted by a gang of up to 30 thugs, who came to the ‘aid’ of a 15 year old girl, who the police had asked to pick up some garbage she had dropped. One of the cops got bitten.

A spokesperson from Britain’s Metropolitan Police told ABC News, a 34 year old officer, who was white, suffered a bite wound in the attack, while his colleague, a 29 year old man who was black, received bruising and knee injuries.

Apparently, the girl picked up the litter when asked but moments later chucked it on the ground again. The police confronted her and an extraordinary attack followed.

The BBC says this all happened in North End, Croydon, in the south of London on Wednesday afternoon.

Police told ABC News, a 15 year old girl and two men aged 34 and 38 were arrested and have been released on bail.

CCTV footage is being looked at by the police.

Yesterday, the British government assured the country was getting safer, with the release of the latest national crime statistics. They showed an overall 8 percent drop in crime, including violent crime down 8 percent and serious violent crime down by 12 percent.

July 18, 2008 in Stephen Webb | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)