Former Khmer Rouge prison chief sentenced to 35 years in prison

A former prison chief working for the infamous Khmer Rouge has been sentenced to 35 years in jail. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity following a 77-day trial. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, admitted during his trial that he was the leader of a notorious detention centre known as Toul Sleng, where an estimated 16,000 people were killed. 

The trial was held in accordance with a UN-backed war-crimes court. It was the first international trial held for people involved in the 1970s' regime. 

Read More

Investigation launched into Apple's 'fear of Asian customers'

The attorney general of New York is reportedly investigating claims that Apple, the technology company that today released the next generation iPhone, is in fear of Asian customers and asking to see their passports.

Among other things, Apple employees are reported as saying that certain customers' English 'sucks' and denying some their right to purchase the company's brand new iPad tablet computing device.

The political blog, Politico, reported that Apple had been suspicious due to the large volume of illegal exports of the iPad to China - and that they were investigating potential international leaks of the product to untapped overseas markets.

Politico reported:

A person who had been informed of Apple's policy said the company — concerned that customers were purchasing multiple iPads for sale abroad — had briefly instituted a questionnaire for use in the course of iPad sales, aimed at blocking those illegal exports. The source said the policy is no longer in place, and [the attorney general's office] signaled that the investigation appears likely to be resolved routinely.


 [Image: A customer in one of Apple's Australian retail stores. Via Getty Images]

Read More

US Vice President and White House chief of staff have water fight

Some people have some odd ways of letting off stress and relaxing. For the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, this means having a super soaker water fight.

The pictures surfaced on Twitter from CNN's Ed Henry.

They show the two powerful politicians waging a battle not against policy or their Republican opponents, but against little girls.

"C'mon Biden, fight her like a man".

Read More

Gary Coleman dies at 42

Gary Coleman, the former child star of the hit 1970s TV sitcom Diff'rent Strokes has died at age 42 after having an intracranial haemorrhage, it was reported last night.

Coleman, who stood just 4' 8", had reportedly struggled to keep up with numerous legal, medical and financial troubles - and even ran against Arnold Schwarzenegger for the governorship of California in 2003.

He died in Utah where he had been no life-support since Thursday, after suffering the haemorrhage on Wednesday at his home near Salt Lake City.

He had reportedly suffered from kidney disease, which stunted his growth as a child. Coleman also attempted suicide twice by overdosing on pills, or so he claimed in a 1993 television interview.

Read More

Venus Williams' French Open wardrobe malfunction

Although Venus Williams won her match at the French Open on Sunday, it was not the game itself that was interesting people concerning Venus, it was more how she was dressed.

The top ranking tennis player, who frequents the top list of the world's tennis elite with her sister, arrived at the court wearing what could only be described as a most unusual outfit, and one which revealed....a little too much.

(Click the image for a larger view)

Read More

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess Of York, Caught Selling Access To Prince Andrew

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, says she feels 'devastated' after it was revealed that she attempted to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, with prices reaching as high as half-a-million pounds.

The News of the World, a British tabloid, had posted the secret footage on its website. She is heard to say, "500,000 pounds to me, when you can, open doors".

When asked if she was referring to the Prince, "yeah".

It was reported by the Associated Press that 'Fergie' has been suffering financially before, and has complained on numerous occasions that her divorce settlement had been 'stingy'.

Read More

13 year old boy to become youngest person to climb Mt Everest

A 13-year-old American boy has set his sights on becoming the youngest person ever to scale the highest peak in the world.

Jordan Romero has already reached Camp 2, which is an approximately nine hour climb from Camp 1, seven and a half kilometers from the base of the mountain.

Climbers stay at around 3 or 4 'camps' before reaching the summit.

The Associated Press reports:

"Team Jordan is OK. We are trekking!" read the latest update from Romero's blog Friday morning.

The record for the youngest climber to scale Everest is held by Temba Tsheri of Nepal, who reached the peak at age 16.

Romero, from Big Bear, California, is climbing with his father Paul and three Sherpa guides.

He climbed the highest peaks on six other continents and hopes to reach the top of the world's tallest mountain in five to seven days, depending on weather conditions. Everest, however, will be his first challenge above 8,000 meters (26,240 feet).

Romero reportedly climbed Mount Killimanjaro at age 10, and has very little interest in setting less ambitious goals, let alone giving up on those he has already made.

Weather forecasts for Everest posted on the blog showed sunny skies and winds of up to 83 miles per hour (134 kilometers per hour), with winds expected to ease to 37 mph (60 kph) on Saturday. 

Read More

Plane crash kills over 160 passengers in India

Upward of 160 people have been confirmed dead after an Air India plane crashed in Southern India, the Associated Press reports.

The plane, which departed from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, reportedly overshot the runway of an airport in Mangalore, India.

"At least 160 passengers have died in the crash," V.S. Acharya, Home Minister of the southern state of Karnataka, told reporters.

A second official also confirmed that 160 people had been killed.

The plane was carrying 163 passengers and nine crew members. Officials had said earlier 169 people were on the plane.

Read the full article here.  

Read More

"Order has been restored", claims Thai Prime Minister

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Prime Minister of Thailand, has said that order has been restored to the nation, despite the fact a large military presence remains around central Bangkok. 


“We recognize that as we move ahead there are huge challenges ahead of us, particularly the challenge of overcoming the divisions that have occurred in this country,” Mr. Abhisit said in a televised speech, adding that he would initiate “an independent investigation of all the events that have taken place during the protest.”


Read a New York Times article here.

Read More

Thailand's protest leaders surrender

The leaders of antigovernment protest in Thailand have surrendered, after an aggressive raid of the protester's compound in central Bangkok.

Thai government vehicles used force to penetrate barricades and government soldiers stormed into the protest zone on Wednesday morning in a definitive move against demonstrators who have occupied the capital's central retail district, the New York Times has reported.

Jatuporn Prompan, one of the leaders, declared that the rally was over. "We cannot resist against these savages anymore," he said.

Shortly before the surrender, heavy gunfire was continuing in the area, and new roadblocks were being erected to prevent further movement of the protesters.

The Thai Government had rejected pleas from demonstrators for peace talks, and an aid to the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said that "the only way to end this situation is to end the rally".

Read More

Missing men found on remote island

Four men marooned on Manuae Island in the Cook Islands have been found by a Royal New Zealand Air Force crew this afternoon. The RNZAF has reported that the men have been missing for five days although they were, according to Fairfax Media, marooned ten days ago.

Their longline fishing boat departed from Rarotonga on May 5 and were due back four days later.

Their boat, dubbed the "Gypsy Trader", had communications equipment onboard, lifejackets, and an outboard motor. The alarm was raised when a spouse of one of the crew members alerted authorities as to the delay of their return.

Stuff.co.nz filed a report 11 minutes ago (at time of publishing):

Accroding to an Air Force statement, Cook Islands authorities diverted a scheduled Air Rarotonga flight to the Gypsy Trader's last known position but they found no trace of the vessel. The authorities then contacted the Rescue Coordination Centre in NZ and an Air Force P3 Orion aircraft started searching on Saturday.

"The Orion crew found the four men - two of whom hold NZ passports - on Manuae Island when they spotted a dinghy and a blue tarpaulin set up as shelter on the beach," an RNZAF statement said.

An emergency pack - which included a radio - was dropped to the men and they confirmed they were from the Gypsy Trader.

A patrol boat from Rarotonga uplifted the four men yesterday.

Read More

Teen sailor turns down television deals

The teenage Australian who recently arrived home after circumnavigating the globe has reportedly turned down media requests worth A$250,000 to allow press at her birthday party.

According to The Age:

Andrew Fraser today defended Jessica against claims from disgruntled equipment supplier Marty Still that she delayed her return to maximise the commercial impact of her safe arrival.

 "We've been offered several lucrative offers to cover the birthday party," Mr Fraser said.

"We've rejected them. It's a private family function, and she doesn't want cameras shoved in her face. That was the strategy our team made - to let her enjoy it rather than it be a burden."

But Jessica will not ignore her commercial interests for long.

Mr Fraser said the young adventurer would be making public appearances on behalf of cosmetics company Ella Bache, her major sponsor, in Sydney this week before travelling interstate next week.

He said she was putting the finishing touches to her book and work had begun on a film documenting her expedition.

Read the full article.  

 

Read More

First openly lesbian bishop ordained by Episcopal Church

Seven years since the Episcopal Church caused controversy by consecrating its first openly gay bishop, the church has done the same thing yet again, except this time with a woman.

According to the Associated Press, which reported on the appointment:

The Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, of Baltimore, was ordained and consecrated on Saturday, making her the second openly gay bishop in church history and one of the first two female bishops in the Diocese of Los Angeles' 114-year history.

She was installed at Long Beach Arena before 3,000 people, who burst into applause at the end, church spokesman Bob Williams said.

Just before the ceremony began, a man stood, shouted about the need to repent and held up a sign that read "Do not be deceived, homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Read the full article.  

Read More

Thai leader defends crackdown on protest

On Saturday, the Thai leader, Abhisit Vejjajiva, defended his government's crackdown on protests in the wake of rising death tolls as a result of the conflict.

The Washington Post reported:

"I insist that what we are doing is necessary," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in remarks broadcast on national television. "We cannot retreat, because we are doing things that will benefit the entire country."
On Saturday, the protesters, known as "red shirts," directed a steady stream of rudimentary missiles at troops, who fired back in several areas around a key commercial district of Bangkok.
Army snipers with high-powered rifles were perched atop tall buildings. Below, thick black smoke billowed from tires set ablaze by demonstrators as gunfire rang out.

(Read the full article here)

Read More

OHAI GUIZ, I heard you were leaving everybody blogs on The Murray Report so I thought I would leave you one since you were leaving everyone else one

Kim Jong-il has been declared a fashion icon. 

It’s not uncommon to view movie stars, basketball players, and models as fashion icons, especially considering that they can easily afford to look their very best.

It is, however, quite unusual to bestow the title of ‘fashion icon’ to an authority figure, let alone the world’s most brutal and nonconformist dictator. Yet according to the North Korean government, Kim Jong-il is exactly that—a fashion icon.

A report released Wednesday, April 8, through North Korea’s communist-party newspaper Rodong Sinmun claimed that Kim Jong-il’s sense of style—including a zippered tunic, matching trousers, and, of course, the infamous sunglasses—is a “global fashion trend.” (Telegraph)

Their exact statement was, “The Great General, who is always wearing the modest suit while working, leaves a deep impression on people’s mind. That is because his image as a great man is so outstanding.” (Newser)

Plus according to the report, an unidentified French fashion expert who backs their statement said, “[The] Kim Jong-il mode, which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide, is something unprecedented in the world’s history.” He basically made it sound as if the entire world’s fashion sense hovers around Jong-il’s unique albeit rather lackluster style.

The report goes on to declare, “People around the world are attracted to and following not only the jacket our Great Leader is wearing, but also his attitude, facial expressions, hand gestures, and even his handwriting.” (ABC News)

The report ends by proclaiming that Kim Jong-il’s zippered jacket is “the most valuable and noble item” in the world.

Read More

Obama Rejects Rush Limbaugh Golf Match: Rush 'Can Play With Himself'

A new book claims that President Obama refused to play golf with conservative talk radio star Rush Limbaugh.

In "Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One," which is due out later this month, author Zev Chafets reports that the President rebuffed a suggestion to meet his nemesis on the links. From the New York Post's Page Six:

When President Obama was asked if he would play a round of golf with his talk-radio nemesis Rush Limbaugh, the response, relayed by a top Democrat, was: "Limbaugh can play with himself."

Page Six reports that Chafets offered to ask the White House if Obama would play golf with Limbaugh, and Limbaugh said to "go ahead," predicting "nothing will come of it." Chafets then got in touch with "a very senior Democratic activist" who supposedly conveyed the request to the White House and returned with the message: "Limbaugh can play with himself."

Read More

Nintendo CEO says Steve Jobs of Apple is the "enemy of the future"

After posting its first drop in annual profits in six years, the CEO of Nintendo has set his sights on Steve Jobs, the creator of the iPod, iPhone and most recently, the iPad.

According to the Times of London, Saturo Iwata is prepared to 'go to war' with competitors, including Sony, Microsoft and Apple. Nintendo is "preparing to unleash the full force of its development and marketing artillery" against competitors, Mr Iwata said.

The Times Reports:

The Times adds, "Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo president, is understood to have told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already won and to treat Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the 'enemy of the future'."

Just a couple of months ago, Nintendo stated that they weren't worried about competition from Apple.

Nintendo's net profit for the fiscal year ending March 31 was down 18 percent to $2.5 billion, with sales dropping 22 percent to around $15.4 billion.

How will Nintendo fight back? Mashable investigates the potential outcome of a Nintendo phone as one alternative. What direction do you think the company should take? Is Apple really a threat? Tell us in the comments section below. 

Read the full story at the Times Online. 

  

Read More

Brown announces resignation

Britain's election took yet another sudden turn today, as Gordon Brown, the current British prime minister, has announced that he intends to stand down as the leader of the Labour Party. This comes in a bid to lure the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition with Labour.


Mr Brown says that he will remain in office to oversee administrative roles, particularly in mediating talks to form a new government. His announcement in the late afternoon, according to the New York Times, stunned many in the country and within his own party.

According to the Times:

Quoting Downing Street insiders, British newspapers had reported that Mr. Brown was preparing a last-ditch effort to hang onto power and prolong his tenure as prime minister, which began when he succeeded Tony Blair in an internal Labour upheaval in 1997. That accorded with a matching determination not to cede power to the Conservatives among a group of loyal Labour cabinet ministers, who took to Britain’s airwaves at the weekend with the argument that the election had produced an “a progressive majority” against the Conservatives, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats winning 15.4-million votes against the Conservatives 10.6-million.

Read More

UK "on hold" as coalition discussions continue

(Cathal McNaughton/Reuters)

While his negotiating team was locked in talks with the Tories, Nick Clegg met Gordon Brown. Liberal Democrat members had been furious at his earlier promise to talk exclusively to the Conservatives

Nick Clegg is making David Cameron sweat as the pair edge towards a deal that would put the Conservative leader in Downing Street.

Both sides will resume talks today. Their negotiating teams spent nearly six hours at the Cabinet Office yesterday, trying to thrash out an agreement, but Liberal Democrat sources suggested that it might be Thursday before Mr Cameron could think about walking into No 10.

William Hague, who led the talks for the Tories, and Danny Alexander, his Lib Dem counterpart, tried to reassure the markets by announcing that cutting the deficit would be at the heart of any agreed programme for government. There were no details about how such a programme would look.

Read more>>

Read More

Reporting....now!

Welcome to the Murray Report, which has now been delivering news since, well...a couple of hours ago. As you look around, you'll see our homepage populate with news, commentary and opinions from all around the world.
We hope that the aggregated blog and news site will become a regular fixture in your daily news intake.

So come in, and make yourself at home.

Read More