Pastor imprisoned in Iran faces death for 'spreading corruption on Earth'

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Pastor Behnam Irani is currently serving a combined six-year sentence in Ghezal Hezar Prison.courtesy of ACLJ

An Iranian Christian pastor already imprisoned for his faith now faces the death penalty after being hit with a bizarre new charge called "spreading corruption on Earth."

Supporters fear the worst for Pastor Behnam Irani, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 2011 for his Christian activities, including leading a 300-member evangelical congregation in Karaj, a city less than 15 miles outside the capital, Tehran. He is now being held in solitary confinement and suffering numerous health problems, including internal bleeding, according to advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas old the website BosNewsLife.com that his group is "deeply concerned by the new charges against Pastor Irani" especially the charge of spreading corruption on Earth." 

"The charges leveled against Pastor Irani and other Christians are tantamount to an indictment of Christianity itself and mark a renewed escalation in Iran's campaign against Persian Christians under the Rouhani presidency," Thomas said in a statement.

In recent months, Irani faced brutal interrogation sessions at the hands of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which threatened him with additional charges.

Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, who ran for office as a moderate a year ago, has since presided over a brutal crackdown on Iran's Christian community. Rouhani and the religious mullahs he answers to have been particularly concerned about the spread of Christianity and conversion into its Muslim population.

“There are a lot of people who are disgruntled with the government and many for comfort and peace in their lives are turning to Christianity," Jason DeMars, founder of Present Truth Ministries, which sponsors Christian churches and outreach in the Middle East, told FoxNews.com. "That’s a threat to the regime.

"The more people who turn from Islam, the fewer people they have on their side,” DeMars added.

In separate incidents, CSW reported at least five other Christians were taken into custody this week in the Iranian city of Isfahan, and authorities confiscated Bibles, computers, cellphones and other personal items.

In Iran, the punishment for apostasy, or turning from Islam, can carry the death penalty. Currently, many Christians are facing imprisonment in Iran, including Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen whose wife and two young kids remain behind in Boise, Idaho.

Teen has mastectomy after docs fail to spot breast cancer because she was ‘too young’

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After two years of discomfort, a British teen was diagnosed with breast cancer— which doctors initially missed because she was “too young,” the U.K.’s Metro reported.

Morag McTiernan, 21, first went to the doctor when she was 17 because of discomfort and discharge from her right breast. She was diagnosed with an infection of the milk duct, a condition common in teenage girls.

But two years later, the pain had become intolerable. She went for a second opinion at the teenage cancer unit at Royal Victoria Hospital in the U.K. and was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I can’t help but think that if I had been an older lady who had the same symptoms my GP would have thought about cancer,” McTiernan said. “Who knows how much the cancer could have grown in [the two years before the correct diagnosis], I might have been able to keep my breast if it was diagnosed sooner.”

McTiernan underwent a mastectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. She’s expected to make a full recovery.
                                                            
“Breast cancer in young women is exceptionally rare,” said Dr. Mark Verrill, consulting medical oncologist at the Freeman Hospital in the U.K. said. “The chance of being diagnosed in this age bracket is one in 500,000, with the majority of cases being seen in much older women.”

Published September 04, 2014

FoxNews.com

Top CIA officer in Benghazi delayed response to terrorist attack, US security team members claim

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A U.S. security team in Benghazi was held back from immediately responding to the attack on the American diplomatic mission on orders of the top CIA officer there, three of those involved told Fox News’ Bret Baier.

Their account gives a dramatic new turn to what the Obama administration and its allies would like to dismiss as an “old story” – the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Speaking out publicly for the first time, the three were security operators at the secret CIA annex in Benghazi – in effect, the first-responders to any attack on the diplomatic compound. Their first-hand account will be told in a Fox News special, airing Friday night at 10 p.m. (EDT).

Based on the new book "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi" by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team, the special sets aside the political spin that has freighted the Benghazi issue for the last two years, presenting a vivid, compelling narrative of events from the perspective of the men who wore the “boots on the ground.” 

The security contractors -- Kris (“Tanto”) Paronto,  Mark (“Oz”) Geist, and John (“Tig”) Tiegen -- spoke exclusively, and at length, to Fox News about what they saw and did that night. Baier, Fox News’ Chief Political Anchor, asked them about one of the most controversial questions arising from the events in Benghazi: Was help delayed?

Word of the attack on the diplomatic compound reached the CIA annex just after 9:30 p.m. Within five minutes, the security team at the annex was geared up for battle, and ready to move to the compound, a mile away.

“Five minutes, we're ready,” said Paronto, a former Army Ranger. “It was thumbs up, thumbs up, we're ready to go.”

But the team was held back. According to the security operators, they were delayed from responding to the attack by the top CIA officer in Benghazi, whom they refer to only as “Bob.”

“It had probably been 15 minutes I think, and … I just said, ‘Hey, you know, we gotta-- we need to get over there, we're losing the initiative,’” said Tiegen. “And Bob just looks straight at me and said, ‘Stand down, you need to wait.’”

“We're starting to get calls from the State Department guys saying, ‘Hey, we're taking fire, we need you guys here, we need help,’” said Paronto.

After a delay of nearly 30 minutes, the security team headed to the besieged consulate without orders. They asked their CIA superiors to call for armed air support, which never came.

Now, looking back, the security team said they believed that if they had not been delayed for nearly half an hour, or if the air support had come, things might have turned out differently.

“Ambassador Stevens and Sean [Smith], yeah, they would still be alive, my gut is yes,” Paronto said. Tiegen concurred.

“I strongly believe if we'd left immediately, they'd still be alive today,” he added.

In a statement to Fox News, a senior intelligence official insisted that,  “There were no orders to anybody to stand down in providing support.”

Baier put that assertion directly to the operators.

“You use the words ‘stand down,’” Baier noted. “A number of people now, including the House Intelligence Committee  insist no one was hindered from responding to the situation at the compound…so what do you say to that?”

“No, it happened,” said Tiegen.

“It happened on the ground-- all I can talk about is what happened on that ground that night,” added Paronto. “To us. To myself, twice, and to-- to Tig, once. It happened that night. We were told to wait, stand-- and stand down.  We were delayed three times.”

In a statement to Fox News, a senior intelligence official did allow that the security team was delayed from responding while the CIA’s top officer in Benghazi tried to rally local support.

In the special, Baier also asks about the infamous YouTube video that was blamed for the violence in Benghazi.

Paronto laughed at the suggestion that the video played any role in the events of that night, saying he did not even know of the video until he was out of Libya and on his way home. “I didn't know about the video ‘till I got to Germany,” he said. “(I had) no idea about any video, no. No, sir.”

The full, first-hand account of what really happened in Benghazi can be seen when Fox News airs 13 hours at Benghazi: The Inside Story Friday night 10 p.m. (EDT), Saturday at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. (EDT), and Sunday at 9 p.m. (EDT)

Nithari Case: Surinder Koli to be hanged on September 12

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Meerut: Nithari serial killer Surinder Koli, who has been sentenced to death for the brutal killing of a 14-year-old girl, will be hanged in Meerut Jail on September 12, Jail Superintendent SHM Rizvi has said.

"The hanging will be carried out on September 12...all the rules and procedures will be followed", he told reporters.

A warrant was issued on Wednesday by Ghaziabad's Additional sessions Judge Atul Kumar Gupta in the name of 42-year-old Koli that he should be hanged to death after the convict exhausted all his legal remedies in this case.

Koli, lodged in a jail in Ghaziabad, has been sentenced to death in connection with the killing of Rimpa Halder and in four other cases.

This will be the first execution of a death sentence convict under the new NDA government.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee that Koli's mercy plea be rejected, barely a month after he had taken over as the minister.

The President rejected the mercy petition on July 27, paving the way for the judicial process to commence for hanging of Koli.

There are 11 cases of murder pending against Koli. The Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI had filed a charge sheet against him in 16 cases where he had allegedly killed children after sexually abusing them.

The Rimpa Halder case came to light in December, 2006 when a girl who went missing was found murdered by Koli.

Investigations into the case led the probe team into more gruesome murders of children and their skeletal remains were recovered from a drain adjacent to the house where Koli was working as a domestic servant in Nithari locality of Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Koli was awarded death sentence by a lower court, which was upheld by the Allahabad High Court and confirmed by the Supreme Court on February 15, 2011 for the murder of Rimpa Halder in 2005.

Holding that Koli "appears to be the serial killer", the court had said "No mercy can be shown to him."

A total of 16 cases were registered against Koli. His employer Moninder Singh Pandher, who was also sentenced to death in Rimpa Halder case, was acquitted by the Allahabad High Court.

Out of 16 cases filed against Koli, he has been awarded death sentence in five of them so far and others are still under trial.

US comic Joan Rivers dies: family

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NEW YORK: Joan Rivers, the acerbic US stand-up comic and television presenter, died on Thursday, a week after being rushed to a New York hospital, her family announced. She was 81.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my mother, Joan Rivers. She passed peacefully at 1:17 pm surrounded by family and close friends," daughter Melissa Rivers said in a statement.

The Brooklyn-born Rivers had been at Mount Sinai Hospital since she reportedly stopped breathing during a medical procedure on her vocal cords at a private clinic on August 28.

Her daughter Melissa and grandson Cooper flew immediately from Los Angeles and kept a vigil at her bedside ever since.

They thanked hospital staff for the "amazing care" they provided the Emmy award-winning comedian and TV host.

"Cooper and I have found ourselves humbled by the outpouring of love, support and prayers we have received from around the world. They have been heard and appreciated," Melissa Rivers said.

"My mother´s greatest joy in life was to make people laugh. Although that is difficult to do right now, I know her final wish would be that we return to laughing soon." (AFP)

 

USA Today cuts jobs amid print woes

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WASHINGTON: USA Today said Thursday it was eliminating 60 to 70 jobs as the large daily responds to declining print circulation and ad revenues.

The newspaper´s move is meant "to align its staffing levels to meet current market conditions," according to a statement by parent firm Gannett cited by the publication.

The cuts will also allow the firm "to reinvest in the business to ensure the continued success of its digital transformation," the statement said.

The news comes a month after Gannett announced plans to split into two separate firms, one for broadcast and digital, and the other for newspapers.

Gannett is the latest media conglomerate to spin off struggling print news operations from faster-growth operations such as television.

Gannett will create a new publicly traded broadcasting and digital company, which has yet to be named, and which will remain headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

The publishing group, which will retain the Gannett name, will include USA Today as well as 81 other daily newspapers, some 200 weeklies and magazines and the community news service Newsquest.

USA Today is among the largest US dailies. In a recent industry audit, it had an average daily print circulation of around 1.8 million and digital readership of more than 1.4 million.

Dollar hits six-year high against yen in Asia

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TOKYO: The dollar soared to a near six-year high against the yen Friday on upbeat expectations for US jobs data, while the euro sank after the European Central Bank launched a surprise round of monetary easing.

The greenback jumped to 105.69 yen in early Asian trade, its highest level since October 2008, before easing slightly to 105.32 yen. However, it is still above the 105.22 yen seen late in New York.

The euro, which fell below $1.30 for the first time since July 2013 on Thursday, bought $1.2935 and 136.23 yen, compared with $1.2945 and 136.22 yen in US trade.

A raft of upbeat data for the world´s number one economy has helped boost the dollar recently, with key jobs data scheduled for later Friday.It has also been given a lift against the yen as investors shift out of the euro after the ECB´s announcement.

The fact that the dollar soared to its highest level against the yen since the global financial crisis has a significant meaning, said Junichi Ishikawa market analyst at IG Securities.

"This will send a signal to the market that further advances in the dollar lie ahead," Ishikawa said.

ECB policymakers on Thursday cut interest rates to 0.05 percent from 0.15 percent and the deposit rate to minus 0.2 percent from minus 0.1 percent, meaning lenders would have to pay more to keep their cash at the central bank. It also unveiled plans to purchase asset-backed securities to help kick-start lending in the region.

"The ECB over-delivered versus consensus market expectations," National Australia Bank said in a note.

Tsuyoshi Hirota, chief manager of the forex department at Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking, said some market players were "taking dollar-buying opportunities ahead of the release of the (US) jobs data" Friday. "Strong figures are expected, prompting short-term buying," he said of the August employment data.

The US economy´s upward momentum has fuelled speculation the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates sooner than later, which would boost the greenback.

Serial actress taken into custody for barging into priest’s house

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Poonthura Police took into custody a serial and film actress for barging into a priest’s house and creating a scene there. The actress was taken into custody earlier and is involved in many cases. She reached the priest’s house in the morning and sought his release. The actress wanted him to accompany her for the puja. However, his wife did not permit him to leave the house. The police reached the spot and shifted the three to the police station.

Post titlCentre may drop mandatory police verification for govt jobse

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NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering a move to drop mandatory police verification of candidates selected for government jobs and may accept self-attestation certificates from them. The issue of omitting the need of police verification of people getting selected for government jobs and applying for passports is under consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, official sources said. The MHA is likely take a view of state governments and other stakeholders in the matter, they said. A concept note on the matter by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions also favoured replacement of police verification in various works including for the purpose of issuance of passport and for government jobs. It needs to be considered if this can be eliminated as (i) the police check is only about any criminal cases for which the persons concerned do provide necessary declarations and remain liable for false declaration; (ii) the police report is perfunctory as it covers the last place of residence only; (iii) in any case, neighbours' affirmation appears to have little meaning, the note says. As part of its effort to reform the public service delivery system and bridging the governance deficit, the Centre is promoting self attestation in place of notarised affidavits for a big chunk of government-related work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently sought minimum use of affidavits and a shift to self-certification, so as to benefit the common man. "In a citizen-friendly initiative, all ministries and departments of the union government, and all state governments, have been asked to make provision for self-certification of documents in place of affidavits. "The requirement of attestation by gazetted officer is also sought to be replaced by self-certification by the citizen," the Prime Minister's Office has said in a release. The 12th report--'citizen centric administration-the heart of governance'--of the second Administrative Reforms Commission has also suggested simplifying procedures for self-certification provision

Window frame falls from building, kills minor boy

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NEW DELHI: In a tragic incident, an eight-year-old boy was killed when a window frame of an under-construction building fell on him in Chandni Mahal area of central Delhi.
The incident took place yesterday evening, when the victim, identified as Musa Ali, a class II student of a private school at Turkman Gate, was going to market to purchase clothes, along with his father.
"As Musa and his father was about to cross the Kalan Masjid road, a window frame from an under-construction building fell on him," said a police officer.
Everything happened so sudden that the victim's father fainted on the spot seeing his son critically injured lying in a pool of blood.
The child was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Soon, the body was sent for post-mortem, after which it was handed over to his parents.
A case of negligence was registered at the Chandni Mahal police station and the builder has been arrested, the officer said, adding it is also being checked whether the construction was in violation of rules.