- The unnamed home-owner was shocked to see two burglars standing in his hallway after his wife had left the room
- But the intruders fled after the man started shouting 'Get out of my house - I'm calling the police'
By Tammy Hughes
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Wanted: Police have released this image of the suspected burglar
A homeowner foiled a raid on his property from Turkey when he spotted two burglars as he spoke to his wife on Skype and warned them he would call the police.
He shouted at the pair to 'get out' and called officers for help.
The homeowner from Loughton, in Essex, was having a conversation with his wife via the internet using a webcam.
When she left the house to speak to their son, who was outside, the internet connection remained on.
As the man waited for his wife to return, he was shocked to see two intruders in the hallway who had smashed their way in through a downstairs window.
The homeowner repeatedly shouted: 'Get out of my house - I am calling the police.'
Spooked the burglars then fled empty-handed and the man quickly phoned 999.
The first instance his wife knew of the raid was as police officers arrived at her home just as she was going back inside.
Police have now been able to piece together an image of one of the suspects thanks to what the husband spotted whilst using MSN and a webcam to chat to his wife.
Detective Constable Mandi Coltman said: 'This woman’s husband had been waiting for his wife to return, but instead saw the sight of two strangers in his home.
'It was down to his quick-thinking actions - shouting at the men and then ringing us here in Essex that led to the thief running off.'
Foiled: The burglars were interrupted by a holidaymaker who was watching them on Skype
Officers carried out house-to-house enquiries and discovered that youngsters on scrambler bikes had been hanging out around the time of the failed raid.
Det Con Coltman added: 'We would ask people to look closely at the e-fit and contact us with the name of one of the men who invaded this family home.'
When the house was searched, it was discovered that upstairs had been ransacked but thanks to the unusual intervention, nothing was stolen.
Police have only just released details of the break-in which happened at about 5pm on March 30.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Singapore to allow more foreign law firms - Daily Telegraph
There is already a strong US contingency in Singapore with Latham & Watkins and White & Case holding QFLPs. They are keen for more Asian presence to service their high net worth US clients based here.
The number of international law firms in the city state has risen from 70 in 2007 to 110 this year as more expats and foreign companies settle in the former British colony.
Singapore's law minister K Shanmugam said: "We want to make sure of the quality, we are looking for firms that can add value and bring new work from overseas into Singapore and add a significant premium to our legal scene."
But there is another route for a foreign law firm to practice in Singapore, which is home to the world's highest proportion of millionaires.
Instead they can enter into a joint law venture (JLV) with a local firm. This allows them to practice all branches of law including corporate, litigation and retail conveyancing.
This is the route US legal giant Baker & McKenzie, the world's largest law firm by revenue, took.
South Korea has also recently opened its legal markets to American and European law firms as both continents battle it out for Asian business.
Both Clifford Chance and Allen & Overy have signalled their intentions to enter the lucrative Korean legal scene.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Kent County Cricket Club all-rounder Azhar Mahmood praises young batsman Sam Billings - Kent Online
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Experienced Kent all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has praised youngster Sam Billings for his match-winning knock against Warwickshire Bears at the St Lawrence Ground on Friday night.
Billings hit an unbeaten 58 to lead Kent Spitfires to a crushing 10-wicket win under the lights and Mahmood, who was playing in his first game of the season since returning from the Indian Premier League, was impressed with the 20-year-old’s display.
He said: "It was a very good win against Warwickshire and while any win is a win, it’s good to have got it in the manner that we did.
"It’s been great coming back and playing for Kent, it’s always been a great place to play and we have done well with Sam Billings showing the tremendous talent he has with that knock. He played particularly well, along with Rob Key, and all the bowlers put in a good performance apart from me, which is a good sign for us for the rest of the season."
Mahmood struggled with the ball, going for 26 runs off his two overs, while team-mate Mark Davies conceded just 10 runs in his eight overs on the way to figures of 3-10 as the Spitfires restricted Warwickshire to 94-7.
Mahmood said: "Mark Davies has been brilliant and the way he bowled, taking 3-10 and conceding just 10 runs from eight overs was exactly what you want.
"We seem to be gelling very well and are playing some good cricket as a team."
Kent, fourth in Clydesdale Bank Pro40 Group C, have a chance to climb the table when they take on Unicorns at Garon’s Park, Southend today.
Skipper Rob Key has selected a 12-man squad with Ben Harmison and Mike Powell, both yet to feature in the CB40 this season, included, while Mahmood has been rested ahead of the Tunbridge Wells Festival, which begins on Wednesday.
Kent from: Billings, Key, Powell, Nash, Stevens, Northeast, Jones, Coles, Tredwell, Ball, Davies, Harmison.
Tuesday, June 05 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Thanet beaches closed after sewage spill - BBC News
More than 20 Kent bathing beaches have been closed after sewage was discharged into the sea.
The closure of all beaches in Thanet was caused by a failure at the Southern Water Foreness Point Sewage Pumping Station after heavy rain.
Spokesman John Crooke said the pumping station discharged water which could otherwise have flooded homes.
Red flags are being flown at the beaches, many of which had recently won Blue Flag awards for cleanliness.
The beaches have been closed since Monday. Visitors have been told not to cross the high tide line.
Thanet District Council said they would stay shut for at least two days as a precautionary measure.
Last month, it was revealed that Thanet had more Blue Flag beaches than any other area in England.
The awards recognise high water quality and facilities.
Beach cleaners and litter pickers are on site whilst officers from the council and representatives from the Environment Agency and Southern Water Services fully assess the situation.
RNLI Lifeguards are also informing the public of the situation.
“Start Quote
End Quote John Crooke Southern WaterThe pumps became blocked and to prevent obviously flooding of the local properties the station then spilled out to the sea”
Jon Griffin, senior environment officer at the Environment Agency, said it was carrying out an investigation and working with Southern Water and Thanet District Council "to reduce the impact of the spillages as much as possible".
"We will continue to monitor the bathing water quality over the coming days and will advise Thanet District Council accordingly," he said.
Southern Water said the pumping station failed following heavy overnight rain on 30 May.
"The pumps became blocked and to prevent obviously flooding of the local properties the station then spilled out to the sea," Mr Crooke said.
"Stations are designed to do this if they become overwhelmed by water or if through the failure of the works themselves then the first thing they'll do is spill to the sea."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Backpage.com sues over Wash. sex-trafficking law - The Guardian
GENE JOHNSON
Associated Press= SEATTLE (AP) — The website Backpage.com sued the state of Washington on Monday, saying a new law that would require classified advertising companies to verify the ages of people in sex-related advertisements is invalid, even if it has a laudable goal.
Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the bill into law this year in an effort to cut down on child sex trafficking. It allows for the criminal prosecution of classified advertising company representatives who publish or cause publication of sex-related ads peddling children. Proof of a good-faith attempt to verify the age of the advertised person is considered a defense under the law.
Backpage operates a robust online clearinghouse for escorts, and it's a primary target of the law, which is due to take effect Thursday. The company, which is owned by Village Voice Media, has come under scrutiny from authorities for allegations that it's used to promote child prostitution.
The company sued in U.S. District Court in Seattle to block the law from being enforced pending a judge's decision on whether it should be struck down. The law is written so expansively that it would apply not just to classified advertising companies, but to dating sites, blogs, chat rooms and social networking sites, the company argues.
"This means that every service provider — no matter where headquartered or operated — must review each and every piece of third-party content posted on or through its service to determine whether it is an 'implicit' ad for a commercial sex act in Washington, and whether it includes a depiction of a person, and, if so, must obtain and maintain a record of the person's ID," the complaint says. "These obligations would bring the practice of hosting third-party content to a grinding halt."
Backpage argues that the law is trumped by the federal Communications Decency Act, which says online service providers are not responsible for the content of ads placed by third parties. Backpage also says Washington's law is unconstitutionally vague, infringes on First Amendment rights and attempts to regulate activity outside of Washington state.
"Backpage executives claim to be allies in the fight against human trafficking. Yet today they filed a lawsuit to kill a law written to reduce the number of minors posted for sale online," Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna said in a statement. "On behalf of the people of Washington state, and on behalf of human trafficking victims everywhere, we will forcefully defend this groundbreaking law."
The company has been under heavy pressure to change the way it operates. Last month, the mayors of nearly 50 cities across the U.S. — including New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Austin, Texas — signed a letter urging Village Voice Media to require identification for people posting escort ads on Backpage.com.
"There is an urgent need to act quickly, as cities continue to find advertisements on your site that reflect underage sex trafficking," the letter said. "We are making every effort to stop the ongoing trafficking of underage individuals, but these efforts are made more difficult by the inadequate safeguards of your website, Backpage.com, to prevent underage sex trafficking."
Other states are following Washington's lead: A similar law soon to take effect in Tennessee, and lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are considering similar bills, according to the federal complaint filed by Backpage.com.
Company lawyer Liz McDougall said that Backpage is "an online industry leader in working cooperatively with law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute human traffickers," and that Washington's law would force criminal conduct back underground, where it's harder to track.
"The trafficking of children for sex is an abomination," she said in a written statement. "I believe aggressive improvements in technology and close collaboration between the online service community, law enforcement and (nongovernmental organizations) is the best approach to fighting human trafficking."
Village Voice Media owns 13 alternative weekly newspapers around the country, including Seattle Weekly, which already requires ID from those depicted in sex-related ads in its pages.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Essex v Gloucestershire - Clydesdale Bank 40 - Group A - Live Score and Update - Bettor.com
Essex v Gloucestershire - Clydesdale Bank 40 - Group A - Live Score and Update
Gloucestershire 224/5 (40/40 ov) v Essex 225/2 (36.5/40 ov) - Essex won by 8 wickets (with 19 balls remaining)
On Monday, June 04, 2012, Essex won their Group A match against Gloucestershire by eight wickets in the ongoing Clydesdale Bank 40 tournament at County Ground, Chelmsford, thanks to an enormous innings of 120 runs jabbed by RS Bopara, who steered his side to a sensational triumph as Essex chased a mammoth tally of 225 runs in 40 overs.
After winning the toss, Essex put Gloucestershire into batting in order to restrict them on a low total.
Gloucestershire had the worst possible start to their innings when they lost their first wicket with only a run on the board as opener, WRS Gidman, had his stumps destroyed by GR Napier before he could open his account.
Opener HJH Marshall and number-three batsman BAC Howell then took charge as the duo clobbered the bowlers out of town without a hint of remorse.
Finally after conceding 41 runs, Essex made a comeback in the match by dismissing Marshall, who had his stumps obliterated by TS Mills after playing an innings of 24 runs.
Howell was the third wicket to fall as he departed after scoring 28 runs, leaving his team standing on a total of 69 runs.
In the later part of the innings, KS Williamson and IA Cockbain hammered stinging knocks of 77 and 52 to leave the bowling side flabbergasted as they belted some of the finest cricketing shots, to give their fans something to cheer about.
The side consequently ended their innings with a massive total and seemed well set to secure an impressive win.
Their road to victory seemed ever so near when they dismissed Essex opener ML Pettini on the third delivery of the innings without a run on the board.
However, this was all the glory they were going to get as Bopara and T Westley stood defiant like two stubborn kids refusing to budge.
While Player of the Match, Bopara, stayed unbeaten, Westley lost his wicket after scoring a knock of 82 runs, which was enough for the team to win the match as Essex reached the required target in 36.5 overs.
Source: blogs.bettor.com
Law requires Ga. cities to submit tax records - Tifton Gazette
Law requires Ga. cities to submit tax records
TIFTON — A state law aimed at making the budget process more transparent has so far met with mixed success, according to a report by Morris News Service.
Morris News Service reported Sunday that, under the law, any local government with a budget totaling more than $1 million must submit copies of their taxes and expenses to the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Most governments have until the end of June to comply with the law.
So far 117 of 535 cities have submitted the records, while 76 of 159 counties and 169 of 180 school districts are in compliance, according to Morris News Service. Some of those not complying could be exempt because their budgets are too small.
Smaller cities have expressed frustration over the law. They say reports can be difficult for small governments with few staff members.
"We don't mind providing the information, but we think it's come to the point where the state government doesn't have anything better to do other than asking local governments to submit information," said Carter Crawford, city manager in Sylvania. "It's just aggravating. It takes time away from duties that we can do elsewhere."
And the documents aren't easy to find. The website doesn't come up in a simple Google search, so the public has to go to the UGA website and search there to view anything that's been submitted.
The Vinson Institute doesn't track how many people actually visit the site or view the budget documents.
Angela Palm with the Georgia School Boards Association said many local education officials see the law as unnecessary because the same information goes to the state departments of revenue, education and audits.
"We keep making more information available or available at other places, but I don't that the general public knows or uses it," she said.
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To view local government documents online, visit https://ted.cviog.uga.edu/financial-documents/
Source: tiftongazette.com
How do we know they were burglars could the wife have been playing with other guys why he was away.
- Tim J, London UK, 05/6/2012 13:41
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