When I Was Young

LONDON - A public school teacher in Britain has been jailed for 15 months over an affair with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

Helen Goddard, 26, was also banned from working with children for life, and will be registered as a sex offender for 10 years.

Goddard, a music teacher, admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child. She befriended the girl when they met for coffee after lessons. The Southwark Crown Court in London heard that the affair included a sleepover at Goddard's home and a weekend in Paris. The relationship continued for five months but remained a secret until an anonymous tip-off to the school.

Goddard wept as Judge Anthony Pitts sentenced her to 15 months.

It is against British law to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16, even with the person's consent.

Mr Pitts said the girl had made it clear she consented to sex. The judge said it had been a "difficult case".

The court heard that a former colleague had warned Goddard of the "dangers of being over-friendly" after noticing girls "flocking to her room at break times". The Guardian

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 23-Sep-2009

Ageing in 2030

Likely scenario for older Singaporeans in 20 years' time

ESTHER NG

estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

WHAT will it be like to age in Singapore in 2030? Experts at an ageing conference yesterday threshed out four possible scenarios, starting with: Singaporeans enjoy good health and understanding between different generations.

Or, we could have strong bonds but suffer from disabilities and poor health. Else, it would be case of weak inter-generational bonds and poor health.

But the most likely scenario emerging, in the view of Minister-in-charge of ageing issues Lim Boon Heng, is that Singaporeans will enjoy good health but weaker family ties because of global trends. "Younger Singaporeans, in particular, have many opportunities to work worldwide," he pointed out. "They will leave their parents, who will age here in an empty nest."

Thus, the Government is looking at strengthening family ties. But it is also focusing on relationships between the young and old in the workplace and the neighbourhood.

"For instance, when you have an older person reporting to a younger person, what kind of issues would arise," he said, at the C3A-Oxford Institute of Ageing: Active Ageing Programme.

At some stage, he added, the Government will have to come up with a programme to help employers handle a diverse workforce of employees of various age groups.

Experts agree that Singaporeans now enjoy strong familial ties, but if we head towards the scenario of poor health and disabilities, Singapore men would have to "step up" in taking on care duties, as Singapore women would not be able to cope with the pressure of caring for children, aged parents and career, said Ms Sarah Harper, a professor of gerontology at the University of Oxford and director of the Oxford Institute of Ageing.

And with more people becoming caregivers, the way we work and shop would change. "We might see more online shopping and telecommuting" from home, said Prof Harper.

By 2030, it is possible caregivers would have to be paid by the Government, as they would not be able to work as much - and so, we could also see more assistive technology and novel work arrangements at the workplace.

"Your co-workers may be frail but they still want to contribute and they can, with the help of technology," said Prof Harper. "Or respite care at work - where you take your elderly relative to work and leave him or her in the care of a healthcare worker."

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 17-Sep-2009

KUALA LUMPUR - Close to a quarter, or 22 per cent, of urban Malaysians say they have broken up with someone via Short Message Service (SMS) while 20 per cent say they were dumped by their partners via SMS.

In a recent survey by research company Synovate, 39 per cent said that they had flirted with their partners through SMS while 49 per cent admitted to lying about their location or being late through SMS.

Over 8,000 people from 11 countries including Malaysia, Russia, France, Taiwan, the Philippines, United Kingdom and Singapore took part in the survey, which explored the attitudes of men and women toward mobile phones and factors surrounding their choices.

"It's clear that urban Malaysians opt for a non-confrontational approach when it comes to dealing with difficult and sometimes touchy situations," said Mr Steve Murphy, managing director of Synovate Malaysia.

"They find it easier to express themselves through a text message as oppose to face-to-face communication."

Close to half, or 49 per cent, of urban Malaysians also found it easier to say "no" to something they did not want to do via SMS.

The survey revealed that urban Malaysians preferred using a keypad instead of a touch screen-based phone.

About 61 per cent of respondents rated taking pictures as the most popular mobile phone related leisure activity, followed by 43 per cent who said they played games and 38 per cent who downloaded or listened to music.

Urban Malaysians were also found to have a strong attachment to their mobile phones, with 66 per cent admitting that they never leave home without it while 62 per cent said that they sleep with their mobile phones close by.

"We compared views of urban Malaysian mobile phone owners against other nationalities and found similarities across different nations," said Mr Murphy.

"With the exception of urban Taiwanese, all other urban mobile phone owners said that they never leave home without their mobiles.

"Urban Filipinos found it the hardest to turn off their mobiles while urban English (47 per cent) and Russian (40 per cent) mobile phone owners flirted with their partners the most through text messaging or SMS. Interestingly enough, over a quarter (26 per cent) of urban Singaporeans (the highest across all markets) were found to have flirted with someone who was not their partner via SMS." THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 16-Sep-2009

RECORD MARRIAGES

MELBOURNE - The number of Australians tying the knot has hit a 20-year high, reversing the trend for an institution that appeared to be going out of fashion only a few years ago, according to official data.

The figures show that 118,756 marriages were registered in Australia last year, up 2.1 per cent on 2007 and more than 12 per cent on the recent low of about 104,000 in 2001.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said the increasing popularity of marriage coincided with a fall in the number of divorces, which hit a 20-year low of 47,209 last year.

The data, released on Monday, showed almost 80 per cent of couples lived together before going down the aisle and the average age of people getting married was increasing, now 29.6 for men and 26.3 for women.

Analysts said the fact that couples were waiting until they were more mature before committing to marriage may explain the falling divorce rate.

"Basically, we are much more cautious and we're also now much more knowledgeable about the negative effects of divorce than we used to be," Relationships Australia vice-president Anne Hollonds said.

"There's been a lot more research that's been publicly discussed in the last decade, particularly about the negative effects on children."

Almost two-thirds of couples were married in a civil ceremony, rather than at a church or other place of worship, with November the most popular month to get hitched.

"Marriage hasn't gone out of fashion, people still want to get married," Australian Institute of Family Studies director Alan Hayes said.

"It's consistent with the institute's research, which indicates the majority of men and women across all ages endorse marriage as an institution." AFP

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 02-Sep-2009

Well, getting old is one reason, I believe so, and that the accident may be fatal after all, or that just like Schumacher who can't race yet as the previous accident left the neck unable to contain further strain, the same is true, I believe, for Steven Tyler. The similarity is striking for his daughter Liv Tyler.

Anyway, Aero fans, I think you can wait. Steven has to rest awhile.

Read that news story here.

With so many accidents happening, we keep thinking, do we know the cause, and more importantly, can we prevent them? And what if the reason was negligence? What do you do? Or how are the victims, more so their families, compensated? Money is not gonna bring them back, no matter how much.

That question remains open and unanswered.

For the latest development on the Hudson crash, read it here:

FAA suspends 2 air traffic controllers over Hudson crash

It won't end so soon.

Doctor administered drugs too potent…

Doctor left Jackson after sedating him…

And so on, and so forth…

If you are following the news on Michael Jackson's continuing investigation on the cause of his death, see the latest news here:

Lawyer: Jackson's 'unusual problems' surprised doctor

She doesn't look like she used to when Spice Girls was still Spice Girls.

But will she sound good as an 'American Idol' judge as she does when singing with the four?

Read that news story here.

Age really does take its toll on everyone… even for Steve Tyler of Aerosmith band.

Read what happened to their latest concert here.

Fans are fans, but now they want something more for Michael Jackson.

They want him to be awarded the Nobel prize.

Will that request be granted?

Find out by reading the story here.

On the entertainment world, Michael Jackson's estate will be managed by 2 co-executors, as stated in his will.

Read that story here.

Even after his death, much remains to be settled for Michael Jackson.

1. His estates: Battle looms over Michael Jackson estate
2. His autopsy report: Jackson autopsy reports released next week: coroner
   
3. And still looking for clues to what caused his death: Police search Vegas home of Jackson doctor
   

When the clouds settle, what will we see?

And if this is true, what is the underlying reason? Conspiracy with the business benefactors?

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Doc regularly drugged singer to sleep: Official

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's personal doctor gave him a powerful anaesthetic through an intravenous drip to help him sleep, and the authorities believe the drug caused the pop singer's death, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official said Jackson regularly received the anaesthetic propofol - commonly known by the brand name Diprivan - and relied on it like an alarm clock.

A doctor would administer it when Jackson went to sleep, then stop the IV drip when the singer wanted to wake up.

Michael Jackson's physician Dr Conrad Murray

On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr Conrad Murray (picture) gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said. Dr Murray later tried to revive the singer when he was found unconscious in his bedroom.

However, according to the doctor's lawyer, Mr Edward Chernoff, Dr Murray "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson".

When asked about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumours, innuendo or unnamed sources."

Toxicology reports are still pending, but investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.

Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years, and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official added.

Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug's intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.

Dr Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation, and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston.

The police say Dr Murray is cooperating and have not labelled him a suspect.

Dr Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July.

Meanwhile, the official also provided a glimpse into how the pop star was living in the weeks before he died, describing the room in which Jackson slept in his rented Beverly Hills mansion as outfitted with oxygen tanks and an IV drip.

Another of his bedrooms was in shambles, with clothes and other items strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "Children are sweet and innocent".

Police also found propofol and other drugs in the home. AP

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009

Just like the others, I am speechless about this news story…

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Woman who ate newborn's brain, innards charged

SAN ANTONIO - The scene was so gruesome investigators could barely speak: A three-week-old boy lay dismembered in the bedroom of a single-storey house, three of his tiny toes chewed off, his face torn away, his head severed and his brains ripped out.

"At this particular scene you could have heard a pin drop," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said on Monday. "No one was speaking. It was about as sombre as it could have been."

Officers called to the home early on Sunday found the boy's mother Otty Sanchez sitting on the couch with a self-inflicted wound to her chest and her throat partially slashed, screaming "I killed my baby! I killed my baby!" police said.

She told the officers that the devil made her do it.

Sanchez, 33, apparently ate the child's brain and some other body parts before stabbing herself, Mr McManus said. "It's too heinous for me to describe it any further," he added.

Sanchez is charged with capital murder in the death of her son, Scott Wesley Buccholtz-Sanchez (picture). She was treated on Monday at a hospital, and is being held on US$1 million ($1.4 million) bail.

The slaying occurred a week after the child's father moved out, Mr McManus said. Sanchez's sister and her sister's two children, aged 5 and 7, were in the house, but were not harmed.

The police said Sanchez did not have an attorney, and they declined to identify family members.

No one answered the door on Monday at Sanchez's home, where the blinds were shut.

Neighbour Luis Yanez said everyone on the street was appalled by the news. "Why would you do that to your baby? It brings chills to you. They can't defend themselves," he said.

Sanchez's aunt, Gloria Sanchez, said her niece had been "in and out" of a psychiatric ward but did not say where she was treated or why. She said a hospital called several months ago to check up on her.

"Otty didn't mean to do that. She was not in her right mind," said Ms Gloria.

Investigators are looking into Sanchez's mental health history to see if there was anything "significant", and whether postnatal difficulties could have contributed to the attack, McManus said.

Post-natal depression and psychosis have been cited as contributing factors in several other cases in Texas in recent years in which mothers killed their children.

Andrea Yates drowned her five children in her Houston-area home in 2001, saying she believed Satan was inside her and trying to save them from hell. Her attorneys said she had been suffering from severe post-natal psychosis, and the jury found Yates not guilty by reason of insanity in 2006. AP

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009