Female Teen Suicide Bomber has Change of Heart

August 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

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A TEENAGE Iraqi girl wearing a vest packed with explosives turned herself in rather than go through with a suicide bombing in a violence-torn city north of Baghdad, police and the US military said.

The military said the girl surrendered to police on Sunday in Baquba, capital of Iraq’s restive Diyala province, where Sunni Arab al-Qaeda militants are waging war on US and Iraqi forces.

She was still wearing the vest, which police had to remove before detaining her.

Iraqi police and US sources differed on the girl’s age, with estimates ranging from 13 to 17.

“Reports are that she approached the IPs (Iraqi police) saying she had the vest on and didn’t want to go through with it,” US military spokesman Lieutenant Commander David Russell said.

“If she was forced to put on the vest or if she did it voluntarily, that is still being reviewed.”

Police footage obtained by Reuters showed a girl with dyed red hair talking with four Iraqi policemen from a distance, her back against a wall. After some minutes, one them approaches her and ties her arms back onto a railing.

Two policemen then remove the vest. After searching her, one takes off his jacket and drapes it over her to cover the girl’s bare shoulders.

Under interrogation in a police station later, she said an older woman had strapped the vest to her and had told her to go near the entrance of a local school and await instructions from someone who would meet her there, police said.

Suicide bomb attacks by women and girls have become increasingly common in Iraq this year.

US forces say al-Qaeda militants favour female bombers because they can escape detection by police reluctant to search women.

Female suicide bombers attacked Shiite pilgrims during two annual rites in recent weeks, killing dozens. Many attacks by female suicide bombers have taken place in Diyala.

“The surrender of the suicide bomber indicates that the Iraqis are continuing to reject al-Qaeda and its practices,” the US military spokesman for north Iraq, Major Jon Pendell, said.

A male suicide bomber killed 25 people at a banquet in western Baghdad’s Sunni Arab Abu Ghraib district on Sunday.

Posted by Grim Reporter | Filed Under Bad News, blog

Man Uses Barbie Fishing Rod, Makes Record Catch

August 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

ELKIN, N.C. - David Hayes’ granddaughter just asked him to hold her Barbie rod and reel while she went to the bathroom. He did. And seconds later he landed the state record channel catfish at 21 pounds, 1 ounce.

Alyssa’s father had bought the pink Barbie fishing rod for Christmas and she had caught a few bluegill before her grandfather hauled in the catfish.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported the catch Aug. 5 in eastern Wilkes County has been certified as a record by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Hayes and his granddaughter have been fishing in the pond behind his house since she was big enough to hold a pole.

Hayes said his granddaughter worried he would break her rod. He landed the 21-pound fish on a 6-pound test line. It was 32 inches long, 2 inches longer than the rod.

Posted by Grim Reporter | Filed Under Humorous, blog

Airlines Bump 343,000 Passengers This Year

August 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Over a quarter-million passengers were bumped from flights in the past eight months, a number that is set to grow as airlines try to boost anemic profits by slashing fleets. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to compensate bumped passengers with cash or vouchers, but savvy passengers can leverage their situation to negotiate heftier payments…

Travelers can now receive up to $400 if they are involuntarily bumped and rebooked on another flight within two hours after their original domestic flight time and within four hours for international. They are eligible for up to $800 in cash if they are not rerouted by then. The final amount depends on the length of the flight and the price paid for the ticket.

Even stricter rules apply in Europe, where compensation ranges from 125 euros (about $185) to 600 euros (about $888), depending on the length of the flight and the amount of time the passenger will be delayed.

Compensation must be paid immediately in cash, or with a voucher if the passenger accepts it, and the airline must offer a choice of a refund, a return flight to their departure city or an alternative flight. Volunteers also receive compensation, which they negotiate with the airline.

Passengers are learning, however, that if an airline does not get enough volunteers at a lower figure, they might be able to bid up the offer, and also obtain sweeteners that include vouchers for meals, hotels, transportation and even plane tickets.

Posted by Grim Reporter | Filed Under Bad News, blog