ABRACADABRA
Goa Minister claims casino duped him
PANAJI : GOA Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco has accused a casino operator, working out of a popular five-star resort in South Goa, of not paying him Rs. 1.25 crore that he had won at the casino.
In a complaint filed at the Colva police station, the controversial Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Mickky Pacheco has said that the management of Treasures, a licensed casino operating at the Majorda beach resort, had denied him his winnings in the casino between May 15 to May 22 this year
.The complaint, filed before the police said that only a paltry portion of the winnings was paid to him by the casino operator, that too after repeated requests. The minister says he had won Rs. 1.53 crore and had been paid only Rs. 28 lakh of the amount.
"The casino staff had requested a day or two to make the full payment as they do not hold large cash reserves in the casino premises," the complaint mentions.
"The payment was made after officials from the resort, including the director Mukesh Khanna, intervened," Mickky’s complaint added.
KIDS QUIZZED OVER TERROR
LONDON : Foreign students as young as five seeking admission to schools in the UK are being asked if they are terrorists as part of a new visa system, which has sparked an outrage and risked driving away thousands of overseas pupils from the country.
Pupils applying to schools in Britain are being asked if they are terrorists or have been involved in war crimes or genocide under the new Home Office regulations that came into force last month, the Daily Telegraph reported.
In the 57-page document that foreign students arte made to fill, the pupils are asked: "Has the applicant ever been involved in, supported or encouraged terrorist activities in any country?" It adds "Has the applicant ever, by any means or medium, expressed views that justify or glorify terrorist violence or that may encourage others to terrorist acts or other serious criminal acts?"
Educationists warned that the new regulation risked driving away some of the 20,000 overseas pupils studying in Britain. Some are already believed to have been rejected, the report said.
The Liberal Democrats said it could jeopardise Britain’s position as one of the most popular destinations for youths studying overseas costing schools thousands in lost revenue.
"These visa forms are clearly lacking a degree of common sense," David Laws, the Lib Dem schools spokesman, was quoted as saying by the British daily.
COLORADO MAN COUGHS UP INCH-LONG NAIL AFTER 30 YEARS
Pupils applying to schools in Britain are being asked if they are terrorists or have been involved in war crimes or genocide under the new Home Office regulations that came into force last month, the Daily Telegraph reported.
In the 57-page document that foreign students arte made to fill, the pupils are asked: "Has the applicant ever been involved in, supported or encouraged terrorist activities in any country?" It adds "Has the applicant ever, by any means or medium, expressed views that justify or glorify terrorist violence or that may encourage others to terrorist acts or other serious criminal acts?"
Educationists warned that the new regulation risked driving away some of the 20,000 overseas pupils studying in Britain. Some are already believed to have been rejected, the report said.
The Liberal Democrats said it could jeopardise Britain’s position as one of the most popular destinations for youths studying overseas costing schools thousands in lost revenue.
"These visa forms are clearly lacking a degree of common sense," David Laws, the Lib Dem schools spokesman, was quoted as saying by the British daily.
COLORADO MAN COUGHS UP INCH-LONG NAIL AFTER 30 YEARS
AN inch-long nail, which was probably stuck in his sinus cavity for decades, came out from the nose of a 72-year old Colarado man when he coughed up after undergoing an MRI examination.
The MRI’s magnetic force apparently dislodged the nail, so when Prax Sanchez coughed on his way out, it wound up in his throat and he fished it out, the Daily News reported.
Something metallic in his face was discovered by doctors when he went for an MRI to diagnose some ear problem. But the doctors could not complete the test on him as he complained of acute pain.
"The doctor said, we are having interference because of the metal in your face. But I never had any idea there was any metal in my face," said Sanchez who has done carpentry.
"I never even knew it was in there. The doctor said it might have been there for 30 years" Sanchez was quoted as saying by the paper.
Getting rid of the nail he said: "It’s right on top of my dresser and I’m going to frame it."
The MRI’s magnetic force apparently dislodged the nail, so when Prax Sanchez coughed on his way out, it wound up in his throat and he fished it out, the Daily News reported.
Something metallic in his face was discovered by doctors when he went for an MRI to diagnose some ear problem. But the doctors could not complete the test on him as he complained of acute pain.
"The doctor said, we are having interference because of the metal in your face. But I never had any idea there was any metal in my face," said Sanchez who has done carpentry.
"I never even knew it was in there. The doctor said it might have been there for 30 years" Sanchez was quoted as saying by the paper.
Getting rid of the nail he said: "It’s right on top of my dresser and I’m going to frame it."
Study shows Parispolice racially biased
PARIS : POLICE in Paris pick out people for identity checks mainly depending on their ethnicity and the way they dress, rather than based on suspicious activity, a study said.
For the study, financed by the open Society Institute of American billionaire George Soros and conducted with French researchers, investigators observed police stops at five sites near busy train and metro stations.
The study, found that overall blacks were six times more likely than whites to be stopped by police, while Arabs were 7.6 times more likely to be controlled than whites.
The rate ranged widely across the five sites: blacks were between 3.3 to 11.5 times more likely than whites to be stopped while Arabs were 1.8 to 14.8 times more likely.
"The study confirmed that police-stops and identity- checks in Paris are pri
ncipally based on the appearance of the person stopped, rather than on their behaviour or actions," according to the report. "Persons perceived to be ethnic minorities were disproportionately stopped by the police," it said.
Paris police spokeswoman Marie Lajus said officers do not aim to do identity checks in a "statistical manner."
"What we look for is to prevent misdemeanors or more serious crimes committed in these locations along.parameters that are empirical and police work," she said.
For the study, financed by the open Society Institute of American billionaire George Soros and conducted with French researchers, investigators observed police stops at five sites near busy train and metro stations.
The study, found that overall blacks were six times more likely than whites to be stopped by police, while Arabs were 7.6 times more likely to be controlled than whites.
The rate ranged widely across the five sites: blacks were between 3.3 to 11.5 times more likely than whites to be stopped while Arabs were 1.8 to 14.8 times more likely.
"The study confirmed that police-stops and identity- checks in Paris are pri
ncipally based on the appearance of the person stopped, rather than on their behaviour or actions," according to the report. "Persons perceived to be ethnic minorities were disproportionately stopped by the police," it said.Paris police spokeswoman Marie Lajus said officers do not aim to do identity checks in a "statistical manner."
"What we look for is to prevent misdemeanors or more serious crimes committed in these locations along.parameters that are empirical and police work," she said.
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