An officer on trial for family violence charges admits he sliced his ex-wife’s nose during an argument but said he was acting in self-defence when she “attacked” him, a jury has heard.”He relies on the fact he was acting in self…
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Christchurch businessman accused of raping young girl may face further charges, court hears
A Christchurch businessman accused of filming himself raping a young girl may face further unrelated charges, a court has heard today. The man was arrested last month and appeared at Christchurch District Court accused of repeatedly…
Alien abductions actually just dreams, new study suggests
Researchers say people who claim to have been abducted by aliens were more likely just dreaming it, according to a new study.
In a paper published on July 2, study leaders at the Phase Research Centre in Moscow, Russia, say a phenomenon called lucid dreaming is behind dozens of people's claims they made contact with extra-terrestrials.
While countless people have said they have been abducted by beings from another planet, with some reports dating back to the 19th century, authorities have continued to deny there is any credible evidence of such encounters.
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Now, findings published in the International Journal of Dream Research suggest these encounters were more likely than not a result of active dreaming.
The research came about because many people who say they have been abducted by aliens describe it like an "out of body" experience, as though they are in a "dreamlike state".
So the researchers behind the study recruited 152 adults who identified as lucid dreamers.
According to Medical News Today, a lucid dreamer is aware they are dreaming and can control – to a certain degree – what happens during the dream, similar to the plot for the Inception movie.
Prior to the test beginning, each of the participants were asked to try and actively dream about aliens.
Of those who participated, 114 reported having a successful interaction with an extra-terrestrial.
Sixty-one per cent described aliens like those they had seen in movies while 19 per cent said they looked like everyday humans.
READ MORE: Leaked photos of 'unidentified aerial phenomena' are UFOs
Twelve per cent had a conversation with their alien and 10 per cent were taken on board a UFO.
The researchers said 24 per cent of participants felt paralysis, fear and helplessness, sensations often described during an alleged alien encounter.
Because the lines between reality and imagination are often blurred for lucid dreamers, the researchers surmised that people who claim they were visited or abducted by aliens were likely lucid dreaming and that is why there is no physical evidence it ever happened.
Advanced missile fired in Australia for first time
The US military has fired one of its most advanced missiles on Australian soil for the first time during military exercises.
Two MIM-105 Patriot missiles were launched in Central Queensland as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre – the wargames involving Australia, the US and other nations.
The missiles are capable of speeds up to Mach 4, or 5,000km per hour, and took just seconds to hit two drones during the military drills.
READ MORE: Chinese 'spy ship' heading to waters off Australia as military exercises start
The Patriot is a major part of the US missile arsenal and has been refined to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles.
It has been used in combat in the Middle East by US forces and other nations.
Australian Defence Force members who witnessed the Patriot launches on the weekend were impressed.
"I thought it was going to be one of those underwhelming things," Private Thomas Sorensen, of the Australian 7th Combat Service Support Battalion said.
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"But it's the biggest weapon I've ever seen, that's for sure."
The Talisman Sabre wargames are being monitored by two Chinese naval ships off Queensland.
The Australian Defence Department confirmed a sophisticated surveillance vessel, the Haiwangxing, and is set to join its sister ship the Tianwangxing off Australian waters.
"We are aware that a second People's Liberation Army (Navy) General Intelligence Ship, the Haiwangxing (AGI-792) is approaching Australia's east coast via the Solomon Sea," a Defence spokesman told nine.com.au.
"We have been monitoring its approach to Australia as part of our broader surveillance effort and assess that it will move to the vicinity of the Talisman Sabre 21 exercise area."
The spokesman said the presence of the Chinese ships will not disrupt the Talisman Sabre exercises.
The wargames are scheduled to continue until late this month.
Food Truck Operators In Basseterre Will Soon Be Relocated To North Independence Square Street
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 20, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is currently expediting its preparations for an area along North Independence Square Street that will temporarily house a number of food truck vendors that once operated on the streets of Basseterre.
Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris led a small delegation on a tour of the designated area earlier today (Tuesday, July 20). Accompanying the prime minister were the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Andrew Skerritt; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ron Collins; and Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Street Vending, Mr. Austin Farier.
The team was updated on the progress of the work being carried out there to date by Urban Development Officer, Mr. Rhon Boddie.
So far, the overgrown lot at North Independence Square Street has been cleared of bushes and debris. Additional grooming of the trees, sanitization of the area, fixing of surrounding walls, installation of a bathroom facility, the erection of proper lighting and leveling off the ground will take place over the next few days.
Once completed, it is expected that the area will house a minimum of six large food trucks around the perimeter of the lot with seating accommodations in the center.
This move by the Government follows a decision to halt all street vending activity in the city center. Over the years, street vending has become a major area of concern as pedestrians were forced to walk in the busy roads as the number of vendors utilizing the sidewalks grew exponentially.
It is anticipated that all preparatory work at the North Independence Square Street location will be completed within a matter of days, paving the way for food truck vendors to commence operations there by the end of this month.
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55 Residents, 6 Staff Members Fully Recovered, Zero Positive Cases At Nevis Prison Farm
As of July 20, 2021, fifty-five (55) residents at Her Majesty’s Prison and six (6) members of staff have fully recovered from the COVID-19 virus. They were given the all-clear by health officials after having two negative tests recently.
Currently, there is one (1) resident and eleven members of staff who are still considered active cases.
They are all in a stable condition at this time and the members of staff who are still positive remain in isolation. Personnel and residents at the Prison Farm in Nevis were tested twice after being exposed to a member of staff with the virus and both tests were negative.
Following an outbreak in the Prison in St. Kitts in June, the management team moved quickly to put several measures in place to protect the health of residents and staff members who were not affected. The measures proved effective in drastically slowing the spread of the virus. Commissioner of Corrections Terrance James and his team divided the cell block down the middle with a partition and put affected residents in isolation on one side.
To facilitate full recovery, those who test positive are given additional supplements, encouraged to exercise, and are also taken outside for fresh air and sunlight. They are visited regularly by the Prison doctor. Cells were sanitised to allow for recovered residents to move out of the isolation area. Where necessary, staff members are equipped with protective personal equipment (PPE) which was acquired with the assistance of the Ministry of Health.
Commissioner of Corrections James continues to work closely with Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, and the Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Abdias Samuel, to monitor the situation at HMP and to address any issues that might arise. Personnel and residents are still being encouraged to get vaccinated. To date, just over 70 percent of staff and approximately 50 percent of residents have been vaccinated.
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Team SKN Arrives in Tokyo for Summer Olympics, SKN Athletics launches 869 proud campaign.
Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 20th 2021 – Team St. Kitts and Nevis, two time Olympian Jason Rogers and NACAC Games 2021 Silver Medalist Amya Clarke arrived in Tokyo, Japan on Monday 19th July 2021 to participate in the Summer Olympic Games slated for July 23rd to August 8th, 2021.
Clarke and Rogers are scheduled to compete in the Men’s and women’s 100-meter events slated for July 30th to August 1st 2021. Both athletes will participate in the Panam Sports Training Camp in Tachikawa, Tachihi — a Pre-Olympic Game training camp where athletes from 26 National Olympic Committees of the Americas will train for two weeks prior to competing in the official events.
Meanwhile, locally, the St Kitts Nevis Athletics organization has launched a social media campaign geared at increasing support for the two athletes participating in the Olympic Games. The campaign, dubbed “869proud” features former Olympians, political leaders, track and field enthusiasts, entertainers, social media influencers, coaches, and government officials sending congratulatory messages to the athletes set to compete later this month.
According Delwayne Delaney, President of SKN Athletics, the 869proud campaign aims to let Jason and Amya know that the federation of St Kitts and Nevis is proud of their accomplishments thus far. “We decided to put together this campaign so that Jason and Amya are aware that the entire federation is supporting them and ultimately we are proud of what they have done so far,” Delaney said. “We want Kittitians and Nevisians to wish our athletes well by tuning into the games when Jason and Amya compete. We want SKN citizens and residents home and abroad to wear their SKN paraphernalia, share the content from our social media pages and send positive messages to our athletes.”
SKN Athletics takes this opportunity to extend heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Jason Rogers and Amya Clarke who were successfully chosen to represent St Kitts and Nevis in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
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'Wow': Inside Jeff Bezos' first flight into space
The Amazon founder became the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.
Costa Rican Police in Huge 4.3 Ton Cocaine Seizure
SAN JOSE, July 18 (Reuters) – Costa Rican police seized 4.3 tons of cocaine originating in Colombia, the Central American nation’s second-largest drug bust ever and the biggest this year, local authorities said on Sunday.
Major cocaine busts in recent years have stoked fears that Costa Rica has become an important transit country for Colombian drugs heading toward Europe, worrying officials in one of Central America’s most stable nations.
The shipment of cocaine was transported in a container loaded with ceramic floor tiling aboard a commercial ship that arrived at the Costa Rican port of Moin from Colombia’s Caribbean port of Turbo, Costa Rica’s Security Ministry said.
“We’re very close to 40 tons of marijuana and cocaine seizures in the country (so far in 2021). We hope to surpass last year’s numbers,” Security Minister Michael Soto said in a statement.
Costa Rican authorities seized nearly 57 tons of cocaine in 2020, up 56% from a year earlier, according to the Security Ministry. They seized 14.5 tons of marijuana last year.
Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Peter Cooney
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Jeff Bezos blasts into space on his own rocket
Jeff Bezos, the richest man on the planet, has blasted off for a 3700km/h excursion to space and landed back on Earth safely, in a rocket built by his own company and shared with his brother and the youngest and oldest astronauts ever.
The founder of Blue Origin and Amazon on Tuesday became the second billionaire to ride his own rocket in the space of a little more than a week.
He launched from West Texas with his brother, Mark; an 18-year-old from the Netherlands, Oliver Daemen; and an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer from Texas, Wally Funk — the youngest and oldest to ever hurtle off the planet.
IN PICTURES: 'Best day ever' as Jeff Bezos blasts into space
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The rocket lifted off just before 11.15pm AEST and reached zero-gravity about five minutes later, to the audible cheers of the four new astronauts on board.
"Best day ever," Mr Bezos said after the capsule touched down on the desert floor at the end of the 10-minute flight.
Ms Funk, who burst out of the capsule with a smile almost as wide as her outstretched arms, clearly didn't want the trip she'd been waiting decades for to end.
"That was only about 5 minutes," she was heard shouting on the way down.
She was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA's all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space because they were women.
The world's oldest astronaut said she "loved every minute" of the flight" and could "hardly wait to go again".
"I've been waiting a long time to finally get it up there," Ms Funk said at a press conference after the flight.
"I want to go again — fast."
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Jeff Bezos flying to space
Joining them on the ultimate joyride was the company's first paying customer, Oliver Daemen, a last-minute fill-in for the mystery winner of a $28 million auction who opted for a later flight.
The Dutch teen's father took part in the auction, and agreed on a lower undisclosed price last week when Blue Origin offered his son the vacated seat.
"Oliver, status terrific," the youngest astronaut ever said during the flight when asked for a status check hundreds of kilometres above the Earth.
Mr Bezos was heard shouting "happy, happy, happy" shortly after, saying "we're so grateful to everybody who made this possible", after the capsule returned safely to Earth.
Video released and edited by Blue Origin shows a glimpse of what it was like inside the rocket ship during the about three minutes of weightlessness inside the capsule.
The four unbuckled from their seats and floated around, sharing Skittles and throwing balls. Cheering, whooping and exclamations of "wow" could be heard.
One of them asks in the video, "Who wants a Skittle?"
"It felt way cooler than it looked," Mr Daemen laughed on stage at the press conference.
University of Chicago space historian Jordan Bimm said the passenger makeup was truly remarkable. Imagine if the head of NASA decided he wanted to launch in 1961 instead of Alan Shepard on the first US spaceflight, he said in an email.
"That would have been unthinkable!" Dr Bimm said.
"It shows just how much the idea of who and what space is for has changed in the last 60 years."
The rocket reached a height of roughly 107km, according to the Blue Origin telecast, more than 17 kilometres higher than fellow billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic ride on July 11.
The capsule is fully automated, so there's no need for trained staff on the quick up-and-down flight. Mr Branson's Virgin Galactic rocket plane needs two pilots to operate.
Mr Bezos, dressed in a blue flight suit and cowboy hat, had earlier ridden to the launch pad with his fellow passengers. He waved to the cheering crowd gathered along the road and raised a clenched right fist.
The recycled rocket and capsule that carried up Tuesday's passengers were used on the last two space demos, according to company officials.
Blue Origin — founded by Mr Bezos in 2000 in Kent, Washington, near Amazon's Seattle headquarters — has yet to open ticket sales to the public or reveal the price.
For now, it's booking auction bidders. Two more passenger flights are planned by year's end, said Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith.
Virgin Galactic already has more than 600 reservations at $250,000 apiece. Founded by Mr Branson in 2004, the company has sent crew into space four times and plans two more test flights from New Mexico before launching customers next year.
Blue Origin's approach was slower and more deliberate. After 15 successful unoccupied test flights to space since 2015, Mr Bezos finally declared it was time to put people on board.
The Federal Aviation Administration agreed last week, approving the commercial space license.
Mr Bezos stepped down earlier this month as Amazon's CEO and just last week donated $200 million to renovate the National Air and Space Museum.
Most of the $28 million from the auction has been distributed to space advocacy and education groups, with the rest benefiting Blue Origin's Club for the Future, its own education effort.
Fewer than 600 people have reached the edge of space or beyond. Until Tuesday, the youngest was 25-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov and the oldest at 77 was Mercury-turned-shuttle astronaut John Glenn.
Both astronaut billionaires want to drastically increase those overall numbers, as does SpaceX's Elon Musk, who's skipping brief space hops and sending his private clients straight to orbit for tens of millions of dollars apiece, with the first flight coming up in September.
Tuesday was the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Mr Bezos for its historical significance.
He held fast to it, even as Mr Branson pushed up his own flight from New Mexico in the race for space tourist dollars and beat him to space by nine days.
Despite appearances, Mr Bezos and Mr Branson insist they weren't trying to outdo each other by strapping in themselves.
Mr Bezos noted this week that only one person can lay claim to being first in space: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who rocketed into orbit on April 12, 1961.
– With CNN