Angelina Jolie has met flood victims in Pakistan and appealed to the world for aid to help the country recover.
The flow of money has stalled recently, and officials expressed hope the visit by Mrs Jolie – who serves as a “goodwill ambassador” for the UN’s refugee agency – will convince foreign countries and individuals to open their wallets.
The 35-year-old actress said she met many people whose lives have been devastated by the floods, including mothers who lost their children and an elderly Pakistani couple who feared they would never be able to rebuild the home they lost. (PA)
Gang convicted of €8.43 million raid
A gang of 14 men were convicted of Denmark’s biggest robbery today in which 62 million kroner (€8.43 million) was taken from a cash depot in Copenhagen in 2008.
Glostrup city court found the men guilty on all charges, including robbery, arson and possession of firearms.
The men, who are Swedish, Danish and French face up to 15 years in prison when their sentences are handed down next week.
On August 10, 2008, masked robbers wielding submachine guns crashed into the cash depot.
They set 10 trucks on fire and spread metal spikes on nearby roads to avoid pursuit. No one was injured.
Only a small part of the stolen money was recovered. (PA)
Emergency exit airline steward’s plea
The airline steward who fled his plane via the emergency exit chute after swearing at a passenger is to be mentally evaluated for a possible plea deal.
Steven Slater appeared in a New York court yesterday for a brief hearing on criminal mischief charges.
Lawyers on both sides said a deal was being discussed. Mr Slater might qualify for an alternative sentencing programme, which means he could face community service instead of jail. Mr Slater was also charged with reckless endangerment and trespassing after last month’s incident on a JetBlue flight from Pittsburgh that had just landed at Kennedy International Airport.
His lawyer said the passenger’s “lack of civility” prompted his behaviour. (PA)
Foot found on riverbank
A human foot has been found on a riverbank 20 miles from where another was found three weeks ago, British police said yesterday.
But Humberside Police said the two body parts are not thought to be linked. Officers said a member of the public made the latest discovery on the banks of the River Humber between Chowder Ness foreshore and the Humber Bridge, near Barton-on-Humber, North Lincolnshire, on Saturday afternoon.
A force spokeswoman said: “Officers attended, located the foot and it was removed and taken to the local mortuary for examination. (PA)
Mr Gay UK rape hearing
A police officer and former Mr Gay UK yesterday denied a number of sex offences, including raping another man.
PC Mark Carter, 27, was charged after an incident at a hotel in Leeds city centre on December 19 last year.
He appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape and three sexual assaults. In a brief hearing, the court was told the charges involved four different alleged victims and are said to have taken place between December 18 and 19 last year.
The officer, who has been suspended by West Yorkshire Police, was given conditional bail and told to appear again at Leeds Crown Court on December 13 for trial.
PC Carter was crowned Mr Gay UK in 2006 at the Flamingo Club in Blackpool. (PA)
‘Spiderman’ scales skyscraper… again
US police arrested a man who scaled the exterior of a 58-storey skyscraper and unfurled an American flag at the top.
San Francisco police told KCBS Radio that the man was veteran skyscraper climber Dan Goodwin.
The 54-year-old Lake Tahoe resident’s other climbing credits include Chicago’s Sears Tower.
Mr Goodwin used suction cups but no ropes to scale Millennium Tower, a 645-foot residential building overlooking San Francisco Bay. Police said he ignored orders to stop climbing. The San Francisco Fire Department said Mr Goodwin was too high to reach by the time firefighters got to the building. (PA)