The 74-year-old 'Black Widow' killer who murdered her lovers with cyanide

At 75, Isao Kakehi was in good health and in love. It was 2013, and he had embarked on an exciting new relationship with Chisako Kakehi, a 67-year-old widow he met through a Japanese matchmaking agency. Within two months, the couple married, moved in together, and began a seemingly blissful life in Kyoto's Muko City, making rice cakes for their New Year's celebrations. But Isao Kakehi didn't live to see in the new year. On December 28, he became the fourth and final victim of Japan's "Black Widow" killer. Chisako Kakehi, now 74, is on death row for murdering three romantic partners and the attempted murder of a fourth. The murders started in 2007, when she was 61, but she escaped suspicion until Isao Kakehi's death prompted a police investigation that resulted in her arrest in 2014. At 75, Isao Kakehi was in good health and in love. It was 2013, and he had embarked on an exciting new relationship with Chisako Kakehi, a 67-year-old widow he met through a Japanese matchmaking agency. Within two months, the couple married, moved in together, and began a seemingly blissful life in Kyoto's Muko City, making rice cakes for their New Year's celebrations. But Isao Kakehi didn't live to see in the new year. On December 28, he became the fourth and final victim of Japan's "Black Widow" killer. Chisako Kakehi, now 74, is on death row for murdering three romantic partners and the attempted murder of a fourth. The murders started in 2007, when she was 61, but she escaped suspicion until Isao Kakehi's death prompted a police investigation that resulted in her arrest in 2014. For a woman who has become infamous in Japan, little is known publicly about Chisako Kakehi's personal life. Born in Japan's southwestern Saga prefecture, Kakehi worked at a printing factory, and married her first husband in 1969, when she was 23, according to CNN affiliate Asahi News. Japan's 'Black Widow' serial killer loses death sentence appeal Their marriage lasted 25 years before his death of an illness in 1994. By 2007, she had entered into a relationship with 78-year-old Toshiaki Suehiro. On the afternoon of December 18, 2007, Kakehi had lunch with Suehiro and his children. Suehiro took health supplements -- making it easy for Kakehi to disguise a cyanide capsule as one of his pills and give it to him, said the ruling. Less than 15 minutes after lunch, Suehiro collapsed unconscious on the street. By the time an ambulance arrived, he was gasping and "on the verge of stopping breathing," said the court ruling. Kakehi accompanied Suehiro to the hospital -- but gave herself a pseudonym, "Hiraoka," when talking to the ambulance staff and Suehiro's family. At the hospital, doctors found he was close to death after suffering from internal asphyxiation. Suehiro survived -- the only one of Kakehi's four victims to do so -- but he was left with "incurable higher dysfunction and visual impairment," said the court ruling. He died a year and a half later of an unrelated illness, according to Asahi News. A few years later, Kakehi was eying her next victim. The motorcycle victim Masanori Honda was in good shape for his 71 years. By 2011, his diabetes had subsided to a "mild status" and he often frequented sports clubs, said the ruling. He was also diving headfirst into a relationship with Kakehi. Though it's unclear how they met or how long they dated, the couple told friends later that year they planned to marry. The following spring, Kakehi made her move. On March 9, 2012, she met Honda at a store, then the two went their separate ways. Around 5 p.m. that day, he lost consciousness while riding a motorcycle. Less than two hours later in hospital, doctors confirmed his death. Evidence later showed that Kakehi had no plans to live out her years with Honda. Two months before his death, in January 2012, she had already begun secretly dating other men through a dating agency. The cancer survivor and the final victim Minoru Hioki struggled with loneliness and a relapse of lung cancer in his later years. But by July 2013, life was looking up: his cancer had been almost completely treated by radiation therapy and "he was in great health," said the ruling. To top it off, the 75-year-old had a new romantic interest. By August 2013, Hioki appeared devoted to Kakehi, writing to her in an email that he wanted to "stay together forever." They were close, often eating together and spending the night in each other's homes, said the ruling. Their idyllic romance came to an end on September 20 when the couple went out for dinner. Hioki, like Kakehi's second husband Suehiro, often took health supplements in pill form -- so it was easy for her to give him a cyanide pill "under the guise of health food," said the ruling. They had just finished their meal when Hioki lost consciousness. By the time an ambulance arrived, he was "breathing painfully and gasping," according to the ruling. Despite knowing he had children and had recovered from his cancer, Kakehi lied to the ambulance crew, claiming he had no family and was suffering terminal lung cancer. When they offered the resuscitation procedure, she refused permission to resuscitate him. He died within two hours. Kakehi only seemed to get bolder in accumulating relationships and victims. In November 2013, just two months after Hioki's death, she had already married her next and final target -- Isao Kakehi. And barely a month after their wedding, she began dating another man in secret, according to the ruling. But Isao Kakehi was none the wiser, and seemed renewed with enthusiasm for life. In email exchanges and messages, he told his new wife he wanted to "do their best to enjoy a bright second life and live long." Within weeks of their marriage, the newlywed suffered a cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after eating dinner at home with his new wife. She called the ambulance, which rushed him to the hospital -- but he died just an hour later. His death roused suspicion about Kakehi's string of unlucky lovers, prompting a police investigation that quickly unraveled her web of deceit.

Colombia captures most wanted drug lord, ‘Otoniel,’ in bust compared to Pablo Escobar’s fall

Colombia’s most wanted drug lord, Dairo Antonio Úsuga, widely known by his alias Otoniel, has been captured by armed forces in his jungle hideout. Úsuga, 50, a former left-wing guerrilla and later a paramilitary fighter, is the alleged leader of the notorious drug trafficking group Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, which dominates major cocaine smuggling routes through thick jungles in the country’s restive north. President Iván Duque likened his arrest Saturday to the capture of Pablo Escobar three decades ago. The billionaire drug baron, known as “the Godfather,” once sat on top of the drug world with tentacles reaching around the globe.

“Otoniel was the most feared drug trafficker in the world, killer of police, of soldiers, of social leaders, and recruiter of children,” Duque said during a broadcast video message. “This blow is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s.” Úsuga is accused of sending dozens of shipments of cocaine to the United States. He is also accused of killing police officers, recruiting minors and sexually abusing children, among other crimes, Duque said. The U.S. government had put up a reward of $5 million for help locating him. “Otoniel’s capture is truly important,” said Daniel Mejía, a Colombian university professor and expert on narco-trafficking. “He was the head of the most powerful narco-trafficking structure in Colombia, the Gulf Clan, which holds domain of a broad part of the territory.” Analysts are warning of possible violent repercussions and internal power struggles as others jostle to take Úsuga’s place. Still, his arrest is unlikely to change the fundamentals of drug trafficking in Colombia, which experts say is much more fragmented now than in the days when Escobar dominated the trade. Escobar revolutionized cocaine trafficking in the 1970s and 1980s, pioneering large-scale shipments first to the United States, then to Europe. “This is not going to move the needle in terms of the war on drugs. … What happens next is different pieces of the puzzle aligning to fill the vacuum of power left by Otoniel,” said Sergio Guzmán, director of the consulting firm Colombia Risk Analysis. “Soon we’ll have another kingpin and another drug lord who may be much worse.” In its reward notice, the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said Úsuga’s criminal network used violence and intimidation to control narcotics trafficking routes, cocaine processing laboratories, speedboat departure points and clandestine landing strips. He set up operations in the strategic Gulf of Uraba region in northern Colombia, a major drug corridor surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean sea on the other. Úsuga evaded capture for years by moving between safe locations in the remote jungle region. Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas, director of Colombia’s national police, said Saturday that Úsuga slept in rough conditions, hardly ever spending time in homes, and dined on his favorite jungle animals. Years of intelligence work, with assistance from the United States and United Kingdom, eventually led Colombian special forces soldiers to his jungle hideout, Vargas said. He moved around with eight rings of bodyguards. Úsuga’s arrest is a win for the conservative President Duque, whose law-and-order rhetoric has been no match for soaring production of cocaine. Duque said Saturday that there are extradition orders against Úsuga, and authorities will work to carry out those orders while “learning all of the truth about the rest of his crimes in our country.” Úsuga was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2009 on narcotics import charges and for allegedly providing assistance to a far-right paramilitary group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Later indictments in Brooklyn and Florida accused him of international cocaine distribution dating back as far as 2002, conspiracy to murder rival drug traffickers and drug-related firearms offenses. Pannett reported from Sydney, Durán reported from Bogotá, Colombia, and Schmidt reported from Meta, Colombia.

Covid-19: How long does the coronavirus last on surfaces?

We can pick up the Covid-19 by touching surfaces contaminated with the new coronavirus, but it is only just becoming clear how long the virus can survive outside the human body.

As Covid-19 has spread, so has our fear of surfaces. There are now some familiar scenes in public places around the world – people trying to open doors with their elbows, commuters studiously surfing their way through train journeys to avoid grabbing a handle, office workers rubbing down their desks each morning.

In the areas worst hit by the new coronavirus, teams of workers in protective clothing have been dispatched to spray a fog of disinfectant in plazas, parks and public streets. Cleaning regimes in offices, hospitals, shops and restaurants have been increased. In some cities, well-meaning volunteers even venture out at night to scrub the keypads of cash machines.

Like many respiratory viruses, including flu, Covid-19 can be spread in tiny droplets released from the nose and mouth of an infected person as they cough. A single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. These particles can land on other people, clothing and surfaces around them, but some of the smaller particles can remain in the air. There is also some evidence that the virus is also shed for longer in faecal matter, so anyone not washing their hands thoroughly after visiting the toilet could contaminate anything they touch.

It is worth noting that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, touching a surface or object with the virus and then touching one's own face "is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads". Even so, the CDC, the World Health Organization and others health authorities, have emphasised that both washing one's hands and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily are key in preventing Covid-19's spread. So although we still don't know exactly how many cases are being caused directly by contaminated surfaces, experts advise exercising caution.

One aspect that has been unclear is exactly how long Sars-CoV-2, the name of the virus that causes the disease Covid-19, can survive outside the human body. Some studies on other coronaviruses, including Sars and Mers, found they can survive on metal, glass and plastic for as long as nine days, unless they are properly disinfected. Some can even hang around for up to 28 days in low temperatures.

Coronaviruses are well known to be particularly resilient in terms of where they can survive. And researchers are now beginning to understand more about how this affects the spread of the new coronavirus. (Read more about the global fight against Covid-19.)

The virus that causes Covid-19 is thought to survive for longer on hard surfaces than on materials such as cardboard 

Neeltje van Doremalen, a virologist at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), and her colleagues at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, have done some of the first tests of how long Sars-CoV-2 can last for on different surfaces. Their study, which has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the virus could survive in droplets for up to three hours after being coughed out into the air. Fine droplets between 1-5 micrometres in size – about 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair – can remain airborne for several hours in still air.

It means that the virus circulating in unfiltered air conditioning systems will only persist for a couple of hours at the most, especially as aerosol droplets tend to settle on surfaces faster in disturbed air.

But the NIH study found that the Sars-CoV-2 virus survives for longer on cardboard – up to 24 hours – and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces. (Learn how to clean your mobile phone properly.)

The findings suggest the virus might last this long on door handles, plastic-coated or laminated worktops and other hard surfaces. The researchers did find, however, that copper surfaces tended to kill the virus in about four hours.

But there is a speedier option: research has shown that coronaviruses can be inactivated within a minute by disinfecting surfaces with 62-71% alcohol, or 0.5% hydrogen peroxide bleach or household bleach containing 0.1% sodium hypochlorite. Higher temperatures and humidity also tend to result in other coronaviruses dying quicker, although research has shown that a related coronavirus that causes Sars could be killed by temperatures above 56°C or 132°F (hotter than even a bath scalding enough to cause injury) at a rate of about 10,000 viral particles every 15 minutes.

By Richard Gray.

22 Children Feared Dead

At least 22 children have drowned in Sudan when their boat sank in the Nile while they were on their way to school, according to official media.

 A woman also died when the vessel went down around 750km north of the capital, Khartoum, with more than 40 children on board, the SUNA news agency reported on Wednesday.The accident occurred when the boat's engine broke down as result of heavy rains and winds in Beheir district in the Nile River state.

Civil defense forces were still searching the Nile river for the bodies of the victims.Villagers in the region rely on wooden boats to cross the Nile.

A witness told AFP news agency by telephone that the boat had been crossing the river against the current."All the families [in the area] are in mourning," added the witness, who did not want to be named.

Early on Wednesday, Sudanese authorities ordered the closure of schools across Khartoum amid heavy torrential rains and winds that have destroyed hundreds of homes in some provinces, including North Darfur and North Kordofan.Nearly 40 people have been killed due to heavy rains since last week, including 10 in Khartoum, according to local media. Sources : News agencies.

Police are responding to reports of a shooting at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.

Police are responding to reports of a shooting at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville, Tennessee

1:05 pm - 3 May 2018

Eugene Cole killed

Fugitive suspect in killing of deputy captured.
Associated Press•April 29, 2018
NORRIDGEWOCK, Maine (AP) — A man accused of killing a sheriff's deputy was arrested Saturday outside a remote cabin, ending an intense manhunt in its fourth day in the woods of central Maine.
A law enforcement team used the slain deputy's handcuffs to arrest 29-year-old John Williams in a symbolic gesture, Sheriff Dale Lancaster said.

"We can now focus on the important task of respectfully laying our fallen brother to rest. Tonight, the citizens of Somerset County can sleep well and knowing that a dangerous man has been taken off the streets," the sheriff said.
Williams was wanted in the fatal shooting of Cpl. Eugene Cole early Wednesday after the two had an encounter on a darkened road in Norridgewock.
Cole, 62, had been involved in the arrest of Williams' girlfriend several days earlier, and Williams was worried about being arrested himself for failing to appear in court in Massachusetts on firearm charges the day of the shooting.
Williams was angry about his girlfriend's arrest and had told a friend that "as of tomorrow, I'll be a fugitive." The friend said Williams was acting paranoid and noticed he had body armor in one of his bags.
Shirtless and shoeless when captured, Williams appeared to be exhausted when he was led out of the woods Saturday. Officers put him into the back seat of an unmarked state police vehicle, and detectives whisked him away.
"I'm just glad it ended peacefully, and no one else got hurt," said Tasha Raymond, whose kids have been forced to play indoors for the past four days.
The arrest brought some closure to the deputy's family and relief to residents who've been "on edge," said Larry Tilton, a friend of Cole's.
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The community of 3,500 had been nervous since scores of police officers poured into the region during the manhunt. Helicopters, cruisers and tactical vehicles prowled the region.
On Saturday, about 150 officers were searching in a wooded area where police believe Williams was cornered when a team including FBI, game wardens and local police located him outside the cabin.
He offered "limited resistance" when being arrested and taken to the Waterville Police Department for questioning, police said. He's expected to make his initial court appearance in the next few days.
It was unclear if Williams has an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Before the arrest, the wife of the slain deputy had implored his killer Saturday to turn himself in, or at least reach out to police.
Sheryl Cole promised to Williams that he'd be treated the way her late husband would've treated him: "with dignity and respect."
Cole became the first law enforcement officer in Maine to be killed in the line of duty in nearly 30 years.
He was a 13-year veteran of the department who was known for being respectful and patient in his dealing with people. Lancaster described him an "outstanding employee, one of the finest deputies."
A funeral for the popular deputy is scheduled for May 7, at a civic center in Bangor.
___
David Sharp contributed to this report from Portland.

Swiss glacier reveals couple lost in 1942

 

The spot where the two bodies were found in glacierImage copyright Télévision Suisse Romande Image caption Bernhard Tschannen shows where the bodies were found in the ice
A shrinking glacier in Switzerland has revealed two frozen bodies believed to be of a couple who went missing 75 years ago, Swiss media report.

Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin disappeared after going to tend to their cows in the Alps in 1942.

The couple had seven children.

Their youngest daughter, 79, said the news brought her a "deep sense of calm" and she wanted to give them the funeral they deserved.

"We spent our whole lives looking for them," Marceline Udry-Dumoulin told Lausanne daily Le Matin.

 Local police said the bodies were discovered last week on Tsanfleuron glacier, above the Les Diablerets resort, by a worker from ski-lift company, Glacier 3000.

Director Bernhard Tschannen said his employee found some backpacks, tin bowls and a glass bottle, as well as male and female shoes, and part of a body under the ice.

He said that it was likely the couple had fallen into a crevice and the way they were dressed implied that they could have been there for 70 or 80 years.

"The bodies were lying near each other. It was a man and a woman wearing clothing dating from the period of World War Two," he told Le Matin.

Ms Udry-Dumoulin said her mother, a teacher, never usually went on such walks with her husband, a shoemaker, because she spent much of her adult life pregnant and it was difficult terrain.

She said her and her siblings were placed with different families, and lost contact over the years.

She told Le Matin that she wanted to hold a long-awaited funeral, but would not wear black.

"I think that white would be more appropriate. It represents hope, which I never lost," she said.

Climate change: Trump keeps world waiting on Paris deal

Donald Trump has said he will decide whether to pull out of a key climate change deal in the next week, having apparently shrugged off pressure from US allies in recent days.

The US president tweeted he would make his "final decision" on the Paris accord after his return to Washington.

Mr Trump left the G7 summit in Sicily on Saturday without reaffirming his commitment to the accord, unlike the other six world leaders in attendance.

He previously threatened to pull out.

Mr Trump, who has called climate change "a hoax" on occasion, has reportedly indicated this is still his position to key members of his inner circle.

The uncertainty over his position on the Paris agreement puts him at odds with other members of the G7.

What is the Paris accord?

The Paris deal is the world's first comprehensive climate agreement, set out in 2015, with the aim of keeping the global average rise in temperatures below 2C.

In order to do that, countries pledged to reduce their carbon emissions.

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionBarack Obama, pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Paris summit, signed the agreement in 2016

But it came into force only after being ratified by 55 countries, which between them produce 55% of global carbon emissions.

Barack Obama signed the US up in September 2016, and members of the G7 are keen for the US to continue to back it, not least because the country is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses after China.

Why doesn't Donald Trump like the agreement?

Mr Trump told voters on the campaign trail he wanted to scrap agreements "contrary to the national interest", while repeatedly promising to strengthen the coal industry.

Coal power is a major contributor to carbon emissions. However, Mr Trump wants to boost coal production to create more jobs.

He has also expressed doubt about the causes of climate change, saying it is a "hoax" made up by China.

• Paris deal is 'lifeline' for world's poor

Will the US withdraw?

The Axios news site suggests Mr Trump is leaning that way currently, citing three sources who say his mind is made up, and that the wheels are quietly being put in motion behind the scenes.

This is despite US defence secretary James Mattis saying in an interview to air on Sunday that the president is now "wide open" on the issue.

Withdrawal would risk making Mr Trump unpopular not only with his allies abroad, but also with activists at home.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionMr Trump's attitude to climate change made discussions at the G7 "very difficult"

It was noted his attitude to climate change was one of the major hurdles during the summit in Sicily - the first time he has met his fellow G7 leaders as a group.

His stance left him isolated, with Mr Trump's reluctance to reaffirm his commitment clearly annoying German chancellor Angela Merkel, who told reporters: "The entire discussion about climate was very difficult, if not to say very dissatisfying."

• World vs Trump on climate deal?

What would be the effect?

There are fears the US pulling out may lead to other, smaller countries following suit.

Even if they do not, as the US has such a large carbon footprint, it will mean the impact of the agreement will likely be lessened significantly.

Whatever the US chooses, the EU, India and China say they will stick to their pledges made in Paris.

And what's more, some of Mr Trump's own country is likely to ignore his scepticism.

New York and California have already pledged to combat climate change without the Trump administration's support.

Beyonce holds big baby bash

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It was probably exactly like the baby shower you and your partner held, except ever so slightly more decadent.

The singer celebrated her pregnancy with friends and family with an African-themed shindig on Saturday

E News reports that Beyoncé celebrated with her star friends in a Beverly Hills house once owned by Madonna.

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The new mum-to-be had her bulging baby(ies) bump adorned with a big henna tattoo (above) and guests enjoyed a soul-food buffet and a boogie to some traditional music and stomping Afrobeat.

Ex-Destiny's Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland were in attendance at 'The Carter Push Party', as well as tennis star Serena Williams and plenty of other US socialites.

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The countries that cane their convicts

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Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionFlogging is a common punishment in Aceh state, where authorities have adopted Sharia law

Two men are due to be caned in public after they were caught in bed together in Aceh, Indonesia.

The men will each receive 85 lashes in public, as punishment under the strict Islamic laws used in Aceh.

It is the only Indonesian province where Sharia is in force. According to human rights campaign group Amnesty International, 108 people were punished for various offences in 2015.

Their offences ranged from gambling to alcohol, adultery and public displays of intimacy outside of marriage.

Pictures of these public punishments - designed to humiliate as much as to injure - show people being led onto a raised platform, and made to kneel or stand as a hooded man beats them with a long, thin cane while a large crowd watches.

Caning is considered so barbaric that Amnesty says it could be considered akin to torture.

But flogging as a punishment for transgressions in countries where Islamic laws are followed is relatively common.

In Sudan, women can be flogged for dressing "indecently". In Saudi Arabia, a woman driving a car can be enough to warrant the sentence. In Iran, attending a party with both men and women can end with being whipped.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionRaif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia, prompting protests around the world

One woman flogged for doing just that described on the Iranian Facebook page My Stealthy Freedoms how she was led into a room in shackles and beaten by a woman.

"With the impact of the first lash, I jumped out of my [seat] uncontrollably," the woman wrote. "I was so shocked that even my tears would not drop. I wanted to scream, but I could not even control my voice."

• What can you be flogged for in Saudi Arabia?

But probably the most famous case in recent years is that of Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam" online.

So far, authorities have only carried out the first 50 lashes. The public outcry appears to have had some success in halting the sentence, but it still hangs over him.

In the Maldives, where Sharia law is mixed with English common law, flogging is also legal punishment, most commonly used on those convicted of having extramarital sex. The majority of cases are women.

Caning is also used as a punishment in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, a legacy of British colonial rule in the 19th Century.

Unlike the public floggings in Aceh, however, these punishments take place behind closed doors, with the accused tied to specially constructed frames and carried out with a doctor in attendance.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionSwiss software consultant Oliver Fricker (pictured) was caned for spray painting graffiti in Singapore

Its use is relatively widespread: in Singapore 2,203 people were caned in 2012, including 1,070 foreigners, the US State Department said.

Since 2010, at least three Europeans have been sentenced to be caned for vandalism, including Swiss software consultant Oliver Fricker, who spray-painted graffiti on a train.

But the numbers pale in comparison to Malaysia.

In 2010, Amnesty International released a report saying some 10,000 prisoners and 6,000 refugees were being caned each year, punishment for more than 60 crimes - including drug-related and sexual offences, as well as migration violations.