South African teen wins 800 amid gender-test flap

By RYAN LUCAS, Associated Press Writer

BERLIN (AP)—Facing questions about her gender, South African teenager Caster Semenya easily won the 800-meter gold medal Wednesday at the world championships.

Semenya’s dominating run came on the same day track and field’s ruling body said she was undergoing a gender test because of concerns she does not meet requirements to compete as a woman.

Semenya took the lead at the halfway mark and opened a commanding lead in the last 400 meters to win by a massive 2.45 seconds in a world-leading 1 minute, 55.45 seconds. Defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei was second and Jennifer Meadows of Britain was third in 1:57.93.

About three weeks ago, the international federation asked South African track and field authorities to conduct the verification test. Semenya had burst onto the scene by posting a world-leading time of 1:56.72 at the African junior championships in Maruitius.

Her dramatic improvement in times, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender. Before the race, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies stressed this is a “medical issue, not an issue of cheating.” He said the “extremely complex, difficult” test has begun but results were not expected for weeks.

The test requires a physical medical evaluation and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, internal medicine specialist and gender expert.

South Africa team manager Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane would not confirm or deny that Semenya was having such a test.

“We entered Caster as a woman and we want to keep it that way,” Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said. “Our conscience is clear in terms of Caster. We have no reservations at all about that.”

Although medals will be awarded for the 800, the race remains under a cloud until the investigation is closed, and Semenya could be stripped of the gold depending on the test results, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss said.

“But today there is no proof and the benefit of doubt must always be in favor of the athlete,” Weiss said.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE IS? MALE OR FEMALE?

YOU BE THE JUDGE!

Wild dogs killed Georgia woman and husband

LEXINGTON, Ga. (AP) - An elderly woman killed by a pack of wild dogs had been out for a walk when she was attacked, and her husband died trying to fight off the mauling animals when he discovered the bloody scene near their rural Georgia home, authorities said Tuesday.
Preliminary autopsy results showed Lothar Karl Schweder, 77, and his 65-year-old wife, Sherry, died from multiple animal bites.


Authorities have rounded up about 11 dogs suspected in the rare attack and returned to the area Tuesday to find four more spotted by a deputy. The dogs were being held by animal control officials while authorities decide what to do with them, said Jim Fullington, special agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

"It just appears that a large number of dogs had started living, running together, multiplying and had grown into what I would describe as a pack of wild or feral-type dogs," Fullington said.

Sherry Schweder had told one of her sons that there were several dogs wandering the neighborhood that no one seemed to be caring for, Fullington said.

Authorities said it appeared Sherry Schweder was attacked by the pack of dogs during a Friday evening walk near her home. Authorities believe her husband later went looking for her in the family car.

Investigators found Sherry Schweder's bloody shirt underneath the car, which was about six to eight feet from her body, said Madison County Coroner James Mathews.

Lothar Schweder was then attacked and apparently struggled with the dogs, Mathews said. His body was found on the other side of the dirt road, about 16 to 18 feet from his wife's body.

Evidence indicates Lothar Schweder put up a fight and may have tried to pull out a cell phone before he was overtaken, Mathews said.

Experts say such attacks are extremely rare—and instances where more than one person is attacked are even more rare.

"You are more likely to killed by a bolt of lightening than by a dog," said Adam Goldfarb, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States. "It's one in millions."

There have been at least 20 deadly dog attacks in the U.S. this year, 22 in 2008 and 33 in 2007, Goldfarb said, compared with about 75 million owned dogs. Many dogs that turn vicious aren't necessarily pets but kept for hunting or breeding, or as guard dogs.

Dogs that attack also typically are not spayed or neutered, which can contribute to aggression, Goldfarb said. He said it's likely the dogs in the Georgia attack weren't sterilized.

Authorities said they interviewed a man at a house down the street where several dogs were staying. Fullington said the man was not staying at the house full time.

Fullington could not say whether anyone would face charges, citing the ongoing investigation.

A family friend told the Athens Banner-Herald that Lothar Karl Schweder was a retired professor who had taught German at the University of Georgia, which is about 20 miles away in Athens. German Department head Martin Kagel did not know of Schweder but said it might be possible he worked there part time or more than 20 years ago.

Sherry Schweder was a bibliographer at the university's library, where she had worked since 1974, selecting books and journals for the school's humanities collection, said librarian William Potter.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER KURT ANGLE ARRESTED FOR BEATING UP HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO IS ALSO A WRESTLER!

Popular wrestler Kurt Angle was arrested yesterday on charges that he beat up his girlfriend.



PICTURE OF KURT'S GIRLFRIEND

According to police, a few days ago there was an altercation between Kurt and his live in girlfriend Trenesha Biggers, who wrestles under the name Rhaka Khan. After getting beat up, Trenesha called police – who removed Kurt from their home. She also went to the police station and got an order of protection out against Kurt.

But that didn’t stop him. At around 8AM yesterday, Trenesha called police again - claiming that Angle was stalking her. She was Starbucks using the internet, and Kurt came in – and snatched her phone. He then began driving around the Starbucks parking lot in circles while he was deleting pictures from Trenesha’s phone. Those pictures documented the abuse Trenesha suffered at the hands of her wrestler boyfriend.

Angle was arrested for driving on a suspended license, and when they searched the vehicle, they found used syringes and two vials of HGH – an illegal steroid.

WTH? HERE ARE MORE PICS OF TRENESHA:

Britain imposes direct rule of Turks and Caicos isles

(CNN) -- Britain says it has suspended the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and imposed direct rule after allegations of systemic corruption and "serious dishonesty".

Former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick, shown here with his wife, LisaRaye, could be investigated.
British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said he instructed the British governor of the island territory to suspend the ministerial government and the House of Assembly for as long as two years.

Bryant said his order also suspends the constitutional right to trial by jury in the Turks and Caicos.

"This is a serious constitutional step which the UK government has not taken lightly, but these measures are essential in order to restore good governance and sound financial management," Bryant said in a statement.

"It remains our intentions that elections should be held by July 2011, if not sooner. It is also important that the people of Turks and Caicos Islands continue to have a voice in the interim and the order puts in place an advisory council and consultative forum to make sure this happens."

The move follows allegations of corruption in the Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited keys, 800 kilometers (500 miles) southeast of Miami, Florida.

The British government set up a commission of inquiry in July 2008 to look into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in recent years of past and present elected members of the legislature.

The commission's report, delivered May 31, found "information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systemic corruption and/or serious dishonesty" in the Turks and Caicos, the Foreign Office said.

"This, together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence, demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms," the Foreign Office said.

The report also recommends criminal investigations into former Premier Michael Misick and four of his former Cabinet ministers.

"This is not a 'British takeover,'" said Gordon Wetherell, governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Public services will continue to be run by people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, as indeed they should be. But I hope we can now begin to run them better."

Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the British territory, and the governor is her official representative.

The governor is responsible for defense; external affairs; internal security, including the islands' police force; and the appointment of some public officials, but he is normally required to act on the advice of the Cabinet.

The islands' ministerial system includes the premier and six other ministers who must act according to Cabinet policies.

C-Murder Sentenced To Life In Prison

Rapper was found guilty of fatal Louisiana nightclub shooting Wednesday.
By Gil Kaufman

Three days after a Louisiana jury found him guilty of second-degree murder (twice, actually), rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller was sentenced to life in prison on Friday (August 14).

According to The Associated Press, District Judge Hans Liljeberg gave Miller, 38, the mandatory life sentence following the onetime No Limit Records rap star's conviction in the 2002 shooting of 16-year-old fan Steve Thomas at a now-closed nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana.

Miller, who changed his rap name to C. Miller during the trial, was found guilty in the case on Tuesday morning, but Liljeberg made the jury return to deliberations because he suspected they had rushed their verdict to end deliberation. The rapper was convicted in 2003 in the same case but had that conviction overturned on appeal.

Just as it had earlier in the day on Tuesday, the jury voted 10-2 in their second verdict, finding that Miller shot Thomas once in the chest as the teen lay on his back while being beaten by the rapper's friends at the now-shuttered Platinum Club on January 12, 2002.

Thomas was a high school student who idolized Miller and his rapper brothers, No Limit founder Percy "Master P" Miller and Vishonn "Silkk the Shocker" Miller, and had even made some gold fronts out of golden ashtrays he got from work as an homage to the hometown hip-hop heroes. On the night of the shooting, Thomas told his father he was going to a movie but used a fake ID to go to the Platinum Club, knowing Miller would be there for a rap competition, in which Thomas performed, according to testimony.

Prosecutors said on Tuesday that they were confident in the verdict and did not believe an appeal would be filed. On Friday, Liljeberg rejected a request from Miller's attorney for a new trial, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and the life sentence comes without the possibility of parole. Liljeberg granted a request from Miller's lawyer, who said he had not been paid for his services, to withdraw as the rapper's attorney and not be part of an appeal. The judge said he will appoint a public defender to help Miller, who said he would work on raising money to hire his own lawyer to file the appeal.

Miller has pleaded no contest to separate second-degree attempted-murder charges stemming from a 2001 incident at Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Club Raggs, in which he allegedly pulled a gun on a bouncer. His sentencing in the Club Raggs case is scheduled for August 25.