School children suffer horrific injuries in Melbourne bus crash

A group of primary school children has suffered traumatic, “life-changing” injuries after a horrific bus crash in Melbourne, Australia. The bus was carrying 45 students when police say it was hit by a truck from behind and rolled on Tuesday afternoon. Some 18 children, aged 5 to 11 – were rushed to hospital, many for emergency surgery. One remains in intensive care. The truck driver has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury. Australia has a below-average road safety record compared to other advanced economies. It ranks 20th of out of 36 OECD countries for road fatalities. Police said … Continue reading School children suffer horrific injuries in Melbourne bus crash

Heather Armstrong known as ‘Queen of mommy blogging’ dead at 47

Heather Armstrong, who found success in the 2000s documenting the ups and downs of motherhood on her blogging website Dooce, has died at age 47. Her boyfriend Pete Ashdown told the Associated Press he had found Armstrong on Tuesday night in their Utah home. The “queen of mommy blogging” wrote frequently about her children, relationships and personal struggles. At the height of its popularity, Dooce received more than eight million visitors a month, according to Vox. That was in 2009, the same year Armstrong was named in Forbes’ annual list of the 30 most influential women in media. Armstrong founded … Continue reading Heather Armstrong known as ‘Queen of mommy blogging’ dead at 47

Tragic: Horror after Chinese trapeze artist falls to her death during display

A Chinese acrobat has died after falling to her death during a performance on Saturday. The woman, surnamed Sun, fell during a flying-trapeze performance in the city of Suzhou in central Anhui province. Footage shared online shows the gymnast falling on to a hard stage after a routine went wrong with her acrobatic partner, who is also her husband. Ms Sun fell from a significant height after he failed to catch her with his legs during a stunt. She was taken to hospital where efforts by doctors to save her life failed. The popular news website The Paper reported that … Continue reading Tragic: Horror after Chinese trapeze artist falls to her death during display

Mars Wrigley factory fined after two workers fall into chocolate vat

US workplace safety regulators have fined a Pennsylvania factory after two workers fell into a vat of chocolate and had to be rescued. The Mars Wrigley factory in the city of Elizabethtown was fined more than $14,500 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The workers were contractors that did not work full time for the factory. The incident happened in June 2022. A hole had to be cut into the bottom of the partly-full tank to get them out. More than two dozen rescuers responded, and one worker was transported to hospital by helicopter, according to local reports. The … Continue reading Mars Wrigley factory fined after two workers fall into chocolate vat

Bus driver charged with murder after ramming Quebec nursery

A driver who rammed a bus into a busy nursery in Quebec, killing two children, has been charged with first-degree murder. Six children were injured in the incident – including some who became trapped under the vehicle – in Laval, near Montreal, on Wednesday morning. Police believe the suspect, Pierre Ny St-Amand, deliberately drove the bus into the nursery during the morning drop-off. But they said a motive was unclear. The 51-year-old, who had been employed as a bus driver by the local public transit system for 10 years, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault … Continue reading Bus driver charged with murder after ramming Quebec nursery

Australia shark attack victim identified as schoolgirl Stella Berry

Stella Berry A 16-year-old killed by a shark while swimming in a Western Australia (WA) river has been identified as Stella Berry. The schoolgirl was pronounced dead after being pulled from the Swan River in Perth on Saturday. Stella was riding jet skis with friends when she jumped into the water to swim with dolphins and was attacked, police say. In a statement, her parents said they were “devastated and deeply shocked”. Stella Berry was attacked by a shark in Perth’s Swan River Matt and Sophie Berry said their daughter was a “vibrant and happy girl” who loved the water … Continue reading Australia shark attack victim identified as schoolgirl Stella Berry

Sociopath: Man who urinated on a woman on Air India flight arrested

The head of India’s Tata Sons conglomerate has expressed “anguish” over an incident in which a drunk man allegedly urinated on a female passenger on one of their flights. The incident took place in late November on a Tata-run Air India flight. But it was reported only last week when the woman filed a complaint. The news led to massive outrage in India with criticism of how Air India handled the incident. The man was arrested over the weekend. He was also fired from his job at US banking firm Wells Fargo. In a statement issued on Sunday, Tata Sons … Continue reading Sociopath: Man who urinated on a woman on Air India flight arrested

Not Again: Solomon Islands hit by 7.0 magnitude earthquake

An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude has struck the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, near the south-west region of Malango. No injuries or deaths have been reported yet, but people in the capital Honiara reported significant shaking and tremors for around 20 seconds. Amid immediate warnings of a tsunami, the prime minister’s office advised locals to move to higher ground. However, the islands’ meteorological service later dropped the warning. A separate authority, the US-supported Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, also said the threat had largely passed. The quake hit just after 13:00 local time, at a depth of 15km (9 miles) … Continue reading Not Again: Solomon Islands hit by 7.0 magnitude earthquake

Tragic: Former Australian pro-surfer punched to death outside a pub

Former Australian surfing star Chris Davidson has died after being punched outside a pub north of Sydney. The 45-year-old was hit in the face and fell, striking his head on the pavement, police said. He was treated at the scene but died in hospital a short time later. A man, 42, has been arrested and charged with assault causing death. Mr Davidson grew up in Sydney and competed on the world surfing tour in 2010 and 2011. He shot to fame as a 19-year-old after he was granted a wildcard entry into the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Australia, … Continue reading Tragic: Former Australian pro-surfer punched to death outside a pub

Australian man killed by kangaroo he kept as pet

An Australian man has died after being attacked by a kangaroo he had been keeping as a pet, police say. A relative found the 77-year-old man with serious injuries on Monday at his home in Redmond, about 400km (250 miles) south of Perth. When paramedics arrived at the rural property, the kangaroo prevented them from treating the man. Police were forced to shoot the marsupial dead. The man died at the scene. A police spokesperson told media they believed the man had been attacked by the kangaroo, a wild animal earlier in the day. Australia is home to about 50 … Continue reading Australian man killed by kangaroo he kept as pet

Funeral home director admits to selling arms, legs and heads for cash

A funeral home director has admitted making thousands of dollars illegally selling body parts to medical researchers.Megan Hess, 45 Megan Hess, 45, has pleaded guilty for her part in the scheme in which bereaved families were told their relatives had been cremated. But the cremations never took place. From around 2010 to 2018, Ms Hess ran a non-profit “body broker service” alongside the Sunset Mesa funeral home in Montrose, Colorado. The money made from selling body parts enabled Ms Hess to offer cheaper cremations than their rivals. This in turn guaranteed a steady supply of bodies. She even offered free cremations … Continue reading Funeral home director admits to selling arms, legs and heads for cash

Child stabbed in chest by catfish stinger in Florida

A child was hospitalized on Monday after being stabbed in the chest by a catfish in New Port Richey, a small town northwest of Tampa. WFLA in Tampa reported that the child, who was under ten years of age, was stabbed at an area pond. Rescue officials said that the child was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa on a trauma alert by emergency response personnel after experiencing difficulties breathing. According to Pasco Fire Rescue, the catfish’s barb went between one and one-and-a-half inches into the child’s chest cavity. Fishermen are advised to be careful when catfishing, a major industry and popular leisure activity in a number … Continue reading Child stabbed in chest by catfish stinger in Florida