Bronwen 6

International:
A sultry kiss in China led to the death of Mao Ansheng this Thursday. His long time partner Xia Xinfeng passed a capsule of rat poison from her mouth to his. Ansheng died soon after. Xinfeng claimed that if one of them cheated on the other he or she would have to die. Xia suspected Ansheng of talking to another woman, so she promptly killed him. She faces the death penalty.

I wonder how they found out she killed him by kissing him. It's the exact opposite of all the Disney movies where loves true kiss wakes the person from death. I'm glad she is getting the death penalty for premeditated murder. That is just to extreme. I wonder if Mao Ansheng knew he was dating a nut job. But it kind of sounds like they were both a little weird.

National:
Tanya Rider of Washington was reported missing on September 19th. Eight days later search teams picked up her cell phone signal and re-searched a three to five mile radius along the road Rider usually took to work. They found her Honda 20 feet down a cliff in a ravine. At the time the police department was told Rider was found her husband was being given a lie detector test. Details on her survival are yet to be released.

Her husband must be thankful he didn't have to undergo anymore investigation! It really sounds like a miracle story. But the article does not make it sound like the car was far from the road, so I wonder why it took search parties so long to find Tanya Rider. It's not like they were looking for just one person; a car is hard to miss.

International:
Al Gore is being sued by a teacher in Britain. After Britain decided to circulate Gore's movie throughout all secondary schools Stewart Dimmock, a school governor, found it offensive. He claims it is "inaccurate and biased". Although the film may have already been viewed by pupils, Dimmock wants it repealed. Dimmock also said the film is"just over half scientific material, 30 percent pure politics and about 20 percent sentimental mush — mush there to soften up the viewer for persuasion." What science is in th movie he said is false. His major point is that scaring kids into saving the environment in such a biased way is completely unacceptable.

I would have to agree wholeheartedly with Dimmock and it will be interesting to see what happens with this case. It sounds as though Britain is more liberal than the US. I have not seen Al Gore's movie, so I can not be to harsh a critic, but I have heard reviews and it sounds ridiculuos! If the British government feels such a need to show the movie they should show it in government class.

National:
Melissa Adams of Pennsylvania was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison after lighting a mentally handicapped man on fire. The man was told to wear a t-shirt soaked in lighter fluid and was then lit on fire. He was found in a trash can and was unrecognizable. Had Adams not confessed, she would be facing the death penalty. Two other men also pled guilty to involvement in the murder and face life in prison. They claim to have killed the man because they thought he was stealing money from them.

Well I think they are all mentally ill. And such a small penalty for Adams is unbelievable. After being charged with first degree murder she could get off with only 30 years in prison! She should be given life in prison at the minimum with a chance to go to an insane asylum. It is really scary to think that people who have committed vicious acts of murder could be set free out into the world again.