Category: Legal
MySpace, the popular social network, has donated their US sex offenders database to a center which helps track down missing children. It is well known that many sexual predators use social networking sites like MySpace to look for possible victims. The database is meant to help law enforcement in their investigation. It is hoped that with access to their database, further incidents can be avoided and the children will be safer.
The MySpace database actualy compiles the convicted sex offender registries of 50 US states. It is to be noted that each state had their own individual list. MySpace teamed up with Sentinel Tech, a background investigation company, to create a technology that compiled the lists into one database. It also has photo matching among its tools which cross-checks images submitted, as well as their descriptions, against the sex offender registries. MySpace is therefore better able to identify sexual predators and block or delete their accounts.
Many feel though that this is still insufficient action on the part of MySpace. People wonder why they have not put in place a simple program to determine people’s age from the outset; though since most predators would lie, that isn’t much of a deterrent.
Adoption is certainly not the easiest process there is, but for someone with a celebrity status as mega as Madonna, expect even more problems, and in this case, a media frenzy, unnecessary as it may be.
Throughout the past month, Madonna, a mother-of-two, has been in the spotlight, fighting the legal accusations of Malawian groups that her plans to adopt the 13-month-old David, son of Yohane Banda was illegal.
Madonna came out in Oprah defending herself, and then there were the conflicting comments made by the baby’s Father Yohane. At first he said he was pleased that Madonna was giving his son an amazing chance (after he himself left David at an orphanage when his wife died at childbirth), then, he started saying things like his son would “return to him” etc.
But in the court hearing away from the prying eyes of the word’s media, Banda was recorded to have testified:
“It?s only myself as the father and owner of the child who can decide whether my child should come back or not, I want my child to stay there since I’m hoping the best for him. My child cannot forget where he came from no matter how long he stays there. One day he will remember me and come back?
The Lilongwe Magistrates Court will by trying the case on November 13, 2006 to determine whether Madonna’s adoption of the boy was legal or not.
Hot on the heels of the iPod’s makers being slammed with class-action suits because of claims that the wildly popular device can cause hearing damage comes the latest lawsuits to claim the same – this time for Bluetooth headsets.
Bluetooth’s shortwave innovation was conceived in the 1990’s and has been licensed to several products, from cars to ironically, hearing aids. Its headphone devices exploded into the market last year, selling over 33 million units last year.
Slick and ultra-tech in looks, the device allows hands-free working, which has appealed to so many, and has gotten millions addicted and using their headsets up to 12 hours a day.
What scientists have found out however, that even worse than the iPod or the old Sony Walkman, which had similar audiatory problems due to its headsets, the Bluetooth headset is just on ONE ear. In a test run, one Motorola model was able to produce a maximum volume of 106 decibels, which is enough to damage the hair cells of the inner ear even if used for a mere five minutes a day.
So with sales anticipated to grow even more next year, lawsuits have been filed in Tampa, Florida, accusing bluetooth headset manufacturers ( Motorola, Jabra, Plantronics) of failing to supply adequate health warnings.
Its no secret that the Brits have a drinking problem. In fact, their Prime Minister Tony Blair proclaimed it himself two years ago, calling binge drinking the “New British Disease”.
Well, in an effort to hopefully stop the youth from following the slurring path of their elders, the British goverment has called for tighter laws with the under-25 drink-drive limit and smoking.
Heres what the government’s advisory committee on the misuse of drugs (ACMD) had to say in their publication “Pathway to Problems”:
“Among the 6.8 million 16-24 year old’s in the UK, there were 2.1 Million daily smokers, 1.9 Million who drink more than twice the recommended amount at least once each week, and 1 Million who have used an illegal drug in the past month.”
The new laws being considered will include educating the youth on the consequences of heavy alcohol and nicotine use, the increase of the legal tobacco age from 16 to 18, and simply making alcohol more expensive among others.
