US student freed by North Korea in a coma dies at age 22 DAN SEWELL,Associated Press 4 minutes 39 seconds ago

US student freed by North Korea in a coma dies at age 22 DAN SEWELL,Associated Press 4 minutes 39 seconds ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email Hospital spokeswoman: U.S. student released from N. Korea suffered ‘severe neurological injury’ Hospital spokeswoman: U.S. student released from N. Korea suffered ‘severe neurological injury’ Yahoo News Video Scroll back up to restore default view. CINCINNATI (AP) — Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma last week after almost a year and a half in captivity, died Monday, his family said. The 22-year-old "has completed his journey home," relatives said in a statement. They did not cite a specific cause of death. "Unfortunately, the awful, torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today," his parents said. Doctors had described his condition as a state of "unresponsive wakefulness" and said he suffered a "severe neurological injury" of unknown cause. His father, Fred Warmbier, said last week that he believed Otto had been fighting for months to stay alive to return to his family. The family said he looked uncomfortable and anguished after arriving June 13 but his countenance later changed. "He was peace. He was home, and we believe he could sense that," they said. Warmbier was accused of trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting with a tour group and was convicted of subversion. He was put before North Korean officials and journalists for a televised "confession." "I have made the worst mistake of my life!" he exclaimed, choking up as he begged to be allowed to reunite with his parents and two younger siblings. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor. The University of Virginia student was held for more than 17 months. His family said it was told he had been a coma since soon after his March 2016 sentencing. Doctors said he suffered extensive loss of brain tissue and "profound weakness and contraction" of his muscles, arms and legs. His eyes opened and blinked but without any sign that he understood verbal commands or his surroundings. Unresponsive wakefulness is a new medical term for persistent vegetative state. Patients in this condition who have survived a coma can open their eyes, but they do not respond to commands. People can live in a state of unresponsive wakefulness for many years with the chances of recovery depending on the extent of the brain injury. North Korea said Warmbier went into a coma after contracting botulism and taking a sleeping pill. Doctors in Cincinnati said they found no active sign of botulism or evidence of beatings. His parents told The Associated Press the day of his release that they wanted "the world to know how we and our son have been brutalized and terrorized by the pariah regime." Fred Warmbier praised his son's "performance" and President Donald Trump's administration. He was critical of the approach to his son's situation taken by former President Barack Obama's administration. In a White House statement, Trump said, "A lot of bad things happened, but at least we got him home to be with his parents." He called North Korea a "brutal regime." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he offered his prayers as Warmbier's parents "enter a time of grief no parent should ever know," and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Warmbier's death "touches the American heart like no other." The younger Warmbier grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Wyoming. He was salutatorian of his 2013 class at a highly rated high school and was on the soccer team. He had had planned to study in China in his third year of college and heard about Chinese travel companies offering trips to North Korea. Young Pioneer Tours described itself as providing "budget tours to destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from." Its travel options also included Iran, Iraq and former Soviet countries. Warmbier was leaving North Korea on Jan. 2, 2016, when he was detained at the airport. The U.S. Department of State warns against travel to North Korea. While nearly all Americans who have been there have left without incident, visitors can be seized and face lengthy incarceration for what might seem like minor infractions. Jeffrey Fowle, also from Ohio, was detained in 2014 when he intentionally left a Bible in a nightclub. Fowle was freed after six months. He said he was kept isolated most of the time but not physically abused. He and others freed from North Korea have said they were coached and coerced into giving confessions. Three Americans remain held in North Korea. The U.S. government accuses North Korea of using such detainees as political pawns. North Korea accuses Washington and South Korea of sending spies to overthrow its government. At the time of Warmbier's release, a White House official said Joseph Yun, the U.S. envoy on North Korea, had met with North Korean foreign ministry representatives in Norway the previous month. Such direct consultations between the two governments are rare because they do not have formal diplomatic relations. Yun learned about Warmbier's condition in a meeting a week before the release from the North Korean ambassador at the U.N. in New York. Yun then was dispatched to North Korea and visited Warmbier June 12 with two doctors and demanded his release on humanitarian grounds. Warmbier's hometown rallied around his family, wrapping school-color ribbons around trees and utility poles lining Wyoming's main road. People chanted "Otto Strong!" and "We love you!" after his father's news conference last week at the high school. Warmbier was "generous, outgoing, sweet, smart as a whip, just an overall good guy," Danica White, his sophomore English teacher, recalled last week. On Monday evening, she said: "Otto will be dearly missed." ___ Associated Press writers Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Josh Boak in Washington and Carla K. Johnson in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell Comments (7754) Sign in to post a comment. Brothers who brought death and ruin to Philippine city AFP News lihim na paraan upang i-save ang enerhiya Electricity Saving Box Sponsored  Possible Funnel Cloud Spotted During Severe Storms in Kiryas Joel Storyful US student dies after release from N. Korea AFP News Ombudsman urged to probe Aquino admin’s procurement of overpriced fighter trainer jets UNTV News How Older Men Tighten Their Skin LifeCell Sponsored  North Carolina Pastor Leads Community in Helping Refugees Resettle in Durham Storyful Russia warns US after Syrian warplane downed AFP News Jackie Chan sole Chinese celebrity on Forbes' list The Hive Asia The Top 10 Best Airlines for Travel Yahoo! Search Sponsored  The Hive Asia Maine Mendoza on why she has been off Twitter The Hive Asia 16 hours ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email 19 Jun - Maine Mendoza recently shared her reason for taking a break from Twitter, where she has more than 26,000 followers. As reported on GMA, the actress recently updated her blog, mainemendoza.com, where she explained her reason for being away from Twitter, saying that the Twitterverse has been quite toxic of late. Maine writes, "Do you still remember when everything used to be fun there? When Twitter used to be a harmonious environment for everyone? Haha I know, me neither." "Anyway, I just cannot stand people's negativity there lately. I mean, I have enough negativity in my system already to still add and endure those," she added. Later, Mendoza responded to a comment from a reader, saying that she wasn't referring to the online haters when she described Twitter as being toxic. "Bashers are there 24/7 since the very beginning and I honestly do not mind [them]. It's just lately, some of the fans are the ones to start and engage in conflict; until things start getting blown out of proportion. It [has come] to a point where fans are quarreling with fans too, and not with bashers anymore," she said. Lastly she expressed hope that everybody would be able to "perpetuate the harmony" among each other. Mendoza, who has been on Twitter since December 2015, last updated her social media account in April. Despite not being on Twitter, the "Destined to be Yours" star continues to post on Instagram and her blog. (Photo source: Maine Mendoza Instagram) Comments (5) Sign in to post a comment. Gal Gadot wore $30 platform flip flops under a glamorous gown and is our hero Hello Giggles South Sudanese Refugee Adopts Orphans in Ugandan Camp Storyful Best Manual Cars You Can Drive in 2017 Carmudi AFP News Oscar sparks mass brawl in Chinese Super League AFP News 15 hours ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email Brazilian international Oscar triggered a mass brawl in the Chinese Super League as players and staff from his Shanghai SIPG side and opponents Guangzhou R&F scrapped on the pitch. After the former Chelsea midfielder appeared twice to fire the ball deliberately at Guangzhou players, he was rushed by several opponents. Oscar fell to the ground and a melee broke out. One player from each side was sent off as the opening of the CSL transfer window was marked in rambunctious style. The fight erupted just before half-time in Sunday's CSL clash at Guangzhou R&F, where Andre Villas-Boas' SIPG were attempting to keep up the pressure on league leaders Guangzhou Evergrande. Oscar cost SIPG a whopping 60 million euros ($67 million) in the last transfer window, the biggest such deal in Asian football history. He sparked the confrontation when he lashed the ball twice at R&F players. The home side's Chen Zhizhao retaliated, pushing the 25-year-old Brazilian to the ground. Then players, coaching staff and substitutes poured off the benches and waded in as Oscar lay face-down on the pitch. When order was restored after pushing and shoving, R&F's Li Tixiang and Shanghai's Fu Huan were dismissed and three others were booked. Oscar was unhurt and the fiery encounter finished 1-1 to leave SIPG four points behind reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande. Villas-Boas defended Oscar, saying he was "just being passionate", and Oscar denied he purposely twice aimed the ball at R&F players. "Disrespect the opponent? It is not true. I am a very dedicated player and respect sportsmanship," Sina Sports website quoted him as saying. Another Brazilian international, the forward Hulk, equalised for Shanghai after being set up by Oscar just before the fisticuffs. R&F players were incensed that the goal was allowed to stand since Oscar appeared to have been offside before his assist. Villas-Boas told Shanghai's official social media: "Our goal should be offside and it was unlucky for Guangzhou." R&F apologised after the home side racked up five yellow cards in addition to the one red. "We are sorry about the infringements during the game and hope the players can adjust their attitude and prepare for the following game," the club said in a statement. Comments (8) Sign in to post a comment. The Best Hotels In Tokyo Yahoo! Search Sponsored  U.S. destroyer almost foundered after collision, bodies found: Seventh Fleet UNTV News Philippine troops pound Islamists as death toll passes 300 AFP News Timelapse Shows Storm Rolling Through Manhattan Storyful Experience The World's Beauty With Transitions® transitions.com Sponsored  Carrie Fisher autopsy reveals cocaine, ecstasy AFP News AFP News Baby on board: Indian gives birth at 35,000 feet AFP News 16 hours ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email An Indian woman gave birth to a baby boy on an international commercial flight as it flew at 35,000 feet, the airline said on Monday. The unnamed woman, in her 20s, went into premature labour on Sunday's Jet Airways flight between Damman in Saudi Arabia and Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala. "The guest delivered a baby boy at 35,000 feet," Jet Airways said in a statement, adding that a paramedic on board and airline staff helped with the delivery. The Boeing 737 flight, which had 162 passengers on board, was diverted to Mumbai where the woman and her newborn were rushed to a hospital near the airport. An official at Mumbai's Holy Spirit hospital told AFP on Monday that both the mother and baby boy were doing well. The woman was believed to have been around 32 weeks pregnant when she gave birth. Jet Airways said it was the first time a baby had been born on one of its flights and that it had given him free travel for life on the airline. In August last year a woman gave birth on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to the Philippines. The plane made an emergency landing in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad so the mother and newborn could receive medical attention before continuing their journey to Manila. Comments (5) Sign in to post a comment. Sandara Park is PH-Korea's Friendship Ambassador The Hive Asia Battle in southern Philippines is related to Duterte's drug war, says finance chief CNBC Top Hotel Deals in Cebu trivago.com.ph Sponsored  Sudden NYC Storm Blows Construction Barriers Into Traffic Storyful Cholesterol-lowering vaccine seems to work in mice: study AFP News Associated Press Muslims targeted by violence in wake of IS-claimed attacks PAISLEY DODDS and DANICA KIRKA,Associated Press 2 hours 51 minutes ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email LONDON (AP) — The attack on Muslim worshippers outside a London mosque on Monday follows a rising wave of violence and harassment directed against Muslims across Britain and around the world. This month alone, a Muslim woman wearing a head scarf told police in Lancashire her car was struck by a bag of vomit. Worshippers at the Omar Faruque mosque in Cambridge found strips of ham attached to their vehicles. Several Muslim families have reported receiving letters warning, "You are no longer welcome in this country." Scores say they have been spat on. Across Britain, Muslims say they are being targeted by a wave of animosity and violence simply because of the way they dress and worship, and because they share a religion hijacked by bloodthirsty extremists like the Islamic State group, which was quick to claim responsibility for recent attacks in Britain and elsewhere. In Monday's attack, a man plowed a van into a crowd of worshippers, injuring at least nine people — a tactic used in the recent attacks on Westminster and London bridges. London's Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, said Monday's assault outside two mosques during the holy month of Ramadan was clearly "an attack on Muslims." "We are easy targets because of the way we dress and when we pray," said Hassan Ali, a 34-year-old resident of Finsbury Park, a north London neighborhood that is home to a large Muslim population and where the attack occurred. "But every time there is an attack here or elsewhere, we are blamed. When we are attacked, people look away." Since the wave of IS-inspired terror attacks in Britain, there has been a five-fold increase of hate crimes against Muslims. Tensions have also been running high since Britain's decision to leave the European Union, a vote that was largely driven by anti-immigrant rhetoric — a message that was further reinforced by some of Britain's right-leaning tabloids and spread by populist European politicians promising to stem immigration and tackle terrorism associated with IS. "I feel unsafe," said Emma Salem, a 15-year-old Muslim who lives in the neighborhood targeted on Monday. Such attacks against Muslims have been on a worldwide increase. In January, a white nationalist opened fire on an Islamic cultural center in Quebec City, Canada, killing six people and wounding nearly 20. In the same month, the Islamic Center of Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, was destroyed by a fire in what authorities called a hate crime and another mosque was burned to the ground. Last year, nearly 100 mosques were attacked in Germany and dozens across Europe have been targeted by arsonists this year. Stirring tension plays an important part in Islamic State and al-Qaida propaganda, as well as propaganda by right-leaning political groups. Brendan Cox, the widower of the slain British parliamentarian Jo Cox, said both the far-right and Islamic extremists are propelled by polarization. "Far-right fascists and Islamic terrorists are driven by the same hatred of difference, same ideology of supremacy & use of same tactics," he wrote on Twitter. The Islamic State group and al-Qaida have targeted Muslims living in the West, repeatedly saying they will never be fully accepted members in a society of "unbelievers." The idea has been to sow mistrust and drive both sides to the extremes. In the case of IS, the propaganda has gone even further, warning Muslims that if they failed to either join the fight in defense of the extremists' self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria or carry out attacks in their home countries, they themselves were complicit in a system of oppression against Muslims. Islamic State supporters used Monday's attack to fuel more tensions by noting that the attacker, identified as 47-year-old Darren Osborne, was not shot to death, unlike the London Bridge attackers. "Muslims. you need to wake up, the war is starting now in your own streets," the message went on, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. "Muslims are repeatedly being used as a political football and pieces in a propaganda campaign," said Mohammed Shafiq, head of the Ramadhan Foundation. "The rampant rise in Islamophobia has been perpetuated by right-wing newspapers and outlets. This has led to an atmosphere where it is acceptable to harass and ostracize Muslims. The Muslim community is constantly demonized." Residents of Finsbury Park said they were angry that the police seemed slow to call Monday's incident a "terror attack." They also expressed frustration that attacks on the Muslim community have received little coverage or sympathy. "There has been an outpouring of sympathy for all the recent terror attacks but hardly a whisper on this attack," said 23-year-old Ali Habib, who described how the white van swerve into a crowd of worshippers gathered outside a mosque following evening prayers. "People are both scared and angry. Parents are scared to send their children to evening prayers." The Muslim Council of Britain has called for extra security around mosques, describing the Finsbury Park van attack as "the most violent manifestation" of Islamophobia. Mosques across Britain and elsewhere are expecting large crowds this week as Ramadan draws to a close. ___ Associated Press writer Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report. __ This story has been corrected to show that Cressida Dick is the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, not commander. Comments (11) Sign in to post a comment. No other club offer for Ronaldo: Real boss AFP News The Hive Asia Diether Ocampo makes TV comeback on "Magpakailanman" The Hive Asia 15 hours ago Reactions Sign in to like Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email 19 Jun - Diether Ocampo sparked rumours of a move to GMA-7 when it was revealed that he is making his television comeback through an episode of the Kapuso network's drama anthology, "Magpakailanman". As reported on PEP, the news was announced online through the show's social media account on 13 June, which revealed that Ocampo will star in its Father's Day special alongside former Miss World, Megan Young. In the upcoming episode of the anthology, Ocampo will play the role of Anton Ramos a widower who will do anything to fulfill the request of his late wife to breastfeed their child. The episode is set to air this weekend on 17 June. Ocampo, who has always been a Kapamilya since his debut, was last seen on ABS-CBN through an episode of "Maalaala Mo Kaya". His last drama was TV5's "Bakit Manipis Ang Ulap?" with Claudine Barretto, although it was cancelled after almost two months of broadcast. He was also originally scheduled to make his Kapamilya comeback with Judy Ann Santos through "Someone to Watch Over Me" back in 2015. However, the project was halted following Santos' pregnancy. Many are speculating that his involvement in "Magkapailanman" may mean that Ocampo is transferring to the network. The actor has yet to address the rumours for the time being. (Photo source: Kapuso PR Girl) Comments (1) Sign in to post a comment.