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Body found of boy taken by alligator in Florida spa’s lagoon
Police divers on Wednesday recovered the body of a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in front of his family during a vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.The child was snatched by the alligator as he played at the water’s edge on Tuesday night and dragged into a lagoon despite his parents’ effort to save him.
The body was intact?
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had informed the family that the boy’s body had been recovered near where he vanished and was completely intact.An autopsy would be carried out, Mr. Demings added, but the presumption was that the child was drowned by the alligator.
‘Tough message to deliver’
“It was a tough message to deliver,” Mr. Demings told a news conference. “Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son … so that they can come to grips with what has happened.”The alligator was believed to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long.
5 gators were killed
Wildlife officials earlier captured and killed five of the reptiles from Seven Seas Lagoon and opened them up to look for traces of the boy. Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was too early to say whether one of those five might be the culprit.“There is a good chance we already have the alligator because we focused our efforts in that proximity, in that area where this incident occurred,” he said, adding that the probe would focus on results of forensic tests and bite marks on the child’s body.
Resort closes water bodies
The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas on Wednesday while search teams scoured the lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet (4.2 meters) in depth.The family, on vacation from the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, were named as Matt and Melissa Graves. Their son was named Lane.He was playing at the water’s edgeThere are signs prohibiting swimming at the lagoon but the boy was grabbed as he was playing at the water’s edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, authorities said.The signs did not specifically warn about alligators, a Disney spokeswoman said, adding that the company would review the situation.
Creature injured the father as well
The boy’s father rushed into the water and suffered minor cuts on his arm as he fought to wrestle his child from the alligator’s grasp, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.Authorities said the boy’s mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the toddler in time.Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Mr. Wiley said. Gators have killed five people in Florida in the last 10 years, according to state data.
These have lost fear of humans
Mr. Wiley said the wildlife commission works with the resort to remove “nuisance alligators” — classed as those which have lost their fear of humans — whenever they are reported.Disney has operated in the area for 45 years and never had this type of incident, Mr. Demings said.
Most visited theme park
The Walt Disney World Resort is the world’s most-visited theme park. About 20.5 million people visited the park’s Magic Kingdom in 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.Shares in Walt Disney Co appeared unaffected by the incident, closing down 13 cents at $98.27.A Walt Disney World Resort spokeswoman said everyone there was devastated by the accident.Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger issued a statement to express his sympathies “as a parent and a grandparent.” A Disney spokeswoman said Iger also talked with the family by telephone on Wednesday.
Father: make it safe, we love this place
William Lopez (41), an evangelical pastor from San Francisco, was on vacation with his wife and seven-year-old daughter. He said he thought a path around part of the lagoon should have been fenced off.“If we have that kind of aggressive animals, we should have been safeguarded,” Mr. Lopez said. “I hope they do something to correct this so that it never happens again. Because, we love to come here.”Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property combining Victorian elegance with modern sophistication. Rooms start at $569 per night, according to its website.Guests can rent motorized boats for cruising and fishing, or a private lakeside cabana. Children aged between 4 and 12 also can embark upon “pirate adventures” on the lagoon.
Now, people will have second thoughts
Jim Hill, a theme park historian who runs a popular Disney fan blog, agreed with Mr. Demings the company has been “aggressive” about managing the risk from alligators.But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World.
Shooting incidents
The alligator incident came as Orlando reeled from a gunman killing 49 people at a gay nightclub in the city on Sunday before dying in a shoot-out with police.The night before that attack, singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed in Orlando, apparently by a deranged fan.
Happiest Place on Earth?
“When people think ‘the Happiest Place on Earth,’ right now that’s not Orlando,” Mr. Hill said, referring to a Disney catchphrase for Disneyland.Edward Jones analyst Robin Diedrich said there might be a slight decline in Walt Disney World attendance, but it would not be material to the company.“I think most people would reasonably conclude they will get the issue under control and it’s probably safe to go,” she said.The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child.
Why secrecy over gators there?
Animal rights activists criticized Disney for not explicitly warning about alligators in the water. “A child and apparently five alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives,” Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement.
Indian-American hedge fund manager charged with insider trading
A hedge fund manager of Indian origin was charged on Wednesday with trading on confidential tips about drug approvals, in one of the biggest insider trading cases since a 2014 court ruling made it harder for U.S. prosecutors to pursue them.U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan accused Sanjay Valvani of Visium Asset Management LP of fraudulently making $25 million by gaining advance word about U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of generic drug applications.Mr. Valvani is the latest person of Indian origin to face insider trading charges. Rajat Gupta, former CEO of the consultancy company, McKinsey, is the best known of them and was convicted in 2012 on insider trading with Raj Rajaratnam, a hedge fund operator of Sri Lankan origin. Anil Kumar, a former McKinsey employee, pleaded guilty in the same case.
Prosecutors said the inside information was provided by Gordon Johnston, a consultant who got tips from a friend and former FDA colleague still working at the agency.Mr. Valvani passed some of these tips to Christopher Plaford, then a Visium portfolio manager, who made his own illegal trades, prosecutors said.“Sadly these are schemes we see time and time again, where lies and use of non-public information profits those conducting thecrimes, and everyday investors lose out,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriguez said in a statement.Prosecutors also accused Plaford and Stefan Lumiere, another former Visium portfolio manager, of fraudulently inflating the value and liquidity of a bond fund they oversaw by getting “sham” price quotations from brokers, in an effort to prevent investors from demanding their money back.
‘An innocent man’
Mr. Bharara has won dozens of insider trading convictions over the last several years, including of Rajaratnam and Steven A. Cohen’s firm SAC Capital Advisors.But such cases became tougher to prosecute in December 2014 when a federal appeals court in Manhattan voided his convictions of hedge fund managers Todd Newman and Anthony Chiasson.That court said prosecutors needed to show that traders knew the people who provided inside tips received something consequential in exchange.Barry Berke, a lawyer for Mr. Valvani, in a statement accused Mr. Bharara of “stretching the facts and law to try to transform entirely innocent trading decisions into a crime”.Mr. Berke also called Mr. Valvani “an innocent man whose investment decisions were always based on rigorous and entirely appropriate research and analysis”.
Mr. Valvani, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded not guilty in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to five counts including securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy. He was freed on $5 million bond secured by his home.Mr. Lumiere, 45, of New York, was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy, and freed on $1 million bond after a brief court appearance. He did not enter a plea.Mr. Johnston, 64, of Olney, Maryland, and Plaford, 38, of Bedford, New York, pleaded guilty earlier this month to related charges and are cooperating with prosecutors.The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against all four defendants. It said Mr. Valvani’s illegal profit, including from other trades, was $32 million.Mr. Lumiere’s lawyer Eric Creizman, Plaford’s lawyer David Smith and Johnston’s lawyer Christopher Mead declined to comment.
A Momenta tip
Founded in 2005 by Jason Gottlieb, who has a medical degree, Visium oversees about $7 billion of assets. Last month, The Wall Street Journal said investors asked to redeem about $1.5 billion after news of the federal probes surfaced.The Visium Global multi-strategy fund gained 10.2 per cent in 2015, and the Visium Balanced healthcare fund rose 5.6 per cent.“I am deeply saddened by today’s events,” Mr. Gottlieb said in an email. Visium was not charged.Mr. Valvani’s alleged scheme ran from 2005 to 2011, centred on “political intelligence” that Mr. Johnston got from his former colleague at the FDA, where he was once deputy director of the Office of Generic Drugs.According to court papers, Visium paid Mr. Johnston hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, but Mr. Valvani asked its chief financial officer in a January 6, 2010 email to award a raise.
Mr. Johnston “is without question the most valuable consultant I’ve ever worked with and I’m pushing to reinforce the value of the relationship and encourage him to continue to go above and beyond for our team,” Mr. Valvani allegedly wrote.Prosecutors said he did just that, sending tips about Momenta Pharmaceuticals’s effort to win FDA approval for the first generic equivalent to Sanofi’s Lovenox, for treating deep vein thrombosis.After Momenta won approval in July 2010, causing its stock to rise 82 per cent in one day, Mr. Valvani made $25 million from selling his Momenta stock, and closing bets that Sanofi stock would fall because of the new competition, prosecutors said.The SEC said Mr. Valvani reaped another $7 million by later selling Momenta short, based on tips that Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc might also win approval for a Lovenox generic.
These trades helped Mr. Valvani receive bonuses topping $11.5 million in 2010 and $10.5 million in 2011, dwarfing his $2.5 million bonus in 2009, the SEC said.Prosecutors said Mr. Valvani called Mr. Johnston in January 2011 to end their relationship, “in the wake of news reports of insider trading investigations.
Katrina upsets Salman yet again
Everyone knows that post her break up with Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina was being helped by none other than Salman Khan. The super star recommended Katrina for many films and got her some top of the pop projects.One such project was Sonam Kapoor’s home production Veer Di Wedding where Salman specially recommended Katrina’s name and the latter responded. But the twist came when Katrina was not able to cope up with the pressure of the role and backed out of the film.
A furious Salman confronted Katrina and found out that it was the tough role that made Katrina back out of the project. News is that Katrina was given the role where she had to speak in a typical Delhi dialect and the desi actress was not getting one line correct during the practise sessions.
Upset by this, Katrina left the project. This has upset Salman who took the pain of recommending her but Katrina could not fulfil what was expected from her. Now, only time will tell whether Salman will recommend her in the future as well.
Ex-Apple employee launches two irrestible phones Buzz, Storm
As for today, users are pretty lost in dense jungle of smartphones out there. While many smartphones offer the user various offers such as high-end specs, budget prices and other services, Hyve is all set to change the game in India. While other brands do offer some great stuff, but are usually limited to only a single segment, Hyve is offering their smartphones with unique, irresistible offerings in all three segments—hardware, features, and after sales service and warranty. Though the brand has come in as a surprise with absolutely no hype or awareness, the company claims that it is set to change the sanity of the mobile phone industry here in India. The co-founder and CEO Sharad Mehrotra is an ex-Apple employee who has a vision to change the landscape of the Indian smartphone industry, with Hyve, his new smartphone startup brand.
Hyve, a mobility start-up, successfully launched two Android- based smartphones, namely- Buzz and Storm, each crafted to enhance your everyday mobile experiences. The mobile devices’ features will drive a paradigm shift in the way customers embrace, appreciate and use a smartphone.Hyve has launched two smartphones for the Indian customer—Storm and Buzz. While Storm is a budget entrant at Rs 8,499, the Buzz will cater to the mainstream segment with an affordable price tag of Rs 13,999.
The Buzz features a unique feature-set. Built with a 5.5-inch full HD LCD display with MiraVision, the system is run by a MediaTek MT6753 chipset having a 1.5GHz octa-core processor and a MALI T720 GPU along with 4GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable to a total of 144GB using a micro SD card. What makes the deal better is that Hyve will be bundling a 32GB micro SD card pre-installed in the smartphone. Further on, the device will sport a 13MP/5MP Sony Exmor RSTM sensor with Dual Pixel technology and dual LED flash. The device will be powered by a 2500mAh battery, which seems puny for a smartphone today. But Hyve stresses on the fact that they will be using a complete stock Android operating system based on Marshmallow, which has zero bloatware and optimised to save on battery along with performance delivery to save on battery life. This they refer to as TrueLife battery.
Moving further, the Buzz can use dual 4G SIM cards along with the micro SD card slot separately, and is VoLTE supported. The Buzz will also carry a USB Type-C with fast charging capabilities. The smartphone also sports a biometric fingerprint sensor which has unique capabilities. The device has been equipped with a patented Touch2Call feature allows the user to directly call his/her pre-defined numbers by simply scanning the particular finger registered to the number. So if you want to call your mom, simply scan the registered finger from standby mode and the device will automatically unlock the phone and dial the pre-defined number. No more unlocking, opening the phone app, hunting for the number and dialling. The Buzz will also get a new SOS feature in August 2016. This feature will allow the user to scan his/her particular finger to enable SOS mode. When in trouble, you can simply touch the fingerprint sensor with the particular finger and the phone will automatically lock all features of the phone. The display will go blank, nobody can unlock the phone or make calls from it and the attacker will think that the phone is dead or switched off. But the SOS feature actually starts sending your present location and alert to 5 pre-defined numbers and starts calling them too continuously. Additionally in the background, the device also records all audio so that you can later use the recording as proof in court. The SOS mode can only be disabled by the phone’s user with his/her particular fingerprint.
Additional features of the Buzz are — Oleophobic coating on screen, scratch-resistant rubberized back panel, FM radio, NFC, Delayed messaging system, CTS certified and GMS licensed operating system, and IPX4 rated water-resistant body. The device weighs 154g and is 5.3mm at the thinnest point. The Buzz has a unique design, catered to a user’s ergonomics. The power and volume buttons are not placed on the side, but towards the edge on the rear panel. The device also sports a unique curved rear panel with a rubberised finish for a better grip.
On the other hand, the Storm is catered to the budget segment. With almost identical features compared to the bigger brother, the Storm cuts down in a little areas to bring down the price. The Storm features the same MediaTek MT6735 chipset with a lower clocked processor of 1.3GHz. The RAM is lowered to 2GB with 16GB internal storage and expandable up to 80GB total. The Storm uses a 5-inch HD LCD display with MiraVision, 13MP/5MP cameras with Samsung’s 3L8 ISOCELL and PDAF sensors, a 2000mAh battery and standard micro USB connector. Missing elements as compared to the Buzz are IPX4 rating and fingerprint sensor. The Storm features dual SIM 4G support, but with a hybrid SIM tray where the user can either use two SIM cards or one SIM with a micro SD card. The Storm sports a stock Android Marshmallow operating system as usual.
Both smartphones are equipped with Hyve’s own service and support app called Hyve Care. The device needs to be registered once after purchase and you won’t need any paperwork for warranty issues thereon.Hyve is offering its users a unique and irresistible service on both their handsets. While most other brands offer a one-year warranty on the handsets only and 6-mont warranty on other accessories such as cable, earphones and charger, Hyve is giving you more. The Buzz carries a 2-year warranty on the handset and accessories along with a complimentary 1-year pre-bundled insurance for damage protection. The Storm on the other hand offers a 1-year warranty and 1-year insurance.
Hyve also promises adequate support for its users and aims for a completely unique after sales support. They will have an IVR-free call centre where users can connect to helpline executives without any delay. For those availing warranty and insurance, Hyve also offers a free pickup and drop service across the entire country (42,000 PIN codes in the country are covered). The device will be picked up, serviced and dropp (free) to your doorstep saving your time spent on service centre visits and other costs. The company also promises that the two devices will be serviced with complete spare parts availability since they will have a centrally-located service centre to cut down on service timings and logistics.
The Buzz will retail at Rs 13,999 and the Storm will cost you Rs 8,499. Both the devices will be available online on Amazon, Flipkart and Gadget360 from June 22, 2016. Hyve aims to sell around 1 million handsets within the first year itself and plans to launch more devices ahead. The company also plans to enter other segments such as accessories and alike
Wi-Fi calling, SMS comes to Android phones
AT&T has launched Wi-Fi calling and SMS services on Android phones, however, to qualify for the feature, the user must have a post-paid account within the US, Puerto Rico, and some international areas.
AT&T said that Smartphones compatible for the service will receive a notification once the feature is available to them, but before that a small software update is required for its functioning.
In case of limited or no cell coverage the feature will automatically make calls via Wi-Fi.The feature is currently available on LG G4, but the company has promised that the feature will be available to other Android users over the ‘coming weeks’.The Wi-Fi calling feature was launched for the iPhone lineups—iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus and SE, early in the year 2015.
Upendra To Face Heat For ‘Brahmana’?
It is highly unpredictable in filmdom about controversies and not many really know before hand about the damage they will do the film and We have seen Brahmin community vowed to take down Manchu Vishnu’s Denikaina Ready for few scenes they complain hurt their sentiments. That was chaos and there was the recent one about Nannaku Prematho poster, which showed the Urdu letters in the background.
These were unexpected, but a new film from Kannada Superstar Upendra is hinting a major controversy much earlier. Upendra’s ‘Brahmana’ movie was a Kannada hit and now it is being dubbed to Telugu. Known for his harsh dialogues and weird attires, Upendra may no want to press the wrong buttons with ‘Brahmana’, as it can hurt sentiments of a particular community.
With title ‘Brahmana’, along with Upendra in two different looks, Ragini Dwivedi is also there to fill the ‘extra glamour’, while Saloni is the heroine. Dandupalyam fame Srinivasa Raju is directing the film.
‘Jagan Didn’t Understand The Film Properly’
Couple of days ago, YSRCP’s President YS Jagan made a few satirical statements against AP CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, calling Babu a villain who troubles the hero until the first 13 reels of a film but will eventually be beaten by the hero in the last reel.In a fitting retort, senior TDP leaders Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Devineni Uma lashed out at Jagan. Anam mocked Jagan saying that Jagan is the real villain of Andhra Pradesh and that the YSRCP President did not understand the film properly even though 24 reels are completed until now, referring to Babu’s two year rule.
Attacking further, Anam said that Jagan will understand Babu’s heroism after 36 reels, when the people of AP will themselves make Babu a hero once again, referring to the 2019 elections. Calling Jagan a cruel rowdy looking at the nasty expressions on his face, Anam said that people will finally defeat Jagan after 36 reels.
On the other hand, TDP Minister Devineni Uma described Jagan as the biggest villain in the entire country and mocked him saying that Jagan spent the first 13 reels of the film in the jail and that Congress got him out for ‘entertainment’ before he again goes back to the Chanchalguda Jail in the 14th reel.
Revanth Reminds His Warning
TDP lost big number of MLAs to TRS’s operation akarsh and Revanth Reddy now reminds how he warned Telangana Congress about KCR’s acts during that time. He calls it as Congress’s turn to give up their MLAs to TRS.
Telangana Congress leaders Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Gaddam brothers jumped into ‘car’ yesterday and Revanth criticizes Congress for ignoring his previous warnings about KCR buying all the MLAs.
Revanth reminds Congress when he called Telangana leaders to join their hands in fight against KCR’s akarsh. He blames BJP for their silence against TRS’s cheap politics. Revanth says Congress deserves this situation and says that BJP is next in line to lose their MLAs and leaders to TRS’s MLA-buying scheme.
Sundeep Kishan injured
Young Hero Sundeep Kishan injured himself in the shoot of his next film, Nakshatram in the direction of Krishna Vamsi. The team is canning an action sequence on the hero in Hyderabad the other day. In the process, he injured his head. He is shifted to a nearby hospital and got five stitches on his head.
Doctors advised him couple of days rest and so the shooting is postponed till he recovers. The movie unit said that the injury is due to the mistake of a fighter. The makers assured that the actor’s fans need not worry much about the injury and he will be back in action very soon and resume the shoot.
Sundeep Kishan’s last film, Okka Ammayi Thappa which released last week, went on to become a big disaster. The movie will be almost washout from theaters from tomorrow as it completes the first week run. Trade has lost about 70% of their investment on this film. So the young hero pinned high hopes on this new project.
