D Tuesday, December 22, 2009 METRO 13 METROWorld Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez has called for Angel Falls to revert to its original indigenous name instead of commemorating the US pilot who spotted it in 1933. During his weekly TV programme, he said the falls should be renamed Kerepakupai-Meru, the Indian name for the waterfall long before adventurer Jimmie Angel flew over it. How can Venezuelans could accept the idea that the highest waterfall in the world was discovered by a man who came from the United States in a plane? Mr Chavez asked. The waterfall, the countrys most famous tourist destinations, is the worlds tallest at 979m (3,212ft), with an uninterrupted drop of 807m (2,648ft). Brazil: The man jailed for shoving nearly three dozen sewing needles into his two-year-old stepson said he wanted to kill the boy to spite his wife. Speaking from jail during an interview, Roberto Carlos Magalhaes, 30, told how he doped the child with wine mixed in water, then stuck needles into his body while his lover held the boy down. The boy was too drunk to cry while the needles were being pushed in, but he felt pain after the alcohol wore off, Magalhaes said. The child underwent a five-hour operation in Salvador last week to remove four 5cm rusty needles that most threatened his life, near his heart and in his lungs. He faces at least two more surgeries. aMeriCa: The 85-year-old son of the late New York socialite Brooke Astor was sentenced to at least one year in prison after being convicted of looting his mothers estate of money set aside for charity. Anthony Marshall, Astors only child, faces a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years in prison. Defence lawyers argued prison time would equal a death sentence because of Marshalls age and poor health. Marshall was convicted in October of grand larceny, falsifying business reports and other charges tied to his handling of his mothers fortune, estimated to be worth around 140million. Astor died in August, 2007, aged 105. india: Thick thieves broke into a vending machine in New Delhi and made off with... hundreds of free condoms. These contraceptives are given away... Only an idiot would steal them, said a police spokesman. aMeriCa: A broad healthcare overhaul passed its first crucial test in the Senate yesterday, putting the top legislative priority of President Barack Obama (pictured) on course to be passed by Christmas. Democrats unanimously backed the first in a series of three motions to cut off debate and move the bill to a final vote by Christmas Eve. Republicans acknowledged they could not stop the bill, which would spark the biggest changes in the $2.5trillion healthcare system since the 1965 creation of the Medicare health program for the elderly. uganda: The UN says the Ugandan-based Lords Resistance Army killed, mutilated and raped villagers in Sudan and Congo in 2008 and this year. The rebels killed at least 1,200 people and abducted 1,400, including children and women, in Congo, a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. A separate report by the UN said that in at least 27 attacks in Sudan, the LRA killed more than 80 civilians and kidnapped many others. LRA leader Joseph Kony is accused by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kony is still at large, as are many of his commanders. iran: Tehrans chief nuclear negotiator yesterday called for a global nuclear weapons ban, but insisted all nations including his own have a right to develop nuclear energy. Saeed Jalili (pictured) insisted his countrys nuclear programme is for civilian purposes, although the US and other nations fear its goal is to produce weapons. President Barack Obamas administration has given a rough deadline of year-end for Tehran to respond to an offer of engagement and show that it would allay world concerns about its nuclear programme. POland: Police have found the famous Arbeit macht frei sign that was stolen from over the gate of the former Auschwitz Nazi death camp. Five men detained for stealing the sign, which means Work makes you free and had been cut into three pieces, are common thieves, not neo-Nazis, they said. The theft triggered widespread outrage, especially from Israel and Jewish groups, amid fears of a political motive. The sign is a powerful symbol of the Holocaust committed by the Nazis against the Jews. Police said the suspects, aged between 20 and 39, had previous convictions for various crimes including robbery and physical assault. Twins home in time for birthday FORMERLY conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna have been discharged from hospital, five weeks after their separation surgery and in time to celebrate their third birthday. Doctors said the Bangladeshi- born girls have made amazing progress and are already using walkers to move around. The girls had been joined at the top of their heads and shared brain tissue and blood vessels before their separation. I look forward to seeing them live a long and happy life; thats my wish for them, said neurosurgeon Wirginia Maixner. Final moments of actress BrittanyBy Andrei HArmswortH PARAMEDICS tried to resuscitate tragic Hollywood star Brittany Murphy three times as she arrived at a Los Angeles hospital, it has emerged. The frantic details of the stars fi- nal minutes came as her Clueless co-star Alicia Silverstone broke her silence and paid a touching tribute to her former colleague. The new details emerged after a neighbour said she saw firemen desperately working on Murphy outside her Beverly Hills home. I saw five firemen bringing down the gurney and take her down to the firetruck, trying to resuscitate her by the fire truck. She had tubes down her throat... I think she was dead already, said the neighbour. Radar Online claims medics at the Cedars Sinai medical facility then tried to bring the actress back three times before finally pronouncing her dead. An online report claims the Los Angeles County Coroners office said foul play is not a factor but claims they still want to interview the actresss British husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack and her mother, who found her daughter collapsed in the shower. Foul play is not suspected at this time because there were no outward signs of trauma or other injuries, said Captain John Kades from the Coroners Office. We dont have an autopsy sched- uled yet, but we will do it as soon as possible, Kades said. Given all the worldwide attention, if we can get it done [Monday], we will, he said. The autopsy plans come after it was claimed the actress had recently undergone plastic surgery and was using the same painkiller that Michael Jackson used, Vicodin. Meanwhile, Silverstone, who starred opposite Murphy in 1995 chick flick Clueless broke her si- lence over the death and said: I al- ways felt connected to her as we shared a very special experience in our lives together. I feel love in my heart for her and hope she is at peace. This is truly sad. Meanwhile, Murphy, who died ap- parenty from natural causes aged 32, revealed at a showbiz party ear- lier this month that she dreamed of having a baby with Monjack next year. As far as having a New Years resolution, Id love to have a child next year, she said. tragedy: Brittany murphy who died from a sudden heart attack, was allegedly using the same painkiller that michael Jackson, inset, used Pictures: Reuters/PA Q7: What classic American brand of car did Tiger Woods crash? To P14 Winter wonderland: Workers shape snow sculptures prior to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. The 26th Ice and Snow Festival will kick off on January 5. Picture: Reuters success: twins Krishna, left, and trishna with their carers before being discharged Picture: AFP index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html