Faze clans

ROME: A Sicilian mafia boss serving a life sentence bit off and swallowed a prison guard's finger during an altercation, an Italian news report said Tuesday (Sep 8). Giuseppe Fanara, 60, who is serving a life sentence at Rome's Rebibbia prison, attacked seven guards in June when they came to inspect his cell, the daily Il Messagero reported. Fanara, from Sicily's notorious Cosa Nostra clan, was nine years into his sentence under Italy's tough "41-bis" prison regime usually applied to mafia members. The harsh prison regime isolates mobster bosses entirely to prevent them from running their clans from behind bars. "During the altercation he (Fanara) bit off the agent's little finger on his right hand," the paper said. "The finger disappeared, leading a Rome prosecutor to conclude it had been eaten," it added. The prisoner then charged the six other guards, using a broomstick as a weapon, allegedly shouting "I'll slit your throats like pigs!". Fanara has since been … [Read more...] about Mafia boss swallows guard’s finger in Rome jail fight

SINGAPORE - Historical records bearing the imprint of Singapore's early Hokkien pioneers such as Tan Tock Seng and Tan Lark Sye will soon be made accessible to the public following the donation of more than 4,300 original documents from the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) made to the National Library Board (NLB) on Sunday (Feb 28). To symbolise the handover of the documents, a set of two original land sales records, one of which bears the original signature of  Tan Tock Seng, one of SHHK's founding leaders, was presented to NLB chief executive Ng Cher Pong at the SHHK Cultural Academy in Sennett Road. The document, dated 1838, was given when the Hokkien philanthropist bought land to build the Thian Hock Keng Temple - Singapore's oldest Hokkien temple, which was completed in 1842. An accompanying land sales record, dating back to 1828, also documents how the land on which the temple sits was originally owned by the British East India Company. These materials, passed on to … [Read more...] about Thousands of historical records from Hokkien community to be made publicly available

MELBOURNE: The chances of Asia producing a U.S. Open men's champion have plummeted with the withdrawal of former finalist Kei Nishikori, and even with a weak field at Flushing Meadows few of the region's best can even hope to reach the second week. While the women's side boasts Japanese former champion Naomi Osaka and a slew of Chinese talents that could make the quarter-finals, the men's seeds lack a single Asian name. Japan's Nishikori was the first man representing an Asian country to break through to a Grand Slam final at the 2014 tournament before Marin Cilic stopped him in the title match. The 30-year-old said on Wednesday he had tested negative for COVID-19 after testing positive twice this month but had decided to skip the U.S. Open anyway. Neither Nishikori nor any other Asian male has scaled such heights since, with the continent's emerging threats having suffered injury setbacks or failed to push on. The ATP's former 'Next Gen' champion Chung Hyeon came closest … [Read more...] about With no Nishikori, Asia brings few threats in men’s US Open draw

ILIGAN CITY—Maranao society is in mourning the passing of Princess Tarhata Alonto-Lucman, Lanao del Sur’s first woman governor and among the few local chief executives who defied the strongman rule of Ferdinand Marcos. The 94-year-old Lucman died just before daybreak on Friday at the Amai Pakpak Medical Center where she was confined for medical attention. Maranao women’s rights advocate and leader Samira Gutoc described Lucman as a leadership icon and the Bangsamoro’s equivalent of ‘The Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher. “We lost a true leader and a peacebuilder of the Bangsamoro,” said Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., a grandnephew of Lucman. Adiong noted how Lucman “fought for peace and development, and showed to society that a Moro woman is strong, confident and intelligent.” Adiong has hosted the wake in honor of Lucman at the provincial gym in anticipation of large throngs of people who would express sympathy to her family. Popularly known as Babu Tata, … [Read more...] about Lanao del Sur mourns passing of first woman governor