Woman known as 'Witness 9' told Florida detectives that Trayvon Martin's shooter doesn't 'like black people'

George Zimmerman's alleged racial prejudice returned as a central issue to the Trayvon Martin murder case on Monday as Florida prosecutors released a statement from a witness accusing the defendant of bias.

The woman, known only as "Witness 9", also accused Zimmerman of molesting her when they were children, in an explosive document that his legal team fought hard to keep suppressed.

The newly revealed allegation of racism comes only days after the release of other court documents that appeared to show the FBI discounting race as a factor when Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighbourhood watch captain, shot dead the unarmed black teenager during a confrontation in a Sanford gated community on 26 February.

Zimmerman's family, the witness told detectives, shared his alleged views.

"Him and his family don't like black people if they don't act like white people," she said. "They like black people if they act white."

Lawyers for Zimmerman, who has a Hispanic mother, have always denied that he was motivated by race and insist he was acting in self-defence when he fired the fatal shot because Martin, 17, was attacking him.

But race was a recurring theme during the six weeks of public protests that followed the original decision by police in Sanford to release Zimmerman without charge. It was only after a special prosecutor was appointed in April that he was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

He is currently free on $1m bond.

Reality television is a genre of television we're all familiar with by now. It's a type of programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded. It appears that for the most part the more dumbed down and situationally unaware the individual characters are on these TV shows the more honour, prestige and popularity they maintain amongst viewers.

Occasionally I like to watch TV and attempt to grasp and understand the beliefs and cultural activities of the mainstream. I wish not to appear arrogant in anyway here, I am very aware of the many people, like myself who do their best to disengage from watching television, for many uphold the belief that television is basically poisonous on all levels of being. Please note that it is not about wrong or right and that those who engage in television religiously or obsessively are wrong or have misplaced values, they simply are part of the mainstream. They say though to be able to fight your enemy with prowess, power and succession it is wise to know your enemy; hence why I like to sit in front of the idiot box and contemplate the stupidities on TV and hey if I had to be honest there are some TV shows that do amuse and entertain me at a superficial level, so I also feel part of the mainstream.

When these people or reality TV 'stars' perform feats of absolute stupidity, act in an idiotic or ignorant way it seems to be more appealing to producers and revered by the public. This must be the case, otherwise why would the media continuously place these individuals on TV? Obviously the producers of the show either believe or wish to create a culture where we idolise stupidity, superficial aesthetics and negative character traits such as deception, violent & aberrant behaviour, slyness, selfishness, stupidity and cunningness (just to name a few). Why? Ratings. What do writings equate to? Cash Money! It's all about the perception of what will attract more viewers; to ultimately bring more advertising dollars in and increase the longevity and ratings of that particular show.

First there was Kobe beef, Japan-born cows raised on beer. Now, the French have experimented with what is now called "Vinbovin" -- cattle being served two or three bottles of Languedoc wine a day.

The idea came from the president of an association of wine, Jean-Charles Tastavy. Languedoc-Roussillon winemaker Jean-Charles Tastavy conceived of his plan after hearing of studies in Spain and Canada that highlighted the merits of keeping animals happy to yield better meat.

"Why don't we do what others are doing elsewhere?" Tastavy said.

With the assistance of the General Council of Hérault and FDSEA, an association has been created, the brand "Vinbovin" trademark was created and the rules made.

2 or 3 glasses of wine a day

"For each animal, alcohol intake should be equivalent to the amount recommended by health authorities for a man, namely two or three glasses of wine a day. For cattle, it is 1 liter to 1 liter and half," explains Tastavy.

In 2011, the draft of an essay, a first in France, was launched. And it is Chaballier Claude, who owns a ranch where the bulls are in surplus for slaughterhouses, which agreed to embark on this adventure. A second experiment is scheduled from August to September.

After the last harvest, three cattle received grape pomace supplemented by the rolled barley and hay at will, all washed down with water. Then, two liters of wine from Saint-Genies of Mourgues replaced the marc. "The cattle liked the menu and ate with relish," said Chaballier.

Stephen Emmott is a professor of computing at Oxford University and head of Microsoft's Computational Science Laboratory in Cambridge. His lab is devoted to finding new techniques and ideas for solving key scientific problems. One of his research groups works on small-scale issues including the make-up of living cells and includes immunologists and neuroscientists. Another group is focused on global problems including the carbon cycle and is made up of plant biologists and marine ecologists.

Emmott, who is 52, is also the star of the forthcoming solo theatrical production Ten Billion, a co-operation between himself and distinguished director Katie Mitchell, whose past works have included A Woman Killed with Kindness at the National Theatre. The show opens at the Royal Court in London this week and focuses on the state our planet will be in when its population reaches 10 billion.

Steven Van Zandt, a guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band, has accused England of becoming "police state" after "The Boss" and Sir Paul McCartney were silenced for breaching a council curfew at Hard Rock Calling.

Van Zandt, 61, who has also stared in cult US drama series The Sopranos, aired his frustration at the gig's premature ending at the concert in Hyde Park, central London on Saturday night.

Organisers said it was "unfortunate" that the performance was stopped at the end but insisted the curfew was put in place for to help protect "public health and safety".

The decision, however, sparked outrage amongst fans while Van Zandt took to Twitter to accuse England of becoming a "police state".

Sir Paul had joined Springsteen, 62, and his E Street band on stage at the Hard Rock Calling music festival following a performance by the American rock star that had lasted more than three hours.

The US singer greeted the former Beatle, 70, by saying "I've been waiting for this for 50 years".

Springsteen, known for his long performances, had exceeded the curfew by half an hour.

An 11-story building under construction in Egypt has collapsed and killed people in smaller buildings around it.

The ministry said five people were injured and teams were searching on Sunday for survivors buried under rubble.

The 11-story building in the poor Alexandria neighborhood of al-Gomrouk collapsed late on Saturday onto three adjacent buildings, reducing much of the structures to rubble. All the dead and injured were in the three smaller buildings.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shanty towns, poor city neighborhoods and rural areas.

With real estate at a premium in big cities like Alexandria and Cairo, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate planning permits and exceed the number of storeys allowed.

Many Haitians displaced by the 2010 earthquake are moving to crowded homes or slums. Others fare better with a rental subsidy, but it's temporary.
Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Facing the crumpled remnants of the national palace, an expansive plaza is punctuated by trees, benches and statues of Haitian heroes. Students read in the shade, women gossip, children play soccer.

This serene picture in Port-au-Prince's central square might seem ordinary, but it is not. After a massive earthquake devastated Haiti's capital on Jan. 12, 2010, about 5,000 displaced people took shelter on the square, turning it into a crowded and dangerous new neighborhood.

Now, 2 1/2 years later, the plaza known as Champs de Mars has been cleared, save for a few straggling tents.

The number of displaced Haitians has dropped from 1.5 million to just under 400,000, according to the International Organization of Migration, changing the look of a capital whose landscape was defined for many months by piles of rubble and fraying tent encampments.

But the progress is largely cosmetic. Although a few camps have benefited from aid programs, a grave underlying housing shortage means that the majority of those who left the camps have disappeared into the overcrowded homes of relatives or constructed precarious shacks in hillside slums.

The Vermont State Police sergeant who allegedly defrauded the state of thousands of dollars in overtime faces two felony charges of false claims greater than $500, with a possible sentence for each of up to five years in prison or $10,000 in fines.

Chittenden County State's Attorney TJ Donovan, whose office is prosecuting the case, said it went beyond Deeghan simply claiming to work when he wasn't.

"It's not just padding a paycheck. It's fabricating events that did not occur," Donovan said.

An affidavit submitted to the Chittenden County District Court arraignment Friday allege that former Sgt. James Deeghan, 49, who has been a State Police officer since 1990, fraudulently claimed 63 hours of overtime between June 3 and June 30. A state police investigation suggests Deeghan made up entire incidents, such as three traffic tickets, two car accidents and a building alarm.

The fraudulent timesheet claims add up to $3,023.28 for the month of June, according to a report submitted by Lt. James Cruise of the State Police. Since the fraud in question took place over two separate pay periods, the state was able to bring two felony counts against Deeghan.

Pennsylvania - A state trooper was arrested Thursday night and charged with drunken driving while behind the wheel of his police cruiser, police said.

Kevin Daniel Wackley, 47, of Tamaqua, was on duty at the time of his arrest at 8 p.m. on old state Route 22 near Reservoir Road in Windsor Township, Berks County, a news release states.

Police said they received information that Wackley may be intoxicated and determined that he had been drinking, the release states.

Police did not provide Wackley's blood-alcohol level.

Wackley has been suspended pending the disposition of the investigation, state police said.

Charges against Wackley will be filed via summons, police said.

Source: MCT Information Services

California - Police have clashed with crowds in downtown Los Angeles, where the monthly Art Walk event was being held. Officials say 4 policemen were treated for minor injuries.

The Los Angeles Times said 19 people have been arrested after a skirmish, according to local authorities.

The otherwise peaceful party night apparently turned violent, as police wearing riot gear tried to disperse members of the Occupy movement. Some 200 Occupiers joined the festivities and were writing protest slogans in chalk.