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Aussie Toll Hits 171; PM Cites 'Mass Murder'

Small town declared crime scene as devastation continues

(Newser) - The death toll from angry bushfires in Australia jumped to 171 today, reports Reuters, as the country's prime minister, fighting back tears, accused suspected arsonists of "mass murder." Up to 5,000 people have been left homeless; at one relief center, boards covered with Post-It notes beg for...

108 Dead in Aussie Fires
 108 Dead in Aussie Fires 
Feb 8, 2009 7:50 PM CST

108 Dead in Aussie Fires

Blazes destroy entire towns, continue to burn

(Newser) - More than 100 people are confirmed dead in the wildfires that have savaged southeast Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Entire towns have been wiped out, leaving gutted buildings and scorched cars. "There might only be 15 or 20 houses left in Marysville," a resident said. "There's...

Killer 'Santa' Was Out to Get His Mom

13 kids were orphaned by Pardo's rampage on Christmas Eve

(Newser) - The man who carried out a Christmas Eve killing spree dressed as Santa Claus had planned to kill his own mother, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo was furious with his mom for siding with his ex-wife in their bitter marital dispute and knew she was invited to...

Melting Santa Suit Burned Killer, Foiled Getaway

Gunman found with costume fused to skin

(Newser) - The California Santa killer, who committed suicide after massacring his ex-wife’s family, had planned an escape by plane—but he was foiled by third-degree burns as his Santa Claus suit melted onto his body, the Los Angeles Times reports. The explosion as he set fire to his ex-wife’s...

Death Toll Hits 8 in 'Santa' Slayings

Engineer carried firestarting device disguised as a gift

(Newser) - The death toll in the Christmas Eve massacre by a California man dressed as Santa Claus has now risen to at least eight as more details of the rampage emerge,  the Los Angeles Times reports. Bruce Jeffrey Pardo first shot in the face an 8-year-old girl who answered the...

Arson Supected in Fire at Palin's Church

(Newser) - A suspected arsonist set fire to Sarah Palin's church in Wasilla, Alaska, causing about $1 million in damage, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Investigators say they don't know if Palin's connection to the Wasilla Bible Church is a factor, and they have no suspects. Palin stopped by the church today...

Arson Suspected in Montecito Blaze

"All accidental causes" eliminated in Santa Barbara wildfire

(Newser) - Officials suspect arson in one of the three major fires currently blazing in California, CNN reports. Investigators have eliminated “all accidental causes” of the fire that has charred 1,940 acres and 210 homes in the Montecito area of Santa Barbara since Thursday, which officials now believe was sparked...

House Fire Masks Murders in NJ Town

4 bodies—2 confirmed shot to death—pulled from morning blaze

(Newser) - Police say a fire that left four dead in Irvington, NJ, this morning was set to destroy evidence of a multiple shooting earlier this morning, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. Two teenagers with bullet wounds were among the dead; a 13-year-old shot in the head was pronounced dead at the three-family...

UK Millionaire Set Fire After Killing Family

Footage shows Foster blocking exits before murder/suicide

(Newser) - Police have found the body of a UK millionaire inside the charred remains of his mansion, the Guardian reports. Authorities now believe Christopher Foster fatally shot his wife and teenage daughter, along with three family horses and four dogs, early on Aug. 26 before setting the house ablaze and turning...

UK Cops Hunt Millionaire Family in Arson Attack

Failed businessman 'not to be trusted,' according to judge

(Newser) - British police have issued an "all-ports" alert for a family whose mansion was mysteriously gutted by arson this week, the Independent reports. The charred remains of  the home are still unsafe to enter and police are unsure if the bodies of Christopher Foster, his wife and their teenage daughter...

Cops Probe 'Horrific' London Murder of French Students

Brits jolted by brutal killings

(Newser) - Scotland Yard detectives are investigating the "frenzied" murder of two French research students in their flat on a quiet London street, the BBC reports. The biochemistry students were tied up and stabbed a total of 243 times before being set alight. A man was seen running from the building...

50 Cent Sues Ex for $20M
 50 Cent Sues Ex for $20M 
Jun 21, 2008 7:55 AM CDT

50 Cent Sues Ex for $20M

Rapper fights back after she goes public with arson accusations

(Newser) - 50 Cent has slapped the mother of his 11-year-old son with a $20 million defamation lawsuit, the New York Daily News reports. The rapper's ex has publicly accused him of being behind the blaze that forced her out of the home they once shared. 50 Cent—barred from contacting his...

Fire Guts Mansion of Texas Governor

Officials cry arson after early morning blaze

(Newser) - Texas officials are crying arson after a fire ripped through the Texas Governor's Mansion today, the Austin-American Statesman reports. Flames gutted parts of the building and damaged the roof, but destroyed no artifacts, as the building had been emptied for renovations. Gov. Rick Perry and President Bush expressed their grief...

50 Cent Home Engulfed in 'Suspicious' Fire

Queens home, which housed his son and ex despite eviction notices, burns down

(Newser) - The multimillion-dollar, lawsuit-entangled New York home from which rapper 50 Cent was attempting to evict his son and baby mama went up in “definitely suspicious” flames early this morning, Newsday reports. An eyewitness told Newsday that the 32-year-old’s ex, Shaniqua Tompkins, and 10-year-old son were among six in...

Arsonist May Have Set Fla. Fires

Gov declares state of emergency, promises harsh consequences

(Newser) - Fires that have raged across Florida over the last 2 days may have been deliberately set, Gov. Charlie Crist said today. Investigators have pointed to the fact that many of the blazes in different places sprang up at once as evidence of arson, CNN reports. Almost 100 homes have been...

As Mortgages Melt Down, Owners Burn Up

Debt-motivated arson another facet of US subprime crisis

(Newser) - US homeowners are literally burning down their homes instead of paying their subprime mortgages. Last year saw a dramatic nationwide jump in apparently debt-motivated arson, the Los Angeles Times reports. “I'm busier now than a one-armed paper hanger,” said one investigator. “What is happening is terrifically economically...

'Domestic Terrorism' Hits Wash.
'Domestic Terrorism' Hits Wash.
Mar 3, 2008 1:55 PM CST

'Domestic Terrorism' Hits Wash.

Radical environmentalists suspected after sign is found at scene of fire

(Newser) - Fire destroyed three multimillion-dollar show homes near Seattle today, and explosives found inside led officials to give the cause as "domestic terrorism," the Post-Intelligencer reports. No one was injured in the fires, which seriously damaged two other houses. A radical environmentalist group apparently left a spray-painted sign criticizing...

Fire Destroys Seoul Landmark
Fire Destroys Seoul Landmark
Feb 11, 2008 3:10 AM CST

Fire Destroys Seoul Landmark

610-year-old national treasure reduced to rubble

(Newser) - A cherished South Korean landmark has been destroyed in a arsonist's fire, reports Reuters. A 610-year-old Seoul structure known as Namdaemun, or "Great South Gate," and regarded as the country's top national treasure collapsed after burning for hours last night. Police are searching for a man who they...

Turkish PM Tries to Quell Anger Over Fire

Deadly blaze in Germany raises ethnic tensions

(Newser) - Turkish PM Recep Erdogan today visited the site of a questionable Sunday fire in Germany that killed nine ethnic Turks and inflamed tensions between the country, Der Spiegel reports. Charges that the fire was arson, and that rescue workers were slow to respond, have captured headlines in Turkey; Erdogan mourned...

Scot Freed After 22 Years on Death Row in Ohio

Plea bargain ends protracted appeal

(Newser) - A Scotsman who had served almost 22 years on Ohio's death row was released today, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Kenneth Richey, 43, was convicted in 1986 of causing an apartment fire that caused the death of a 2-year-old, but after a protracted appeal process, a federal court overturned his conviction...

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