Tag Archives: determination

Mum of Suicide Victim Shocked After She Discovered Son’s Body on Display in Museum — the Truth Behind the Claim

Posted on by
Reply

Mother of a suicide victim, Christopher Todd Erick, claimed that she saw her son’s remains displayed in a Las Vegas museum, sparking shock, fear, and widespread attention online. According to Kim Erick, while visiting the Real Bodies exhibition a show featuring plastinated human specimens she recognised a figure she believed to be her deceased son. The museum, however, has firmly denied these allegations, stating that there is no connection between the exhibit and Christopher. Here is the truth behind the claim. The Viral Story and Public Reaction The claim quickly spread across social media platforms and news sites, generating a mix of outrage, sympathy, and disbelief. The posts described the mother’s distress, suggesting that she had unexpectedly come face-to-face with her son’s body years after his death. Some reports emphasised her emotional response, highlighting her heartbreak and disbelief at the thought that her son could have been displayed publicly without her consent. According to the report of LADbible, Kim Erick maintained that certain features on the plastinated figure including a skull fracture and tattoo marks resembled those of her son. ‘I knew it was him. It was so unbelievably painful to look at. My words cannot describe how this shook me and my family to its core,’ Erick said. ‘I was actually looking at pictures of my son’s skinned, butchered body. It is gut-wrenching,’ she added. The mother insisted that these details were too specific to be coincidental and expressed her determination to confirm the truth. ‘I started looking online for the deep skull fracture I saw in Chris’ right temple of his head when he died. When I saw the plastinated body online in the news article with this same skull fracture. it was too painful to look closer,’ she said. Museum Denies Allegations and The Truth Imagine Exhibitions, the company behind the Real Bodies show, responded swiftly, rejecting the claim entirely. The exhibition confirmed that the figure in question has been on display since 2004, eight years before Christopher’s death in 2012. And further clarified that all specimens are ethically sourced, legally obtained, and unidentifiable, meaning it is impossible for the body to belong to a specific individual, including Christopher. In a statement to Lead Stories, the company said, ‘There is no factual basis for these allegations. The referenced specimen has been on continuous display in Las Vegas since 2004 and cannot be associated with the individual named in these claims. All specimens are ethically sourced, legally obtained, and unidentifiable.’ Archival photographs and video are also verified showing the same seated plastinated figure on display in Las Vegas as far back as 2006, further disproving the claim that the body could be Christopher’s. Furthermore, Christopher’s remains have been cremated. Mother’s Grief Led to This Belief Erick’s belief that she had seen her son’s body is believed to be closely tied to her grief and the circumstances surrounding his death. Christopher Todd Erick tragically died by suicide, and his father reportedly arranged for an immediate cremation. This left Kim Erick without the chance to view, verify, or say goodbye to her son’s remains, leaving her with deep emotional trauma. The sudden loss, combined with her inability to confirm her son’s final resting place, may have contributed to her perception that she recognised him in the museum exhibit. ‘ While the museum has repeatedly denied the claim, Erick’s insistence reflects the intensity of a mother’s grief and the desire for closure. Ethical Issues Surrounding Human Exhibits Even though the claim has been debunked, it still raises wider questions about plastinated body exhibitions. Critics often question the origin of the bodies, consent, and whether displaying human remains in public is morally acceptable. Supporters of exhibitions say they provide an educational opportunity to understand anatomy and the human body up close. Although the claim has been debunked, it is hard not to acknowledge that exhibits like this naturally attract emotional reactions, as demonstrated by Erick’s response, showing how such displays can provoke fear, grief, and controversy, even when the allegations are unfounded.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mum-suicide-victim-shocked-after-she-discovered-sons-body-display-museum-truth-behind-claim-1757525

Michael Bibi makes large donation to Royal Marsden Hospital

Posted on by
Reply

Over two years ago, Michael Bibi revealed his cancer diagnosis, and the global music community came together to support his journey. Fortunately, he came out with a positive diagnosis and is now giving back to the institution that helped cure him. When Michael Bibi declared himself cancer-free and returned to the stage, it was an amazing and cathartic experience for the producer and fans alike. His strength and determination shone through, and he used his platform to curate his One Life events, raising money for cancer research and care. Now two years removed from that harrowing ordeal, Bibi continues to recognize the staff and hospital that treated him throughout his cancer journey. In celebration of the two-year mark, he returned to Royal Marsden Hospital and provided a sizeable donation to the hospital. During his visit, he was scanned again and remains cancer-free. He also met with the staff there and delivered a check for nearly £114, 000 to the organization. His continued devotion to the hospital is a beautiful development from what began as a terrifying diagnosis. It is great to see Michael Bibi continue to perform on stages around the world and raise awareness and funds for cancer research and treatment.
https://weraveyou.com/2025/11/michael-bibi-royal-marsden-hospital-donation/

U.S. seizes additional crypto linked to North Korea’s illegal network

Posted on by
Reply

**U.S. Department of Justice Convicts Several in Scheme Aiding North Korea’s Fraudulent Digital Asset Gains**

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday the conviction of several criminals involved in schemes that helped the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) illicitly obtain large amounts of digital assets. The DOJ also successfully recovered approximately $15 million in proceeds tied to remote information technology (IT) work and a cryptocurrency heist.

According to the DOJ, North Korea uses such fraudulent schemes to finance its weapons programs and other priorities, in direct violation of international sanctions. Investigations revealed that facilitators based in the U.S. and Ukraine assisted North Korean actors in securing remote IT employment with U.S. companies, furthering these illicit gains.

### U.S. Nationals Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

Court documents linked to five guilty pleas show that the hackers’ schemes affected over 136 U.S. victim companies, generating more than $2.2 million in revenue for the DPRK regime. The fraudulent activities also compromised the identities of more than 18 U.S. citizens.

The DOJ further disclosed that a North Korean hacking group known as Advanced Persistent Threat 38 (APT38) executed a multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency heist across four overseas digital asset platforms in 2023. The U.S. government is now seeking to return the seized virtual currency—valued at over $15 million—to the rightful owners.

“Hostile nation-states raising funds for illicit programs by stealing from digital asset exchanges threatens both national security and economic stability,” said Mathew Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is steadfast in its determination to forfeit ill-gotten gains from bad actors and return funds to victims.”

### Details of the Fraudulent Scheme

Court filings from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia revealed that U.S. nationals Audricus Phagnasay, Jason Salazar, and Alexander Paul Travis pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy.

Authorities found that Phagnasay and Travis knowingly provided their U.S. identities to remote IT workers located outside the country, enabling those workers to fraudulently apply for and obtain employment with U.S. companies.

Additionally, the trio hosted laptops provided by the victim companies at their residences and installed unauthorized remote access software. This setup created the false impression that the remote IT workers were legitimately working from the defendants’ homes.

The defendants also facilitated completion of employer vetting procedures on behalf of the remote workers. Notably, both Travis and Salazar appeared for drug testing intended for the remote employees.

### Court-Imposed Fines

The court fined Alexander Paul Travis at least $51,397 for his role in the scheme. Audricus Phagnasay and Jason Salazar were fined approximately $3,450 and $4,500, respectively.

U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap for the Southern District of Georgia praised the cooperation among U.S. law enforcement agencies in uncovering, investigating, and prosecuting those involved in the fraudulent activities.

### Additional Guilty Pleas and Charges

Ukrainian national Oleksandr Didenko also pleaded guilty earlier this week to one count each of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia revealed that Didenko’s IT worker clients were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by U.S. companies for their work.

Didenko agreed to forfeit more than $1.4 million, including about $570,000 in both fiat currency and digital assets seized from him and his co-conspirators.

Furthermore, U.S. national Erick Ntekereze Prince pleaded guilty on November 6 to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. The Southern District of Florida court uncovered that Prince’s company, Taggcar Inc., supplied purportedly certified IT workers to U.S. companies between June 2020 and August 2024. Prince knowingly hosted U.S. company-provided laptops used by IT workers employing stolen or false identities to secure employment.

In January 2025, Prince, U.S. national Emanuel Ashtor, and Mexican national Pedro Ernesto Alonso de los Reyes were charged for their participation in the scheme. The fraudulent IT worker operation generated over $943,000 in salary payments from U.S. companies.

Currently, Pedro Ernesto Alonso de los Reyes is awaiting extradition from the Netherlands, while Emanuel Ashtor’s trial is pending.

—

*Claim your free seat in an exclusive crypto trading community limited to 1,000 members.*
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/crypto/u-s-seizes-additional-crypto-linked-to-north-koreas-illegal-network/

Iran and the Western double standards

Posted on by
Reply

The reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, initially imposed by the Security Council between 2006 and 2010, reflects the continued determination of the US-led West to subject Iran’s nuclear programme to arbitrary controls that go far beyond the requirements of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

These sanctions, alongside others imposed by the US, are ostensibly aimed at nuclear non-proliferation. However, their real objectives include overcoming Iranian opposition to Western hegemony in the Middle East, maintaining the West’s stranglehold on the region’s vast energy resources, controlling vital international trade routes, and ensuring the security of Israel, which serves as the United States’ military outpost in the Middle East.

The Western countries’ selective approach to nuclear non-proliferation is evident in how most of them have turned a blind eye when Israel— not a signatory to the NPT— embarked on its nuclear weapons programme. Countries like France and the UK have directly or indirectly aided Israel in this effort, while the US has tacitly accepted Israel’s acquisition of nuclear weapons. As a result, Israel is widely believed to possess over 80 nuclear warheads.

Regarding Iran, historical records show that during the reign of the Shah—a US ally—negotiations took place between the US and Iran to allow Iran to receive US nuclear technology. In 1975, President Ford approved a policy decision permitting the use of US material and equipment in Iran’s nuclear programme, including the provision of a full nuclear fuel cycle. This would have included plutonium reprocessing and uranium enrichment facilities under safeguards, as allowed under the NPT.

However, the US position changed dramatically after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, which interrupted the planned sale of US reprocessing and enrichment plants. The main reasons for denying these technologies to Iran were the growing animosity between the two countries, especially following the 1979 hostage crisis; Iran’s revolutionary government’s commitment to the Palestinian cause; and its resistance to American hegemony in the Middle East.

The discovery of clandestine Iranian uranium conversion and enrichment facilities at Isfahan and Natanz in 2002 led to Western pressure on Iran and UN Security Council resolutions demanding the suspension of uranium enrichment. Iran’s refusal to comply with these resolutions resulted in the Security Council imposing sanctions through various resolutions adopted between 2006 and 2010.

In July 2015, Iran and the P5+1—which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, and the European Union—signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The agreement placed Iran’s nuclear programme under several restrictions to ensure it remained peaceful, in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

However, the reimposition of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran threatens to further weaken its economy and may destabilize it internally. In May 2018, President Trump announced America’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, citing domestic criticism over the deal’s sunset clauses—allowing restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme to expire—and insufficient restrictions on its ballistic missile programme. He also signed an order reinstating US nuclear sanctions on Iran that had previously been waived under the JCPOA.

In response to the US withdrawal, Iran gradually reduced its compliance with the agreement by exceeding the agreed limits on enriched uranium stockpiles and enrichment levels and by installing advanced centrifuges used for uranium enrichment. Subsequent talks between Iran and the US and European Union failed to resolve the outstanding issues.

Following President Trump’s re-election, additional attempts were made by the US and the E3 (Britain, France, and Germany) to find a mutually satisfactory settlement. These efforts failed mainly due to America’s insistence that Iran completely abandon uranium enrichment. This impasse ultimately led to Israeli and American airstrikes on June 13 and June 22, respectively, causing extensive damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities. Notably, the US airstrikes severely damaged Iran’s underground uranium enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow.

Against this backdrop, the European powers triggered the snapback mechanism about a month ago to reimpose UN Security Council sanctions on Iran, which had been lifted under the JCPOA provisions, accusing Iran of failing to comply with its obligations under the nuclear deal. A resolution tabled by China and Russia to delay the reimposition of sanctions for six months to allow more time for diplomacy failed to secure the necessary support in the Security Council, due to opposition from the US and European powers. Pakistan and Algeria voted in favor of the Sino-Russian resolution.

The reimposed UN Security Council sanctions, which came into effect on September 28, include an arms embargo, asset freezes, travel bans, and prohibitions on transferring sensitive nuclear and missile technologies to Iran. Russia has condemned the reimposition of sanctions as unlawful, while Iran has warned of a harsh response.

The renewed sanctions are likely to further weaken Iran’s economy and increase the risk of internal destabilization. Externally, increased Western pressure may push Iran closer toward political, security, and economic cooperation with China and Russia.

If diplomatic reason prevails, Iran might seek to foster closer, friendly relations with neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to promote a more secure regional environment.

At the global level, the treatment of Iran sends a stark message: the world appears to be moving toward anarchy, where power rather than international law or morality will prevail, and the United Nations may be sidelined in addressing major issues of war and peace.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1348317-iran-and-the-western-double-standards