"American" dentist and his engineer wife taught harsh lesson after SHOPLIFTING while visiting one of the strictest countries on Earth
An American dentist and his engineer wife spent weeks behind bars after being caught red-handed stealing luxury items in notoriously strict Singapore.
The pair, Kapadia Husain Zoher, 35, and Kapadia Amatullah, 30, were arrested on June 23 after stealing from designer shops at Changi Airport.
Authorities said the couple, who are both US nationals, stole more than $750 of upmarket items from Louis Vuitton and Dior at the airport before trying to board their jet.
They made it all the way to their seats on a flight set for Mumbai before airport police hauled them away.
Cops said that CCTV from inside the airport captured the couple in the act, and both were swiftly prosecuted and subsequently pleaded guilty to theft.
Zoher was handed an 18-day jail sentence and his wife was sentenced to a week behind bars for the brazen shoplifting.
State Prosecuting Officer (SPO) Ng Chee Wee argued at their sentencing that Zoher 'had stolen out of greed.
'He had a habit of overspending, and he did not want to pay,' the prosecutor said.
American dentist Kapadia Husain Zoher, 35, and his engineer wife spent weeks behind bars after being caught red-handed stealing luxury items in an airport in notoriously strict Singapore
Zoher (left) and his wife Kapadia Amatullah, 30 (right) were arrested on June 23 after stealing $750 worth of luxury items, and spent 18 days and a week behind bars, respectively, after pleading guilty
The couple were snared at Singapore's Changi Airport (pictured) after being caught on CCTV
Authorities said the couple's shoplifting spree began around 5pm after they entered Changi Airport's terminal 1.
They were seen on CCTV targeting a Louis Vuitton store first, where Zoher stole a credit card holder worth $600.
The couple then moved to Terminal 3 around 5:40pm and went to Cosmetics & Perfumes by The Shilla, a designer store.
Zoher then took a bottle of Dior Sauvage perfume worth around $160 and slipped it into his pocket, with prosecutors saying he had his wife act as a lookout.
According to an image of Zoher at his dentistry practice, he works at a clinic in Houston, Texas.
He and his wife got off lightly for their stealing frenzy.
Singapore has one of the world's lowest crime rate thanks to draconian laws that outlaw chewing gum, e-cigarettes and the failure to flush a public toilet.
People caught taking drugs face lengthy prison sentences and 24 strokes with a cane.
Anyone caught dealing illegal substances is executed.
French farmers have a devised a clever way of dealing with hordes of squatters on their land - and it involves truckloads of manure.
Tractors were let loose on a farm in Hautes-Vosges to drive around in circles spraying a brown sludgy-looking liquid in their wake.
Scores of white caravans and cars were parked up on the outskirts of the land - in addition to one red Ferrari.
Desperate "Travellers" ran after the tractors as they spread the off-putting substances with one even managing to hold onto the side where he shouted and shook his fist angrily.
But their efforts were of no avail as the enraged man eventually tumbled off the vehicle and others were unable to catch up.
Local media reports the farmers decided to take matters into their own hands after 'not receiving any help from the police' to 'get rid of an illegal gypsy camp'.
The farmers spayed liquid manure (slurry) from their tanks to make the area so unpleasant the squatters would be forced to vacate.
Slurry is made up of a mixture of manure and water and is a known tactic used by farmers to get rid of unwanted visitors.
Tractors were let loose on a farm to drive around in circles spraying a brown sludgy-looking liquid in their wake. Pictured: A squatter manages to cling onto the vehicle - but not for long
'How to get rid of squatters on your property ... farmer style'
Scores of white caravans and cars can be seen parked up on the outskirts of the land
The incident follows a number of complaints from European farmers over trespassers on their land.
'The sprayed liquid is pig manure. The smell is so strong and long-lasting that the air is unbreathable for several days.'
Israeli hospital to join NASA, SpaceX mission to study microgravity’s effects on diseases
For this experiment, Sheba Hospital (at Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan) will partner with the US firm SpaceTango to grow several bacterial species aboard the ISS using a specially designed Earth-controlled system.
Astronauts are seen inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying two veteran NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months after the capsule undocked from the ISS to begin a journey to return to Earth March 18, 2025. (photo credit: NASA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Sheba Medical Center’s ARC Digital Innovation Center is joining a NASA and SpaceX mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday for a study on the extreme conditions of space, Sheba announced on Wednesday.
The experiment, dubbed the ARC Space Lab, is the second of its kind from Sheba, which remains the only hospital in Israel carrying out studies in space.
How does microgravity impact diseases?
One of the major barriers facing humankind’s continued expansion into outer space is the unknown effects of long-term space travel on the human body. Finding out how to help astronauts adapt to challenges they may face when off planet for extended periods of time is a natural and essential step forward for medical science.
Intracellular gonorrhea bacteria seen in gram staining under a microscope. (credit: Rextta. Via Shutterstock)
For this experiment, Sheba will partner with the US firm SpaceTango to grow several bacterial species aboard the ISS using a specially designed Earth-controlled system. After growth under microgravity, the bacteria will be stabilized, frozen at -80°C and returned to Earth for molecular and transcriptional analysis and direct comparison to bacteria grown simultaneously in an identical lab setup on Earth.
It is known that space has an impact on bacteria. For example, astronauts are more likely to develop infections, theorized to be due to a combination of microgravity, radiation, stress, and changes in the human microbiome.
However, this goes both ways. In a previous ARC Space Lab study, it was found that bacteria in space are less likely to develop antibiotic resistance. This was a major discovery and went against the prevailing hypotheses of the time, and the findings of this study were published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Microbiology Spectrum.
“We know that space conditions affect bacterial behavior, including how they grow, express genes, and acquire traits like antibiotic resistance or virulence,” Sheba Infectious Diseases Unit head Prof. Ohad Gal-Mor said in a statement.
“This experiment will allow us, for the first time, to systematically and molecularly map how the genetic expression profile of several pathogenic bacteria changes in space. The insights we gain will augment our understanding of infectious disease risks in space travel, and also expand our knowledge of gene regulation and bacterial physiology in general.”
Sheba ARC director Prof. Eyal Zimlichman added, “To understand the limits of medicine, we sometimes need to go beyond the limits of Earth. Our experiment in space examines how bacterial behavior changes under extreme conditions and what that means for human health—not just for astronauts, but also here on Earth. This is part of ARC’s mission to shape the future of medicine, wherever it’s needed.”
Israeli Scientists Send Bacteria to Space with NASA & SpaceX to Study Disease Evolution
Inside the town addicted to Coca-Cola where residents drink 800 Liters every YEAR and children are bottle-fed with the soft drink
In a remote mountain town where clean drinking water is considered a luxury, locals are turning to Coca-Cola - and not just for refreshment.
In Mexico's poorest and southernmost state of Chiapas, fizzy drinks are deeply ingrained in the local culture.
And in the town of San Cristobal de las Casas, the obsession has spiralled out of control, with some residents guzzling up to two litres of Coca-Cola every day, or around 800 litres a year, according to the Chiapas and Southern Border Multidisciplinary Research Center.
The iconic red and white logos line shop shelves, street stalls and even sacred shrines.
And the town's obsession with Coca-Cola does not stop there, as some residents are even known to fill their children's baby bottles with Coke instead of milk.
An hour away from San Cristobal, in the Indigenous town of San Andres, locals consider the fizzy beverage liquid gold.
Shamans will use it as part of their religious ceremonies and regularly pray over bottles of Coca-Cola as they carry out rituals.
Fridges stocked with bottles of Coke sit next to their sacred shrines, ready to sell to faithful locals who use them as offerings, as many believe the drink has healing powers.
Shamans use it as part of their religious ceremonies and regularly pray over bottles of Coca-Cola as they carry out rituals.
In Mexico's poorest and southernmost state of Chiapas, fizzy drinks are deeply ingrained in the local culture
The iconic red and white bottles line shop shelves, street stalls and even sacred shrines
But religion is not the only reason for the state's dependency on Coca-Cola, and behind the ritual lies a dark reality.
With a growing population, safe drinking water has become increasingly scarce in the area, with some neighbourhoods only having access to running water a few times a week.
Just 7 per cent of households in Chiapas believe their water is safe to drink, according to a 2023 national survey, forcing many to buy bottled water or the fizzy drink, which is just as cheap.
A local plant owned by Femsa, a food and drink conglomerate that owns the rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola in Latin America, is allowed to extract more than 1.3million litres of water a day as part of a concession with the federal government.
Mexico's children consume more junk food than anywhere else in Latin America, according to UNICEF, which classifies the nation's childhood obesity epidemic as an emergency
In the town of San Cristobal de las Casas, the obsession has spiralled out of control, with some residents guzzling up to two litres of Coca-Cola every single day
Just 7 per cent of households in Chiapas believe their water is safe to drink, according to a 2023 national survey, forcing many to buy bottled water or the fizzy drink, which is just as cheap
A local plant owned by Femsa, a food and drink conglomerate that owns the rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola in Latin America, is allowed to extract more than 1.3 million litres of water a day as part of a concession with the federal government
But Coca-Cola's popularity has led to a 'catastrophic' obesity crisis in Chiapas
As a result, Coca-Cola has flooded the market and has become embedded in Mexico's daily life and culture.
But Coca-Cola's popularity has led to a 'catastrophic' obesity crisis in Chiapas, health officials say, with several residents now suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
Mexico's children consume more junk food than anywhere else in Latin America, according to UNICEF, which classifies the nation's childhood obesity epidemic as an emergency.
Sugary drinks and highly processed foods account for 40 per cent of the total calories that children consume in a day, the agency reports.
One third of Mexican children are already considered overweight or obese, according to government statistics.
A 2020 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed Mexico stands to lose the greatest amount of life expectancy - an average of at least four years - due to obesity-related problems.
In coming years, the country could lose over five percent of its GDP to obesity-related problems, including lost work hours and health costs.
Health authorities say about 39 per cent of Mexicans are overweight and 36 per cent are obese.
In the Indigenous town of San Andres, locals consider the fizzy beverage liquid gold
Health authorities say about 39 per cent of Mexicans are overweight and 36 per cent are obese.
Obesity levels in Chiapas are largely linked to the consumption to the high-calorie sugary drink
About 10 per cent of Mexicans have some form of diabetes.
In Coca-Cola-addicted Chiapas, which boasts a population of more than 5 million, many people die from diabetes-related illnesses, making it the second leading cause of death after heart disease in the state.
Obesity levels in Chiapas are largely linked to the consumption to the high-calorie sugary drink.
The Coca-Cola Company opened its first bottling franchise in Mexico around 1921 with Grupo Tampico, and then Grupo ARMA.[Monterrey-based FEMSA is currently the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Mexico and most of Latin America.
Kosher for Pesach Coke
A version of Coca-Cola is bottled in Israel during the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover in English). The corn syrup in the standard recipe is replaced by cane sugar in compliance with Jewish dietary law, which states that no grains or grain products may be consumed during the holiday. It is packaged differently than standard Coke; a yellow bottle cap is used on the Kosher for Pesach bottles and the packaging is written in both Hebrew and English. It is exported internationally and can often be found in American kosher supermarkets during and around Pesach.
