Falling in Love -- a Gender-Bending Experience
LONDON (Reuters) - Falling in love -- that crazy, blissful feeling -- causes gender-bender changes in men and women's testosterone levels.
A study by an Italian researcher shows that when couples fall in love their testosterone levels alter. It falls in men and rises in women so they become more like each other.
"Men who were in love had lower levels of the male sex hormone testosterone -- linked to aggression and sex drive -- than other men," New Scientist magazine said Wednesday.
"Love-struck women, in contrast, had higher levels of testosterone than their counterparts."
Donatella Marazziti, a scientist at the University of Pisa in Italy, made the discovery after studying 24 people in love.
"It's as if nature wants to eliminate what can be different in men and women, because it's important to survive at this stage," she said.
Not all scientists agree with Marazziti's interpretation of the results and some say changing testosterone levels could be a result of increased sexual activity.
But whatever the reason it doesn't last long.
Two years later, when the same people were tested again and were no longer madly in love, their testosterone levels were back to normal.
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Stalking More Prevalent Than Thought?
LONDON (Reuters) - Hollywood stars are not the only people to be hounded by stalkers.
Stalkers are more likely to harass ordinary people than generally thought, according to a study published in Britain on Thursday, which said one in eight British adults are victims of "persistent or unwanted attention."
"The public perception is of stalking as a crime that effects only celebrities," said the report by researchers at the University of Liverpool.
"However, recent large-scale studies in the USA and Australia suggest the prevalence in the general population may be far higher than expected."
Stalkers are most likely to target professional women in their 40s with jobs that put them in positions of responsibility or bring them into close contact with clients, the researchers found, after examining data from Britain, the United States and Australia.
People such as surgeons, social workers, lawyers and therapists may become a target for harassment, said co-author Professor David Canter.
"If you are in a professional position and somebody does seem to be taking a particular interest in you, you do have to be alert to the possibility that this could be difficult to handle," Canter told Reuters.
Canter has had first-hand experience of harassment, having taken a former secretary to court to stop her from phoning him 100 times a day to demand that he renew her short-term contract.
Up to 45 percent of stalking episodes included violence and in many cases the stalking behavior did not stop until the victim made drastic changes to his or her life, the study showed.
The authors warned that confrontation generally leads to increased stalking activity and advised victims not to respond or react to their stalker in any way, but to inform the police and document the stalker's behavior.
The problem can affect companies as well as individuals, Canter said. Drawing the line between harassment and legitimate claims can also be difficult for firms, which can be targeted over issues such as compensation or intellectual property.
"Companies can get themselves into some of the most terrible knots over these people who target them because they try to deal with them in a rational way, the way you would with any other request," he said. The study was sponsored by Chubb Insurance, which said it offers a policy to cover stalking.
LONDON (Reuters) - Hollywood stars are not the only people to be hounded by stalkers.
Stalkers are more likely to harass ordinary people than generally thought, according to a study published in Britain on Thursday, which said one in eight British adults are victims of "persistent or unwanted attention."
"The public perception is of stalking as a crime that effects only celebrities," said the report by researchers at the University of Liverpool.
"However, recent large-scale studies in the USA and Australia suggest the prevalence in the general population may be far higher than expected."
Stalkers are most likely to target professional women in their 40s with jobs that put them in positions of responsibility or bring them into close contact with clients, the researchers found, after examining data from Britain, the United States and Australia.
People such as surgeons, social workers, lawyers and therapists may become a target for harassment, said co-author Professor David Canter.
"If you are in a professional position and somebody does seem to be taking a particular interest in you, you do have to be alert to the possibility that this could be difficult to handle," Canter told Reuters.
Canter has had first-hand experience of harassment, having taken a former secretary to court to stop her from phoning him 100 times a day to demand that he renew her short-term contract.
Up to 45 percent of stalking episodes included violence and in many cases the stalking behavior did not stop until the victim made drastic changes to his or her life, the study showed.
The authors warned that confrontation generally leads to increased stalking activity and advised victims not to respond or react to their stalker in any way, but to inform the police and document the stalker's behavior.
The problem can affect companies as well as individuals, Canter said. Drawing the line between harassment and legitimate claims can also be difficult for firms, which can be targeted over issues such as compensation or intellectual property.
"Companies can get themselves into some of the most terrible knots over these people who target them because they try to deal with them in a rational way, the way you would with any other request," he said. The study was sponsored by Chubb Insurance, which said it offers a policy to cover stalking.
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Man Bites Dog
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A man fleeing police in the South African city of Durban bit the dog and police officer ordered to apprehend him, police said on Friday.
"The guy actually bit the dog... He was stupid because those dogs are trained not to let go," Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen of Durban police told Reuters.
The man ran from a house where he is accused of raping a young mother at knife-point on Thursday. The police dog unit was alerted to give chase. The man is expected to be charged with rape and robbery.
Veldhuizen said the man bit the policeman's finger right through to the bone, but the dog was fine.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A man fleeing police in the South African city of Durban bit the dog and police officer ordered to apprehend him, police said on Friday.
"The guy actually bit the dog... He was stupid because those dogs are trained not to let go," Superintendent Danelia Veldhuizen of Durban police told Reuters.
The man ran from a house where he is accused of raping a young mother at knife-point on Thursday. The police dog unit was alerted to give chase. The man is expected to be charged with rape and robbery.
Veldhuizen said the man bit the policeman's finger right through to the bone, but the dog was fine.
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Tax Scofflaw Names Posted on Web Site
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Massachusetts' tax delinquents, who owe the state a total of $140 million, gained some unwanted visibility after the state started posting their names on its Web site, a Department of Revenue spokesman said on Thursday.
The state started posting the names of 1,481 individuals and businesses who owe $25,000 or more on Wednesday after notices were sent to the scofflaws nine months ago.
The state initially told them they had six months to respond. Those who failed to contact the state were sent a second notice telling them they had 90 days to pay up or their names and debt would be publicized, said spokesman Tim Connolly.
The warning brought in about $1.5 million from about 300 people, he said.
In the past the state has published names of tax delinquents in newspapers, but the procedure was cumbersome and time-consuming, he said.
Connolly said he was not sure how effective the tactic might be, but said other efforts to collect the money had been exhausted.
"Most of these cases are cases where we've tried virtually everything we can to collect the tax," he said.
Earlier this year, Rhode Island tried a similar measure, listing its top 100 tax delinquents on the Internet.
While any extra income would be welcome for state coffers, Massachusetts' fiscal picture is improving. Last week, the state reported that as of the end of April, year-to-date revenue collections increased by $867 million, or 7.2 percent. The $12.972 billion tax revenues collected were $517 million over forecasts for the first 10 months of the fiscal year.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Massachusetts' tax delinquents, who owe the state a total of $140 million, gained some unwanted visibility after the state started posting their names on its Web site, a Department of Revenue spokesman said on Thursday.
The state started posting the names of 1,481 individuals and businesses who owe $25,000 or more on Wednesday after notices were sent to the scofflaws nine months ago.
The state initially told them they had six months to respond. Those who failed to contact the state were sent a second notice telling them they had 90 days to pay up or their names and debt would be publicized, said spokesman Tim Connolly.
The warning brought in about $1.5 million from about 300 people, he said.
In the past the state has published names of tax delinquents in newspapers, but the procedure was cumbersome and time-consuming, he said.
Connolly said he was not sure how effective the tactic might be, but said other efforts to collect the money had been exhausted.
"Most of these cases are cases where we've tried virtually everything we can to collect the tax," he said.
Earlier this year, Rhode Island tried a similar measure, listing its top 100 tax delinquents on the Internet.
While any extra income would be welcome for state coffers, Massachusetts' fiscal picture is improving. Last week, the state reported that as of the end of April, year-to-date revenue collections increased by $867 million, or 7.2 percent. The $12.972 billion tax revenues collected were $517 million over forecasts for the first 10 months of the fiscal year.
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'Solitary Salad' on Menu for Jailbirds
PARIS (Reuters) - Fancy a "Solitary salad" or some "Jail-style apple pancakes?" French prisoners have published their own cookbook to teach other inmates how to produce low-budget meals with simple prison cooking equipment.
The book, "Cooking Just For Me," seeks to live up to France's reputation for gastronomic excellence. It features 100 recipes by convicts that range from sophisticated fish dishes to rich chocolate cakes and desserts.
"Cooking in prison forces you to be creative: You only have a pan, a saucepan and an electric stove -- that's all," Claude Deroussent, a doctor in the Ensisheim prison in southeastern France who launched the project, told Reuters.
Deroussent called on France's 60,000 prisoners last year to send in their favorite recipes and asked renowned chef Marc Haeberlin to select the best out of an overwhelming 600 replies.
"I was very impressed by the prisoners' inventiveness," said Haeberlin, whose Alsatian restaurant L'Auberge de l'Ill near Strasbourg has received the Michelin guide's top three-star rating.
"Some prisoners have built their own oven by putting one electric stove on each end of a stool and wrapping aluminum foil around it," he said.
"Ingredients are another challenge. Not everything is as readily available as here in my restaurant. Some convicts say they save biscuits at breakfast to make cake later on."
Haeberlin said he was amused by the inmates' instructions on some of the recipes he received. One message read: "This recipe takes time. But time is not really scarce in here."
A prisoner from Caen in northern France who provided the best recipe -- sea bream with mushrooms and lettuce -- was awarded a television set by prison authorities.
In March, the 160-page book was distributed free to Ensisheim inmates. But its authors aim to publish it in prisons nationwide and to even sell it in shops.
Deroussent is seeking a publisher and said he hoped proceeds from any sales could go to a prison doctors' association, of which he is a member.
"The recipes suit anyone living on their own and cooking for themselves, such as students or elderly people," Deroussent said.
He said cooking was psychologically important to prisoners, who spend a lot of time alone and have little physical activity.
"We call chefs like Haeberlin creators. Like him, the prisoners feel they are creating something when they cook," he said.
The cookbook includes advice on weight loss and cholesterol, of concern to many prisoners, Deroussent said. Its recipes are written in a simple style suited to culinary amateurs.
It also offers tips for cooking in a small prison cell -- not unlike the cramped apartments in which many Parisians live. Adding a small amount of vanilla to oil before frying fish, it advises, reduces fish odor in a cell or small room.
Haeberlin said as many men as women had sent recipes and the book offers a colorful ethnic mix, from traditional French meals to Moroccan couscous dishes.
"One thing stood out: There was a surprising number of recipes for chocolate cakes. Maybe, if you're a bit lonely, chocolate is what you really long for," he said.
PARIS (Reuters) - Fancy a "Solitary salad" or some "Jail-style apple pancakes?" French prisoners have published their own cookbook to teach other inmates how to produce low-budget meals with simple prison cooking equipment.
The book, "Cooking Just For Me," seeks to live up to France's reputation for gastronomic excellence. It features 100 recipes by convicts that range from sophisticated fish dishes to rich chocolate cakes and desserts.
"Cooking in prison forces you to be creative: You only have a pan, a saucepan and an electric stove -- that's all," Claude Deroussent, a doctor in the Ensisheim prison in southeastern France who launched the project, told Reuters.
Deroussent called on France's 60,000 prisoners last year to send in their favorite recipes and asked renowned chef Marc Haeberlin to select the best out of an overwhelming 600 replies.
"I was very impressed by the prisoners' inventiveness," said Haeberlin, whose Alsatian restaurant L'Auberge de l'Ill near Strasbourg has received the Michelin guide's top three-star rating.
"Some prisoners have built their own oven by putting one electric stove on each end of a stool and wrapping aluminum foil around it," he said.
"Ingredients are another challenge. Not everything is as readily available as here in my restaurant. Some convicts say they save biscuits at breakfast to make cake later on."
Haeberlin said he was amused by the inmates' instructions on some of the recipes he received. One message read: "This recipe takes time. But time is not really scarce in here."
A prisoner from Caen in northern France who provided the best recipe -- sea bream with mushrooms and lettuce -- was awarded a television set by prison authorities.
In March, the 160-page book was distributed free to Ensisheim inmates. But its authors aim to publish it in prisons nationwide and to even sell it in shops.
Deroussent is seeking a publisher and said he hoped proceeds from any sales could go to a prison doctors' association, of which he is a member.
"The recipes suit anyone living on their own and cooking for themselves, such as students or elderly people," Deroussent said.
He said cooking was psychologically important to prisoners, who spend a lot of time alone and have little physical activity.
"We call chefs like Haeberlin creators. Like him, the prisoners feel they are creating something when they cook," he said.
The cookbook includes advice on weight loss and cholesterol, of concern to many prisoners, Deroussent said. Its recipes are written in a simple style suited to culinary amateurs.
It also offers tips for cooking in a small prison cell -- not unlike the cramped apartments in which many Parisians live. Adding a small amount of vanilla to oil before frying fish, it advises, reduces fish odor in a cell or small room.
Haeberlin said as many men as women had sent recipes and the book offers a colorful ethnic mix, from traditional French meals to Moroccan couscous dishes.
"One thing stood out: There was a surprising number of recipes for chocolate cakes. Maybe, if you're a bit lonely, chocolate is what you really long for," he said.
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Comedians Joke About the Campaign -- Thursday Night
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the U.S. presidential election approaching, late night television comics are poking fun at the candidates. Here are some of the lines broadcast on Thursday:
NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno":
"You know the difference between 'Friends' and the John Kerry campaign? 'Friends' has a theme."
CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman":
"Yesterday, in a Cinco de Mayo celebration John Kerry spoke in Spanish, so he has now failed to articulate his messages in two languages."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the U.S. presidential election approaching, late night television comics are poking fun at the candidates. Here are some of the lines broadcast on Thursday:
NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno":
"You know the difference between 'Friends' and the John Kerry campaign? 'Friends' has a theme."
CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman":
"Yesterday, in a Cinco de Mayo celebration John Kerry spoke in Spanish, so he has now failed to articulate his messages in two languages."
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Nation Frets That Its Young Are Not Tall Enough
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's greatest living figure, General Vo Nguyen Giap, is treasured although he stands just five feet tall, but the communist government is worried that its future generations won't be tall enough.
"The growth rates (of Vietnamese) are much lower than those of other countries like Japan and China," Duong Nghiep Chi, director of the Physical Training and Sports Institute, said in the Vietnam News daily on Friday.
The institute, a state-run facility, proposes that Hanoi allocate $40 million to set up nutrition and exercise programs for school children to boost height and weight.
Despite nearly 30 years of peace accompanied by rapid economic growth, the average 20-year-old Vietnamese male stands at 1.65 meters (5.5 ft), only about six cm (2.4 ins) taller than at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
Vietnamese females of the same age stand at an average 1.53 meters, 4.8 cm taller than 30 years ago.
That contrasts with Japan, where the height increase since the 1980s is about 17 cm, the report said. Through nutrition and exercise, the institute aims to add three cm to the average height of young Vietnamese by 2010.
Giap, the 93-year-old mastermind of Vietnam's wars against France and the United States, is about five feet tall.
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's greatest living figure, General Vo Nguyen Giap, is treasured although he stands just five feet tall, but the communist government is worried that its future generations won't be tall enough.
"The growth rates (of Vietnamese) are much lower than those of other countries like Japan and China," Duong Nghiep Chi, director of the Physical Training and Sports Institute, said in the Vietnam News daily on Friday.
The institute, a state-run facility, proposes that Hanoi allocate $40 million to set up nutrition and exercise programs for school children to boost height and weight.
Despite nearly 30 years of peace accompanied by rapid economic growth, the average 20-year-old Vietnamese male stands at 1.65 meters (5.5 ft), only about six cm (2.4 ins) taller than at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
Vietnamese females of the same age stand at an average 1.53 meters, 4.8 cm taller than 30 years ago.
That contrasts with Japan, where the height increase since the 1980s is about 17 cm, the report said. Through nutrition and exercise, the institute aims to add three cm to the average height of young Vietnamese by 2010.
Giap, the 93-year-old mastermind of Vietnam's wars against France and the United States, is about five feet tall.
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In Chicago, a Scavenger Hunt Unlike Others
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bring in a "McDonald's Sad Meal," find a graduate thesis written on napkins or build a log cabin blindfolded.
Welcome to what's billed as the world's largest scavenger hunt, under way on Friday at the University of Chicago.
The hunt's targets are not old sets of keys or stray clothespins on the wanted list when children play the game going door-to-door. These items are food for the twisted student imagination on a campus known more for Nobel Prizes than spring foolishness.
Now in its 18th year, "Scav Hunt" began at midnight on Thursday with the unveiling of a 282-item list, each one worth a number of points, which teams of students seek to complete by Sunday when the game ends.
Some of this year's challenges: Build a "Calvin Kleinometer"; produce "a McDonald's Sad Meal"; construct a diorama tribute to dioramas with no infinite regressions; replicate Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" using only lip prints made with cosmetics that haven't been tested on animals; and "demonstrate conclusively that there really is a wrong way to eat a Reese's (candy)."
The list has a handful of items that can be completed only from New Jersey, prompting several teams to send devoted members on the 1,000-mile road trip.
Four students can build a rustic but homey log cabin while blindfolded, handcuffed and ear-muffed, or produce a thesis on dining hall napkins, signed off by a thesis committee.
The character of the hunt stems from the "twisted imagination" shown by many Chicago students, according to 1990 graduate Rick Jeffries, a co-founder of the event.
The contest ends on Sunday afternoon when 15 judges evaluate the yield brought in by several hundred participants, who are formed into teams. The university said the hunt's size and range are thought make it the largest such event in the world.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bring in a "McDonald's Sad Meal," find a graduate thesis written on napkins or build a log cabin blindfolded.
Welcome to what's billed as the world's largest scavenger hunt, under way on Friday at the University of Chicago.
The hunt's targets are not old sets of keys or stray clothespins on the wanted list when children play the game going door-to-door. These items are food for the twisted student imagination on a campus known more for Nobel Prizes than spring foolishness.
Now in its 18th year, "Scav Hunt" began at midnight on Thursday with the unveiling of a 282-item list, each one worth a number of points, which teams of students seek to complete by Sunday when the game ends.
Some of this year's challenges: Build a "Calvin Kleinometer"; produce "a McDonald's Sad Meal"; construct a diorama tribute to dioramas with no infinite regressions; replicate Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" using only lip prints made with cosmetics that haven't been tested on animals; and "demonstrate conclusively that there really is a wrong way to eat a Reese's (candy)."
The list has a handful of items that can be completed only from New Jersey, prompting several teams to send devoted members on the 1,000-mile road trip.
Four students can build a rustic but homey log cabin while blindfolded, handcuffed and ear-muffed, or produce a thesis on dining hall napkins, signed off by a thesis committee.
The character of the hunt stems from the "twisted imagination" shown by many Chicago students, according to 1990 graduate Rick Jeffries, a co-founder of the event.
The contest ends on Sunday afternoon when 15 judges evaluate the yield brought in by several hundred participants, who are formed into teams. The university said the hunt's size and range are thought make it the largest such event in the world.
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Woman Bites Off Attacker's Lip
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A woman bit off the lower lip of a fugitive man she said attacked her outside her house in the South African town of Tzaneen, police said on Friday.
They said the man -- who was already wanted on charges of burglary and rape -- waited outside the woman's house for her to return from an errand and then tried to drag her inside.
"This woman managed to grab the lower lip of the man with her teeth and bit it off," police Captain Moatshe Ngoepe told Reuters from the fruit-growing northern Limpopo province town.
The man was arrested when he sought treatment at a nearby hospital. He is due to appear at magistrates court on Friday.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A woman bit off the lower lip of a fugitive man she said attacked her outside her house in the South African town of Tzaneen, police said on Friday.
They said the man -- who was already wanted on charges of burglary and rape -- waited outside the woman's house for her to return from an errand and then tried to drag her inside.
"This woman managed to grab the lower lip of the man with her teeth and bit it off," police Captain Moatshe Ngoepe told Reuters from the fruit-growing northern Limpopo province town.
The man was arrested when he sought treatment at a nearby hospital. He is due to appear at magistrates court on Friday.
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Woman Reports Biting the Bullet in Hotdog
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A woman claimed she swallowed a live bullet and bit into a second round while eating a hotdog, and says she has the X-rays to prove it.
Police said on Thursday they were investigating the bizarre incident the 31-year-old woman said happened at a Costco store in Irvine, California, about 47 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
"She said she had swallowed one bullet and felt another in her mouth," Irvine police Lt. Jeff Love said. "She showed us the bullet and we took it as evidence. We had them cut up all the other hot dogs and found nothing in the buns."
A spokesman for Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp. COST.O> said the company had no comment on the incident, which occurred on Sunday and was still being investigated.
The woman showed local television news an X-ray of her stomach with a bullet lodged in it.
Love said the Hebrew National brand hotdogs served at Costco were prepared under Kosher laws with a high standard of cleanliness, and were X-rayed before leaving the factory.
He said it appeared "highly unlikely" that a hot dog would leave the factory with an undetected bullet in it.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A woman claimed she swallowed a live bullet and bit into a second round while eating a hotdog, and says she has the X-rays to prove it.
Police said on Thursday they were investigating the bizarre incident the 31-year-old woman said happened at a Costco store in Irvine, California, about 47 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
"She said she had swallowed one bullet and felt another in her mouth," Irvine police Lt. Jeff Love said. "She showed us the bullet and we took it as evidence. We had them cut up all the other hot dogs and found nothing in the buns."
A spokesman for Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp. COST.O> said the company had no comment on the incident, which occurred on Sunday and was still being investigated.
The woman showed local television news an X-ray of her stomach with a bullet lodged in it.
Love said the Hebrew National brand hotdogs served at Costco were prepared under Kosher laws with a high standard of cleanliness, and were X-rayed before leaving the factory.
He said it appeared "highly unlikely" that a hot dog would leave the factory with an undetected bullet in it.
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U.S. Air Force Worried About German (Golf) Bunkers
BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force needs to fix its bunkers at the Spangdahlem base in Germany -- because they are not up to U.S. Golf Association standards.
The base in the Eifel mountains, home to the air force's 53rd fighter squadron, boasts a nine-hole golf course for its 12,000 staff and their dependents.
But work to expand the air field has left the course in a sorry state, a spokeswoman said. "It's not up to par," she said.
A tender published by the air force this week asks for the course to be upgraded by May 31 so it can be "rated for handicap purposes."
"Contractors must be certified to renovate golf course bunkers," it said.
BERLIN (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force needs to fix its bunkers at the Spangdahlem base in Germany -- because they are not up to U.S. Golf Association standards.
The base in the Eifel mountains, home to the air force's 53rd fighter squadron, boasts a nine-hole golf course for its 12,000 staff and their dependents.
But work to expand the air field has left the course in a sorry state, a spokeswoman said. "It's not up to par," she said.
A tender published by the air force this week asks for the course to be upgraded by May 31 so it can be "rated for handicap purposes."
"Contractors must be certified to renovate golf course bunkers," it said.
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Comedians Take on the Campaign
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the U.S. presidential election approaching, late night television comics are poking fun at the candidates. Here are some of the lines broadcast on Friday:
NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno":
"The Bush administration is now asking Congress for another $25 billion for the war in Iraq. I don't know what they're going to be buying with this money, I think we can rule out any more digital cameras ...
"And Rush Limbaugh spoke out on the Iraqi prison situation today, he said, 'It's entirely generated by the media.' What, is this guy on drugs?
"Here's how bad the situation in Iraq is right now, supposedly we still have 40 rolls of film that we're afraid to pick up at the Falluja Fotomax...
"More news on John Kerry's bicycle accident... You know where he landed? In the middle of the road."
CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman":
"President Bush, you know he has the two daughters, the two Bush girls, and they're graduating from college. President Bush says he will not be attending the graduation because he does not want to create a distraction.
"I believe that's the same excuse he used in the National Guard."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the U.S. presidential election approaching, late night television comics are poking fun at the candidates. Here are some of the lines broadcast on Friday:
NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno":
"The Bush administration is now asking Congress for another $25 billion for the war in Iraq. I don't know what they're going to be buying with this money, I think we can rule out any more digital cameras ...
"And Rush Limbaugh spoke out on the Iraqi prison situation today, he said, 'It's entirely generated by the media.' What, is this guy on drugs?
"Here's how bad the situation in Iraq is right now, supposedly we still have 40 rolls of film that we're afraid to pick up at the Falluja Fotomax...
"More news on John Kerry's bicycle accident... You know where he landed? In the middle of the road."
CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman":
"President Bush, you know he has the two daughters, the two Bush girls, and they're graduating from college. President Bush says he will not be attending the graduation because he does not want to create a distraction.
"I believe that's the same excuse he used in the National Guard."
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School Evacuated After Pepper Spray Stunt
BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 1,000 German students were evacuated and 13 were taken to hospital after a teen-ager squirted pepper spray into a school locker "just to see what would happen," a police spokesman said Monday.
All 1,271 students and staff were forced to leave the school building in the western town of Guetersloh after the gas began seeping out of the locker, causing nausea and breathing problems. Officials first feared a natural gas leak.
"After getting tips from other students, it turned out it was caused by a 17-year-old student who, for no particular reason, opened a locker and sprayed the pepper spray inside," a police spokesman said. "He just closed the locker and left."
The student faces possible charges of bodily harm.
BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 1,000 German students were evacuated and 13 were taken to hospital after a teen-ager squirted pepper spray into a school locker "just to see what would happen," a police spokesman said Monday.
All 1,271 students and staff were forced to leave the school building in the western town of Guetersloh after the gas began seeping out of the locker, causing nausea and breathing problems. Officials first feared a natural gas leak.
"After getting tips from other students, it turned out it was caused by a 17-year-old student who, for no particular reason, opened a locker and sprayed the pepper spray inside," a police spokesman said. "He just closed the locker and left."
The student faces possible charges of bodily harm.
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AussieMark
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New Yorker Posing as Princess Accused of Scam
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York woman who posed in high-society circles as a Saudi Arabian princess was indicted on charges she stole more than a quarter of a million dollars in an insurance scam.
Antoinette Millard, 44, was accused in a scheme to claim money for jewelry she claimed was stolen, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.
Millard got insurance from Chubb Insurance Co. in October for $492,000 worth of jewelry, the indictment said. It said she provided the insurer with bills of sale and appraisal forms.
A few days later, Millard said she was mugged while carrying 23 pieces of jewelry and made an insurance claim for $262,000, Morgenthau said.
An investigation showed one of the appraisal forms was forged and that a month before obtaining the insurance, Millard sold 12 of the 23 items to a wholesale jeweler, he said.
She was arrested and charged with insurance fraud, attempted grand larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument, he said.
Millard, who has appeared at high-society events with celebrities and socialites and portrays herself as a Saudi princess, actually hails from Buffalo, New York, he said.
In a check with the Saudi Embassy, investigators "learned that her name does not appear anywhere," the prosecutor said.
Morgenthau said Millard was heavily in debt after racking up bills of $1 million in a three-month shopping spree. Due to the debts, he said she was a flight risk and he has asked she be held on $100,000 bail that she has been unable to post.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York woman who posed in high-society circles as a Saudi Arabian princess was indicted on charges she stole more than a quarter of a million dollars in an insurance scam.
Antoinette Millard, 44, was accused in a scheme to claim money for jewelry she claimed was stolen, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.
Millard got insurance from Chubb Insurance Co. in October for $492,000 worth of jewelry, the indictment said. It said she provided the insurer with bills of sale and appraisal forms.
A few days later, Millard said she was mugged while carrying 23 pieces of jewelry and made an insurance claim for $262,000, Morgenthau said.
An investigation showed one of the appraisal forms was forged and that a month before obtaining the insurance, Millard sold 12 of the 23 items to a wholesale jeweler, he said.
She was arrested and charged with insurance fraud, attempted grand larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument, he said.
Millard, who has appeared at high-society events with celebrities and socialites and portrays herself as a Saudi princess, actually hails from Buffalo, New York, he said.
In a check with the Saudi Embassy, investigators "learned that her name does not appear anywhere," the prosecutor said.
Morgenthau said Millard was heavily in debt after racking up bills of $1 million in a three-month shopping spree. Due to the debts, he said she was a flight risk and he has asked she be held on $100,000 bail that she has been unable to post.
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AussieMark
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7-Year-Old Boy Saves His Father's Life
CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) - A seven-year-old Australian boy will be nominated for a bravery award after walking 1.3 miles through rugged bush with broken ribs and collapsing lungs to get help for his injured father, emergency services said Monday.
Tyler Moon and his father, David, 39, were seriously hurt Saturday when their all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle turned over and pinned the boy's father to the ground about 120 miles south of Sydney in New South Wales state.
"With the severity of his injuries he staggered as two lungs were collapsing to make it home for dad because he loves his dad. We think he deserves recognition," said Ian Badham of CareFlight, which airlifted Tyler to a Sydney hospital.
Tyler collapsed after making it home to his mother, Gail. He and his father were now recovering in separate Sydney hospitals.
"He was always a hero in my eyes. He's now just a hero in everyone else's eyes," Tyler's mother told reporters on Monday.
CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) - A seven-year-old Australian boy will be nominated for a bravery award after walking 1.3 miles through rugged bush with broken ribs and collapsing lungs to get help for his injured father, emergency services said Monday.
Tyler Moon and his father, David, 39, were seriously hurt Saturday when their all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle turned over and pinned the boy's father to the ground about 120 miles south of Sydney in New South Wales state.
"With the severity of his injuries he staggered as two lungs were collapsing to make it home for dad because he loves his dad. We think he deserves recognition," said Ian Badham of CareFlight, which airlifted Tyler to a Sydney hospital.
Tyler collapsed after making it home to his mother, Gail. He and his father were now recovering in separate Sydney hospitals.
"He was always a hero in my eyes. He's now just a hero in everyone else's eyes," Tyler's mother told reporters on Monday.
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AussieMark
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Policeman Arrested Driving in Fishnet Tights
PARIS (Reuters) - A French policeman faces trial in a police court for driving under the influence after he was stopped at the wheel of his car drunk and wearing only a pair of fishnet tights, a prosecutor said on Friday.
The man admitted he was a part-time prostitute after fellow police chased him through the Bois de Boulogne, a wooded area on the outskirts of Paris reputed as a nighttime hangout of transsexual prostitutes, in the early hours of Thursday.
The policeman said he needed the extra income. If convicted, he could lose his driver's license and be fined.
Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to try him for passive soliciting, which is punishable by prison in France.
PARIS (Reuters) - A French policeman faces trial in a police court for driving under the influence after he was stopped at the wheel of his car drunk and wearing only a pair of fishnet tights, a prosecutor said on Friday.
The man admitted he was a part-time prostitute after fellow police chased him through the Bois de Boulogne, a wooded area on the outskirts of Paris reputed as a nighttime hangout of transsexual prostitutes, in the early hours of Thursday.
The policeman said he needed the extra income. If convicted, he could lose his driver's license and be fined.
Prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to try him for passive soliciting, which is punishable by prison in France.
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AussieMark
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Violinist Finds Arm-Wrestling Is Also His Forte
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - A classically trained British violinist is preparing to battle a world champion arm-wrestler and says regular bouts of the pub sport have sharpened his fiddle-playing.
Liverpool violinist Daniel Axworthy, who took up arm-wrestling last year after beating a doorman in a contest for a bet, expects to face world bantamweight champion Steve Rogers in the 2004 "Arm Wars" contest at the end of May. Axworthy won a bronze medal in the sport in Switzerland last month.
Axworthy, a classical session player and violin teacher, told Reuters arm-wrestling had made pieces easier to play by strengthening his grip on the fingerboard.
"I've found I don't have to worry as much about the little finger," Axworthy said Sunday. "It's intensified the vibrato and trills are easier."
"It's always been something I really wanted to do."
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - A classically trained British violinist is preparing to battle a world champion arm-wrestler and says regular bouts of the pub sport have sharpened his fiddle-playing.
Liverpool violinist Daniel Axworthy, who took up arm-wrestling last year after beating a doorman in a contest for a bet, expects to face world bantamweight champion Steve Rogers in the 2004 "Arm Wars" contest at the end of May. Axworthy won a bronze medal in the sport in Switzerland last month.
Axworthy, a classical session player and violin teacher, told Reuters arm-wrestling had made pieces easier to play by strengthening his grip on the fingerboard.
"I've found I don't have to worry as much about the little finger," Axworthy said Sunday. "It's intensified the vibrato and trills are easier."
"It's always been something I really wanted to do."
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AussieMark
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Sun Yat-Sen Imposter Dupes Old Chinese Patriots
BEIJING (Reuters) - A conman took advantage of his resemblance to Sun Yat-sen, father of the revolution that toppled China's last emperor in 1911, to dupe a few patriotic old people out of their money, officials said on Monday.
Wang Jiancheng, 61, posed as Sun despite the fact the former Chinese president and national hero would be more than 130 years old today, according to a statement from the Beijing Chaoyang District government.
As Sun, Wang claimed to have been living abroad "instead of having died in 1925 as the history books state," media said.
Wang and accomplice Chen Meiying, who claimed to be Sun's faithful servant of decades, convinced six men all over 80 to contribute a total of $29,000 to finance a "national investment project," the government said.
It did not say when the scam took place but the lenders were told their money would be returned within three months.
Wang and Chen were detained while attempting another scam on March 10, the district government said.
"The public security bureau is investigating the case," said an official from the Beijing Public Security Bureau, who declined to be identified.
Sun, who died in 1925, is a hero in China despite being the former leader of the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, defeated by the Communists in 1949.
His portrait was displayed in the middle of Beijing's Tiananmen Square last week to coincide with China's May Day holiday.
BEIJING (Reuters) - A conman took advantage of his resemblance to Sun Yat-sen, father of the revolution that toppled China's last emperor in 1911, to dupe a few patriotic old people out of their money, officials said on Monday.
Wang Jiancheng, 61, posed as Sun despite the fact the former Chinese president and national hero would be more than 130 years old today, according to a statement from the Beijing Chaoyang District government.
As Sun, Wang claimed to have been living abroad "instead of having died in 1925 as the history books state," media said.
Wang and accomplice Chen Meiying, who claimed to be Sun's faithful servant of decades, convinced six men all over 80 to contribute a total of $29,000 to finance a "national investment project," the government said.
It did not say when the scam took place but the lenders were told their money would be returned within three months.
Wang and Chen were detained while attempting another scam on March 10, the district government said.
"The public security bureau is investigating the case," said an official from the Beijing Public Security Bureau, who declined to be identified.
Sun, who died in 1925, is a hero in China despite being the former leader of the Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, defeated by the Communists in 1949.
His portrait was displayed in the middle of Beijing's Tiananmen Square last week to coincide with China's May Day holiday.
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