Foreign

Unlicensed castrator jailed
HUNTINGTON, Indiana -- A man was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment this week for performing castrations in his apartment on men he said wanted to curb their sexual desires. Edward Bodkin, 56, pleaded guilty last month to practicing medicine wi...

Judge: Clinton in contempt
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- In an historic ruling, a federal judge here cited President Bill Clinton for civil contempt of court for his testimony in the Paula Jones case. It was the first time a court has ever held a president in contempt of court....

Magician spends 7 days in coffin
NEW YORK -- Seven days after he entered a transparent coffin set about 2metres into the ground, magician David Blaine was helped out on Monday looking fit but slightly wobbly. Hundreds of spectators cheered when the 3 ton tank of water that cover...

War impoverishes Congo
BRAZZAVILLE, Congo -- Intense fighting since December has slashed economic activity in this impoverished Central African nation by at least 30percent, a leading business group said yesterday. The Union of Congolese Employers said fighting between...

Soldier returns WW2 ham
TILLY-LA-CAMPAGNE, France -- Talk about a "guilt trip". Hans Kupperfahrenberg travelled from Germany to a tiny Normandy village just to return a ham like the one he stole from a French farmer during World War 2. Making good on a 54-year-old promi...

Colombian plane hijacked
BOGOTA -- Fearing abduction at guerilla roadblocks, many Colombians have shunned highway travel and opted for airplanes. But the mid-air kidnapping of passengers and crew of a twin-engine plane shows even the skies aren't safe. On Monday, 41 pass...

Jacko has new Kosovo song
LONDON -- American pop star Michael Jackson has written a new song dedicated to the plight of the Kosovo Albanian refugees, a British tabloid reported yesterday. All proceeds from the single entitled What More Can I Give? will go toward helping t...

Serbian troops raid Albanian village
TIRANA -- Serb forces yesterday raided northeastern Albania and clashed with Albanian border guards backed by civilians, Albanian Information Minister Mussa Ulqini said. The fighting occurred in Kamenica, near Tropoja, 15km from the border with ...

10-25 years for 'mercy' killer
PONTIAC, Michigan -- Euthanasia guru Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to 10-25 years in prison here yesterday for the "mercy-killing" of a terminally ill man. Oakland courtroom circuit judge Jessica Cooper also sentenced the 70-year-old Kevorkian to ...

Wanted Rwandan pair in SA
JOHANNESBURG -- The government has confirmed that a Rwandan couple, wanted for alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide in their country, are in South Africa illegally, SABC radio news reported yesterday. Home Affairs spokesman Hennie Meyer was r...

Swazis 'should pierce ears'
MBABANE -- Swazi nationals should have their ears pierced to make them identifiable as Swazis, a member of parliament told the House of Assembly here. It was reported yesterday that the MP told Home Affairs Minister Prince Sobandla that if Swazis...

WI ladies strip for research
LONDON -- Eleven English women have jolted the traditionally sedate image of a genteel women's group by posing nude for a pin-up calendar. Women's Institute (WI) members in Rylstone village, northern England, more used to collecting clothes than ...