News Briefs

Missing inmate in United Kingdom

Police are searching for an inmate who escaped from the United Kingdom’s first modern-day prison ship Sunday. The 28-year-old man was serving two years for threatening behavior. He escaped at Portland, Dorset and is not thought to be dangerous. The ship, converted for prison use in 1997, was the nation’s first prison ship in 200 years. It was established to ease overcrowding in prisons.

Dude, you’d better stay out of jail

Benjamin Curtis, better known as the “Dell Dude” from the company’s TV commercials, was arrested Sunday on Manhattan’s Lower East Side on suspicion of trying to buy marijuana. An officer saw him making the purchase from a Queens resident, but the bag was so small that there was never any intent to distribute. He was released Monday. The incident will be expunged from Curtis’ record if he stays out of trouble for the next year. Curtis, 22, is enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Although Dell has not made any “Dell Dude” commercials recently, the company says their relationship with Curtis is still in place.

Bali bombing suspect apologizes

Ali Imron, a key suspect in last year’s bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali, apologized for the attacks. However, he said he is proud his group was able the carry out such acts. At a conference organized by Indonesian police, Imron demonstrated how he assembled the bombs used in the attack. He denies any outside group aided with the incident. The bombs killed at least 192 people, most young Australian tourists. Imron said the objective of the bombings was to injure America and its allies, “because they are international terrorists.”

Danish man stuck on frozen roof

A Danish man’s romantic encounter was cut short when his lover’s husband returned home. The naked man heard the husband enter the house, so he climbed through the bedroom window and onto the roof. The man was too afraid to jump down from the roof, so he was stuck there for two hours in the middle of the night. Officers arrived immediately once a neighbor spotted the man. The fire department helped get the man down from the roof because he was shaking with fear and cold. It is unknown how the woman’s husband reacted to the situation.

Hussein using human shields

President George W. Bush said that Saddam Hussein has broken every promise to disarm and is now stationing military forces amid civilian populations. He said he doubts the leader will comply with U.N. resolutions to give up weapons of mass destruction. Bush also expressed disappointment with France’s role in blocking NATO protection for Turkey against possible action by Iraq. NATO Secretary Gen. George Robertson said he is confident the group’s members will reach an agreement on Turkey.

Possible suicide bombers in United Kingdom

Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, a spiritual leader of the controversial Islamic group al-Muhajiron, has warned Britain that there are radical Muslims who are prepared to act as suicide bombers in the United Kingdom. He said people should stay away from financial institutions and government buildings in light of the threat. Spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, Inayat Bunglawala, said Bakri has a history of making outrageous remarks, including pronouncing a fatwa on John Major during the Gulf War in 1991 and on Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan.

Shuttle piece identified

A top NASA deputy announced that a piece of the space shuttle Columbia found by debris searchers came from the left wing. The agency is hopeful that the wing can shed light on the disaster. The segment includes reinforced material, which protects the leading edge of shuttle wings from the 3,000 degree heat of atmospheric re-entry. Investigators plan to assemble the shuttle fragments beginning this week at NASA’s shuttle base in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The shuttle broke apart Feb. 1 during its re-entry attempt. Seven astronauts were killed in the crash.

Gas prices rise

The average weighted price for gasoline nationwide, including all grades and taxes, was about $1.63 per gallon Friday, according to the Lundberg Survey of 8,000 stations nationwide. An industry analyst said Sunday that gasoline prices have risen nearly 11 cents per gallon during the past two weeks. Fear of war in the Persian Gulf has caused the price of crude oil to climb from $8.19 a barrel to $35.12 during the past two months. The oil strike in Venezuela has also contributed to the increasing prices.