News Briefs

SARS reaches 18 countries

Severe acute respiratory syndrome has been reported in 18 countries. As of Saturday, 2,416 cases and 89 deaths have been attributed to the disease. More than 100 cases have been reported in the United States. Nearly all of the patients had recently traveled to Asia, where the illness originated.

Case against Ramseys dismissed

U.S. District Court Judge Julie Carnes of Atlanta ruled last week that there was no evidence that JonBenet Ramsey was killed by her parents. The judge criticized police and the FBI for what she said was an attempt to make the parents look guilty. Although the couple was never ruled out as suspects, they were never charged. The Ramseys contend that an intruder was responsible for the 1996 murder of their 6-year-old daughter.

Priest sex abuse in Alabama

A priest sex-abuse scandal has reached Alabama. The Mobile Archdiocese is questioning why Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb, 71, left a priest in the ministry who admitted to sexually abusing young men. The pastor in question, the Rev. J. Alexander Sherlock, admitted in 1998 to the sexual abuse of a teenage boy in the 1970s. No charges have been filed as of yet, but Lipscomb has turned over church files about the alleged sexual abuse. The Mobile Register has urged Lipscomb to step down next year ahead of his planned retirement.

White House egg roll for military families only

The annual White House Easter Egg Roll will be limited to active duty military and reservists’ families this year. White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said the change was necessary for security reasons. Tickets will be distributed through the Department of Defense. The April 21 event is expected to draw 12,000 people. The first egg roll was in 1878. During World War II, the event took place  at the National Zoo.

Vampires in Chile?

Two hundred chickens were recently found in Chile with all the blood drained from their bodies. A police spokesman said the farmers are scared and have organized a vampire hunt. He said local vets are investigating the matter and will most likely come up with a normal explanation.

String sculpture under attack

A man in London has been arrested for attacking a modern work of art with scissors. The piece is Auguste Rodin’s classic marble sculpture “The Kiss” wrapped in a mile of string. The man is said to have cut the string, but not to have damaged the sculpture. The string is said to represent the claustrophobia of relationships.

Strippers at Chilean university

About 3,500 students watched strippers perform at the University of La Serena in Chile. The women were hired by the university for Red Night, which is designed to entertain students. Police are investigating the university because many neighbors complained about the noise from the event.

Gnome reports in Ecuador

Some residents of a town in Ecuador called police after seeing what they described as a gnome in the town center. Witnesses said the creature was very small, green and ugly. One shop owner said he heard it laugh. One man supposedly tried to follow the creature, but it disappeared.