Tens of thousands of people armed with 100 tonnes of plum tomatoes took part in the "Tomatina" on Wednesday, joyously splattering each other in the Spanish town of Bunol.
The town hall of Bunol, which lies just inland from Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast, spent 24,960 euros on the fruit and dumped it the streets for the chanting masses.
Five truckloads of vitamin C and fiber were soon pureed on El Cid Street, the ripe redness smeared over walls and people.
"I feel like I connected with a lot of people today," said Karina Evans, 21, of Australia.
Frenzy erupted around the dump trucks and competition for the edible missiles was fierce. Whole tomatoes on the ground were treasured like ruby Easter eggs.
Kate Monroe, 28, and Ryan Altman, 31, both of San Diego, California, reflected the general lack of inhibition by rubbing their barely clad, pulp-slathered bodies against each other.
Some gave a moment's thought for the less fortunate.
"We were just talking about (famine in Africa). We thought we should get some garlic, make pizza and send it off," Altman said.
The origin of the tomato fight is disputed -- everyone in Bunol seems to have a favorite story -- but most agree it started around 1940, in the early years of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.
"There are several versions, but the most important thing is that it was started by the people," said Eusebio Carrascosa, 66, a member of the Tomatina commission.
Like the weeklong celebrations held throughout Spain in the summer, the Tomatina encourages all-night public revelry and behavior that's frowned on for the rest of the year.
"This is even better than the running of the bulls in Pamplona," said Australian Sandy Koch, 25, referring to another one of Spain's famous events.
Not everyone in Bunol joins the party.
"These are human degenerates. This isn't culture," said Pilar Masmano, 81, peeking out on the messy aftermath from her front door. "I'm going back inside."
20050830
Dogs go woof over Brazilian puppy love motel
A love motel, complete with a heart-shaped mirror on the ceiling and a headboard resembling a doggy bone, has opened for amorous pooches in Brazil.
The doggy love motel in Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, was inspired by the thousands of such establishments that rent rooms to Brazilian couples for four-hour periods for trysts.
"I am absolutely certain this is the first one (for dogs) in the world," said Robson Marinho, a director at the Gang dos Bichos, or Gang of Animals, a pet shop.
Marinho says he has already received reservations for the room, which he built on the second floor of the store and hung a sign that reads "Pet Love Motel." The window has thick curtains for timid dogs that want discretion.
Marinho's business partners own seven love motels for humans in Sao Paulo, including the island-themed Caribe and another called Opium.
The air-conditioned pet love motel room, with a paw print decorative motif, has a special control panel to dim the lights, turn on romantic music or play films.
"The owner has to know what kind of DVD will excite his or her dog," Marinho said with a chuckle.
The dog motel, which opened this month, costs 100 reais for two hours, making it more expensive than the least luxurious rooms at the Opium, which cost 107 reais for four hours.
"We also have a wedding agency that matches up dogs and if the female dog doesn't get pregnant, we offer artificial insemination services," said Marinho.
The doggy love motel in Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, was inspired by the thousands of such establishments that rent rooms to Brazilian couples for four-hour periods for trysts.
"I am absolutely certain this is the first one (for dogs) in the world," said Robson Marinho, a director at the Gang dos Bichos, or Gang of Animals, a pet shop.
Marinho says he has already received reservations for the room, which he built on the second floor of the store and hung a sign that reads "Pet Love Motel." The window has thick curtains for timid dogs that want discretion.
Marinho's business partners own seven love motels for humans in Sao Paulo, including the island-themed Caribe and another called Opium.
The air-conditioned pet love motel room, with a paw print decorative motif, has a special control panel to dim the lights, turn on romantic music or play films.
"The owner has to know what kind of DVD will excite his or her dog," Marinho said with a chuckle.
The dog motel, which opened this month, costs 100 reais for two hours, making it more expensive than the least luxurious rooms at the Opium, which cost 107 reais for four hours.
"We also have a wedding agency that matches up dogs and if the female dog doesn't get pregnant, we offer artificial insemination services," said Marinho.
20050829
Authorities investigate "Big Brother" baby
Dutch authorities are investigating plans by the producers of the "Big Brother" reality television show to include a pregnant contestant who will give birth on the show.
Talpa, the new television station launched earlier this month by the billionaire creator of Big Brother John de Mol, will broadcast a new series from Sunday in which a contestant is due to give birth six weeks into the show.
A spokeswoman for the social affairs and labor ministry confirmed a report in De Telegraaf daily on Saturday that inspectors were examining a request by Big Brother producers for the newborn baby to be allowed to appear on the program.
The Netherlands has strict rules governing young children acting on television, in films or on the stage.
The ruling Christian Democrats have condemned the idea of a birth on the live show, but the 27-year-old pregnant contestant identified only as Tanja defended the idea.
"I think that my child will be proud of it later," she told De Telegraaf.
The show's director Hummie van der Tonnekreek said Tanja would be well looked after in the Big Brother house, where a group of 12 strangers are locked in together and gradually voted out by the audience.
"She will get the maximum attention and care," Van der Tonnekreek said.
Versions of the show first aired in the Netherlands in 1999 have since been produced in dozens of countries worldwide.
Talpa, the new television station launched earlier this month by the billionaire creator of Big Brother John de Mol, will broadcast a new series from Sunday in which a contestant is due to give birth six weeks into the show.
A spokeswoman for the social affairs and labor ministry confirmed a report in De Telegraaf daily on Saturday that inspectors were examining a request by Big Brother producers for the newborn baby to be allowed to appear on the program.
The Netherlands has strict rules governing young children acting on television, in films or on the stage.
The ruling Christian Democrats have condemned the idea of a birth on the live show, but the 27-year-old pregnant contestant identified only as Tanja defended the idea.
"I think that my child will be proud of it later," she told De Telegraaf.
The show's director Hummie van der Tonnekreek said Tanja would be well looked after in the Big Brother house, where a group of 12 strangers are locked in together and gradually voted out by the audience.
"She will get the maximum attention and care," Van der Tonnekreek said.
Versions of the show first aired in the Netherlands in 1999 have since been produced in dozens of countries worldwide.
"Bright sparks" destroy car trying to steal fuel
Three men trying to steal fuel from a New Zealand farm on Monday ended up setting fire to their own car.
Police said the trio had siphoned diesel into a petrol-driven vehicle. When their car would not start, they examined the fuel pipe using a cigarette lighter.
One click, a boom and the car burst into flames.
"It wasn't a major whodunnit," senior sergeant Ross Gilbert told Reuters, from the small North Island town of Waipukurau, about 230 km (143 miles) northeast of Wellington.
"Fortunately for them, there is no criminal charge for stupidity."
The men, aged 18 to 19, escaped injury but were charged with theft.
Police said the trio had siphoned diesel into a petrol-driven vehicle. When their car would not start, they examined the fuel pipe using a cigarette lighter.
One click, a boom and the car burst into flames.
"It wasn't a major whodunnit," senior sergeant Ross Gilbert told Reuters, from the small North Island town of Waipukurau, about 230 km (143 miles) northeast of Wellington.
"Fortunately for them, there is no criminal charge for stupidity."
The men, aged 18 to 19, escaped injury but were charged with theft.
20050827
Official gives singer something to chew on..
Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers has asked country star Gretchen Wilson to stop plugging smokeless tobacco in her stage act, but it's only a suggestion.
When Wilson sings her latest song, "Skoal Ring," she waves a can of smokeless tobacco. The "ring" refers to the circular outline the round can leaves on a back pants pocket.
In a letter to the singer, who hit the top of the charts with her debut album "Redneck Woman," the attorney general wrote: "Because your actions strongly influence the youth in your audiences ... I ask you to take steps to warn young people of the negative health effects of the smokeless tobacco use."
Summers said he heard of her act during a routine conference call with officials in other states discussing the national tobacco settlement with cigarette and smokeless tobacco manufacturers.
"We can't stop her and it's only a suggestion," Summers said.
A spokesman for UST Inc., which makes Skoal, said the company has no arrangement with Wilson, or with any other performer.
Wilson has not responded, said Sharon Curtis Flair, the attorney general's spokesman, on Friday.
When Wilson sings her latest song, "Skoal Ring," she waves a can of smokeless tobacco. The "ring" refers to the circular outline the round can leaves on a back pants pocket.
In a letter to the singer, who hit the top of the charts with her debut album "Redneck Woman," the attorney general wrote: "Because your actions strongly influence the youth in your audiences ... I ask you to take steps to warn young people of the negative health effects of the smokeless tobacco use."
Summers said he heard of her act during a routine conference call with officials in other states discussing the national tobacco settlement with cigarette and smokeless tobacco manufacturers.
"We can't stop her and it's only a suggestion," Summers said.
A spokesman for UST Inc., which makes Skoal, said the company has no arrangement with Wilson, or with any other performer.
Wilson has not responded, said Sharon Curtis Flair, the attorney general's spokesman, on Friday.
FDA Delays Decision on Morning-After Pill
Most women hoping to buy emergency contraception without a prescription will have to wait awhile longer. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday again postponed its long-awaited decision on whether to let the morning-after pill sell over the counter.
It said it still hadn't determined how to ensure that only adults, and not young teenagers, used it without a doctor's guidance.
The FDA did say scientific evidence backed the safe nonprescription use of the pill, sold under the brand Plan B, by women 17 or older. But it called for 60 days of public comment on whether and how drug stores could enforce an age limit.
FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said the agency "cannot have an inspector in every pharmacy."
The drug's maker, Barr Pharmaceuticals, criticized the decision, questioning how the agency could acknowledge that scientific evidence supported nonprescription sales and yet not allow those sales to begin.
"It's like being in purgatory," said Barr chief executive Bruce Downey.
The morning-after pill is a high dose of regular birth control that, taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. The sooner it's taken, the more effective it is. But it can be hard to get a prescription on weekends or holidays, and some pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions.
Laws in seven states — Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Washington — already allow women to buy Plan B without a prescription, with no age restrictions. Massachusetts is set to become the eighth this fall, as lawmakers are expected to override their governor's veto of nonprescription sales.
FDA's delay doesn't affect Plan B sales in those states. But it marked Barr's latest disappointment in the two-year battle to sell Plan B without a prescription nationwide.
Contraceptive advocates and doctors groups say easier access could halve the nation's 3 million annual unintended pregnancies. FDA's scientists say the pills are safe, used by more than 2.4 million Americans and millions more women abroad with few side effects.
The agency's independent scientific advisers overwhelmingly backed over-the-counter sales for everybody, not just adults, in December 2003.
FDA rejected that recommendation, citing concern about young teens' use of the pills without a doctor's guidance. Barr reapplied, asking that women 16 and older be allowed to buy Plan B without a prescription while younger teens continue to get a doctor's note. Downey noted that cigarettes are sold in drug stores with age restrictions.
Friday, FDA essentially boiled the issue down to regulatory precedent: Selling the same dose of a drug by prescription and without at the same time and for the same medical use has never been done.
Among possible questions for the public to answer: Could Plan B be treated like cigarettes, or become the first so-called "behind-the-counter" drug, where women don't need a doctor's note but must ask the pharmacist to hand it over?
Crawford wouldn't say how soon after the 60 days of public comment that FDA would decide.
Why an age restriction, when there isn't one for prescription Plan B today? Crawford said the issue was at what age teens can understand how to use the pills properly.
Contraceptive advocates had expected a decision by a Sept. 1 deadline that Crawford had pledged to members of Congress as a condition of assuming leadership of FDA.
"It is a breach of faith," Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and
Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said in a statement in which they called for congressional hearings into the delay.
"It seems improbable to me that ... politics hasn't trumped science here, which is a tragedy," said Dr. Alastair Wood of Vanderbilt University, a member of the FDA advisory committee that evaluated Plan B.
Kirsten Moore of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project noted that FDA already has logged 17,400 letters from the public and advocacy groups. "How many more comments do they need?"
Conservative groups, which have claimed that over-the-counter emergency contraception would encourage teen sex, welcomed the agency's decision.
"Making the morning-after pill over-the-counter would only benefit those that profit from its increased sale, but the real price will be paid by women and girls who would suffer the health consequences," said Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America.
It said it still hadn't determined how to ensure that only adults, and not young teenagers, used it without a doctor's guidance.
The FDA did say scientific evidence backed the safe nonprescription use of the pill, sold under the brand Plan B, by women 17 or older. But it called for 60 days of public comment on whether and how drug stores could enforce an age limit.
FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said the agency "cannot have an inspector in every pharmacy."
The drug's maker, Barr Pharmaceuticals, criticized the decision, questioning how the agency could acknowledge that scientific evidence supported nonprescription sales and yet not allow those sales to begin.
"It's like being in purgatory," said Barr chief executive Bruce Downey.
The morning-after pill is a high dose of regular birth control that, taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. The sooner it's taken, the more effective it is. But it can be hard to get a prescription on weekends or holidays, and some pharmacists refuse to fill prescriptions.
Laws in seven states — Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Washington — already allow women to buy Plan B without a prescription, with no age restrictions. Massachusetts is set to become the eighth this fall, as lawmakers are expected to override their governor's veto of nonprescription sales.
FDA's delay doesn't affect Plan B sales in those states. But it marked Barr's latest disappointment in the two-year battle to sell Plan B without a prescription nationwide.
Contraceptive advocates and doctors groups say easier access could halve the nation's 3 million annual unintended pregnancies. FDA's scientists say the pills are safe, used by more than 2.4 million Americans and millions more women abroad with few side effects.
The agency's independent scientific advisers overwhelmingly backed over-the-counter sales for everybody, not just adults, in December 2003.
FDA rejected that recommendation, citing concern about young teens' use of the pills without a doctor's guidance. Barr reapplied, asking that women 16 and older be allowed to buy Plan B without a prescription while younger teens continue to get a doctor's note. Downey noted that cigarettes are sold in drug stores with age restrictions.
Friday, FDA essentially boiled the issue down to regulatory precedent: Selling the same dose of a drug by prescription and without at the same time and for the same medical use has never been done.
Among possible questions for the public to answer: Could Plan B be treated like cigarettes, or become the first so-called "behind-the-counter" drug, where women don't need a doctor's note but must ask the pharmacist to hand it over?
Crawford wouldn't say how soon after the 60 days of public comment that FDA would decide.
Why an age restriction, when there isn't one for prescription Plan B today? Crawford said the issue was at what age teens can understand how to use the pills properly.
Contraceptive advocates had expected a decision by a Sept. 1 deadline that Crawford had pledged to members of Congress as a condition of assuming leadership of FDA.
"It is a breach of faith," Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and
Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said in a statement in which they called for congressional hearings into the delay.
"It seems improbable to me that ... politics hasn't trumped science here, which is a tragedy," said Dr. Alastair Wood of Vanderbilt University, a member of the FDA advisory committee that evaluated Plan B.
Kirsten Moore of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project noted that FDA already has logged 17,400 letters from the public and advocacy groups. "How many more comments do they need?"
Conservative groups, which have claimed that over-the-counter emergency contraception would encourage teen sex, welcomed the agency's decision.
"Making the morning-after pill over-the-counter would only benefit those that profit from its increased sale, but the real price will be paid by women and girls who would suffer the health consequences," said Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America.
20050826
Americans schizophrenic when it comes to France
Americans seem to be schizophrenic when it comes to their opinion of France.
Arrogant is the best way to describe the French, according to nearly three out of every 10 Americans, but almost as many would call them open, a Le Figaro magazine poll showed on Thursday.
Some two thirds of Americans see France as a land of liberty and human rights in which people can freely practice their religion, and yet almost one third call it an anti-Semitic country.
Relations between the United States and France are expected to improve in the coming years by 36 percent of Americans and to deteriorate by 22 percent.
But the cliches associated with France tend to be more positive than negative -- ask Americans what best symbolizes France and the good things in life come to the fore, with Paris, wine, and gastronomy topping the list, while strikes barely get a mention.
The survey polled 1,000 people between July 6 and 10.
Arrogant is the best way to describe the French, according to nearly three out of every 10 Americans, but almost as many would call them open, a Le Figaro magazine poll showed on Thursday.
Some two thirds of Americans see France as a land of liberty and human rights in which people can freely practice their religion, and yet almost one third call it an anti-Semitic country.
Relations between the United States and France are expected to improve in the coming years by 36 percent of Americans and to deteriorate by 22 percent.
But the cliches associated with France tend to be more positive than negative -- ask Americans what best symbolizes France and the good things in life come to the fore, with Paris, wine, and gastronomy topping the list, while strikes barely get a mention.
The survey polled 1,000 people between July 6 and 10.
Monday is favored day for British suicides
Britons are more likely to commit suicide on Monday than any other day of the week, researchers said on Thursday.
This is due not only to the "Monday morning blues" associated with a return to work but, more generally, to a sense of unease related to the start of something new, they said.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collated evidence from nearly 35,000 suicide cases between 1993 and 2002.
"The most common day of death was Monday for both males and females," they said. "This 'Monday effect' for suicides was consistent across all age groups, methods of suicide and all categories of marital status."
Previous studies have suggested that the Monday effect is related to work, but the ONS noted it was also apparent in Britons aged over 75, most of whom do not work.
"(This is) consistent with the theory that the day of the week pattern in suicides is related to the effect of a new beginning, rather than employment-related," they said.
While Monday was usually the bleakest day of the week, the ONS found that the worst day for suicides in the 9-year period was January 1, 2000 -- a Saturday.
This is due not only to the "Monday morning blues" associated with a return to work but, more generally, to a sense of unease related to the start of something new, they said.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collated evidence from nearly 35,000 suicide cases between 1993 and 2002.
"The most common day of death was Monday for both males and females," they said. "This 'Monday effect' for suicides was consistent across all age groups, methods of suicide and all categories of marital status."
Previous studies have suggested that the Monday effect is related to work, but the ONS noted it was also apparent in Britons aged over 75, most of whom do not work.
"(This is) consistent with the theory that the day of the week pattern in suicides is related to the effect of a new beginning, rather than employment-related," they said.
While Monday was usually the bleakest day of the week, the ONS found that the worst day for suicides in the 9-year period was January 1, 2000 -- a Saturday.
20050825
Portrait causes stir in Berlin school
A portrait of Communist East German ruler Erich Honecker hanging in a custodian's office in an east Berlin school was removed after complaints from parents, Berlin city government officials said Thursday.
Portraits of Honecker, the iron-fisted East German ruler who was responsible for building the Berlin Wall and swept from power shortly before its collapse in November 1989, were once a fixture in almost every East German building and household.
But since the end of the communist era, Honecker portraits can usually only be seen hanging for laughs in east German bars. Parents complained that his picture was seen in the school.
Honecker ruled East Germany from 1971 to 1989. He was later put on trial for manslaughter charges. But the trial collapsed in 1993 due to his terminal illness. He died in 1994.
Portraits of Honecker, the iron-fisted East German ruler who was responsible for building the Berlin Wall and swept from power shortly before its collapse in November 1989, were once a fixture in almost every East German building and household.
But since the end of the communist era, Honecker portraits can usually only be seen hanging for laughs in east German bars. Parents complained that his picture was seen in the school.
Honecker ruled East Germany from 1971 to 1989. He was later put on trial for manslaughter charges. But the trial collapsed in 1993 due to his terminal illness. He died in 1994.
Along came a spider..
A German woman was so shocked by a spider crawling across her face that she lost control of her car and crashed head on into a roadside tree, police in the western town of Rheine said on Thursday.
The 23-year-old woman screamed and let go of the steering wheel, causing her small car to veer off the road into the tree. The car was totally destroyed but the woman escaped with only slight injuries, a police spokesman said.
"She was shocked by the spider crawling on her face and lost control of her car," said the spokesman for the police in the small town near the Dutch border. The spider survived, he said.
"He crawled out of the window."
The 23-year-old woman screamed and let go of the steering wheel, causing her small car to veer off the road into the tree. The car was totally destroyed but the woman escaped with only slight injuries, a police spokesman said.
"She was shocked by the spider crawling on her face and lost control of her car," said the spokesman for the police in the small town near the Dutch border. The spider survived, he said.
"He crawled out of the window."
Mexican drug war city offers police-escorted tours
A Mexican city at the heart of a raging drug war is trying to woo back jittery Texan day trippers by offering free bus tours with an armed police escort.
"The aim is to shake off the bad image that we have and give a boost to the craft markets and restaurants in the center, where business is almost nil," Nuevo Laredo's tourism director Ramon Garza told Reuters on Wednesday.
The tourist board in the city, which is across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas, is sending charter buses to pick up tourists from San Antonio for day tours escorted by guides and police motorcycle outriders.
The three-times-a-week service began in mid-August and comes after more than 115 people have been gunned down in the Nuevo Laredo this year as rival drug gangs battle for control of the lucrative cross-border trade in cocaine, marijuana and heroin.
The escorted visits are being welcomed by traders in the sweltering border city, where several bars and tourist trinket shops have closed since the troubles began last year.
"Tourists think that gangs are waiting to pick them off as soon as they come over the bridge, so anything that the authorities do to challenge that is welcome," trinket stall holder Pedro Rivera told Reuters at an empty craft market.
Washington has issued repeated travel warnings urging U.S. visitors to stay away from crime-wracked Mexican border cities this year, singling out Nuevo Laredo, where more than 40 U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in the past year, for special mention.
The United States shut its consulate in the city for a week early this month after drug gangs fired bazookas and raked each other with machine gun fire in a street battle.
"The aim is to shake off the bad image that we have and give a boost to the craft markets and restaurants in the center, where business is almost nil," Nuevo Laredo's tourism director Ramon Garza told Reuters on Wednesday.
The tourist board in the city, which is across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas, is sending charter buses to pick up tourists from San Antonio for day tours escorted by guides and police motorcycle outriders.
The three-times-a-week service began in mid-August and comes after more than 115 people have been gunned down in the Nuevo Laredo this year as rival drug gangs battle for control of the lucrative cross-border trade in cocaine, marijuana and heroin.
The escorted visits are being welcomed by traders in the sweltering border city, where several bars and tourist trinket shops have closed since the troubles began last year.
"Tourists think that gangs are waiting to pick them off as soon as they come over the bridge, so anything that the authorities do to challenge that is welcome," trinket stall holder Pedro Rivera told Reuters at an empty craft market.
Washington has issued repeated travel warnings urging U.S. visitors to stay away from crime-wracked Mexican border cities this year, singling out Nuevo Laredo, where more than 40 U.S. citizens have been kidnapped in the past year, for special mention.
The United States shut its consulate in the city for a week early this month after drug gangs fired bazookas and raked each other with machine gun fire in a street battle.
20050824
Sperm donor reality show?
Billionaire television producer John de Mol, behind the pioneer show Big Brother, will test the limits of reality TV with a program in which a woman searches for a potential sperm donor to conceive a child.
His new TV station Talpa, launched earlier this month, confirmed it will air a program called "I want your child ... and nothing else!" but gave no further details about the show due at 1830 GMT Wednesday.
"The plan is that we visit potential donors and -- of course on camera -- decide which man is most suitable," the 30-year old woman who will feature in the program said in an interview with De Telegraaf newspaper.
"Afterwards there will be artificial insemination," said the woman who was identified only as "Yessica" and who has bought a house with a room for a child.
The show is a one-off competing with four other reality TV programs, one of which follows five former prostitutes starting a cafe. The program receiving most votes from viewers Saturday, after all the shows have aired, will be turned into a series.
De Telegraaf also published an email address for men wanting to donate sperm to Yessica.
His new TV station Talpa, launched earlier this month, confirmed it will air a program called "I want your child ... and nothing else!" but gave no further details about the show due at 1830 GMT Wednesday.
"The plan is that we visit potential donors and -- of course on camera -- decide which man is most suitable," the 30-year old woman who will feature in the program said in an interview with De Telegraaf newspaper.
"Afterwards there will be artificial insemination," said the woman who was identified only as "Yessica" and who has bought a house with a room for a child.
The show is a one-off competing with four other reality TV programs, one of which follows five former prostitutes starting a cafe. The program receiving most votes from viewers Saturday, after all the shows have aired, will be turned into a series.
De Telegraaf also published an email address for men wanting to donate sperm to Yessica.
Japan to promote "Warm Biz" look to save energy
Spurred by the success of a "Cool Biz" campaign this summer that encouraged men to dress down to save energy, Japan plans to continue conservation efforts this fall and winter by promoting "Warm Biz" fashion.
Government workers and politicians, known for conservative fashions, have been encouraged to leave off coats and ties between June 1 and September 30 so that air conditioner thermostats can be set higher to help fight global warming.
From October 1, however, public sector thermostats will be turned down to 20 C (68 F) and workers urged to layer up.
"There are various combinations of dress that we envision, but thermal underwear is definitely going to be crucial," an official at the Environment Ministry said.
The wearing of waistcoats, turtleneck sweaters and thick socks would also be encouraged, he added. "There's no doubt that 20 C is a bit chilly, so if people don't really take care to keep warm, they could become uncomfortable."
Aside from its potential contribution to energy saving, "Cool Biz" sparked a boom in June clothing sales that pushed up overall retail sales for the month as workers sought out casual clothing.
People interviewed by NHK national television gave the new proposal mixed reviews, with several saying they supported the idea of saving energy but others worrying about the cost.
"If we have to wear things like waistcoats all winter, this is going to take a lot of money," one young man said.
Government workers and politicians, known for conservative fashions, have been encouraged to leave off coats and ties between June 1 and September 30 so that air conditioner thermostats can be set higher to help fight global warming.
From October 1, however, public sector thermostats will be turned down to 20 C (68 F) and workers urged to layer up.
"There are various combinations of dress that we envision, but thermal underwear is definitely going to be crucial," an official at the Environment Ministry said.
The wearing of waistcoats, turtleneck sweaters and thick socks would also be encouraged, he added. "There's no doubt that 20 C is a bit chilly, so if people don't really take care to keep warm, they could become uncomfortable."
Aside from its potential contribution to energy saving, "Cool Biz" sparked a boom in June clothing sales that pushed up overall retail sales for the month as workers sought out casual clothing.
People interviewed by NHK national television gave the new proposal mixed reviews, with several saying they supported the idea of saving energy but others worrying about the cost.
"If we have to wear things like waistcoats all winter, this is going to take a lot of money," one young man said.
Judge rules New York can't ban graffiti party
A U.S. judge on Monday overturned a ban imposed by city officials and ruled in favor of a fashion company's right to hold a street party featuring graffiti artists painting mock subway cars.
The party, scheduled for Wednesday by designer Mark Ecko, had raised the indignation of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said the plan for 20 artists to put graffiti on mock subway cars would incite vandalism.
But in Monday's ruling U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said the mayor's view went against the First Amendment.
"By the same token, presumably, a street performance of 'Hamlet' would be tantamount to encouraging revenge murder," he said in federal court in Manhattan. "As for a street performance of 'Oedipus Rex,' don't even think about it."
The judge said he was not suggesting the "actual painting of graffiti on subway cars is to be condoned" but that any heavy-handed censorship would fall hard on artists, "who frequently revel in breaking conventions."
Outside the courtroom, Ecko, 32, a former graffiti artist and founder of fashion company Ecko Unlimited, described the decision and the judge as "kinda cool."
"It (the event) should not be dismissed as easily as vandalism or inciting crime and was born from the fabric of the streets of New York," he said, while inviting the billionaire mayor to the party.
Alan Ket, 34, one of those who will paint one of the mock subway cars, said the street party, which will be open to the public, would be "an opportunity to see some of the artists people around the world call folk heroes."
Officials initially approved the event but pulled the permit last week when it drew Bloomberg's ire.
New York City spokeswoman Kate O'Brien Ahlers said the ruling was disappointing.
"We believe that the city's denial of a permit to an exhibit which glorifies criminal activity was proper and should have been upheld," she said.
Ahlers said officials were considering an appeal.
The party, scheduled for Wednesday by designer Mark Ecko, had raised the indignation of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said the plan for 20 artists to put graffiti on mock subway cars would incite vandalism.
But in Monday's ruling U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said the mayor's view went against the First Amendment.
"By the same token, presumably, a street performance of 'Hamlet' would be tantamount to encouraging revenge murder," he said in federal court in Manhattan. "As for a street performance of 'Oedipus Rex,' don't even think about it."
The judge said he was not suggesting the "actual painting of graffiti on subway cars is to be condoned" but that any heavy-handed censorship would fall hard on artists, "who frequently revel in breaking conventions."
Outside the courtroom, Ecko, 32, a former graffiti artist and founder of fashion company Ecko Unlimited, described the decision and the judge as "kinda cool."
"It (the event) should not be dismissed as easily as vandalism or inciting crime and was born from the fabric of the streets of New York," he said, while inviting the billionaire mayor to the party.
Alan Ket, 34, one of those who will paint one of the mock subway cars, said the street party, which will be open to the public, would be "an opportunity to see some of the artists people around the world call folk heroes."
Officials initially approved the event but pulled the permit last week when it drew Bloomberg's ire.
New York City spokeswoman Kate O'Brien Ahlers said the ruling was disappointing.
"We believe that the city's denial of a permit to an exhibit which glorifies criminal activity was proper and should have been upheld," she said.
Ahlers said officials were considering an appeal.
20050823
Convicted U.S. felon's "Cures" tops book charts
He went to prison for fraud and was ordered by the U.S. government to stop touting health products on infomercials, but Kevin Trudeau's book "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" is a bestseller.
Trudeau, who for years sold snoring remedies and memory enhancers through long-format commercials dressed up as talk shows, says he is a consumer advocate battling the "unholy alliance" of drug companies and government regulators.
"It's all about money. The drug industry does not want people to get healthy," he says in a commercial for his book. Trudeau says he has sold about 4 million copies of the book in less than a year, a huge amount for a self-published book marketed initially only through the Internet and television infomercials.
The book -- whose back cover says "Never get sick again!" and "Learn the specific natural cures for herpes, acid reflux, diabetes ... cancer ... and more!" -- has topped the Publishers Weekly nonfiction bestseller list for the past three weeks.
That attracted the attention of the New York Consumer Protection Board, which issued a warning this month that Trudeau promised cures he did not deliver.
"This book is exploiting and misleading people who are searching for cures to serious illnesses," said Teresa Santiago, who chairs the board. "From cover to cover, this book is a fraud," she said, adding that a doctor quoted apparently endorsing the book died in 2001.
Trudeau filed a lawsuit to stop the Consumer Protection Board from approaching TV stations to persuade them not to air his infomercials.
He says he recommends herbs, vitamins and other alternative treatments and, while urging people to consult doctors, lists cures such as shark cartilage for tumors and organic dark chocolate for stress.
"There are multiple ways to cure cancer without drugs and surgery," Trudeau told Reuters, adding that drug companies eschew natural products because they are unprofitable.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said it is spending more than $120 million this year investigating everything from acupuncture to chamomile tea and the
National Cancer Institute spends another $128 million.
"PARANOID FANTASY"
Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who runs a Web site called Quackwatch, described Trudeau's book as "a collection of false ideas" that included dangerous advice such as the claim that sunscreen can cause cancer so it should not be used.
"The danger of the book is it's an attempt to shape public opinion so people don't trust science-based health care."
Barrett said he too was suspicious about excessive profits in the drug industry, but said it was "paranoid fantasy" to suggest they would suppress or ignore cures.
"A lot of people are angry because drugs are so expensive," he said, explaining the book's draw. "He's promising magic."
In September, Trudeau agreed to pay $2 million to settle a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over his claim that "Coral Calcium" could cure or prevent cancer but admitted no wrongdoing. Trudeau agreed to stop marketing health products, but he was allowed to market books.
The FTC called the case an example to "other habitual false advertisers," prompting a lawsuit from Trudeau.
FTC attorney Laura Sullivan said the regulator was watching Trudeau carefully but had taken no action over the book.
Sullivan said the FTC sanction barring him from making infomercials for anything but books was "extraordinary" and followed a string of previous fraud charges that were settled.
Trudeau, 42, was jailed for 22 months in the early 1990s over credit card fraud -- something Trudeau dismissed as nothing more than a youthful indiscretion.
Reader reviews on Amazon.com revealed strong opinions, including complaints that his book refers readers to his Web site for more information.
Trudeau's site offers monthly membership at $9.95 and lifetime membership for $499. He said he charges because he takes no advertising and he spends $1.5 million a week on infomercials.
"I'm doing this virtually as a nonprofit," he said. "I'm not doing this for the money. It's a passion."
Trudeau, who for years sold snoring remedies and memory enhancers through long-format commercials dressed up as talk shows, says he is a consumer advocate battling the "unholy alliance" of drug companies and government regulators.
"It's all about money. The drug industry does not want people to get healthy," he says in a commercial for his book. Trudeau says he has sold about 4 million copies of the book in less than a year, a huge amount for a self-published book marketed initially only through the Internet and television infomercials.
The book -- whose back cover says "Never get sick again!" and "Learn the specific natural cures for herpes, acid reflux, diabetes ... cancer ... and more!" -- has topped the Publishers Weekly nonfiction bestseller list for the past three weeks.
That attracted the attention of the New York Consumer Protection Board, which issued a warning this month that Trudeau promised cures he did not deliver.
"This book is exploiting and misleading people who are searching for cures to serious illnesses," said Teresa Santiago, who chairs the board. "From cover to cover, this book is a fraud," she said, adding that a doctor quoted apparently endorsing the book died in 2001.
Trudeau filed a lawsuit to stop the Consumer Protection Board from approaching TV stations to persuade them not to air his infomercials.
He says he recommends herbs, vitamins and other alternative treatments and, while urging people to consult doctors, lists cures such as shark cartilage for tumors and organic dark chocolate for stress.
"There are multiple ways to cure cancer without drugs and surgery," Trudeau told Reuters, adding that drug companies eschew natural products because they are unprofitable.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine said it is spending more than $120 million this year investigating everything from acupuncture to chamomile tea and the
National Cancer Institute spends another $128 million.
"PARANOID FANTASY"
Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who runs a Web site called Quackwatch, described Trudeau's book as "a collection of false ideas" that included dangerous advice such as the claim that sunscreen can cause cancer so it should not be used.
"The danger of the book is it's an attempt to shape public opinion so people don't trust science-based health care."
Barrett said he too was suspicious about excessive profits in the drug industry, but said it was "paranoid fantasy" to suggest they would suppress or ignore cures.
"A lot of people are angry because drugs are so expensive," he said, explaining the book's draw. "He's promising magic."
In September, Trudeau agreed to pay $2 million to settle a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over his claim that "Coral Calcium" could cure or prevent cancer but admitted no wrongdoing. Trudeau agreed to stop marketing health products, but he was allowed to market books.
The FTC called the case an example to "other habitual false advertisers," prompting a lawsuit from Trudeau.
FTC attorney Laura Sullivan said the regulator was watching Trudeau carefully but had taken no action over the book.
Sullivan said the FTC sanction barring him from making infomercials for anything but books was "extraordinary" and followed a string of previous fraud charges that were settled.
Trudeau, 42, was jailed for 22 months in the early 1990s over credit card fraud -- something Trudeau dismissed as nothing more than a youthful indiscretion.
Reader reviews on Amazon.com revealed strong opinions, including complaints that his book refers readers to his Web site for more information.
Trudeau's site offers monthly membership at $9.95 and lifetime membership for $499. He said he charges because he takes no advertising and he spends $1.5 million a week on infomercials.
"I'm doing this virtually as a nonprofit," he said. "I'm not doing this for the money. It's a passion."
700 kilos of mud stolen from bankrupt mine
Security guards protecting what is left of Serbia's once mighty Bor mining and smelting complex are being overrun by thieves stealing mud that contains traces of gold, silver and platinum, a Belgrade newspaper reported.
Bor police have filed charges against persons unknown for the theft of about 700 kilograms (1550 pounds) of valuable anode mud from the bankrupt, state-owned company in southern Serbia, Danas said in its weekend edition.
The paper quoted security company chief Ljuba Milovanovic as saying thieves stopped at nothing to get at the mud, carrying it off in bags, sacks, bottles, clothing and even in pockets.
The paper said 200 kg of the mud would yield about one kg of gold and six kg of silver, plus other potentially valuable metals. It was probably processed in "private, well-hidden smelting plants."
Bor police have filed charges against persons unknown for the theft of about 700 kilograms (1550 pounds) of valuable anode mud from the bankrupt, state-owned company in southern Serbia, Danas said in its weekend edition.
The paper quoted security company chief Ljuba Milovanovic as saying thieves stopped at nothing to get at the mud, carrying it off in bags, sacks, bottles, clothing and even in pockets.
The paper said 200 kg of the mud would yield about one kg of gold and six kg of silver, plus other potentially valuable metals. It was probably processed in "private, well-hidden smelting plants."
UK's mystery "Piano Man" returns to Germany
A German man who baffled police and care workers after being found wandering in a suit near a southern English beach, soaking wet and refusing to speak, has returned to Germany after four months in care.
The man was dubbed the "Piano Man" by the media after supposedly giving a virtuoso piano performance while being treated in a psychiatric unit, where doctors failed to identify him despite being inundated with suggestions.
The 20-year-old from the southern state of Bavaria returned home on Saturday after the German embassy had verified his nationality and provided him with replacement documents, a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.
He declined to give the man's name or say where he was now living.
British health authorities said on Monday the man had been released after making a "marked improvement" but would not give any further details.
A report in the Daily Mirror newspaper said the man had finally broken his silence, revealing that he was German and had been trying to commit suicide after losing his job in Paris when he was picked up by police.
The newspaper said he had previously worked with mentally ill patients and had copied some of their characteristics.
Doctors were quoted four months ago as saying the man had drawn a grand piano after being given a pen and paper and had later played classical music on a chapel piano for hours.
The Mirror cast doubt on that, saying he could "hardly play a note."
The man was dubbed the "Piano Man" by the media after supposedly giving a virtuoso piano performance while being treated in a psychiatric unit, where doctors failed to identify him despite being inundated with suggestions.
The 20-year-old from the southern state of Bavaria returned home on Saturday after the German embassy had verified his nationality and provided him with replacement documents, a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.
He declined to give the man's name or say where he was now living.
British health authorities said on Monday the man had been released after making a "marked improvement" but would not give any further details.
A report in the Daily Mirror newspaper said the man had finally broken his silence, revealing that he was German and had been trying to commit suicide after losing his job in Paris when he was picked up by police.
The newspaper said he had previously worked with mentally ill patients and had copied some of their characteristics.
Doctors were quoted four months ago as saying the man had drawn a grand piano after being given a pen and paper and had later played classical music on a chapel piano for hours.
The Mirror cast doubt on that, saying he could "hardly play a note."
20050822
Great debate to reinstate mate
A ban by Australia's Parliament House on the term "mate," a popular colloquialism and symbol of egalitarianism, has been overturned following a barrage of protest.
Security guards at Parliament House in Canberra had been directed Thursday to refer to people as sir and ma'am. The ban was imposed after the head of a government department complained about being called mate, local media reported.
But a parliamentary circular issued Friday removed the directive warning staff not to use "mate" when dealing with the public or members of parliament, instead suggesting they use their judgment on when a more formal approach is required.
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke said the attempted ban was "pomposity gone mad," while current Prime Minister John Howard described the ban as "absurd and impractical."
"There are circumstances where a more formal address is appropriate," Howard told Australian radio.
"But in the same conversation you might start off calling somebody you have just met sir or madam but as you become more familiar ... you might end up saying mate."
The move also prompted a flood of calls to talkback radio around the country and was slammed by Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper as "ludicrous" because it took Australia back to the days of the class system.
Security guards at Parliament House in Canberra had been directed Thursday to refer to people as sir and ma'am. The ban was imposed after the head of a government department complained about being called mate, local media reported.
But a parliamentary circular issued Friday removed the directive warning staff not to use "mate" when dealing with the public or members of parliament, instead suggesting they use their judgment on when a more formal approach is required.
Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke said the attempted ban was "pomposity gone mad," while current Prime Minister John Howard described the ban as "absurd and impractical."
"There are circumstances where a more formal address is appropriate," Howard told Australian radio.
"But in the same conversation you might start off calling somebody you have just met sir or madam but as you become more familiar ... you might end up saying mate."
The move also prompted a flood of calls to talkback radio around the country and was slammed by Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper as "ludicrous" because it took Australia back to the days of the class system.
20050821
Nevada Kitty Survives Jolt, Fire, Fall
A stalking foray atop a power pole left a lucky feline jolted, frizzled and dazed but otherwise OK after he fell off the 40-foot pole and sparked a fire outside a fire house.
The frazzled cat was discovered when paramedic-firefighters Andrew Chrzanowski and Jeremy Hall responded to the fire Wednesday morning after the lights went out at the Topaz Ranch Estates fire house.
"When we got the fire knocked down we saw this burned cat close to the base of the pole," Hall said.
They assumed it was dead until Chrzanowski noticed it was breathing. He put it on a blanket and gave it oxygen.
"We both thought that with the amount of burns he had he wasn't going to make it, but then we started to look more closely and we saw it was all superficial," Hall said. "The fire just burned all his hair off."
The firefighters believe the cat was on the pole, because a bird's nest was found on top and there was a large black spot where something had touched a relay switch on the 25,000-volt line.
Animal Control officer Janet Duzan took the cat to Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital, where Veterinarian Steve Talbot said it should make a full recovery.
"The doctor said it looks like he was in a flash fire and got singed from head to toe," Duzan said.
The cat will be put up for adoption if it is not claimed by its owner, she said.
The frazzled cat was discovered when paramedic-firefighters Andrew Chrzanowski and Jeremy Hall responded to the fire Wednesday morning after the lights went out at the Topaz Ranch Estates fire house.
"When we got the fire knocked down we saw this burned cat close to the base of the pole," Hall said.
They assumed it was dead until Chrzanowski noticed it was breathing. He put it on a blanket and gave it oxygen.
"We both thought that with the amount of burns he had he wasn't going to make it, but then we started to look more closely and we saw it was all superficial," Hall said. "The fire just burned all his hair off."
The firefighters believe the cat was on the pole, because a bird's nest was found on top and there was a large black spot where something had touched a relay switch on the 25,000-volt line.
Animal Control officer Janet Duzan took the cat to Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital, where Veterinarian Steve Talbot said it should make a full recovery.
"The doctor said it looks like he was in a flash fire and got singed from head to toe," Duzan said.
The cat will be put up for adoption if it is not claimed by its owner, she said.
20050815
California Cops Want to Bust Ghost Hunters
Police here are determined to bust the legend of Billy's ghost. For more than 20 years, ghost hunters, amorous teens and the just plain curious have flocked to Mariposa Elementary School in the wee hours in hopes of spotting the ghost of a boy that legend says died in the school nurse's office.
Or maybe he was hit by a truck. Or perhaps he split his head open after tumbling from playground swings.
Whatever the actual story, lovers of the paranormal believe little Billy decided to spend his afterlife roaming the school's halls after dark.
The legend may be harmless, but police say they are tired of sending patrol cars to the rural campus to keep trespassers away.
So authorities intend to install a video surveillance system — not to catch the ghost, but the ghost hunters.
The cameras will be installed within a few weeks and will be partially paid for by a federal grant. Police aren't saying how many cameras will be installed or where.
Police dispatchers will be able to tilt and pan the cameras to keep tabs on intruders.
The legend seems to stem from the real life death of a boy in 1972. Problem is, he didn't die in the school and wasn't even a student there. It's not even clear his name was Billy.
The boy was riding his bicycle down a hill road that dead-ends at the school when he was hit by a truck and killed.
This was born the legend, which says, among other things, that if someone knocks on the school's office door at night three times, Billy will knock back.
Will the cameras deter the curious?
"As long as there's a Web site that says it's haunted, and as long as there's teenagers that want to see if it's true, they'll keep coming," said police Lt. Russ Dalzell.
Or maybe he was hit by a truck. Or perhaps he split his head open after tumbling from playground swings.
Whatever the actual story, lovers of the paranormal believe little Billy decided to spend his afterlife roaming the school's halls after dark.
The legend may be harmless, but police say they are tired of sending patrol cars to the rural campus to keep trespassers away.
So authorities intend to install a video surveillance system — not to catch the ghost, but the ghost hunters.
The cameras will be installed within a few weeks and will be partially paid for by a federal grant. Police aren't saying how many cameras will be installed or where.
Police dispatchers will be able to tilt and pan the cameras to keep tabs on intruders.
The legend seems to stem from the real life death of a boy in 1972. Problem is, he didn't die in the school and wasn't even a student there. It's not even clear his name was Billy.
The boy was riding his bicycle down a hill road that dead-ends at the school when he was hit by a truck and killed.
This was born the legend, which says, among other things, that if someone knocks on the school's office door at night three times, Billy will knock back.
Will the cameras deter the curious?
"As long as there's a Web site that says it's haunted, and as long as there's teenagers that want to see if it's true, they'll keep coming," said police Lt. Russ Dalzell.
20050813
Bank robbery suspects nabbed with new cars
Police said on Thursday they had detained two men in connection with Brazil's biggest bank robbery after stopping a truck loaded with cars they believe were purchased by the newly rich thieves.
Federal police have been hunting the thieves since the weekend bank heist in Fortaleza, northeast Brazil. The robbers escaped with 156 million reais (about $68 million) after digging a 260-foot (80-meter) tunnel from a rented house to the vault of the local central bank branch.
The car carrier was stopped on Wednesday night in Minas Gerais state on the road to Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, about 1,550 miles from Fortaleza.
A police spokesman said the vehicle was loaded with several cars that the robbers had bought from a dealer in Fortaleza with cash from the bank raid.
Police also found one million reais in packets hidden in the front seat of one of the cars. "All the other cars that were on the transporter will checked," he said.
Police detained the driver of the truck and its owner, who was traveling with him. It was not clear whether they had any involvement in the robbery or just transported the cars.
Police say 10-20 robbers had spent three months digging the tunnel to the bank from a house they had rented under the guise that they were running a landscaping company.
Authorities suspect the heist was carried out by either the First Capital Command or Red Command, Brazil's biggest organized crime gangs.
Federal police have been hunting the thieves since the weekend bank heist in Fortaleza, northeast Brazil. The robbers escaped with 156 million reais (about $68 million) after digging a 260-foot (80-meter) tunnel from a rented house to the vault of the local central bank branch.
The car carrier was stopped on Wednesday night in Minas Gerais state on the road to Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city, about 1,550 miles from Fortaleza.
A police spokesman said the vehicle was loaded with several cars that the robbers had bought from a dealer in Fortaleza with cash from the bank raid.
Police also found one million reais in packets hidden in the front seat of one of the cars. "All the other cars that were on the transporter will checked," he said.
Police detained the driver of the truck and its owner, who was traveling with him. It was not clear whether they had any involvement in the robbery or just transported the cars.
Police say 10-20 robbers had spent three months digging the tunnel to the bank from a house they had rented under the guise that they were running a landscaping company.
Authorities suspect the heist was carried out by either the First Capital Command or Red Command, Brazil's biggest organized crime gangs.
20050806
Earn easy cash in your spare time
Catch a stray cow from the hundreds roaming the streets of New Delhi, haul it to a state shelter and you will be given 2,000 rupees ($46) for your pains.
The Hindustan Times newspaper said Friday the Delhi High Court had passed an order instructing city authorities to offer money to rid the Indian capital of the cattle menace.
An estimated 35,000 cows and buffaloes roam free in the capital, sharing space with hordes of monkeys, camels and stray dogs. Traffic routinely comes to a halt to allow animals to amble across highways, leading to accidents and sometimes deaths.
Cows are sacred to Hindus, who make up a bulk of India's billion-plus population, and just a rumor of mistreatment can prompt angry mobs to attack people in revenge.
The Hindustan Times newspaper said Friday the Delhi High Court had passed an order instructing city authorities to offer money to rid the Indian capital of the cattle menace.
An estimated 35,000 cows and buffaloes roam free in the capital, sharing space with hordes of monkeys, camels and stray dogs. Traffic routinely comes to a halt to allow animals to amble across highways, leading to accidents and sometimes deaths.
Cows are sacred to Hindus, who make up a bulk of India's billion-plus population, and just a rumor of mistreatment can prompt angry mobs to attack people in revenge.
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