Thousands Circumcised in Morocco

From: FES

Morocco - The infant son of King Mohammed VI was circumcised Thursday, and thousands of Moroccans also went through the procedure in a massive show of solidarity for the prince, a news agency reported.

The circumcision of Moulay Hassan, the king's only son, marked the start of three days of nationwide celebrations across the north African kingdom to honor the event. The boy turns 2 next month.

Some 5,000 boys were circumcised in Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, and thousands more in other cities and towns, the official news agency MAP reported.

The ritual of circumcision, known as "t'hara" or purification in Morocco, signals the entry of young boys into the Muslim community. The practice — once mainly carried out by barbers — today takes place primarily under a doctor's supervision.

Cat Survives 10-Mile Trip on Top of Car

From: Associated Press

INKOM, Idaho (AP) - Torri Hutchinson's cat might just have one less life to live. Hutchison was driving along Interstate 15 one day recently when a motorist kept trying to get her attention and pointing to the roof of her car.

She said she was wary of the man, but wondered if perhaps her ski rack might have come loose.

She pulled over to the side, but kept her doors locked and the motor running.

The man pulled up behind her. Hutchinson rolled down her window to hear the man frantically shouting, "Your cat! Your cat!"

He reached for the roof of her car and handed the shocked Hutchinson her orange tabby.

She had driven about 10 miles with the cat on top of the car, and didn't even notice the feline when she stopped for gas.

Hutchinson said Cuddle Bug, or C.B. for short, had climbed into the back of her car as she was getting ready to leave. She put him out, but he must have jumped on the roof while she wasn't looking, she said.

Police Arrest 8-Year-Old After Alleged Outburst in Williamsburg Elementary School

From: Associated Press

James City County Police arrested an eight-year-old boy who allegedly had a violent outburst in school.

Authorities say he head-butted his teacher and kicked an assistant principal when he was told he couldn't go outside to play with other students.

The four-foot pupil was led away from Williamsburg's Rawls Byrd Elementary School in handcuffs Tuesday and charged with disorderly conduct and assault and battery.

Major Stan Stout says the student began tossing chairs and turning over desks after a teacher - and later the assistant principal - tried to stop him from joining his classmates.

The child was later released to his parents.

Court: Man Can Sue Over Surprise Pregnancy

From: Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - An appeals court said a man can press a claim for emotional distress after learning a former lover had used his sperm to have a baby. But he can't claim theft, the ruling said, because the sperm were hers to keep.

The ruling Wednesday by the Illinois Appellate Court sends Dr. Richard O. Phillips' distress case back to trial court.

Phillips accuses Dr. Sharon Irons of a "calculated, profound personal betrayal" after their affair six years ago, saying she secretly kept semen after they had oral sex, then used it to get pregnant.

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Nudists dine in New York style

From: Reuters
By Claudia Parsons

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The diners arrived at a nice Manhattan restaurant on a cold February night and stripped off coats, hats, gloves and scarves. They didn't stop there.

Skirts, shirts, pants, underwear and stockings all ended up stashed in plastic bags by the bar as the patrons got naked for the monthly "Clothing Optional Dinner."

"It's exciting to be in a restaurant nude," said George Keyes, 65, a retired junior high school English teacher.

Nude yes, but not unadorned.

Keyes, a lifelong nudist, wore a necklace, earrings and a black leather "genital bracelet" with red studs. And white sneakers.

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Stanley Cup iced by Sox?

From: The Boston Globe

Blame it on the Red Sox.

For only the second time in 112 years, the Stanley Cup -- the oldest trophy competed for by North American sports teams -- will not be awarded. And both times, the Red Sox were the defending World Series champions.

Donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Cup was first awarded to the amateur hockey champions of Canada in 1893, then to the winner of the National Hockey Association starting in 1910, and finally to the NHL champions beginning in 1927.

The only other time it was not awarded was 86 years ago -- a year familiar to Sox fans -- when the flu epidemic of 1919 killed 20 million people worldwide and forced the cancellation of hockey's championship series after five games.

Rape Victim Identifies Suspect By His Bad Breath

From: AP

QUINCY, Mass. -- A restaurant manager was charged with raping an employee at knifepoint after the woman recognized her masked attacker from his bad breath, authorities said.

Tuen "Dickie" Lee, 36, pleaded innocent Monday.

Police said the woman was tied up and raped by a man who broke into her home earlier this month. DNA evidence confirmed the victim's suspicions that the attacker was her boss, authorities said.

Olajuwon says he didn't know of terrorism ties

From: Associated Press/ESPN

WASHINGTON -- A mosque established and funded by basketball star Hakeem Olajuwon gave more than $80,000 to charities the government later determined to be fronts for the terror groups al-Qaida and Hamas, according to financial records obtained by The Associated Press.

Olajuwon told the AP he had not known of any links to terrorism when the donations were made, prior to the government's crackdown on the groups, and would not have given the money if he had known.

"There is no way you can go back in time," Olajuwon said in a telephone interview from Jordan, where he is studying Arabic. "After the fact, now they have the list of organizations that are banned by the government."

A Treasury Department spokeswoman, Molly Millerwise, declined to discuss Olajuwon's contributions but said, "In many cases donors are being unwittingly misled by the charities."

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