China starts campaign against bad signs
Fed-up with menus offering delicacies such as "fried pawns" and "bean eurd," Beijing is declaring war against incomprehensible and misspelled English-language signs and notices, the state-run China Daily reported Friday.
( Associated Press, 12/06/2002 12:08 PM PST)

Kayaker paddles 1,750 miles to reunion
A kayaker who began paddling last May from her Florida home to her high school reunion in Nashua has finished her 1,750-mile journey.
( Associated Press, 12/06/2002 12:03 PM PST)

Wife a smash in Singapore
A used-car salesman's wife, who suspected her husband of having an affair, smashed 18 cars with a hammer during a five-minute rampage at their Singapore dealership, police said.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:56 AM PST)

Wild cows snarl traffic in Hong Kong
Hundreds of wild cows and buffaloes roam through rural Hong Kong, sometimes snarling traffic or littering beaches with manure - and animal rights supporters said officials need a long-term plan to bring the herds under control.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:51 AM PST)

Streets are paved with -- beer
Ice-cold beer was flowing in a Davenport neighborhood, but it was on a city street and heading for the city's storm sewers, police said.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:43 AM PST)

Court: Slippery shower not cruel
A former inmate at the Salt Lake County jail has lost an appeal that claimed a slippery shower floor at the jail was so dangerous that it amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:40 AM PST)

Escapees plague Michigan -- feathered escapees
Authorities were on the lookout for two elusive but most definitely unarmed escapees.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:34 AM PST)

The new urban blight: Limousines
The city has barred limousines from parking on some Beverly Hills streets because of residents' complaints about limos loitering near luxury hotels.
( Associated Press, 12/05/2002 10:31 AM PST)

Opera about Jerry Springer planned
A humorous opera based on the life of talk show host Jerry Springer will be staged at the Royal National Theatre next year, the first new opera to make its London debut at the prestigious venue, the theater's incoming director said Wednesday.
( By SUE LEEMAN, Associated Press, 12/04/2002 01:52 PM PST)

Police: Man steals to clear his record
A man charged with theft didn't have the money to pay for a rehabilitation program that would clear his criminal record, so he stole a courthouse computer to pawn off, police said.
( Associated Press, 12/04/2002 07:58 AM PST)