Tracking units to monitor children and teenagers - disguised as watches, mobile phones and belts - have hit Australia to the outrage of civil libertarians and parent groups. The latest in spy gadgets available in Australia are being marketed to anxious parents. They include a computer device and software that can record email and chatroom conversations and a clothing spray that can tell if teens are having sex. Australian company Internav's mobile phone-sized Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device has emergency alarm button and software so parents can zoom in on a child's whereabouts using a home computer. It costs $895. Managing director Graham Thomas said he expected the main buyers to be parents of teenage girls. "Teenage girls going out at night who go home on a bus or by taxi - this is really for the peace of mind of their parents," he said. Geoff Day from Kid Safe System Locators, said his GPS devices, which will be in stores by Christmas, would help find children in cases of abduction or accidents such as drowning. They can be hidden in watches, belts and jewellery and cost from $600 to $700.
First Black Pope In The Works
The man tipped to be the first black pope has set out his credentials as the Vatican continues to prepare the public for the death of Pope John Paul II.
Cardinal Arinze presents himself as a man who has risen from humble origins in a Nigerian village to a senior position in the Vatican, and as a conservative capable of reaching other constituencies."God Hates Fags" Leader To Erect Matthew Shepard Monument
Anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps has announced intentions to erect a monument to Matthew Shepard, the gay college student brutally murdered five years ago near Laramie. But, the monument will be no memorial. Phelps says the monument would be 5 to 6 feet tall and made of marble or granite. It would bear a bronze plaque bearing the image of Shepard and have an inscription reading 'MATTHEW SHEPARD, Entered Hell October 12, 1998, in Defiance of God's Warning: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is abomination." Leviticus 18:22.' The monument would be erected in downtown Casper, Shepard's home town.
North Korea Not So Nice A Place
Tens of thousands starved in the latest famine, from 1995 to 1997. Lee, who asked that her given name not be used, was a clerk in a government office who notarized the deaths in her town. 'I can't condemn cannibalism. Not that I wanted to eat human meat, but we were so hungry. It was common that people went to a fresh grave and dug up a body to eat meat. I witnessed a woman being questioned for cannibalism. She said it tasted good.' Massive international food aid gradually stemmed the famine after a death toll estimated at anywhere from 300,000 to 2 million.
Election ballot keeps getting simpler in Colombia
Police in Colombia say a mayoral candidate, Jorge Roa, has been killed by armed men -- bringing the number of murdered political candidates to 16 in the run-up to elections later this month. Mr Roa is the seventh mayoral candidate to be killed during the election campaign. Eight people running for city councils and one candidate for governor have also been killed.
Somebody At The FBI Got Chewed Out
Up to a dozen flights were delayed and a concourse was sealed off Saturday when an FBI agent reported his weapon and credentials missing. They were found 30 minutes later in a restaurant where he had eaten. The agent, whose name was not released, apparently lost track of his bag when he left the restaurant to make a phone call... All planes at Concourse B gates were held after the agent alerted police, and passengers were not allowed to leave or enter the concourse.
Dr. Laura All About More Sex
Women are duty-bound to provide their husbands with sex on demand, claims a controversial book on achieving wedded bliss.
Wives have a 'loving obligation' to have sex whenever they are asked for it -- even if they are not in the mood, says American author Dr Laura Schlessinger. 'If husbands are expected to go to work and earn money and visit relatives they don't like, why can't wives put out on demand?Red Necks Sterotyped By Florida Mom
Some parents are angry over a 'Redneck Day' held as part of a weeklong homecoming celebration, saying it inflamed racial tension at Northview High School.
One black parent said her 10th grade daughter got into a fight over racial slurs during the event Wednesday and was suspended from the school in this rural Florida Panhandle community. 'A redneck is an ignorant, white racist,' parent Shirley Moorer said.Russian Utility Companies Holding Pets Hostage
If you live in Russia's Far East and don't pay your electricity bills on time, you would be well advised to keep a close eye on your pets. The local electricity company is threatening to take them hostage in order to force consumers to pay up. According to the authorities, there is nothing illegal about seizing pets.
Canadian Prime Minister Longs For The Chronic
The 69-year-old prime minister has never smoked marijuana, he says, but he joked in an interview this week he might be willing to give it a try once it's decriminalized.
Chretien was asked how it felt to have bills for decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing same-sex marriages as the exclamation points to his lengthy political career. 'I don't know what is marijuana,' Chretien replied. 'Perhaps I will try it when it will no longer be criminal. I will have my money for my fine and a joint in the other hand.Couple Arrested For Public, Drunken Debauchery
Tennessee couple spent Tuesday afternoon making love. While a commendable act, the lovebirds were caught trysting on Gilchrist's front lawn, in full view of the neighbors, one of whom called 911 to report, "They're, they're f*****g out here in the yard. And everything else. They're having sex out here, and people are running by." According to this Maury County Sheriff's report, Gilchrist, 45, and Parris, 44, were barely clothed and liquored up when deputies arrived. Both were charged with indecent exposure and public intoxication, while Gilchrist was also cited for disorderly conduct.
