■ United States
Cats get own TV show
American cats, no longer content to climb trees, mess up houses with their fur or overdose on catnip, are getting their very own TV show. "Meow TV", a 30-minute show aimed at cats, not just cat lovers, would debut yesterday on the women's cable channel Oxygen TV. It was developed by the cat food maker Meow Mix Co after research showed that one-third of cats enjoy watching television. The show's slogan? "More fun than a ball of yarn." It will feature such "cat integrity" pieces as videos of squirrels running up trees, fish swimming in tanks, as well as more highbrow fare such as cat yoga and cat haiku.
■ Serbia
War criminal goes to court
A former Serb paramilitary leader who also was Slobodan Milosevic's security officer was headed to the Netherlands-based UN war crimes tribunal yesterday, his attorney said. Franko Simatovic boarded an early morning flight from Belgrade to Amsterdam. Upon arrival, officials of the UN court were expected to take him into custody later in the day. Simatovic, who headed notorious Serb units in the 1991 to 1995 Bosnian and Croatian wars, was indicted together with Milosevic's former state security chief, Jovica Stanisic, on five counts of crimes against humanity.
■ United States
Seeking all visa violators
The US Department of Homeland Security will be ready by Aug. 1 to begin searching for thousands of foreign nationals who may have violated the terms of their student visas an official said. Bentley said as many as 10,000 people may have violated the terms of their student visas, double the 5,000-strong force of federal agents available to enforce immigration rules. Violations often occur when visa holders leave school for work without notifying immigration authorities. Violators face detainment and deportation. Immigration data on visa violators also would be available to other law enforcement agencies.
■ United States
Killer gets new kidney
A death row prisoner in Oregon who has kidney disease could receive a transplant ahead of thousands of other patients because the operation would save the state money. Horacio Reyes-Camarena was found guilty of stabbing an 18-year-old woman to death in 1996. His appeal could take another decade. Reyes-Camarena's dialysis at the Two Rivers correctional institution costs US$120,000 a year, so a transplant, at US$100,000, would represent a saving for a state facing a budget crisis. "I know people on the outside. They need things and they don't get it. Sometimes being here is better."
Agencies
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