said. "It's something I've never done before and won't do again." Stephenson, 70, said he didn't remember making the comment on Monday, but transcripts indicated he said, "Why would he want to rape her? She doesn't look like a day
at the beach." Stephenson made the remark after looking at a photo of the beaten and bruised victim as attorneys discussed a plea agreement.
■ Zimbabwe
Police ban policy launch
Zimbabwean police on Thursday banned Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition party from launching its long-awaited and detailed proposals to rebuild the country's crumbling economy. Using the nation's draconian security laws, officers prevented the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) from meeting international diplomats and journalists to announce their new economic program, called Restart. Police said they did not have the manpower to arrange security for the meeting yesterday. Officers raided MDC offices last week and seized many documents, including versions of the Restart program.
■ Sweden
Popular chef gets the chop
A Swedish chef said on Thursday he was shocked to find out he will lose his job because his cooking was too good. An engineering firm in central Sweden said they won't renew chef Richard Norberg's contract because he attracts too many people to the company's cafeteria. The ABE engineering company in Oernskoeldsvik, 380km north of Stockholm, leased the cafeteria service to Norberg six years ago. Since then, his traditional Swedish pancakes, pea
soup and pork chops have attracted a growing stream of visitors. The cafeteria's lunch crowd had tripled to 300 guests since it opened, Norberg said.
■ Somalia
Warlords sign agreement
Rival Somali warlords blamed by civilians for a decade of bloodshed staged a rare show of unity on Thursday by signing an agreement on a transitional charter intended to rebuild the Horn of Africa country. In a breakthrough for the faltering peace efforts held in Kenya, the agreement establishes a federal system that will be used for five years by a transitional administration while a new constitution is written. The accord is notable because it was signed by top militia leaders whose chronic feuding has been marked by massacres, kidnappings, forced displacement of villages and towns as well as theft of land and livestock. The next phase of talks will focus on power-sharing and electing MPs.
■ United Nations
Benefits for gay staffers
UN staffers can now receive benefits for their gay or lesbian partners if their country of nationality recognizes same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a new directive. The decision, which will apply to staffers from less than a dozen countries, was welcomed by the UN gay and lesbian rights organization GLOBE, which has pushed for years for equal benefits for same-sex partners. The new policy takes effect on Feb. 1.
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