■ United States
No death dip on key dates
The common perception that terminally ill people can hang on to life through important religious or personal days is more romance than reality, researchers reported yesterday. In a study of some 300,000 deaths from cancer in Ohio from 1989 to 2000, Dr. Donn Young and Erinn Hade of Ohio State University found no significant difference in death rates before and after Christmas, Thanksgiving or people's birthdays. Women even showed a slight tendency to succumb just before their birthdays. The researchers used information from death certificates of the 1,269,474 people in Ohio who died during the 11 years they studied.
■ United States
Bush protests planned
Opposition groups plan to hold a huge protest during President George W. Bush's inauguration next month, as he is sworn in to a second four-year term. DC Resistance Media, which includes organizations opposing the Iraq war and Bush's economic policies, said on Tuesday it hoped to mobilize "tens of thousands of people" in downtown Washington to protest Bush's re-election during the Jan. 20 inauguration. "The common message: Bush is illegitimate and corrupt," said Shahid Buttar, of DC Resistance Media.
■ United States
Snoop Dogg files suit
Rap singer Snoop Dogg has sued a woman and her attorneys for extortion, alleging they demanded US$5 million to keep silent about an alleged assault against her, according to a lawsuit. The lawsuit said Snoop Dogg -- whose real name is Calvin Broadus -- was not involved in the alleged assault at a performance last year. The defendant was listed only as "Jane Doe" to protect her privacy, Snoop Dogg's publicist said on Tuesday. The lawsuit alleged that the woman and her attorneys threatened to sell details of the alleged assault to a book publisher and The National Enquirer if Snoop Dogg did not pay US$5 million.
■ United States
Smallest baby ever lauded
A premature infant believed to be the smallest baby ever to survive was called "a great blessing" by her mother, who is preparing to take the little girl and her twin sister home from the hospital. The baby, named Rumaisa, weighed 8.6 ounces -- less than a can of soda -- when she was delivered by Caesarean section Sept. 19 at Loyola University Medical Center. That is 1.3 ounces smaller than the previous record holder, who was born at the same the hospital in 1989, according to hospital spokeswoman Sandra Martinez.
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