Canadian Anglican leaders, embroiled in a debate over the blessing of same-sex unions, voted to "attend but not participate" in a June meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, which brings together bishops, clergy and others representing the world's 77 million Anglicans. US Episcopal bishops, fighting fallout from their consecration of the church's first openly gay bishop, decided last month to also withdraw from official participation in the council. Anglican leaders asked the church's North American branches to voluntarily withdraw their members from the council, following the consecration of gay US bishop Gene Robinson in 2003 and the blessing of same-sex unions in Canada.
■ Hungary
`Hijackers' forced to land
The air force forced a light plane to land on Saturday after an emergency signal was picked up indicating the aircraft had been hijacked. The signal turned out to be a false alarm and the plane had not been hijacked. Two fighter jets forced the plane to land at an air field in northwest Hungary from where it had taken off.
■ United Kingdom
TV chef to fix hospital food
British doctors are urging a celebrity chef who pressured the government into improving school dinners to help their campaign to boost the state of hospital food. TV chef Jamie Oliver famed for his "Naked Chef" books and TV shows, embarrassed the government into donating ?220 million (US$416 million) before this week's election with a television series in which he tried to feed children on the government's budget. "Just as we now know that good food is important for kids' general well-being, nutrition is also crucial to the healing process," said Oliver's spokesman.
■ United States
St. Mary of the underpass
A stain on the wall of an expressway underpass that some believe resembles the Virgin Mary is again attracting hundreds of visitors after two carwash employees cleaned graffiti and brown paint off the image, using a degreaser to clean the wall on their lunch break. Chicago police had directed transportation workers to paint over the image with brown paint for safety reasons. A man believing visitors were worshipping a graven image scrawled the words ``Big Lie'' in shoe polish over it, and was charged with criminal damage to state property. After it was cleaned, onlookers could again see the Virgin Mary, what was likely the result of salt runoff on the emergency turnoff area under the Kennedy Expressway.
■ United Kingdom
Astrology linked to motoring
Drivers born under the signs of Libra, Cancer, Pisces, Taurus, Capricorn are least likely to keep their cars clean, according to a survey that explores the astrological roots of motoring cleanliness. They simply head to the car wash, or bring out the bucket and hose, when their vehicle is "too dirty to drive," says the survey of more than 1,000 people by a supplier of car care products. When asked which chore they would chose over the traditional Sunday morning car wash, 36 percent said they'd prefer to mow the lawn. Leos, Pisceans and Taureans would all opt to slave over a hot stove, and Librans and Scorpians to wash the dishes. One in three Aquarians would rather sort out the garbage.
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