■ United States
Home HIV test debated
A government advisory panel is considering whether to allow the use of the first HIV test a person can take entirely at home, alone. The possible availability of the test, which relies on a swab on the inside of the mouth, has raised concerns about the potential psychological impact on people who learn they have the virus with no doctors or counselors present. The test, called OraQuick Advance, is already widely available in health clinics and doctor's offices, and the FDA is considering permitting it to be sold in drug stores.
■ United States
Man glued to toilet seat
A Boulder man who had a panic attack when he found he was glued to a toilet seat in a Home Depot restroom has sued the home improvement giant for negligence, saying staff ignored his plight. Retired electrical engineer Bob Dougherty, 57, said he was stuck in the stall with his pants down for about 20 minutes and that two years after the 2003 incident he was suffering from post-traumatic stress, which has triggered diabetes and heart complications. Dougherty said in a lawsuit filed last week that he explained his plight to an employee who came into the restroom but other Home Depot staffers thought it was a hoax and he had to wait until someone else came in again to summon help. Dougherty suspected the glue had been placed there as a prank by three teens seen earlier in the store.
■ Canada
Tibetan railroad protested
Demonstrators in Canada and several other countries protested on Thursday against Canadian firm Bombardier's construction of a railway line in Tibet. Some 30 protestors picketed in front of the airplane and train manufacturer's headquarters in Montreal. "We're opposed to a Canadian company participating in a project that the Dalai Lama himself called a cultural genocide," said Maude Cote of Students for a Free Tibet. Beijing chose Bombardier and its partners in May to deliver a contract worth US$323.5 million. Opponents claim the line will facilitate the influx of Chinese colonists into Tibet, threatening the survival of Tibetan culture.
■ United States
Muslims detained at prayer
Five Muslims who were detained after praying at a football game want to turn the incident into a tool to teach Americans about Islam. While at a New York Giants against New Orleans Saints game at Giants Stadium on Sept. 19, the New Jersey residents were removed from their seats and questioned by FBI agents after other fans saw them bow to the ground as part of the five-daily Muslim prayers. "As Muslims, we just have to pray when it's time to pray," Sami Shaban said. "We thought nothing of it. I pray in malls, I pray everywhere."
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