■ Canada
Robbers strip churches
Thieves pried away sections of copper roofs, gutters and wiring from four Quebec City churches over several nights last week, the latest in a string of bizarre thefts across Canada linked to high metal prices, police said on Monday. The heists, described as the boldest so far, follow thefts of aluminum ladders and soccer goal posts in Vancouver, manhole covers in Montreal and trucks filled with scrap metal en route to foundries in Toronto, police said. Thieves have stripped unfinished new homes of their copper piping, stolen park light fixtures, and even wires from hydro and cable companies.
■ Iraq
Saddam judge complains
The trial of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants for crimes against humanity resumed yesterday with a complaint from the judge about new lists of defense witnesses. "Every day the defense team gives us a new list of witnesses, we will never be finished with listening to witnesses," presiding judge Rauf Abdel Rahman said. The trial is currently in the defense phase and 38 witnesses have already been heard. "The court should not listen to all the witnesses, we will not accept any more lists of witnesses or we will end up with 200 or 300 of them," the judge added.
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