■ UNITED STATES
Pops brawl ends out of court
Two men who came to blows at a Boston Pops symphony concert last month will not face charges. Matthew Ellinger, 27, and Michael Hallam, 44, agreed to withdraw their assault and battery complaints during a closed-door hearing on Tuesday in Boston Municipal Court, First Assistant Clerk Magistrate Rosemary Carr said. The fight at Symphony Hall on May 9 started when Ellinger tapped Hallam on the shoulder with a program and told him to be quiet, police said. The men bickered before Hallam punched Ellinger, leading to the brief scuffle in the balcony. Conductor Keith Lockhart was forced to pause the performance before police escorted the men out of the concert.
■ UNITED STATES
Drink blamed for priapism
New York City resident Christopher Woods has sued the maker of the health drink Boost Plus, saying the vitamin-enriched beverage gave him an erection that would not go away. Woods, 29, said he bought the beverage, which is made by Novartis, on June 5, 2004, and drank it. He woke up the next morning "with an erection that would not subside" and sought treatment of the condition, called severe priapism, court papers say. Woods underwent surgery for implantation of a Winter shunt, which moves blood from one area to another. The lawsuit filed on Monday says Woods later had problems that required a hospital visit and penile artery embolization, a way of closing blood vessels.
■ UNITED STATES
Officials trying to help seal
Pennsylvania wildlife officials are trying to coax a seal back into the ocean after it found its way into an area of woods and marshes near the Delaware River. The 136kg animal was found in suburban Philadelphia, about 80km upriver from where the Delaware becomes salty. On Tuesday, volunteers and wildlife officials were planning a rescue. Officials said the animal appeared to be distressed and were urging the public to stay away.
■ UNITED STATES
Judge lowers suit request
A Washington judge who was seeking US$67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants has loosened the belt on his lawsuit. Now, he is asking for only US$54 million, according to a May 30 court filing in DC Superior Court. Roy Pearson first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. The suit alleges that Chung Jin-nam, Chung Soo and Chung Ki committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service." The Chungs' attorney says no reasonable person would interpret the signs to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction. Pearson said in an e-mail that the focus of the case was the ``false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs.''
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