■ UNITED STATES
Couple wins lotto, again
How lucky can you get? Adeline and Eugene Angelo won US$5 million on Thursday after buying the winning ticket in last week's New York Lotto. In 1996, they won US$2.5 million after splitting a US$10 million jackpot with three other people. Eugene Angelo, 81, a retired construction worker, said he and his wife would share their new fortune with their three sons and their families. They opted to take the lump-sum payment rather than deferred payments over 20 years. "We're still the same old people. Still very excited. It's a great feeling," Angelo said.
■ UNITED STATES
Giant spider web discovered
Texans like to say everything in their state is bigger. They can now add spider webs to that list. A monstrous network of sheet-like webs covering several hectares has been spun over trees in this state park 80km east of Dallas, baffling scientists who say it is an almost-unheard-of occurrence in the region. "The dominant spiders here seem to be long-jawed spiders but this is unusual. Social spiders build communal nests in the tropics but the longjaws are not social," said Mike Quinn, a Texas state insect biologist. The eerie scene evoked a B-grade horror movie. Thunder rumbled in the distance as spiders skittered across Quinn's wide-brimmed hat.
■ UNITED STATES
Designer vaginoplasty risky
Cosmetic procedures billed as "vaginal rejuvenation" or "designer vaginoplasty" are not medically necessary and are not guaranteed to be safe, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cautioned on Friday. The group said it was deceptive to give the impression that any of these procedures were accepted or routine. It said in its journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology, this month that the procedures can cause complications such as infection, altered sensation, pain and scarring. The procedures include changing the shape or size of the labia, "restoring" the hymen, and tightening the vagina. Abbey Berenson, who helped write the guidelines, said: "It's important that women understand the potential risks of these procedures and that there is no scientific evidence regarding their benefits."
■ UNITED STATES
Court overturns sonar ban
The US Navy can use high-powered sonar during exercises off the southern California coast, despite the technology's threat to whales and other marine mammals, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday. National security interests outweigh the possible harm to marine life, a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals determined in overturning a judge's order banning the practice. The ruling allows the Navy to use high-powered sonar in 11 training exercises.
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