■ UNITED STATES
`W00t' wins contest
Merriam-Webster announced that its Word of the Year is "w00t." "W00t," a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness or triumph, won an online poll. Merriam-Webster president John Morse said "w00t" was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology. Gamers commonly substitute numbers for the letters they resemble, creating "l33t speak" -- pronounced "leet" and short for "elite." In the 1990 movie Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts says "Woot, woot, woot!" at a polo match, which has become the word used by gamers to celebrate a win.
■ UNITED STATES
Lying `father' sentenced
A Missouri man who lied about being the father of sextuplets so he and his wife could solicit donations was sentenced on Monday to three years in prison for violating probation. Kris Everson, 35, and his wife, Sarah, 46, had been sentenced in August last year to four years probation after each pleaded guilty to one count of felony stealing by deceit. They were required to pay US$3,661 restitution and perform 40 hours of community service. But they failed to pay restitution and missed several hearings.
■ UNITED STATES
Six shot at school bus stop
Assailants shot six young people at a school bus stop, wounding two critically, in a midday attack that followed a fight over a girl, authorities said. School police arrested three teenagers in the fight that happened hours before the shooting on Tuesday, Sheriff Doug Gillespie said. Investigators were still seeking two gunmen, who were believed to have fled on foot from the scene of the shooting, a working class neighborhood of northeast Las Vegas. An 18-year-old man was in critical condition and a 17-year-old boy was upgraded to serious condition.
RSS