■ UNITED STATES
Wal-Mart sorry for comment
Wal-Mart Stores apologized to a Muslim woman who said she was mocked because of her face veil. "Please don't stick me up," a cashier told the shopper on Feb. 2, according to The Council on American-Islamic Relations. Wal-Mart apologized on Monday in a letter signed by Rolando Rodriquez, a vice president and regional general manager. It was released on Tuesday by the council's Nevada chapter. Rodriguez said employees at the Riverdale store would undergo "sensitivity training," specifically in the Islamic faith and Muslim culture.
■ UNITED STATES
Blast kills war relics seller
A man who sold Civil War relics that included munitions was killed by an explosion, and neighbors were kept out of their homes on Tuesday as experts looked for more explosives. Samuel White, 53, was found in his backyard on Monday, Chesterfield County police said. Police Captain Steve Neal said that what exploded was military ordnance, possibly dating from the Civil War. Police found unexploded ordnance at his house, and on Tuesday they were still collecting and detonating explosives. White's business, Sam White Relics, advertised relics, including Civil War artillery shells, cannon balls and bullets. His Web site also says he "will disarm, clean, and preserve your Civil War period and earlier military ordinance" for about US$35 each.
■ UNITED STATES
DVD blocks bullet
A South Carolina man is thankful for a DVD that ended up taking a bullet for him. Colleton County Fire and Rescue Director Barry McRoy says he was leaving a restaurant in the town of Walterboro on Saturday morning when two men ran in fighting over a gun. Police say a bullet hit one of the struggling men, shattered a window and then hit McRoy. The bullet hit a DVD McRoy was carrying in his pocket. He suffered a bruise, but didn't realize he had been shot. As he told a police officer what happened, he noticed a bullet hole in his jacket, the shattered DVD case and a piece of the bullet.
■ UNITED STATES
Whistleblower site closed
A Web site designed to let whistleblowers publish sensitive documents has been ordered shut down by a federal judge at the request of a Swiss bank, court documents showed on Monday. US District Judge Jeffrey White in California ordered the shutdown of Wikileaks.org. He ruled in favor of Julius Baer & Co Ltd, saying that "immediate harm will result to [the bank]." Wikileaks was launched last year with the help of Chinese dissidents to help users post sensitive documents without being traced. The suit came after the site posted documents relating to offshore activities of Julius Baer.
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