■ UNITED STATES
No 'Danny Boy' allowed
It's depressing, it's not usually sung in Ireland for St Patrick's Day and its lyrics were written by an Englishman who never set foot on Irish soil. Those are just some of the reasons a Manhattan pub has given for banning the song Danny Boy for this whole month. "It's been ranked among the 25 most depressing songs of all time and it's more appropriate for a funeral than for a St Patrick's Day celebration," says Shaun Clancy, who owns Foley's Pub and Restaurant opposite the Empire State Building. The 38-year-old offers rewards, such as a free Guinness, for singing any other traditional Irish song.
■ CANADA
Party rethinks platform
The leader of the Quebec separatist movement on Wednesday stepped back from its commitment to eventually hold a referendum on the province splitting from the rest of the country. Parti Quebecois (PQ) leader Pauline Marois told a press conference that if the party, now in opposition, is ever tasked to govern Quebec, "I propose that we remove the straightjacket and suspend our obligation to hold a referendum." The proposal to scrap the movement's commitment immediately to seek independence must still be endorsed by PQ delegates later this month. Marois said the party should shelve the plan while it focuses on rebuilding public support.
■ UNITED STATES
Swayze treated for cancer
Actor Patrick Swayze is being treated for pancreatic cancer but is doing well enough to continue working, his representative said on Wednesday. The Dirty Dancing star has a very limited amount of the cancer and appears to be responding well to treatment, according to George Fisher, Swayze's physician. Fisher's prognosis was included in a statement released on Wednesday by Swayze's representative, Annett Wolf. "Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time," the statement said. Swayze, 55, has two films in the works: the movie Powder Blue and a television movie titled The Beast.
■ UNITED STATES
Air officials express concern
A key worry of officials is that terrorists could sneak tiny bomb parts onto a plane and then assemble them, a transportation official said. Gale Rossides, deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, said the agency was trying to detect small components that might be turned into improvised explosive devices (IED). "These things are what we see as the No. 1 threat today. Getting very small, tiny, hard-to-find component pieces through the checkpoint," Rossides told the Canadian Aviation Security Conference on Wednesday in Gatineau, Canada. "The most important part of detecting the IED starts with our officers at the checkpoint.
RSS