Briefly world

Rwandan and Congolese rebels gangraped nearly 200 women and young boys over four days near a UN peacekeepers base in Congo,a US aid worker said on Monday....

200 women,boys gangraped near Congo UN base in four days

JOHANNESBURG: Rwandan and Congolese rebels gangraped nearly 200 women and young boys over four days near a UN peacekeepers base in Congo,a US aid worker said on Monday. Will F Cragin of the International Medical Corps said aid workers knew rebels had occupied Luvungi town and surrounding villages in eastern Congo after the attack began on July 30. There was no fighting and no deaths,he said,just lots of pillaging and the systematic raping of women by between 200 and 400 rebels.

Headless bodies hung from Mexico bridge

Mexico City: Four decapitated and mutilated corpses of young men were strung upside-down from a bridge in a popular getaway outside the Mexican capital on Sunday,the latest atrocity as the country battles an escalating drug war. The victims genitals,index fingers and heads had been cut off. This will happen to everyone that helps the traitor Edgar Valdes, a placard placed there read,referring to a leading drug capo.

China to do away with death penalty

Beijing: China is planning to amend its law to cut down the number of people subjected to death penalty,particularly for economic crimes. An official said that considering Chinas current economic and social development reality,appropriately removing the death penalty from some economy-related non-violent offences,will not negatively affect social stability nor public security.

Van Gogh theft: Egypt dy minister detained

CAIRO: Egypts top prosecutor ordered on Monday the detention of the Deputy Culture Minister for four days in connection to the theft of a Vincent Van Gogh painting,the state owned news agency reported. Deputy Culture Minister Mohsen Shalaan was detained for neglect and professional delinquency.

British woman becomes worlds fastest texter

London: A 27-year-old British woman is said to have become the worlds faster texter after sending a tongue-twisting 26-word message in just 25.94 seconds. Melissa Thompson wrote the message the razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human in 25.94 sec,Daily Mail reported. Thompson shaved a whopping 9.6 seconds off the world record,though its still subject to verification by the Guinness Book of World Records. Thompson was shopping with her boyfriend Chris Davies,23,when they visited a Samsung roadshow and she was invited to have a go at breaking the record. She smashed it using the phones special SWYPE key pad,which enables users to input text without their fingertip leaving the screen.

So terrified of bananas,cant look at pictures

London: Bizarre it may appear,but a British woman is so afraid of bananas that she cant even look at pictures of the fruit. According to The Sun,21-year-old Fran Dando is so terrified of bananas that she gets ill and splits if she sees one; even a glimpse of the fruit can make her hyperventilate,sweat and throw up. Unfortunately,her two-year-old son Harrison loves them. She has to wear rubber gloves to feed them to him. Fran,of Hastings,East Sussex,said: I make the exception because hes my little boy. But when someone takes one out or has some in their house I have to leave the room. It is embarrassing and friends have tried to snap me out of the fear but nothing works. It started when Fran was seven and her brother hid a banana in her bed. She said: I felt this horrible slimy thing. It frightened the life out of me.