Briefly World

Texas pilot was furious with US revenue dept

Houston: A disgruntled software engineer,Joseph Andrew Stack,who smashed his small plane into a seven-storey tax office building in Texas on Thursday was furious with the US Internal Revenue Service IRS. The suicide attack left two,including Stack,dead. I knew Joe had a hang-up with the IRS on account of them breaking him,taking his savings away, said Jack Cook,the stepfather of Stacks wife from Oklahoma.

Sri Lanka to release all child soldiers by May

Colombo: Sri Lanka plans to release all former LTTE child soldiers,currently being rehabilitated at various centres,by May 10. Around 510 child soldiers below 18 years of age had surrendered to the Army on May last year following the defeat of the LTTE and are undergoing a one-year rehabilitation following a court order.

Australia gets its first saint: Mary MacKillop

Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI announced sainthood for Mother Mary MacKillop on Friday,making her Australias first saint. The formal canonisation will take place on October 17 in Rome. MacKillop founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph,an order that built schools for impoverished children across the Australian Outback in the 1800s.

NRI woman stabbed 20 times by ex-boyfriend

London: An accountant of Indian origin was killed by her former lover who stabbed her 20 times on finding out that she had dumped him. Camille Mathurasingh 27 was stabbed 20 times in her home in Bow,after her former boyfriend flew in from Trinidad to try to win her back,the jury was told at the Old Bailey. Paul Bristol,24,admits manslaughter but denies murder in April last year. Mathurasingh had doubts about the future of her relationship with Bristol and decided to end it.

Man killed in S Africa,wife commits suicide

Pretoria: An Indian-origin man was shot dead in South Africa by unidentified assailants,driving his distressed wife to commit suicide. Kushalen Naidoo,28,was shot dead on Tuesday as he waited for his wife Farzaana who was attending psychology classes. Farzaana killed herself with a gun from Naidoos prized collection on Thursday,as the family prepared for his last rites.

NRI could face 14-yr jail for money-laundering

London: An NRI could be jailed for 14 years if found guilty in a multi-million dollar money-laundering case in Britains semi-autonomous island of Jersey,a tax haven. Fifty-two-year-old Raj Arjandas Bhojwani has been charged by Jersey authorities of laundering about 44 million of ill-gotten wealth of a late Nigerian military dictator through the Bank of India branch on the island.

Susan Boyle collapses at Heathrow Airport

London: The heat at the Heathrow Airport here took a toll on Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle who fainted just before she was due to board a flight to France. In the incident that happened earlier this week,the British Airways Club Lounge got overheated and the Britains Got Talent star collapsed and had to be given medical attention,The Sun online reported. It was very dramatic. Susans legs just gave way under her and she went down, a witness said. However,later she was deemed fit to travel and boarded her flight to attend the 60th San Remo Festival in Italy. Susan did faint at Heathrow as she overheated in the lounge because it was so warm. However,she is fine now, a spokesman said.

Johnny Depp turns musician for Haiti charity record

London: Johnny Depp has recorded a guitar part for a new charity record in aid of the earthquake stricken country of Haiti. The actor who has been voted the Sexiest Man Alive twice is the star turn on former Pogues frontman Shane McGowans alternative Haiti record with proceeds going to charity Concern Worldwide,reported Daily Mail online. The song is a cover of Screamin Jay Hawkins 1956 hit I Put A Spell On You. The 46-year-old star recorded his guitar part on Thursday in America.