World Vignettes

Baptismal plunge

KASSER EL-YAHUD WEST BANK: Granted rare access to a sealed-off military zone, thousands of Christian pilgrims gathered on Sunday on the banks of the Jordan river at the spot where tradition says Jesus was baptized. After making their way between minefields fenced off with rolls of barbed wire, dozens of faithful plunged into the shallow, muddy water, some fully clothed and some stripped down to long underwear. 8220;Clean, clean,8221; gasped an elderly black-robed Greek orthodox nun as she struggled up the steep bank after dousing herself.

Chewing doc8217;s ear

CAIRO: An irate patient at a hospital in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, bit off a large part of his doctor8217;s ear when he was refused entry inside the hospital, half an hour after it had closed, news reports said. The patient, who had apparently reached six and a half hours late for his appointment at the hospital8217;s kidney centre, got furious after he was refused entry into the centre and after a verbal fight with the doctor on duty he bit off part of his ear, the Saudi daily Arab News said.