Worldvignettes — French ire over Diana crash probe

INDIANA: The police chief suspended 30 officers, more than a quarter of the police department in the small Midwestern town, for attending an officer’s bachelor party where two strippers performed a sex act together. “These are good officers that made bad choices,” said chief Ed Leonard. The women danced naked during the performances at a fraternal order of police lodge, and at one point performed oral sex on each other, according to the findings of an internal investigation released on Wednesday by Leonard.

No Santa Claus

NEW YORK: Bloomingdale’s, the world-famous upscale retailer, may lose some of its Christmas spirit for children this holiday season. The store chain plans to give Santa the sack, the New York Post reported on Thursday. “Usually we have a Santa Claus here the whole season,” a store spokeswoman said, declining to give her name. But it’s not something we’re doing this year. I can’t really say why.” She added that a final decision on Santa’s fate was pending.

Nanny mail

LONDON: An Internet site set up in support of British nanny Louise Woodward, convicted in the United States for murdering a baby in her care, has generated huge interest and thousands of E-mail messages. Site creator Paul Paget said on Thursday that he had never seen such a huge response to a news story on the net, and promised the E-mails would be printed out and taken to the 19-year-old nanny in her Boston prison by her mother Sue.

Spencer divorce

LONDON: The wife of Earl Spencer, brother of the late Princess Diana, wants her divorce case to be heard in Britain and not in South Africa where the couple live, because she believes British courts will grant a more generous settlement.