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Off the Record
Foster parents better than own parents
ORLANDO A 12 year old boy trying legally to sever Ues with his parents so that a foster family can adopt him says he hopes his lawsuit seeking a loving, stable life help* other children who suffered abuse and neglect, reports AP
The boy. identified only as Gregory K, I* the focus of an unprecedented court case in which he charges his natural parents with mistreatment and neglect throughout his young
He want* a Judge to authorize hia adoption by a family In central Florida that he * been living with since October 1991.
The child’* natural mother I* fighting the lawsuit and wants her son back The boy’s father, who is divorced from the mother, has been waffling but lately said he would not ontest the matter.
The youngster will appear on the ABC News television programme "20/20" on Friday, arguing that children like him should 1 lave a chegee tn their foster care
In the videotape released by the programme, he criticized his mother for abandoning him to his alcoholic father at the age of 4. and then to a succession of foster homes
Gregory K has spent only seven months of the past eight years with his mother and two younger brothers.
"She left me in the foster home for years — she didn't call me or anything," Gregory told interviewer Barbara Walters. "When she found out that I was happy and I wanted to stay where 1 was, she decided. Oh well, I don't want you to be adopted, so I m going to try to get you back
"I Just want a place where I feel safe and that I'm happy, and that 1 know people will always be there for me." the boy added.
First balloon race to cross European road
BANGOR: Five balloons, defying the terrible odds of a 3,OOO-mlle Journey, soared off Wednesday to begin the first trans-Atlantic balloon race, reports AFP.
Only five of the 16 attempts at ballooning across the Atlantic have succeeded. Five flights ended in tragedy.
The five, two-man teams from the Untied States. Britain, Germany, Belgium and Holland, left in moonlight on the perilous race which will be won by the first balloon to cross any European road.
Hundreds watched the high-tech helium balloons lift off for the three to five day race. Five hours after takeoff, the balloons had reached the US-Canadian border.
The teams are racing for a two-foot (60-centlmetre) bronze trophy. A second prize will be awarded to the team that goes the farthest. The American team hopes to land In Russia.
Madame imprisoned for prostitution ring
PARIS: "Madame Claude", who once headed France's biggest luxury call-girl network, was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a million franc (200,000 dollar) fine on Wednesday on charges of re-establishing a prostitution ring, reports Reuter.
Claude — real name Frenande Grudet —- was Immediately set free because 30 months of her sentence was suspended and she had been held in custody since March.
Grudet. 69. had been accused of organising 17 models and dancers Into a prostitution ring patronised by top French and foreign businessmen. The girls were aged between 19 and 27.
Crudet, whose career has been the subject of several films, received 2 5 per cent of the 10,000 franc (2,000 dollar) fee which the girls charged clients, the court heard.
She served several prison terms between 1975 and 1979 for procuring and evading taxes after police broke up her famed call-girl ring which operated in the 1960s an 1970s.
The French press said at the time that her clients In-ciuded several foreign heads of state.
Columbus found guilty of
ST PAUL: Arc you better off today than you were 500 years ago? reports AP
In a mock trial Wednesday, attorneys for Christopher Columbus tried to prove that some things haven't changed much since the explorer ’discovered" the New World tn 1492.
The Jury didn’t buy it. Columbus was found guilty of murder, torture, slavery, forced labour, kidnapping, violence jpd robbery during his reign as governor of Hispaniola, .him deadlocked on charges of rape, international terrortsi* mm genocide.
Columbus. 541. of Italy, was sentenced to 50 M community service for each count, to be speak **Ma*l>*f people about his true deeds __
The trial was sponsored by the UnfvrrsME «( MteMBSota Law School’s Human Rights Centre to w«h the
500th anniversary of Columbus landing to North
Defence attorneys portrayed their oHste* a* a Mr-eply reb glous ... upwardly mobile merchant-RMfbMr* affis was merely acting by the standards of hl« day and under ifee qrder« af his queen.