Of Human Interest: News-lite

SPACE CADETS

The International Space Station is no place for people who are not working, says Frank Culbertson, a former NASA manager who is returning to Earth next week after spending 4 1/2 months in space as station commander.

NASA has given its preliminary approval for Russia to fly a second paying tourist to the outpost next year. Mark Shuttleworth, a 28-year-old South African businessman, reportedly is paying $25 million for his spaceflight -- $5 million more than what the world's first space tourist, Dennis Tito, paid for a similar voyage in April.

NASA vehemently opposed Tito's trip and fought to keep the California investment tycoon grounded. But facing the inevitable, managers decided to grant him limited access to American portions of the station provided that Russia agreed to submit future travel requests to the international partnership that manages the station program and abide by its decision.

The partners are expected to approve Shuttleworth's flight.

Culbertson, for one, is cool to the idea. "The station's a working place, and they're going to be extremely busy. The station is for workers," Culbertson said during an inflight news conference Tuesday.

Shuttleworth's visit would coincide with the five-month mission of the new station crew, which took over control of the outpost on Saturday. The crew includes two Americans, Carl Walz and Dan Bursch.

"Dan and I have both had a chance to meet Mark Shuttleworth in (Russia's) Star City, and he's a very nice person," Walz said. "I think as long as the international partners work out the program, we'll do our best to be great hosts."

LITTLE LEAGUE

Little League officials have announced new rules for the 2002 season. The new regulations -- announced Tuesday at a news conference at Little League World Series headquarters in South Williamsport, Pa. -- follow the incident in the 2001 World Series in which an over-age pitcher with a falsified birth certificate dominated play.

Regarding age, in previous years, an original statement or certificate issued by a government authority was acceptable, regardless of the date of issue. Starting in 2002, the date of issue of the original birth document must be within 30 days of date of birth. In addition, participants must be either citizens of the country in which they wish to play for, or in the country legally.

The changes stem from 14-year-old Danny Almonte's pitching performances for the Rolando Paulino All-Stars of the Bronx, New York in the 2001 Little League World Series. In three appearances at a tournament of 12-year-olds, the lefthander -- a native of the Dominican Republic -- struck out 46, did not allow an earned run and pitched the first perfect game in 44 years at Williamsport. The Bronx team ended up finishing third but was stripped of all its wins after an investigation revealed the boy's birth certificate was falsified.

THE OFFICIAL SPREAD

India's well-upholstered Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee needs to go on a diet.

On an official visit to Tokyo this week, he privately agreed with his genial host, Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi, that instead of the usual black tie, they would both wear black Nehru jackets for the state banquet. But when it came time to dress for dinner Monday night, Vajpayee could not fasten the buttons, so he had to wear a newer white one.

Vajpayee has now ordered a new jacket and promises to lose weight. That's what he said two years ago when his security guards took 20 minutes to pry him out from behind the steering wheel of the new Ferrari he was testing.

(From UPI Hears)

REASONS TO CELEBRATE TODAY:

WEDNESDAY: Today is Jamhuri Day in Kenya, a holiday commemorating the country's independence from Britain in 1963.

Mexico celebrates Guadalupe Day, honoring the "Dark Virgin of Guadalupe," the country's patron saint.

And this is Constitution Day in Russia, marking the adoption of a new constitution in 1993.

(Thanks to Chase's 2001 Calendar of Events)

BY THE WAY...

The popular Christmas season plant, the poinsettia, is named after whom?

The poinsettia is named after Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the American diplomat who introduced the Central American plant to the United States. Poinsett died on this date in 1851.