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Jockstrip: The World As We Know It

By PENNY NELSON BARTHOLOMEW, United Press International
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POLLS, WE GOT POLLS

Forty-one percent of Americans say they think American citizen John Walker, captured with Taliban forces in Afghanistan, should be tried for treason for fighting on the side of the enemy. That's according a Newsweek Poll of 1,003 people taken last week. But a virtually identical 40 percent say Walker should only be charged and tried if there is evidence he committed specific crimes during the fighting.

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The survey results are being published in the magazine's Dec. 17 issue, on newsstands Monday.


THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND

A senior British government minister says citizens from ethnic minorities need to feel and become more British.

Home Secretary David Blunkett told the Independent newspaper Sunday that Britain would not tolerate un-British practices such as arranged marriages. Instead, he said, the government wanted people from ethnic minorities to develop a "sense of belonging" in Britain.

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Blunkett said Britain's multi-ethnic community needed "sensitivity, not political correctness" and "diversity, not separation."

Manwar Jan Khan, an Asian community leader in the northern city of Bradford, called Blunkett's comments a "red herring" and said that more focus was needed on racism. He said: "I'd like to know what David Blunkett means by integration. Like learning English -- many of us do speak English, many are quite westernized."

Khan told the BBC there was need for a "real debate," adding, "Let's talk about why white employees won't give Asian kids in Bradford any jobs. Let's talk about the impact of Islamophobia."


NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS

Israeli police have arrested four teenagers they said wrote and spread the computer worm, Goner, which is believed to have caused trouble for tens of thousands of personal computers and communications networks around the world.

Goner was launched during a computer war among the youngsters, the Computer Crimes Squad head, Chief Superintendent Meir Zohar, told UPI. The teenagers -- who were not identified because they are juveniles -- tried to attack other youngsters' computers by encouraging them to download a new screen saver. "When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you. I am in a harry (sic), I promise you will love it," the enticing message read, according to CNN.

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Actually the program was designed to send huge amounts of information and cause a denial of service to affected computers, police said. But the youngsters "created a monster that ran out of control," Zohar said.

The worm spread at very high speed. It can avoid detection by anti-virus programs and destroy vital anti-virus software, Zohar said.

CNN quoted the chief technology officer of MessageLabs Inc., a British-based e-mail security outsourcer, as saying the worm affected computers in 19 countries, particularly the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany.

If convicted, the teens could face a jail sentence of up to five years, Zohar said.


TODAY'S SIGN THE WORLD IS ENDING

Vienna, as many coffee aficionados know, is legendary for a culture rich in coffee and coffee houses. The city is often considered to be the birthplace of the coffee house tradition that is a staple of European culture.

But on Friday, Starbucks opened its first shop in Austria. The new Viennese Starbucks is located in the old center of Vienna, adjacent to the Vienna Opera House.

The opening of the Vienna Starbucks on Friday follows the company's entry into Switzerland earlier this year. The company opened its first store in continental Europe in Zurich, Switzerland, in March this year, and currently has six coffee houses in Zurich, Basel and Bern.

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AND FINALLY, TODAY'S UPLIFTING STORY

Pop singer Jewel will help AOL Time Warner launch the online charity auction "Helping Hands II: Handmade in America" with a performance Wednesday evening at the American Folk Art Museum's new building in New York.

The event will include the unveiling of the various patriotic handicrafts donated by various celebrities for the auction, which will benefit nine organizations on the front lines of relief efforts: the American Red Cross, the WTC School Relief Fund, the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund, the New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund, the September 11th Fund, the Survivors' Fund of the National Capital Region, the Twin Towers Fund and the WTC Police Disaster Relief Fund.

Kristin Davis, Michael Douglas, Mark Wahlberg, James Gandolfini, Halle Berry, Edie Falco, Marcia Gay Harden and David Boreanaz are among the stars who have created and donated handmade crafts and objects reflecting their interpretation of the American spirit. These include: a pair of hand-painted glass holiday ornaments from TV talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, a hand-knit red, white and blue baby cap from talk show host Ricki Lake, a hand-painted look at the Big Apple from "The Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, a message of peace and love from Halle Berry, a sterling silver bracelet with a New York charm by Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden, and a hand-painted face of a woman from Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette.

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The items will be featured in a special holiday catalog on Shop@AOL and through eBay.

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