News Bytes

Boom in the US: more and more internet sales With 55.9 billion Dollars, over 25% more profit has been made via the internet than in the previous year. The figures include all goods and services sold via the internet. Christmas trade in the last quarter alone made up a third of the profit. Especially women have used internet shopping with 60% of the total number.

John Kerry wins Iowa primaries Not many people believed the Vietnam veteran could achieve this. John Kerry won the first unofficial primaries in the US state of Iowa, with 37% before John Edwards (32%) and the previous champion Howard Dean with 18% who had been categorized as too "left" to have a real chance against Bush by many. The whole thing will get really interesting in New Hampshire next week, when another champion, ex-NATO General Wesley Clark will enter the race. The Democratic candidate won't be determined before next July anyway, a lot can still happen until then.

Lining up in front of plane toilets Visiting the restroom on your flight to the US should be very well considered from now on. In the future, lining up in front of it is no longer permitted if the plane is going to the US. At least according to Australian airline Qantas. A spokesman said that passengers were no longer allowed to assemble in groups in any part of the plane, especially on front of the toilet door. He referred to the US Transportation Security Administration. Some European airlines have already confirmed this.

Television addiction - American wants to sue cable operator He said television had made him an addict, and it had made his kids lazy and his wife fat, thanks to the cable operator. However, he now wants to refrain from suing thanks to a compensation of three free computers and lifelong free internet access.

The background - in 1999 already the man had told the cable operator that he wanted to cancel his cable TV due to his addiction. He didn't pay since then, but still receives all cable channels. The head of cable operator "Charter" doesn't seem worried, because it cannot be proved that television is addictive.

Email - 750 confidential phone numbers of stars published Associated Press, one of the biggest media agencies worldwide, has sent out an email with over 750 confidential phone numbers of sports celebrities. Many of those numbers were strictly private and usually only given to close family members. The email that was sent out automatically provided many magazines with all of these.

Some recipients forwarded the numbers to others - believing the whole thing was already authorized. Many of the affected celebrities made complaints to Associated Press.

Florida - governor opens first religious prison The governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, has opened the first religious prison in the city of Lawtey. There, prisoners have to participate in daily prayer sessions and take a number of religious classes. According to the US press, however, convicts may choose whether they want to go to the religious prison or a normal one.

In addition, they may participate in choirs or job training. Dangerous criminals, however, do not have the option of choosing the religious prison.

California - Schwarzenegger warns of bankruptcy - In his first speech about the state's situation, Arnold Schwarzenegger warned that the state may go bankrupt in June. The voters are now supposed to take action against that by approving the new governor's loan plan.

The planned loan amounts to a total sum of 15 billion Dollars (ca. 12 billion Euro). He asked the citizens to vote for this plan in the referendum of March 2. In October, Schwarzenegger had won the elections with the promise of rehabilitation the desolate finances of the most populous state in the US. He was not going to raise taxes, the Hollywood celebrity said. He promised to travel around the world to create more jobs and get investors to come to California.

Currency - Dollar notes with advertisement being distributed Advertising stunt or crime? US advertising agency GoGorilla uses Dollar notes as advertising space. It is planning to distribute hundreds of thousands of notes with advertising on them, well knowing that there might be trouble with the law. Within the next days, the GoMoney campaign will be distributing on million 1-Dollar notes in Los Angeles and New York, with stickers on them that are removed as easily as post-it notes.

First of all, the TV show "Traffic" of USA Network will be promoted. The round sticker informing about the premiere dates of the new TV show that is a spin-off of the successful motion picture will be attached to the right of George Washington's picture.

www.gogorillamedia.com/html/gomoney.html

Ohio - quarrel about million-Dollar jackpot The name of the lucky winner is Rebecca Jemison. She hit the jackpot and won $162 million. She is 34 and from Ohio where she's working in a hospital. There was only one objection - from Elicia Bettle who said that she had had the same numbers but lost her lottery ticket. Her protest was unsuccessful and Rebecca Jemison is now $162 million richer.

Florida - Waitress serves day's takings instead of order A McDonalds employee in Florida didn't have Ms Jemison's luck. She handed a customer at the drive-in the day's takings that had been packed in a McDonalds bag for the transport to the bank instead of what the woman ordered. Janice Meisner had only ordered a bagel and diet coke for breakfast and instead got a large sum of money that was in a plastic bag inside the McDonalds bag.

Since the bag seemed to heavy, the woman realized the mistake and gave the money back. Apart from a thank-you note, she also received a $50-coupon from the manager.