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Frenchman Sues Glaxo For Drug that Made Him 'Gay Sex Addict'

A French father-of-two on Tuesday took GlaxoSmithKline to court, alleging that the British firm's drug to treat Parkinson's disease turned him into a gay sex and gambling addict.

The 51-year-old said his behavior changed radically after he was first administered the drug, Requip, in 2003 for the illness, which causes tremors, slows movement and disrupts speech.

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Britain Bans YSL Perfume Ad

British regulators on Wednesday banned a television advert for the Yves St Laurent perfume "Belle D'Opium", upholding complaints that the dancing female star looked as if she was taking drugs.

The Advertising Standards Authority said the ad, which shows "Belle" dancing seductively to a drum beat, then running her finger down her inner forearm and writhing on the floor, was "irresponsible and unacceptable for broadcast".

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Climber Survives 300 Meter Mountain Fall

A climber who fell around 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the summit of a Scottish mountain is lucky to be alive, his rescuers said Sunday.

The helicopter crew sent to search for the man were astonished to find him standing up and reading a map.

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Indian Website Offers Bachelors a Virtual Wife

Indian bachelors keen to get a taste of married life can now log on and apply for a virtual wife online in a scheme that offers a glimpse into changing Indian society.

Bharat Matrimony's biwihotohaisi.com (an ideal wife) website allows men to choose from four different types of wife and then receive automated telephone messages from them that reflect their character.

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Wife of Chirac Denies Alzheimer's Claim

The wife of former French president Jacques Chirac denied press reports Monday that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and insisted he would attend his corruption trial in March.

The weekly Journal du Dimanche had quoted unnamed friends of Chirac, 78, as saying he had memory lapses and that his wife Bernadette feared he had the brain disease Alzheimer's. He had a minor stroke in 2005.

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Philippines Lawmaker Hid Drug in Underpants

Philippines congressman Ronald Singson admitted Monday he had attempted to smuggle cocaine into Hong Kong by hiding the drug in his underpants to elude airport security.

The colorful 42-year-old, who is from one of the Philippines' most high-profile political families, admitted to bringing 6.67 grams of cocaine and two tablets of the narcotic Nitrazepam into the city on July 11, 2010.

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Philippines Catches Fake Nuns Going to Lebanon

Six women were detained at Manila airport after being caught trying to sneak into Lebanon dressed as nuns in a bid to get around a travel ban to the country, the immigration bureau said on Saturday

The women were pretending to be on their way to Hong Kong for a religious seminar but their unusual dress and behavior alerted officials, the bureau.

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Malaysia Acts Against 'Husbands for Hire'

Malaysian authorities said Friday they have taken action against "husbands for hire", local men who marry foreign women for money, allowing them to stay in the country and work illegally.

The "husbands", often impoverished middle-aged men including rubber-tappers and fishermen, agree to the fake marriages to allow the women to obtain a one-year permit to remain in Malaysia, an immigration official said.

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'Crop circle' in Indonesian Rice Paddy

Thousands of curious onlookers are flocking to central Indonesia to look at a "crop circle" in a rice field following rumors it was formed by a UFO.

Though clearly sculptured by humans — it looks like an intricately designed flower — the 70-yard-wide (70-meter-wide) circle has drawn so much attention that police have blocked off the area with yellow tape.

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Woman Wants Divorce After Mom Goes on Son's Honeymoon

A furious 36-year-old Italian woman has filed for divorce just a month after her wedding because her husband brought his mother on their honeymoon, ANSA news agency reported Wednesday.

As the couple set off for their honeymoon to France in December, the newly-wed was shocked to find her new mother-in-law at Rome's Fiumicino airport, all set to come on the trip, the agency cited her lawyers as saying.

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