Britain's Queen Elizabeth's composer is writing a "comic opera" poking fun at the MPs' expenses scandal. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies is so annoyed by the fraudulent expense claims made by British MPs - which include claims for pornographic films and moat cleaning costs - he has decided to express his anger through song.

He explained: "Like everybody else I'm outraged over the extent and depth of the MPs' expenses claims. I am registering and expressing my disgust the best way I can - through my music."

A former opera singer has completed the coldest marathon on Earth with 38 runners braving -33 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.

Ted Jackson, 36, a former member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, ran the freezing marathon in nine and a half hours, coming in at 26th place.

CBS announced that Guiding Light, the longest-running soap opera on TV, would air its last episode Sept. 18.

After 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes, it appears low ratings rung the death knoll for the series, thought CBS has not offered an official reason for the shows cancellation.

Miami-Dade County police found four bodies, victims of a murder-suicide, inside a south Miami-Dade home on Wednesday morning.

The dead were identified as former tenor and piano teacher Pablo Josue Amador, 54; his wife, Maria, 47; and daughters Rosa and Priscila age 13 and 14. One son, Javier, 16, survived by running out of the house. Another daughter, Beula Beatriz, 20, a student at the University of Miami, also survived.

Attending the key Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Sydney, U.S. President George Bush has confused the name of the meeting with OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries). The president made the slip in a speech to a group of business leaders.

President Bush was on stage at the Sydney Opera House when he thanked Australian Prime Minister John Howard for his kind introduction and also for being such a good host for the "OPEC" summit.