In an unusual ruling, a judge in Canada has ordered a man to not to form "a romantic relationship of an intimate nature with a female person. " The verdict came as part of the punishment to Steven Cranley, 24, who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to abusing his former lover. According to court documents, Cranley began quarreling with his girlfriend after getting upset with her over their recent breakup. When his girlfriend tried to call police, he attacked her, cut telephone wires and when a roommate tried to intervene he threatened to slit their throats.

Britain's Prince Andrew says the $997,100. 00 of tax payers' money he spends on traveling the world is "cheap at the price. " The 47-year-old - nicknamed Air Miles Andy for his frequent flying - is the British ambassador for trade and insists his role requires him to travel to meet foreign ministers and captains of industry. Prince Andrew told Britain's Independent on Sunday newspaper: "If you're doing what I'm doing, the only way to increase a country's awareness of what the U. K. can provide is to go and visit and maintain that relationship.

A man from Werben village in Germany has climbed a 72-foot pole in protest of his being convicted of a laptop fraud and 15 months in prison. Fred Gregor, father of five children, is scheduled to begin his 15-month prison sentence on March 1. "I've been unfairly judged", the 45-year-old said from his perch through a telephone. "I want a new hearing. " Gregor was convicted of fraud last May after a man reported that he sold him a laptop computer online, but when he received the mail it contained only sand.

A Portuguese man who has no family, left his fortune to 70 individuals he randomly selected from a public phone book. The man, identified as Luis da Camara wrote his will at the age of 29 and chose his "heir" by selecting names he randomly picked out from the Lisbon telephone directory.

A mechanic says he was driving a Porsche back to its owner when he swerved to avoid a truck and smashed head-first into a telephone pole. Mechanic Chris Numme says he destroyed the $500,000 limited edition Porsche Carrera GT after doing minor body work on the vehicle.