Free Republic

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will play host to the world's biggest ever strip poker contest if bookmaker Paddy Power gets its way. The idea was originally floated as an April Fool's joke but generated so much interest that Dublin-based Paddy Power has decided to look seriously at organizing a contest it hopes will find a place in the Guinness Book of Records. "We got almost 100 requests to take part," the company's spokesman, also called Paddy Power, said. "We're trying to investigate whether it's possible or whether we'll get put in prison for it." Poker has become big business in...

Bush's Approval Rating Slips In New Hampshire More Voters Would Choose Kerry, Edwards POSTED: 10:58 am EST February 19, 2004 DURHAM, N.H. -- A new poll shows President George W. Bush's approval ratings in New Hampshire have fallen to their lowest levels since his election. In a University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll conducted this week, 47 percent of New Hampshire adults said they approve of the job Bush is doing as president, 48 percent disapprove and 5 percent are neutral. That's down from a high of 71 percent in April and down 9 percentage points since October. Looking...

A passenger who spent a long time in an airplane toilet Wednesday prompted a security alert and full search of the Lufthansa plane, the airline said. "It was quite amusing," Lufthansa spokesman Thomas Jachnow said. "He was on the toilet for quite some time. That was enough reason to alert the federal border police."