The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Hong Kong - An Australian hunter who once boasted he would just "walk in and grab" a stray crocodile in Hong Kong walked away empty-handed Thursday after giving up the chase. "All crocodiles are catchable - some take longer than others," John Lever told reporters as he called it quits. He failed for four nights straight to even spot Hong Kong's wily 1.2-metre crocodile. Hong Kong is ready now to let mainland Chinese croc experts try their luck at snaring the beast first sighted here on Nov. 2. The croc has become a local celebrity after thwarting all attempts at capture. Tel Avive - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel will be forced to make territorial concessions to Palestinians as part of future peace efforts. Kinshasa, Congo - Two crowded ferries collided on a lake off the Congo River, killing at least 160 people, leaving more than 100 missing Thursday and forcing survivors to cling to bobbing barrels to escape drowning, passengers and authorities said. Congo's government blamed a violent storm for the disaster late Tuesday night on Mai-Ndombe lake, which drains into the Congo River. The collision occurred only 300 metres from shore, said Nyoka Bakongo, a local Red Cross worker. But in Congo and much of Africa, many who depend upon water travel for survival - like the traders crowding the two ferries - seldom learn how to swim.
