A lawsuit filed this week claims that the Monsanto corporation, "motivated by a desire for unwarranted economic gain," knowingly poisoned farmers that were pressured to use the company's chemicals.

Farmers from Argentina claim that agricultural giant Monsanto, along with Philip Morris and other major American tobacco companies, asked them to use chemicals on their crops that caused "devastating birth defects." The plaintiffs say that the corporations being included in the suit were aware of the implications but failed to warn the farmers, instead acting "by a desire for unwarranted economic gain and profit."

In the suit, filed this week at New Castle County Court in the state of Delaware, Monsanto, Philip Morris and others are said to have "wrongfully caused the parental and infant plaintiffs to be exposed to those chemicals and substances which they both knew, or should have known, would cause the infant offspring of the parental plaintiffs to be born with devastating birth defects." A 55-page complaint filed in court alleges that those chemicals caused conditions to develop that include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spina bifida, congenital heart defects, Down syndrome, missing fingers and blindness.

Poll saying socialist could win by 14 per cent leaves right wing in despair

Confronted with plunging polls and deserting allies, President Nicolas Sarkozy faces the prospect of a rout in the two-round French presidential election starting this weekend, with senior members of his government already said to be certain of defeat.

Supporters of the front-running Socialist candidate, François Hollande, could scarcely contain their euphoria when they gathered in Lille for their last big rally on Tuesday night before French electors go to the polls on Sunday. They interrupted the candidate's speech endlessly with chants of "François president, François president".

"You are well informed," Mr Hollande quipped. "It is possible we are going to win. It's not certain... but, yes, I feel the hope rising."

New polls published yesterday suggested that Mr Hollande, 57, was leading the field of 10 candidates in the first round with up to 29 per cent of the vote. He had extended his lead over Mr Sarkozy to between two and four points. In voting intentions for the two-candidate, second round on 6 May, Mr Hollande now leads the President by a "landslide" margin of 14 to 16 per cent.

US - A JetBlue pilot whose midair meltdown prompted a cross-country flight to make an emergency landing in west Texas last month will plead he was insane at the time of the incident, his lawyer said in a federal court filing on Wednesday.

Attorney Dean Roper filed the notice in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas, saying pilot Clayton Osbon would use an insanity defense.

Osbon, 49, was charged earlier this month with interfering in the operations of a flight crew after he allegedly screamed and pounded on the cockpit door, forcing a March 27 flight from New York to Las Vegas to land in Amarillo.

Osbon was undergoing court-ordered psychiatric examination to determine if he could stand trial. The outcome of those examinations has not been disclosed.

A federal indictment described a harrowing flight during which Osbon had to be subdued and forcibly restrained from re-entering the cockpit.

US - An Austin police officer fatally shoots a dog after showing up at the wrong address for a domestic violence call.

When police officer Thomas Griffin arrived to the address last Saturday, he witnessed Michael Paxton playing Frisbee with his dog, Cisco.

According to reports obtained by CBS Houston, the officer yelled at Paxton to show him his hands. The police car dashboard cam then caught Cisco coming to his owner's rescue by barking at the officer. The officer responded by yelling, "Get your dog!"

Griffin then opened fire on Cisco, killing the dog.

"The dog ran to his feet, he lowered his aim and shot the dog and raised his aim back up at me and told me to get back," Paxton told WAFB-TV. "My dog never made a move to attack him other than the challenging him and barking. He ran to his feet."

The Austin Police Department issued an apology for the incident. Per department policy, an investigation always takes place after an officer fires their weapon.

UK - A 'guinea pig' generation of children is growing up addicted to hardcore internet pornography, MPs were warned last night.

Four out of five 16-year-old boys and girls regularly access porn online while one in three ten-year-olds has seen explicit material, a disturbing cross-party report reveals.

It also cites figures showing that more than a quarter of young patients being treated at a leading private clinic are receiving help for addiction to online pornography.

One appalled MP revealed that her son had told her that swapping hardcore images on memory sticks between pupils at his school is 'absolutely rife'.

There are fears that the rise of internet pornography is leaving teenagers unable to maintain normal relationships and even increasing their susceptibility to grooming by sexual abusers.

US - Houston police say four teens have been accused of killing a homeless man for all the money he had - a dollar.

Capital murder charges were filed Tuesday against Carlos Fernandez, 18, Marilyn Villarreal, 18, and Michael Correa, 17. A 16-year-old girl was held in juvenile custody on a capital murder count.

The body of 32-year-old Pedro Miguel Ramos was discovered April 4 in an alley. Houston police say the victim had been robbed and shot.

According to police reports obtained by CBS Houston, investigators initially thought the killing was over a bicycle or some chicken, but later determined the motive was cash.

Canada - A Toronto man accused of posing as teen idol Justin Bieber and coaxing a young girl to perform sex acts online may have victims in up to five countries, prosecutors in the United States said Wednesday.

Lee Moir, 34, is already facing a slew of child pornography charges in connection with his alleged interactions with a 12-year-old girl from New Jersey, but officials in that state suspect his activities had a much wider scope.

"It is an ongoing investigation for us, but we believe that there may be other victims both in the United States and beyond," Essex County prosecutor spokeswoman Katherine Carter said in a telephone interview.

He is believed to have been in contact with young girls in Canada, Australia, France and the Philippines, she said, adding there have been no charges laid in connection with those alleged contacts.

Moir is already facing a raft of charges in Canada since being arrested on April 4.

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Broadcast icon Dick Clark, the longtime host of the influential "American Bandstand," has died, publicist Paul Shefrin said. He was 82.

Clark suffered a heart attack while at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica for an outpatient procedure, his publicist said Wednesday. "Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful."

The family has not yet decided whether there will be a public memorial service for the multifaceted Clark, although Shefrin said, "There will be no funeral."

Clark suffered what was then described as "a mild stroke" in December 2004, just months after announcing he had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

That stroke forced Clark to cut back on his on-camera work, including giving up the hosting duties for the "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" specials. He returned as a co-host with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2005.

Dick Clark's impact on race and music 2004: Clark tells King 'I love what I do' Cooper: Dick Clark's American tradition 2004: Clark on how he got his start

Clark anguished each year over whether to continue appearing on the annual show because of limitations on his speech from the stroke, U.S. Rep. David Dreier, a longtime friend, told CNN Wednesday.

"But then he would get deluged by people who were stroke victims and other people who had infirmities and they were such admirers of his fighting spirit," said Dreier, R-California.

Clark's "American Bandstand" work, which he began when it was a local TV show in Philadelphia in 1956, earned him the nickname "America's oldest living teenager." The dance show was picked up by ABC and broadcast nationally a year later.

Cook County, IL - An Illinois man drowned Saturday caring the beloved swans of an apartment complex near Des Plaines.

Witnesses say it was a freak accident.

"His kayak wasn't upside down, but it was, like, upwards. You could see the tip of it," said witness Daniel Gamanov.

Gamanov talks about a tragedy he saw right outside his family's apartment.

"There was a do not cross line and they were pulling him out right there," he said.

He was referring to Anthony Hensley. It was his job to care for the swans at the Bay Colony Drive complex near Des Plaines. Something went wrong, and there was an altercation with the birds.

"They just attacked him," said Gamanov.

A man who stripped naked at Portland International Airport as a protest against airport security screeners said he was being "nude but not lewd," and characterised his act of defiance as protected political speech.

John E. Brennan, 49, of Portland was charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure after taking off far more than this belt and shoes during the screening process before a Tuesday evening flight to San Jose, California.

The incident report from the Port of Portland, which operates the airport, said some passengers covered their eyes and the eyes of their children.

Others laughed and took photos.

Brennan, in an interview at his home, said he did not arrive at the airport with the intention of getting naked. He said the Transportation Security Administration crosses the line between privacy and security. He decided to protest after he was pulled aside after going through the metal detector and a pat down, he said.