New York City

Conjoined twins separated

Two-year-old twins from the Philippines who were joined at the tops of their heads were surgically separated on Wednesday night, a hospital spokesman said.

Wednesday’s surgery climaxed a number of gradual operations during the past 10 months, a departure from the more common marathon operations that have separated other conjoined twins.

The operation on Carl and Clarence Aguirre continued after the separation. Doctors planned to reconstruct a membrane that covered the boys’ brains and then cover their heads with skin, some of it from tissue expanders that had been planted beneath their scalps.

Doctors have warned that it will be months before the twins’ conditions and the success of the separation can be fully assessed.

Moscow

Russia to charge U.S. for space station deliveries

Russia will charge the United States to deliver astronauts and cargo to the international space station starting next year, the head of the Federal Space Agency said Wednesday.

Although Russia and the United States agreed to split the costs of sending men and material to the space station, only Russian spacecraft have been used since last year’s space shuttle disaster.

“If the Americans want to fly Soyuz (spacecraft) in 2005, they will have to compensate us the costs,” space agency head Anatoly Perminov said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.

NASA aims to resume shuttle flights next spring, but efforts to enhance their safety may cause delays.

The European Space Agency is also working on a cargo ship to supplement the U.S. and Russian vessels that fly to the space station.

West Bank

Arafat turns 75

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat turned 75 Wednesday, but there were no birthday parties or parades.

Arafat spent the day as usual — hunkered down behind sandbags in the shell-pocked compound where he lives and works in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Aides said a few Palestinian officials brought Arafat flowers, but no festivities were planned.

Israel has confined Arafat to his Ramallah headquarters for more than two years, and the Israeli government refuses to deal with him, saying he has done nothing to halt Palestinian attacks and is an obstacle to Mideast peace.

Palestinians consider Arafat their main symbol of struggle and independence, though many disagree with his autocratic style of rule.

London

Wanted: court jester

English Heritage, guardian of various historic sites in Britain, is advertising for someone to be the nation’s first court jester since 1649.

An ad appearing in today’s editions of The Times laid out the qualifications:

“Must be mirthful and prepared to work summer weekends in 2005. Must have own outfit (with bells). Bladder on stick provided if required.”

Auditions will be held Saturday at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, and the winner will have to negotiate a salary, English Heritage said.

The court jester’s position died along with King Charles I, who was executed by Oliver Cromwell’s supporters in 1649. The monarchy was restored 11 years later, but the position of jester did not return.