INT'L in brief

Thousands still without electricity

SOUTH CAROLINA (AP):

Thousands of people are still without electricity in South Carolina after last week's winter storm.

The electric cooperatives of South Carolina reported about 18,000 customers were without service late Monday afternoon. The Santee Electric Cooperative had the biggest problem, with more than 11,000 customers without service. Williamsburg County had the most customers without service, at more than 3,400.

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co reported fewer than 2,000 customers without service Tuesday morning. The biggest problem remained in Aiken County, with more than 1,400 customers without service.

About 350,000 customers lost service during the storm that dropped snow, sleet and freezing rain on the state over three days last week.

US national arrested in Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE (AP):

Former United States (US) Rep Melvin Jay Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, said a Zimbabwean immigration official.

The official, Ario Mabika, told The Associated Press Tuesday that Reynolds is being investigated.

The state-controlled newspaper, The Herald, reported that Reynolds was arrested on Monday for allegedly possessing pornographic material and violating immigration laws.

Reynolds, an Illinois Democrat, resigned from his congressional seat in 1995 after he was convicted of 12 counts of statutory rape, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography.

The Herald said Reynolds was arrested by police detectives and immigration officials at a Harare hotel.

A spokeswoman for the US Embassy, Karen Kelley, said the embassy could not comment as it was a private matter and the embassy did not have a privacy waiver.