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HAVEN'T WE SEEN YOU BEFORE?

When police in South Africa get together to swap stories about the easiest arrests they've made, the discussion may well turn to Joao Nhlaposse ... because his case ranks as a classic. It seems security guards saw him crawling through a grassy field after they interrupted him looting a house near Johannesburg. Alas, in haste, he left his car behind. Later, when the guards went to the local station to file a report of the incident, Nhlaposse was there, claiming his vehicle had been stolen. And his clothes were grass-stained.

If ever a train grinds to a halt short of a station in Sri Lanka's rail system, Gamini Wasantha Kumara may be just the man to come to the rescue. Who is he? Well, basically, a farmer, when he's not busy trying to get himself into the Guinness Book of World Records. Why, just the other day he towed a 40-ton passenger car more than 80 feet - using a harness held in his teeth.

Chico's FAS, a private retailer that makes casual apparel for women, was ranked No. 1 on Forbes magazine's annual list of "200 Best Small Companies in America." Editors examined business growth and quantitative and qualitative data. Less than 1 percent of the companies eligible for the list actually made it, according to Forbes. Its top 10:

1. Chico's FAS, Fort Myers, Fla.

2. Dynacq International, Houston

3. Measurement Specialties, Fairfield, N.J.

4. Meritage Corp., Scottsdale, Ariz.

5. Actrade Financial Tech, New York

6. Metro One Telecommunications, Beaverton, Ore.

7. MTR Gaming Group, Chester, W.Va.

8. Cabot Microelectronics, Aurora, Ill.

9. Christopher & Banks, Plymouth, Minn.

10. Quicksilver Resources, Fort Worth, Texas

- PR Newswire