WASHINGTON: Republican candidate Bob Dole jumped to within 5% of President Bill Clinton in an opinion poll yesterday. The John Zogby Group poll, giving him 38.5% to Clinton's 43.8%, showed Dole narrowing the gap since last weekend's televised debate between the pair.

Paedophile jailed

THE HAGUE: A 43-year-old Dutchman was the first in his country to be jailed yesterday for sex tourism. Johan van der Scheer was given five years for offences against girls as young as 12 while he was on holiday in the Philippines.

eliver verdicts on November 22 in the trial of 23 members of the French Church of Scientology on charges ranging from embezzlement and fraud to manslaughter.

Mother jailed

FRANKFURT: A 40-year-old mother was given a six-year prison term yesterday for taking money to let her children be used for sex. Four acquaintances were found guilty of sexually abusing her children.