Quirkie

Children's Christmas choir told to shut up

2006-12-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

A children's Christmas choir was left in tears after shopping centre security guards told them to shut up.

The 23 children - aged three to five - were ordered to stop singing carols because they were too noisy.

Nursery school teachers had taken the kids to entertain shoppers at Nottingham's Exchange Arcade, reports the Sun.

Claire Ellis, 38, mother of three-year-old singer Harrison, said: "It's disgusting. Christmas is a time for hearing little ones sing. Naturally they get excited but this was a special day for them."

Sharon Hastings, supervisor at Jesters Child Care Nursery, in Gedling, Notts, said: "I couldn't believe it when we were asked to leave. We hadn't caused any disruption and we weren't being loud."

And store manager Lorraine Harvey said: "None of our customers complained about the kids."

But security staff said the children were being noisy and had already been asked to quieten down before they intervened.

Exchange Arcade manager Joe Joseph said: "I was told by the security guards that they were making a noise - and not singing."

Armed robber, 7, in Lego heist

2006-11-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Police in Florida are looking for a little girl, aged about seven, who tried to steal Lego at knife-point.

The girl pulled a knife on a cashier at a Wal-Mart store in Largo as she tried to walk out with two boxes of Lego.

Police say the girl, aged about seven or eight, hid the toys under her coat and tried to walk out, reports Tampabays10.com.

A store employee approached the child, asking her to turn over the Lego blocks.

Police say the little girl then opened her jacket and pulled out a 10ins carving knife.

The employee talked the girl into putting down the knife and the toys. The girl then rode away on her bicycle.

Rare tigers found in mini-van

2006-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Customs officers doing a routine border check opened the back doors of a mini van to discover two fully-grown Siberian tigers.

The male and female tigers were being smuggled into Montenegro from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The driver and two passengers were arrested for the illegal trafficking of animals, which are one of the world's most endangered species.

The tigers are being temporarily looked after in a local zoo.

Siberian tigers tend to live in snow-covered areas and it is unclear how the animals ended up in the Mediterranean country, or what their final destination was.

'Gold teeth stolen while owner slept'

2006-10-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

A Florida man claims someone reached into his mouth and stole his gold teeth as he slept.

Bryan Osteen, of Mims, Brevard Country, rang police to complain about the theft, reports Local6.com News.

Osteen told officers that someone entered his bedroom and took the £40 teeth out of his mouth.

He said he had friends at his home and believes one of them had something to do with the crime.

Osteen said he did not wake up because he is a heavy sleeper, according to a Brevard County Sheriff's Office report.

'Green' arms giant's lead-free bullets

2006-09-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

A British arms giant is planning a new range of 'environmentally friendly' weapons - including lead-free bullets.

BAE Systems says it wants to design bullets without lead because it 'can harm the environment and pose a risk to people'.

The company also aims to make 'quieter' warheads to cut noise pollution and 'eco-friendly' rockets, reports The Sun.

Scientists are also working on bio-degradable explosives and grenades that produce less harmful smoke.

BAE director Dr Debbie Allen said: "Weapons are going to be used, and when they are we try to make them as safe to the user as possible to limit the collateral damage.

"We also try to impact as little as possible on the environment."

But Campaign Against Arms Trade spokesman Symon Hill said: "This is laughable. They make weapons to kill people. It's utterly ridiculous."

No stripping allowed at funerals

2006-08-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Authorities in China are stopping strippers from performing at funerals.

It comes after five striptease troupe bosses were arrested in east China's Jiangsu Province after "obscene performances" at a funeral, according to the Xinhua agency.

The arrests, in Donghai county, followed striptease acts at a farmer's funeral, the agency said.

Two hundred people were said to have attended the event.

A source said: "Striptease used to be a common practice at funerals in Donghai's rural areas to allure viewers.

"Local villagers believe that the more people who attend the funeral, the more the dead person is honoured."

Residents are encouraged to report "funeral misdeeds" on a hotline, earning a reward for information.

Play staged in bathroom

2006-08-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

A new play set and staged in a bathroom is a surprise hit in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

The play, entitled Thorough Search, is staged in a bathroom at the Renaissance Theatre, reports Folha de Sao Paulo.

Only 30 people can fit inside the bathroom and they have to remain standing during the 30-minute performance.

A spokesperson for the producers said: "We are a huge sucess. We have to perform extra shows every week!"

Internet parking ticket scam

2006-07-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Drivers in Belgium are buying used parking tickets on the internet to get out of paying fines.

The scheme was set up by the Continental Computer Company in Antwerp which allows drivers slapped with a fine for not buying a parking ticket to buy a used one at an online exchange for just £5.

The motorists then present the second-hand tickets to the local council as proof they did buy one, claiming the ticket inspectors simply did not see it.

Company boss Marc Van de Vyver said there was nothing wrong with what they were doing.

He said: "We're not doing anything illegal. Our website is simply a meeting place for collectors of parking tickets, just like there are websites for people who want to exchange stamps."

But local authorities are now seeking to take legal action, saying the scheme is costing them thousands in unpaid fines.

Wriggling parcel empties post office

2006-07-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Staff fled a post office in Germany when they noticed a parcel wriggle and opened it to find a 5ft snake.

The package containing the albino python was handed in at a post office in Kommern by a woman who wanted to send it to an address in the south of the country.

A keeper from the local zoo was called in to catch the snake and police are now searching for the sender, who is likely to be charged with breaking animal protection laws.

Cemetery visitor falls in grave

2006-07-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

A Dutch woman fell into a an old grave after it collapsed while she was watering flowers at a cemetery.

Monique Zuydendorp, 40, of Capelle aan de Ijssel was watering flowers on her uncle's grave in Schollevaar.

Suddenly, a neighbouring grave subsided and Ms Zuydendorp fell in, landing on the coffin.

The grave was that of a woman who had died in September 2005.

"It was a horryfying experience," she told Algemeen Dagblad.

Fortunately she was with a friend who, with other cemetery visitors, managed to pull her out of the grave.

Ms Zuydendorp needed medical attention for bruises but says the emotional shock was the only lasting damage.

The experience has confirmed one decision: "When the time comes, I want to be cremated," she said.

Workers at the cemetery say the grave contained three coffins on top of each other and say one or more must have collapsed.

Man catches neighbour

2006-06-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

A man leaned out of his window to moan about noise - and caught his neighbour as she fell from the window above.

Orlando Fonseca, 29, was furious to hear crashing, screaming and shouting from Kim Koeon upstairs.

What he didn't know was that Kim, 30, had fallen through her broken third-floor window and was clinging to the sill by her fingertips.

As Orlando leaned out to shout, she fell for what would have been a 40ft drop on to concrete, reports the Sun.

Orlando, from Wandsworth, said: "I saw this girl hanging by her fingertips. Suddenly she just let go and amazingly I was able to grab her as she went past. It all happened so quickly.

"It took no time to get her inside, but it hurt my arms a lot. She must have been in shock. She kept crying and saying she was so sorry, but then laughing."

Kim, who is from Korea, went to hospital with cuts and bruises. She said: "This man saved my life I want to see him and thank him."

Vandal fingered himself as suspect

2006-06-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

A vandal who knocked over headstones in a US cemetery left police a small but important clue - his finger.

Police found the finger end stuck between two toppled gravestones in the cemetery in Fleming, New York state.

Officers, who say a total of 53 headstones were knocked over, later arrested a man missing a finger.

He has been charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass and cemetery desecration, reports 13WHAM-TV.

Burglar fell asleep in victim's bed

2006-05-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

A burglar who downed a bottle of vodka was caught after falling asleep in the king sized bed of one of his victims.

Austrian home owner Gerhard Sobor, from Traisen, said: "I walked into the bedroom and found a strange man, fully clothed, snoring away on my bed.

"His pockets were full of my wife's jewellery, and there was an empty bottle beside him."

Police arrested the 28-year-old man and charged him with breaking and entering.

Spurned suitor gave ring to beggar

2006-05-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

An angry lover whose girlfriend turned down his marriage proposal threw the £500 ring in a beggar's bowl.

Tim Pockett could not believe his luck when the engagement ring landed in his collection pot, reports the Daily Mail.

The honest beggar, who plays his penny whistle for loose change in Shrewsbury town centre, handed it over to the police.

At first he thought the ring was worthless but was amazed to later find it was a 2.5-carat diamond solitaire white gold ring.

He said: "I was playing my whistle and I heard a man say: "That will keep you going for a couple of days". When I looked up he'd gone but I later noticed something in my bowl.

"At first I thought it was costume jewellery but when I picked it up it had a hallmark. I was really very surprised. I didn't know what to do with it."

If the ring is not claimed within 28 days, he will be allowed to keep what will be his biggest ever donation.

Police later discovered a man had earlier tried to sell the ring to a second hand jewellery shop but fled in tears when he was turned down because he didn't have proof of ownership.

PC Dave Walton said: "We feel perhaps that this person may have been in a particular state of mind when he dropped it into the bowl. He may now feel differently and think it was a bit rash."

Fire blamed on pet fish

2006-05-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

A pet fish has been blamed for a house fire which nearly cost a woman and her two daughters their lives.

Kipper, an eight-inch catfish, is thought to have triggered the blaze when it fought with a rival in their tank.

Water splashed out of the aquarium and landed on an electric plug below, reports The Sun.

It sent a power surge up the tank's light cable which burnt the plastic lid which melted and dripped onto a leather sofa which burst into flames.

The blaze soon engulfed the lounge as Sharron Killahena, 25, and kids Nicole, six, and Kerry, two, slept upstairs in the house in Poole, Dorset.

Luckily a smoke alarm woke landlord Simon Justice, 25, in a different room, who woke the family in time to escape.

Their home was wrecked and their six fish died but Sharron said: "At least we are here to tell the tale."

Marriage guidance counsellor sued over affair

2006-05-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

An Illinois man is suing a marriage guidance counsellor for having an affair with his wife.

Scott Buetow, 35, of McHenry County, had hired the therapist to improve his marriage, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

But he claims that instead Dan Blair began an affair with his wife that caused the couple to divorce.

His lawsuit seeks more than £100,000 in damages from Mr Blair and the counselling centre where he works.

"He [Blair] had an obligation to provide services, and he willfully abused that for his own benefit," said attorney Hans Mast, who represents Mr Buetow.

Mr Buetow and his wife began seeing the counselor in April 2004 to 'strengthen and stabilise' their 10-year marriage.

While providing both joint counseling and individual therapy sessions, Blair allegedly started a secret romantic relationship with Buetow's wife.

Buetow filed the suit because he believes "he got a raw deal from the person he trusted and confided in," Mast said.

Buetow and his 36-year-old wife, who have four children, were granted a divorce earlier this year.

Croc snatches chainsaw

2006-04-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

A crocodile agitated by a chainsaw's noise chased the man operating it and snatched it off him.

Freddy Buckland was cutting a dead tree that had fallen against a saltwater crocodile pen in Australia.

The 14ft crocodile jumped out of the water and bit the chainsaw out of his hands, reports the Sydney Morning Post.

It happened at a roadhouse, near Darwin, where Mr Buckland was clearing up damage from a cyclone.

Owner Peter Shappert said: "As he was trimming up the tree on the outside the croc jumped out of the water and sped along the tree about 18, 20 feet and actually grabbed the chainsaw out of his hands.

"It must have been the noise. I don't think he was actually trying to grab Freddy, but I'm not sure. He had a fair go at him

"I think he just grabbed the first thing he could and it happened to be the chainsaw."

Mr Buckland was not injured nor was the crocodile, Brutus, which Mr Shappert says he might rename Two-Stroke..

"He chewed on the chainsaw for about an hour-and-a-half, then we finally got it out... It's still in one piece but, yeah, it's buggered."

Granny wins 13m dollars on slot machine

2006-04-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

A granny has won over thirteen million dollars on a five cent slot machine.

Josephine Crawford was down to her last few coins when she hit the jackpot at Harrah's casino in New Jersey.

According to the New Jersey Star Ledger she said: "I couldn't believe it, and I still can't believe it.

"I'm going to take care of my family. I have five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. We are going to have a good time with it."

Harrah's spokesman Alyce Parker said Mrs Crawford, a widow, had received four proposals of marriage while celebrating her win with family and casino patrons.

He said: "She said she wasn't interested. She is very energetic, and she doesn't look a day over 65."

Guard shoots own leg

2006-04-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

A security guard shocked bank customers in a Brazilian bank when he accidentally shot himself in the leg.

The customers thought they were caught up in a robbery at the Banco do Brasil in Osasco, reports Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper

Police arrived but could find no signs of a robbery. The guard, Ricardo Leandro da Silva, finally admitted he had shot himself.

He was taken to hospital but only had minor injuries.

Polices spokesperson said: "He was so embarrassed it took us a while to find out what had happened.

"He still hasn't been able to tell us how he managed to do it."

Girl,4, called for jury service

2006-04-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

A four-year-old girl has been called up for jury service.

Officials sent a letter to Beatrice Ball ordering her to attend a trial at Bristol Crown Court on June 5 reports The Sun.

Beatrice's mum Sam said: "She found it hilarious. Beatrice is bright for her age but this is ridiculous.

"She knows what jury service is because her grandad was recently sent a summons and explained to her what he had to do."

Sam, 33, of Bedminster, Bristol, contacted officials to explain - Beatrice has now been excused.

Civil servants responsible for issuing jury summonses blamed Bristol city council for the mix-up.

The Court Service said it was sent an old electoral list mistakenly containing Beatrice's name.

The council insisted: "We issued an up-to-date register."

£125 trillion phone bill

2006-04-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

A man has received a phone bill for £125 trillion.

Yahaya Wahib said he was shocked when he got the bill at his home from Telekom Malaysia.

He was told he had to pay up within 10 days or face prosecution.

The bill was for the phone line of his father, who died in January reports New Straits Times.

Mr Wahib had that line disconnected and settled the outstanding 84 ringgit (£13).

But Telekom Malaysia then billed him for 806,400,000,000,000.01 ringgit for calls they claim he made recently.

Mr Wahib said: "If the company wants to seek legal action, I'm ready to face it. In fact, I can't wait to face it."

A company official said Telekom Malaysia was looking into the case.

Giant bunny attacks veg

2006-04-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Allotment owners have called in armed guards to protect their vegetables - from a rabbit.

The gigantic rabbit is so powerful it can pull prize leeks out the ground - and eat whole rows of onions, parsnips, and carrots.

It's been compared to the 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit', the Wallace & Gromit film about a fearsome bunny that destroys vegetable patches.

Jeff Smith, 63, was first to spot the black and brown creature at the Mouldshaugh Lane allotments in Felton, Northumberland, two months ago.

According to The Sun he said: "It was massive. I thought, 'What the hell is that?' It's no ordinary rabbit - we're dealing with a monster.

"Its prints are huge, bigger than a hare - about the size of a deer's. One ear's bigger than the other. It's a brute.

"The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was a film . . . this is the real thing."

Plot holder George Brown, 76, vowed: "We will nail it."

Marksman Brian Cadman, an assistant gamekeeper on patrol, added: "We've been told to shoot on sight."

Man tried to sell his soul online

2006-04-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

A Chinese man tried to sell his soul on an internet auction site.

The man, in his late 20s, from Jiaxing, near Shanghai, attempted to sell his soul on Taobao, China's top online auction site.

He attracted bids from some 58 potential buyers before the posting was pulled, reports China Daily.

"We reviewed Taobao's policies and realised we had no specific policy on the selling of souls," said Porter Erisman, spokesman for Taobao's parent company, Alibaba.com.

Mr Erisman said Taobao wasn't opposed to the idea of soul selling online, but wanted more proof that the seller could provide the goods.

"After some discussion, we decided that we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a 'higher authority'," he said.

Snake found in broccoli

2006-04-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

A woman opened a bag of broccoli and found a live snake.

Tina Cosby was preparing tea for her family when she spotted the foot-long grey and black snake curled around the veg.

According to The Sun she said: "I took out the bag and put it on my kitchen worktop while I untied it.

"I was about to put my hand in to pull out the broccoli when I suddenly saw this snake inside. Its beady eyes opened and I threw a fit. It was staring at me and its little tongue was poking in and out.

"I was shaking and so terrified that I could feel my heart racing. I had to have a cup of tea to calm down - and then I felt sick."

Tina's husband David, 33, took the reptile to a vet in Halstead, Essex, where it is being kept.

Experts believe it is a non-venomous horseshoe snake.They can bite humans - leaving teeth marks in a characteristic horseshoe shape.

Tina complained to Tesco where she bought the veg and was sent an apology and £50 in vouchers. But she is seeking further compensation.

Bosses launched an inquiry to find out how the snake got into the broccoli, which came from Spain.

Tesco said: "This obviously caused a bit of a shock. Our suppliers are going to review quality-checking procedures to ensure this cannot happen again."

3-year-old drives car

2006-04-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

A three-year-old boy has taken his dad's car for a spin.

During the drive Andrew Mcdowell injured his dad and crashed into two cars.

Andrew got behind the Ford Mondeo's wheel after dad Andy left the keys in the ignition as he changed a headlight bulb.

Andrew, from Washington, Tyne and Wear, put the automatic into "drive" and went on a 100-yard jaunt.

He raced across a busy junction and smashed into a parked car - which was then shoved into a van.

Andrew escaped without a scratch. But the damage to all three vehicles has been put at £6,500.

According to The Sun his dad said: "I'd left the keys in the ignition so I could check the lights were working after I changed the bulb. The next thing, my little lad had jumped in and turned the engine on."

Andy needed first aid after being hit by the car as it lurched off. He added: "It must have got to about 10mph, with me clinging on to the wing mirror trying to stop it.

"It went over a junction and hit a people carrier, which then hit a van. I dread to think what might have happened if a car was going across the junction."

Andrew's mum Lyndsey, 29, said: "Like any three-year-old, he's into anything."

Rollerblading cops scrapped

2006-03-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

Police have scrapped a squad of Rollerblading cops - after discovering they can't chase criminals across grass.

The Royal Parks Police in London thought the Rollerblades would give the team extra speed.

According to The Sun Supt Derek Pollock admitted: "It was not a success. Not a lot of officers were interested because it hurts when you fall over. When people ran across grass, the guy on Rollerblades had to take them off."

The force has now reverted back to bicycles.

Supt Pollack added: "They go up and down steps. They're flexible."

Meat becomes art

2006-03-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

A Belgian artist's latest exhibition is made out of steak, mince and bacon.

Jan Fabre's Temples of Meat exhibition will only be on display for three days - until it goes off, reports De Morgen.

The exhibition, at the Museum of Modern Art in Ghent, includes a coat made of steaks and a tent of bacon with sleeping bags of steak.

Fabre said: "Meat is a very erotic material. A lot of my work is about the cult of decay and death.

"I also loved to create something that will be destroyed after three days. It's a lesson in modesty for every artist who confesses his love for eternity."

Fabre said he worked through the night with his assistants to turn 100kg of steak, 15kg of minced meat and a few kilometers of Parma bacon into art.

It's not the first time he has worked with meat. In 2000, he covered the columns of the university aula in Ghent with pieces of bacon.

Man told to buy a dog license for barking doorbell

2006-03-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

A Dutch man has been ordered to buy a dog license because of his barking doorbell.

Gerrit Bruintjes has a computer controlled doorbell at the family home in Oldenzaal, reports Nu.nl.

It can play 15 different 'chimes' but he has it set to bark like a dog in honour of the family's pet German shepherd which died a few years ago.

A tax inspector recently called at the home when they were out and, after ringing the bell, left a demand for them to buy a dog license.

Mr Bruintjes said: "Last year we had big trouble in convincing the tax inspector, we have no dog in the house. And this year we had to go through the same thing again.

"My wife arrived a minute later and had big trouble convincing the tax inspector we had no dog at all."

But Mr Bruintjes said he won't chose another melody.

"Certainly not," he said. "This sound is to honour our deceased dog. I just hope its rings a bell with that tax inspector when he comes next year."

'Asthmatic' toddler had screw in lung

2006-03-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

A toddler with suspected chronic asthma was found to have a metal screw in his lungs after he was rushed to intensive care.

A German toddler was found to have a metal screw in his lungs after he was rushed to intensive care with breathing problems /Europics

The 19-month-old boy, from Bonn in Germany, had been having severe difficulties breathing for weeks.

Doctors at the Sankt Augustin hospital had tried a number of different asthma treatments but were getting nowhere.

As the boy's condition worsened, he was admitted to intensive care where he was given a battery of tests including a chest x-ray.

Specialists immediately spotted the true cause of the problem - a screw stuck inside the child's lungs.

Martin Schneider, head of the Child Cardiology Unit, said: "The screw was really deep down in his lungs. It took two hours for doctors to remove it using a heart catheter with a mini lasso on the end."

The boy's parents confirmed they had been building flatpack tables last month and assume the child must have put the screw into his mouth, tried to swallow it and it had gone down his windpipe into his lung.

Dr Schneider said he is recovering well and was likely to be released from hospital shortly.

Man catches trout in flooded cellar

2006-03-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

A man whose house was flooded after a storm found a bright side by catching trout in his cellar.

Mile Tutic, from Tutici in Montenegro, amazed neighbours by catching eight trout in his cellar after a nearby river burst its banks.

He said: "It's great that I can go fishing whenever I want and I will be sad when the floods subside."

Cryonics founders cremated

2006-03-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Two founders of the cryonics movement - whose members are frozen after death - have been cremated after a freezer mishap.

The bodies of Raymond Martinot and his wife Monique were stored in a freezer in the hope modern science could one day revive them.

But, 22 years after his mother's body was put into cold storage, their son discovered the freezer unit had broken down, reports the Guardian.

Rémy Martinot said he had no choice but to cremate his parents' bodies after the technical fault had seen their temperatures rise above the constant level required of -65C.

"I don't feel any more bereaved today than I did when my parents died, I had already done my grieving," he said.

"But I feel bitter that I could not respect my father's last wishes. Maybe the future would have shown that my father was right and that he was a pioneer."

Raymond Martinot spent decades preparing for his demise in the belief that if he was frozen scientists would be able to bring him back to life by 2050.

But his wife, Monique Leroy, died first, in 1984, and was the first to enter the freezer unit in their Loire Valley chateau.

In 2002 Dr Martinot died of a stroke, aged 84, and his son followed his orders to inject him with the same anti-coagulants and store him alongside.

James sells his sister

2006-03-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

James Blunt has revealed he sold his sister on eBay.

The singer came up with the idea so she could attend a funeral in Ireland.

The plan worked well for his sister as she is now dating the winner of the auction.

According to IOL.com James said: "I had a bit of an eBay addiction and I sold everything in my apartment in London and then I came in one day and my sister was crying because she couldn't get to a funeral in southern Ireland.

"None of the planes were working, none of the trains, none of the ferries, so I saw another golden opportunity to flog something and so I put my sister up on eBay, saying, 'Damsel in distress, needs to get to Southern Ireland. What do you get out of it as a bidder? You just get to be a knight in shining armour.'

"Everyone started bidding and a guy won and he had a helicopter and he could fly her to the funeral in southern Ireland and they're now dating and they've been going out for 18 months and she's living with him."

He said he has similar plans for his other sister, he added: "I have a second sister, who's gonna go on sale soon."

Fatter bills for hefty hotel guests

2006-03-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

A German hotel has started calculating fees according to the weight of the guest.

The three-star Ostfriesland hotel in the north German town of Norden charges the equivalent of 34p per kilogram.

So a thin man weighing 60 kilos pays just over £20 a night, but a man weighing 100 kilos would be forced to shell out nearly £35.

Owner Juergen Heckroth said: "Slim guests live longer and can therefore come more often and that is why we reward them."

Beer flows from kitchen tap

2006-03-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

A woman in Norway turned on her kitchen tap to find beer flowing out.

Haldis Gundersen was preparing to do the washing up when she made the discovery at her apartment in Kristiansund, west Norway.

Haldis did not realise that two flights below, workers in a bar were left confused when water came out of the beer taps.

A worker had connected a beer barrel to the apartment water pipe by mistake.

Haldis said: "I turned on the tap to clean some knives and forks, and beer came out. We thought we were in heaven."

The workers in the bar finally fixed the problem reports BBC online.

Ms Gundersen added: "If it happens again, I'm going to order Baileys," she said.

Gran, 75, 'robbed bank'

2006-03-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

A 75-year-old grandmother was arrested after a high-speed chase for robbing a bank at gunpoint.

Police say Marilyn Devine wore a ski mask and used an unloaded handgun to scare cashiers into handing over £2,700.

She was arrested when police cars boxed her in after a five-mile chase, reports the Mirror.

Her husband Raymond Devine, 77, broke down in tears as she was led into court in Pennsylvania with her wrists and ankles shackled.

He said she did not mean to hurt anyone but had been trying to help their son who had financial problems.

He added: "Basically, she just flipped out. She was under a lot of pressure, I guess, and whatever happened, she just snapped."

Devine faces charges of assault, robbery, theft, carrying a firearm without a licence and fleeing police.

Police chief Joe Popovich said: "She's anybody's grandmother. It was very bold and very strange."

Erection keeps burglar out of jail

2006-03-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

A German burglar has escaped a prison sentence - because he suffers from a permanent erection.

Maurice Baumann, 32, was sentenced to a year's jail for burgling homes in the British army garrison town of Bielefeld.

But he escaped prison after entering hospital as an "emergency case" for his unrelenting priapism.

After a week's treatment, doctors admitted they were only able to get his manhood down to "half-mast".

Baumann told a court in Bielefeld: "I woke up one morning with a hard-on. I didn't think anything of it - that happens to men a lot. But mine never went down."

A medical report revealed that doctors stuck needles in his manhood for 90 minutes in an attempt to reduce its size. But five minutes later it was erect again.

They also injected medication into it but that didn't help either.

A court ruled that he could stay out of jail while his problem persisted but the chief prosecutor of Bielefeld is not happy.

Harald Krahmoeller said: "Only patients with acute medical problems can stay out of jail and I don't regard him as an acute case. I hope to have him behind bars within two weeks."

Flowers not fines for speedy women drivers

2006-03-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

Women drivers in Russia are to be given flowers instead of fines for minor traffic offences on International Women's Day.

Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin said: "Traffic police will not darken the holiday for driverettes.

"On this spring day, representatives of the fair sex will not be punished for minor traffic violations."

International Women's Day in Russia dates back to communism as a day to celebrate the female worker.

Slum B&B is booked up

2006-03-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

A bed and breakfast in the heart of a Brazilian slum has become an unlikely success with tourists.

B&B Favelinha has been completely booked up since opening its door in Rio de Janeiro's Pereira da Silva slum.

Owner Andreia Martins told Terra Noticias Populares: "We are having to turn lots of people down, we are so full!

"This place is not for the fragile or the weak - if you worry, you'd better stay somewhere else."

One night at the B&B, in a room overlooking the whole slum, costs £20.

A police spokesperson said: "This slum is a calm one, but even so, it is crazy that so many people want to stay in this B&B, I guess some people want to have dangerous experiences."

Alligator antics land Russian in hospital

2006-03-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

A Russian was attacked by his pet alligator after he tried to show off to friends at a boozy party by feeding it sausages.

Anton Skvortsov, 35, kept pet alligator Musya in a cage in his office in his Moscow.

But after drinking with colleagues at an office party he decided to show them how much his pet loved him and opened the cage to feed the animal by hand.

He said: "We had all had dinner and I thought my beautiful Musya should have some as well.

"He is normally fed only by placing the food through the bars of his cage but this time I wanted to give him a bit of freedom and I held out some sausages for him to take from my hand."

But the animal turned on its owner and clamped its huge jaws down on his hand.

Friends managed to hit the alligator with chairs, shocking the animal into releasing Skvortsov's hand.

The businessman was taken to hospital where doctors treated his lacerations and gave him a tetanus injection.

A hospital spokesman said: "He's lucky to be alive."

Sewage plant to produce caviar

2006-03-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

A former sewage plant in Switzerland is to start producing caviar.

Fish expert Daniel Brunner has bought the building in Baeretswil ,near Zurich, and plans to import 400 Siberian sturgeon.

He said: "The plant has been thoroughly cleaned, so there is no chance of contamination.

"It should have also lost its sewage smell by the time the eggs are ready to be collected, as the fish take eight years to mature."

Village flooded by pig manure

2006-02-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

A German village in the state of Bavaria is recovering after being flooded by 240,000 litres of liquid pig manure.

Sewage rose to 50cm in the streets of Elsa after the tank burst.

A police spokesman said: "The village was swamped with green-brown liquid and it was pig manure - the mother of all muck."

Police estimate the pig waste had caused at least £68,000 worth of damage.

Hare attacks dogsled team

2006-02-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

A "large and aggressive" hare has reportedly attacked a dogsled team in Norway.

Wenche Offerdal, who was driving the dogsled team, said she'd never seen anything like it.

She told newspaper Nordlys that she and her team of huskies met the "aggressive" hare in Troms County.

"It was sitting 10 metres from the trail and I figured it would run off, and even that the dogs would go after it," Offerdal said. "I was wrong."

Instead, the hare came running towards the dogsled team, and jumped right into the middle of the dogs.

"It was an absurd situation," Offerdal told Nordlys. "The dogs were completely perplexed. The hare stared at them and they stared back, like they were all frozen."

Suddenly the hare leaped out of the ring, hitting a few of the dogs on their noses with its paws on its way.

"It was an enormous leap, the hare landed outside the ring of dogs and ran off into the woods," Offerdal said.

Stradivarius found above chicken coop

2006-02-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

An elderly Hungarian is set to become a millionaire after finding a priceless Stradivarius violin hidden above his chicken coop.

Imre Horvath, 68, makes a living from the poultry and egss he sells from his home on a smallholding, near Debrecen.

He believes the violin was hidden in the roof space by his musician father, Zoltan, before he went off to fight in the war.

Zoltan was killed in the war and never had a chance to tell his family where the instrument was hidden, reports Debreceni Napelo.

He built the house in the 1920s and lived there with his family until he was called up to fight, and never returned.

Imre said he had no use for the instrument, and had taken it to an expert in Debrecen to have it valued because it looked like it was particularly good quality.

He said: "They were very excited - but sent me to the capital to have their findings checked, and they confirmed the violin was made by the famous 17th century Italian instrument maker Antonio Stradivari.

"I was delighted but then terrified because I have nowhere I can keep the violin in my little house, I just want to sell it as soon as possible and put the money in the bank. Then I can relax."

Only about 650 genuine Stradivarius violins are believed to exist today and one recently sold in the US for more than £1million.

School burglar took maths test

2006-02-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

A burglar broke into a Norwegian grammar school - and solved some maths problems.

Nothing was stolen in the raid on a school in Klaebu, reports Aftenposten, quoting Adresseavisen.

But the intruder did take on a mathematics test intended for third grade students.

And, according to local law enforcement officials, he - or she - did a good job, solving all the problems correctly

Man forced to marry four wives in six months

2006-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

A Saudi man is in hospital after his divorced parents forced him to marry four times within six months.

The battle began when the father insisted the boy should marry a girl from his side of the family.

The mother retaliated by ordering him to wed a girl from her side, reports Arab News quoting Al-Watan daily.

But the father wasn't happy with the balance of power and insisted on a third wife from his side, to show who was boss.

The mother, not to be outdone, then demanded that her son include another wife from her side of the family.

The son has now been admitted to a hospital for psychological treatment. He is refusing to see his parents or his wives.

Man trips and destroys priceless vases

2006-01-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

A museum visitor tripped on his shoelace, stumbled down a stairway and destroyed a set of priceless 300-year-old Chinese vases.

The three vases, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, had stood on a windowsill at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge for at least 40 years.

The museum refused to name the visitor, who was unhurt, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Steve Baxter, another visitor, who saw the accident, said: "We watched the man fall as if in slow motion. He landed in the middle of the vases and they splintered into a million pieces.

"He was still sitting there stunned when staff appeared. Everyone stood around in silence, as if in shock. Then the man started talking. He kept pointing to his shoelace and saying: "There it is; that's the culprit.""

Duncan Robinson, the director of the museum, said: "It is a nightmare you are always afraid of in a museum. I have been here for 40 years and now that nightmare has happened."

The vases, from the Qing dynasty, were donated to the museum in 1948.

Murder victim 'died 500 years ago'

2006-01-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

French police have worked out why they couldn't identify a murder victim - she was killed by pirates 500 years ago.

Frustrated detectives had been trying to identify the woman, said to have been in her 30s, for two years without success.

Her skeleton was found in December 2003 during an exceptionally low tide near the Brittany seaside town of Plouezoc'h.

Police reckoned a 14 cm gash to the skull suggested she had been bludgeoned to death with a hatchet or other sharp object.

Missing persons' files were consulted and DNA tests carried out to establish if the skeleton was that of a Normandy doctor who disappeared in 1999. All proved negative.

The mystery was solved only after radio carbon dating of the bones suggested the woman had died some time between 1401 and 1453.

François Gerthosser of the local police said the case was now closed.

"We are satisfied because at least we know the date now. We think it was pirates," he said.

Kidnapped' man found in brothel

2006-01-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

A missing man thought to be the victim of kidnappers has turned up in a Buenos Aires brothel.

The man disappeared on his way to work and had not been seen for a week, police say.

His wife called the police afraid he had been kidnapped and the police had launched an investigation.

Officers eventually found the 35-year-old enjoying himself with two prostitutes at a bordello at the nearby city of Rosario.

Police say he had been at the brothel since his disappearance. His wife has filed for divorce.

Priest's holy smokes

2006-01-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

An Orthodox priest has been arrested by police in Bulgaria for selling cannabis joints to parishioners.

The drugs were allegedly offered by Father Kiril Papudov, said to be the most popular of the priests working around the villages of Kladenci and Borovichene.

He was caught by undercover drug squad officers who say they found 128oz of high quality cannabis in the his home.

Stolen car turns up - after 37 years

2006-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

A car lover has been reunited with his beloved Corvette - 37 years after it was stolen.

The brand-new motor vanished from Alan Poster's garage in New York in 1969, says the Mirror.

But authorities spotted it on a ship bound for Sweden in November and traced it back to Alan, 63.

He said: "It's a miracle. It's probably the only car I've ever really loved."

The 1968 Corvette is now silver instead of blue and lacks a petrol tank and radiator.

But it is worth about £10,223 - three times the price Alan paid.

Pigs glow in the dark

2006-01-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Scientists have created pigs that glow in the dark.

Scientists in Taiwan have used jellyfish genes to help create the animals.

The move is designed to help research into stem cell treatments for disease.

"There are partially fluorescent green pigs elsewhere," said Wu Shinn-Chih, assistant professor of animal science at the National Taiwan University.

"But ours are the only ones in the world that are green from inside out."

He added: "Even their hearts and internal organs are green."

Prof Wu said the fluorescent cells would show up during stem cell treatment of diseased organs, allowing physicians to monitor the healing progress.

"We hope it can help with future stem cell research by cutting down on the time researchers expend," he said.

Woman turned up at own funeral

2006-01-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

An Argentinian woman who went missing after a New year's Party turned up at her own funeral.

Angela Saraiva, 20, from Salta, was only gone for 20 hours and was amazed to find herself declared dead.

Her worried mother mistakenly identified a dead body as being that of her daughter, reports Terra Noticias Populares.

And the funeral was in full swing when Ms Saraiva finally turned up again.

She said: "My parents thought I was this woman because she looked just like me.

"I loved this whole experience, it made me realise how much my friends and family love me and how much they would miss me if I die; that made me feel important!"

Man chained up in kennel

2006-01-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

A 75-year-old Polish man was chained up by his wife in a dog kennel because she was fed up with him coming home drunk.

Zdzislawa Bukarowicza was chained up by his wife Helena and fed on dog food and water because she was sick of him spending all their money on vodka.

He survived almost three weeks living on an old blanket in the dog kennel and being fed from the dog bowl despite temperatures of minus 20 degrees at his home in Scinawa.

He was eventually freed when friends, who had not seen him at their local for several days, called the police.

Coffin stunt lands TV producers in court

2006-01-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

Producers of a Belgian candid camera-type show ended up in court after one of their stunts terrified three cleaners.

The producers of Kan Dit? were convicted of psychological abuse of the women when they saw a 'dead body' leap out of a coffin.

The prank was performed at a funeral parlour in Genk, where an actor was lying in a coffin pretending to be dead.

The three cleaning ladies were asked to remove a key from his coat and their reactions were recorded as the 'corpse' suddenly came to life.

The women claim to have suffered psychological problems as a result.

The producers were originally acquitted, but an appeal judge has now imposed a suspended sentence.

Rush for 6/6/6 weddings

2006-01-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

Registry offices in Holland have been flooded with requests for couples who want to get married on the 6/6/06.

They believe it is because of the reference in Revelations to 666 as the 'Number of the Beast'.

So far, 17 couples have applied to marry in the Dutch city of Enschede on June 6 so far. Normally there are only two to three weddings in the city on a Tuesday.

Fourteen weddings are planned for June 6 in the central district of Rotterdam, compared with a usual figure of six to eight weddings.

The authorities in Arnhem said nine couples have signed up for 6-6-6 dates, far more than on any other Tuesday. "Tuesday is normally a very quiet day," a spokesperson said.

The sixth day of June is also a popular wedding date in the cities of Utrecht, Groningen and Nijmegen this year when compared to previous years.

In Amsterdam, one couple wanted to marry at 6 minutes past 6 on the morning of June 6. Local officials decided they could not perform the ceremony so early in the morning.

Registry offices in Leeds and Manchester said they had only a couple of bookings for weddings on June 6 so far but said more could follow.

In Cambridge registry office spokeswoman Carolyn Willis said: "We don't have any bookings yet, but I have been trying to get people to sign up for this date, I thought it would be fun."

Dodgy kebab pain turns out to be baby

2005-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

A woman who went to hospital fearing she had eaten a dodgy kebab was stunned when she gave birth.

Helen Smitham from Distington, Cumbria, had no idea she was pregnant when she felt stomach pain.

Her mum took her to hospital - and 60 seconds later shocked Helen gave birth to a 4lb 11oz boy.

According to The Sun Helen said: "I had absolutely no idea. When I had stomach pains I thought it was the kebab. At the hospital there was no time for the doctors to see me before it all happened."

Deaton is in the premature baby unit at West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven.

Helen's boyfriend Mark Askew, 41, said: "She was at work until the Friday before Christmas and we'd gone out doing the normal things, like going for a drink, Christmas parties and socialising.

"When I got a call to say we had a baby boy it was amazing."

Nun Bun on the run..

2005-12-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

Dec 27, 8:39 AM (ET)

NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Nashville police and residents were searching Monday for clues to the Christmas Day theft of a cinnamon bun that found unlikely fame for its resemblance to the late Mother Teresa's face.

The bun has been a draw for curious tourists since it was preserved and put on display in a glass case at the shop where it was discovered by a customer in 1996.

"What I can't figure out is why anyone would steal it," said the shop's owner, Bob Bernstein. "They can't sell it on eBay, it's not fit to eat, there was no ransom note and the police put its value at only $25 on their report."

Bernstein said the thief broke into the coffee house at 6 a.m. Sunday, and had smashed the glass case containing the bun, ignoring cash lying nearby.

Before her death in 1997, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa wrote to Bernstein asking that her name not be used commercially. The pastry became known simply as the "Nun Bun."

Woman walks to hospital with bullet in head

2005-12-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

A woman in Brazil had an amazing escape when she was shot in the head but was not seriously injured.

Florence Kanto, 60, was watching TV in Rio de Janeiro when a stray bullet hit her in the head near her left ear.

She did not even lose consciousness and arrived at the city's Flamengo Hospital on foot.

A hospital spokesperson said: "The bullet entered her head at very slow speed, plus the place it entered was responsible for her not suffering anything. This was a real Christmas miracle!"

Mrs Kanto was kept in hospital overnight for observation but was expected to be allowed home within 24 hours.

Women seize power from lazy men

2005-12-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Women in a Croatian village have seized power from their lazy menfolk in local elections.

After their success, the women of Lozisca on the island of Brac vowed "to let the men back into our beds, but never back into politics".

They won all seven seats on the local council after deciding they were sick of seeing the village men doing nothing for the community.

Merica Bogdan, one of the seven women who was elected to serve on the local council, told local media: "The time has come for women to rule.

"We were not satisfied with the work the men did for the community and we launched a campaign to take political power and do something good for Lozisca.

"Men will never have power here again. We have agreed to let our men be in our beds, but never in politics again."

She added that despite having a tiny budget to work with the all-female council had already arranged for a municipal cleaning service, put up and decorated a Christmas tree in the village square and begun a project to repair the spire on the village church.

Lozisca male residents have admitted the women's work has been impressive since their election.

Tonko Valerijev, whose wife Helena is the newly-elected head of the local council, said: "They are a lot more persistent in their work than their predecessors. Frankly, they're doing a great job."

Computer worm traps child porn offender

2005-12-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

Dec 20, 10:38 AM (ET)

BERLIN (Reuters) - A child porn offender in Germany turned himself in to the police after mistaking an email he received from a computer worm for an official warning that he was under investigation, authorities said Tuesday. "It just goes to show that computer worms aren't always destructive," said a spokesman for police in the western city of Paderborn. "Here it helped us to uncover a crime which would otherwise probably have gone undetected."

The 20-year-old was caught out by a version of the "Sober" worm, a prolific Internet virus which can invade computers and then send out messages from a host of fabricated addresses.

The trap was set when the man got an email saying "an investigation is underway," that listed the sender as Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Police charged him after finding pornographic images of children on his home computer.

Bush's iPod muddle

2005-12-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

President Bush got in a muddle when he tried to show of his new iPod.

The President was trying to show how cool he was as he showed off the music player in the Oval Office.

But he blundered when he called American Pie singer Don McLean 'Dan', says the Mirror.

And then he seemed to get confused when he tried to explain how the iPod worked.

"I get the shuffle and then I shuffle the shuffle," he told confused reporters.

Asked by a TV crew which artists he had stored in the gadget, he started reeling off names.

"The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Angels, Archies, Aretha Franklin." Then he said: "Dan McLean... remember him?"

The interviewer asked: "Dan?" Mr Bush explained: "I mean Don McLean. American Pie. What a great song."

Geese ate school walls

2005-12-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

Romanian builders are in trouble after geese ate the walls of the school they were supposed to be renovating.

Geese pecked away the polystyrene panels they had installed on the outer walls of the school in Risesti village, Vaslui county.

Village wayor Constantin Negru said the builders were responsible for failing to protect the panels until they were covered with mortar.

He told 7 Plus newspaper: "After all a goose is just a goose. This project was financed by the public budget and I don't blame the birds for the damages. It's the builders' fault because they didn't take care of their work."

Drunk driver rang police

2005-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

A drunk driver was arrested in Germany after he accidentally rang the police instead of a breakdown service when he had a flat tyre.

Before he realised who he was speaking to, the 31-year-old let it slip that he had no licence and was driving under the influence.

The civil servant, who lost his licence eight years ago, had a blow out in the western town of Monheim while driving a car borrowed from a friend.

He had a blood alcohol level that was seven times the legal limit, and when he tried to call the German equivalent of the AA he became confused and dialled the emergency number for the police.

The drunken man phoned and said: "My car is broken and I need you to come and fix it. You better be quick because I'm really pretty drunk and I don't have a licence so it wouldn't be good if the cops drove past."

A Monheim police spokesman said: "He wanted us to come quickly, so we did."

Aunt's painting was a £26m Van Gogh

2005-12-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

An Italian man given a painting by his aunt 50 years ago has reportedly found out it's a £26 million Van Gogh masterpiece.

The man, from Milan, who has spoken to media on condition that his identity is kept secret, said he only found out he had Van Gogh when a friend who is an art expert came round for dinner.

The friend saw the painting hanging on the wall and immediately realised it was a Van Gogh.

But the man has yet to reveal what the painting is other than to say it is "a painting of rural life".

Italian daily newspaper Il Giorno has said it will publish an exclusive photo of the painting this week.

OAP conmen have had their chips

2005-12-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

A pair of septogenarians have been arrested in Italy for sending customers potatoes in place of hi-tech electronic equipment.

The two friends, aged 74 and 75, from Milan, set up a website selling state-of-the-art stereos, TVs and DVD players at cut price.

But customers who paid thousands of pounds for the goods were allegedly sent bags of potatoes in the post instead.

Police spokesman Giovanni Rocca said: "We managed to track the duo down after one man complained he had paid £7,000 for a sack of potatoes.

"When we raided their apartment, we founds dozens of bags ready to be sent, and although they weren't worth more than five pounds at least they were good quality spuds."

The pensioners are now facing charges of fraud, reported Italian daily Il Giorno.

Robber met by laughter

2005-12-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

A robber was met by a laughter in a school in Chile when his raid was mistaken for a play rehearsal.

Parents, teachers and pupils were in the school in Providencia when a man entered and said: "This is a robbery!"

Witnesses said everyone started laughing as students had just been rehearsing a play which started with the same words.

A police spokesman told Las Ultimas Noticias: "The robber had difficulty in making people believe he was serious, he had to throw a fit."

Eventually people understood what was really going on and the robber took the registration money and ran off.

But the unlucky criminal ran towards the local police station and was arrested by officers who were on their way after being alerted about the robbery.

Man Accused of Deliberate Finger Severing

2005-11-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

Nov 29, 10:48 PM (ET)

SALZBURG, Austria (AP) - Prosecutors on Tuesday accused a former fingernail designer of deliberately putting his hands beneath a passing train so his fingers would be severed and he could collect on a euro1 million ($1.17 million) insurance policy.

The 35-year-old defendant from the town of St. Johann, whose name was not released in line with Austrian privacy laws, is being tried on federal charges of insurance fraud stemming from claims filed in November 2003, when the incident occurred.

The suspect told police he was riding his bicycle when he lost control and rolled down an embankment and onto railroad tracks just as a train was passing by, losing a thumb on one hand and an index finger and a pinky on the other.

Insurance company investigators became suspicious after they found that the man had taken out the policy a few months before the alleged accident.

State's attorney Elvira Gonschorowski-Zehentner said Tuesday that prosecutors had reason to believe the man cut off his own fingers in an attempt to cash in on his insurance.

But the defendant's lawyer, Karl Wampl, dismissed as outlandish the notion that the man would intentionally have mutilated himself in such a fashion, contending he could have used a power saw to cut off his fingers rather than risk death faking an accident with a train.

The suspect has admitted that he had accumulated about euro150,000 ($175,000) in debts at the time he lost the fingers, prosecutors said.

If convicted, the man faces up to 10 years in prison, authorities said.

Haunting experience at Lenin Museum

2005-11-29T17:25:00.000-08:00

The director of Russia's Lenin Museum says the ghost of the former soviet dictator is haunting the building.

Maja Obraszowa, head of the museum located in Vladimir Ilyich Lenin's former house in Samara, says staff often hear footsteps and see furniture moving, as well as other inexplicable phenomena.

Obraszowa said: "We walked into the master bedroom one morning and saw the bed had been slept in, even though the door was locked all night.

"And we can often smell apple cake, which was his favourite food, even though there is no bakery near here."

The ghost story emerged after a group of school children visiting the museum swore to have smelt fresh coffee while looking at the former revolutionary's ancient coffee machine.

Lenin studied law in Samara from 1887 to 1891. His body is on display in the red square though many Russians feel it should be removed and given a Christian burial.

Helmets deflect seagull attacks

2005-11-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Workers at a Devon council have been issued with crash helmets - to protect them from dive-bombing seagulls.

Flocks of seagulls have been attacking staff who collect weather data from the roof of council offices in Newton Abbot.

One victim, David Potter, said: "It can be really bad and it's getting worse. It is my fourth year doing the job and there are more and more gulls.

"The big gulls swoop at my head and are backed up by half a dozen others which scream and dive-bomb me.

"It's very distressing but at least we now have crash helmets to protect s from being pecked about the head and face."

The data is collected every day and is used by the Met Office as part of its national record-keeping and weather forecasting.

A Teignbridge District Council spokesman said the helmets were issued as a security measure to staff.

Goodbye Sam

2005-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

World's Ugliest Dog Dies at 14
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 2:47:34 PM

FILE ** Sam, crowned the SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - Sam, the tiny dog whose hairless body and crooked teeth earned him a reputation as the World's Ugliest Dog, has died.

The pooch died Friday, just short of his 15th birthday, his owner said.

"I don't think there'll ever be another Sam," Susie Lockheed said, adding: "Some people would think that's a good thing."

Sam won the ugliest dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair this summer for the third year in a row. The pedigreed Chinese crested had made appearances on TV in Japan, radio in New Zealand and in Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid. He also had met Donald Trump on a talk show set.

Lockheed said she initially was terrified of Sam when she agreed to take him in as a rescue dog six years ago on a 48-hour trial basis. Although she fell in love with him, his appearance repulsed her then-boyfriend and prompted the man to break up with her.

Later, however, Sam became a matchmaker by bringing together Lockheed and her current beau, who saw a picture of the two on an online dating site.

Lockheed said she had Sam euthanized after she learned Sam's heart was failing.

She said she's felt a little lost ever since, and is sleeping with Sam's favorite toy — a stuffed bear he picked up and carried home.

Man at Gun Show Shoots Himself in Bathroom

2005-11-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 21, 2005 9:24:45 PM

FARIBAULT, Minn. (AP) - A trip to the restroom resulted in a trip to the hospital for a Bloomington man who accidentally shot himself in the hand over the weekend at a gun show.

Faribault Police Sgt. Richard Larson said the 59-year-old man shot himself while removing his gun from a hook in a bathroom stall while attending the 31st annual Faribault Rifle and Pistol Club gun show on Sunday morning.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released by Sunday afternoon.

The gun show was at the National Guard Armory on Saturday and Sunday.

Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days?

2005-11-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

40p fine ends up costing £3K

2005-11-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

A council has spent £3,000 taking a woman to court for not paying a 40p fine.

Laura Trotman from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was unable to pay the 40p at the meter to park her car near her home because the meters were vandalised.

She was fined £5 by the local council for not paying for the parking, but the fines office was closed when she went to pay reports The Sun.

Laura objected to the fine and the council decided to take her to court.

The sum finally rose to £3000 but magistrates were forced to ditch the case after Stroud council bungled paperwork.

Threats to man who shot domino-toppling sparrow

2005-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

An animal worker who shot a sparrow after it almost wrecked a world record domino toppling bid has asked for police protection after receiving death threats.

Several international animal rights groups expressed outrage over the killing of the sparrow that toppled 23,000 of the four million dominos set up for record attempt in Holland.

Investigations into the legality of the shooting in Leeuwarden have also been launched.

A representative of the animal management company that employs the man said: "We have not made an official complaint as that would be no use.

"But if an idiot comes around here, we want a direct line to the police so they can come quickly to help us."

Organisers of the upcoming event have hired extra security staff following the death threats and an offer of £2,000 made on Dutch radio to anyone who topples the dominos prior to the event.

Sauerkraut 'cures' bird flu

2005-11-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

Sauerkraut may cure bird flu.

Scientists in Seoul believe the German cabbage contains a bacteria that fights the disease.

Researchers fed 11 out of 13 chickens infected with avian flu with fermented cabbage - the chickens showed signs of recovery within a week.

According to The Sun Professor Kang Saouk said: "The feed helps the fight against bird flu and other flu viruses."

Police leave drugs in bag of girl, 10

2005-11-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

A drugs squad officer left a packet of speed in a 10-year-old schoolgirl's bag after a drugs awareness lesson.

The police officer put three packets of the drug in her bag but after the demonstration took back only two, reports the Mirror.

Kia Butterfield did not find the amphetamine until she got back to her home in Wainfleet, near Skegness.

Her mum Amanda, 33, said: "I still can't get my head around this - an officer gave my daughter a bag of hard drugs. If your kids aren't safe from drugs on a day out with police, when are they safe?

"My three-year-old was playing at the table where those drugs were. She could have mistaken it for a bag of sherbet and swallowed it. That could have been fatal."

The officer put the drugs in Kia's bag to demonstrate how sniffer dogs worked during a seminar for primary schoolchildren at a Butlins camp.

The youngster said: "I thought he had taken out all the drugs when he handed my bag back. I got home and put it on the kitchen table near where my sister was playing.

"An hour later I went to get a pencil and found this plastic bag with powder in. I knew it was the drugs, so I told my dad."

Chief Supt Dave Wheeler of Lincolnshire Police said: "It was a training exercise for the dog and education for the children, but what happened shouldn't have happened."

Dogs marry in £700 wedding

2005-11-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

Two dogs have got married in front of 70 guests in a £700 ceremony in the US.

Two-year-old Bobby married Gracie, who's three, in their hometown of Clinton Township, Michigan, reports the Detroit Free Press.

Susan Laurer, 79, the owner of the groom, gave Bobby away to Gracie's owners, neighbours Frank and Cyndi Parise.

She said: "Bobby loved Gracie at first sight. Now they play together, walk together and fight together."

Bobby wore a top hat, black tuxedo and red bowtie, while Gracie, her nails painted pink, sauntered down the aisle in a puffy white gown.

"We are gathered here today," said Pastor Joseph DeRose of Evangel Christian Church in Roseville, "to celebrate the joining of the paws of Bobbie and Gracie on this beautiful Sunday."

After some brief remarks, DeRose announced: "Now I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby and Gracie Laurer."

During the reception that followed, the newlyweds dug into a two-tiered, bone-shaped cake with a pink heart in the centre.

Burglar kidnaps parrot

2005-11-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

A burglar abducted a parrot - fearing it would reveal his identity to police.

Monty, an African Grey parrot, was the only witness as David Carlile, 32, stole antiques, jewellery and cash from an isolated country house.

When he was arrested and asked why he took the bird Carlile said: "Parrots can talk and I didn't want it grassing me up."

According to The Sun a police spokesman said: "We were in stitches. This guy really thought we could interview the parrot.

"It's just as well we nicked him through fingerprints and DNA - I wouldn't have liked to have introduced the parrot to a judge as our chief prosecution witness. Monty remains at large after being sold. But at least Carlile is doing some bird."

Carlile, of Bristol, admitted more than 100 burglaries throughout Berkshire and was jailed for seven years at Swindon Crown Court.

Monty's owner Diana Winter appealed for his safe return.

The seven-year-old has red feathers in his tail and a blue plastic ring on his foot. He eats only white grapes.

Missing bell found in pup's tum

2005-11-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

A Shropshire woman finally found her prized ornamental bell - when she heard her labrador puppy's tummy ringing.

A week after losing all hope of finding the bell again, Beverly Harris heard its familiar ring as she put Hector to bed.

After searching his bedding, the mum realised the noise was coming from the six-month-old labrador's stomach.

Mrs Harris, 38, from Hadnall, told the Mirror: "I held him by the hips and gave him a little shake and it rang again.

"I told my husband Richard and he cried with laughter. The kids thought it was hilarious too. We quickly nicknamed Hector Tinkler because when he followed you the bell would ring."

Hector had a £235 operation to have it cut out - along with some garden stones he'd also swallowed.

Vet Dean Halligan said: "If you shook him he rattled. He was like a wind chime.

"It was too large to vomit up and had it worked itself into his small intestine it could have killed him."

Jury Rules Against Woman in Genital Gluing

2005-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 05, 2005 6:06:12 AM

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A Westmoreland County jury on Friday ordered a woman to pay $46,200 to her ex-boyfriend for gluing his genitals to his abdomen.

Jurors found in favor of Kenneth Slaby of Pittsburgh in his civil case against Gail O'Toole of Murrysville after three days of testimony and ordered the payment for pain, suffering and emotional distress, according to television station KDKA.

"For all the pain and suffering I've been through, and the embarrassment, I don't think it's enough," Slaby told reporters after the verdict.

Slaby's lawsuit said the two broke up in 1999 after dating for 10 months, and he began dating someone else. After he broke up with his other girlfriend, Slaby said, O'Toole invited him over to her home on May 7, 2000, where he fell asleep.

He said he woke up to find that O'Toole had used Super Glue to stick his genitals to his abdomen, glued his buttocks together and spelled out a profanity on his back in nail polish.

Slaby said O'Toole told him that her actions were payback for their breakup, and he had to walk a mile to a gas station to call for help. He pressed charges and O'Toole pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and spent six months on probation.

But O'Toole's attorney contended that the incident was nothing more than part of the couple's adventurous, consensual sex.

Granny nicked gems in her knickers

2005-11-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

A bored Italian granny shoplifted £70,000 worth of jewellery by hiding the valuables in her knickers.

Police in Genoa said the 62-year-old woman had visited several jewellers in the city posing as a frail but wealthy old lady.

A spokesman said: "She would study the items offered for viewing carefully, waiting until the moment when the sales assistant was inevitably distracted by another customer.

"She would then quickly drop the items into her knickers so that even when staff searched her pockets they found nothing. They did not suspect such a frail old lady of theft."

The woman was arrested after being caught on a security camera stuffing gold necklaces and rings into her knickers in a shop in the San Fruttuoso district of the city, local daily La Repubblica reported.

The thief said: "I just intended to make my life more exciting. I got bored with expensive holidays and other little treats. It just wasn't enough for me anymore."

House With Bride for Sale for $600,000

2005-11-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 02, 2005 4:26:32 PM

DENVER (AP) - For $600,000, a 40- to 60-year-old man can buy a house in a trendy Denver neighborhood that comes complete with a bride.

Deborah Hale, 48, has placed an ad on eBay offering to sell her home in the Washington Park area to a compatible man who wants to spend his life with her. She also has her own Web site outlining the deal.

"I'm looking for my soul mate," Hale told the Rocky Mountain News Tuesday. She did not immediately return a telephone message left at her home Wednesday.

Hale lives part-time in the 1910 bungalow-style house. She also has a jewelry business in Albuquerque, N.M.

She has received about 60 responses.

"I have to say that the e-mails that I have got have been very kind and very nice," Hale said.

The deadline for bidding is Valentine's Day 2006.

4ft wire left in man's body for 10 years

2005-11-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

A builder has revealed that doctors left a wire measuring four feet in his body for ten years.

Steve Windless discovered the wire when he felt a sharp pain in his neck and could feel the wire sticking out.

According to The Sun Steve from Carshalton, Surrey, said: "I was gobsmacked. At first I'd thought it might be a nail that had got lodged in my skin at work. I couldn't belive it when the wire just kept coming out."

The wire had been left behind when he underwent a complex medical procedure a decade ago.

Doctors says that over the years the wire has embedded itself into an artery wall and it is far too risky to remove it.

Naked woman drops through ceiling

2005-10-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

A Russian couple had a narrow escape when their naked neighbour dropped in - through the ceiling.

Rozalia Valiakhmetova had been relaxing in the bath when the floor gave way, dropping her and the bath tub into the flat below.

She said: "I had just dozed off and then I heard this huge crash and realised what had happened. The bathroom floor just collapsed under the bath and I came crashing through the ceiling of the people below me.

"They seemed as shocked as I was when they saw me lying there naked in the bath in the middle of their living room."

She was treated at a local hospital for injuries to her leg but otherwise was unhurt.

Local council engineers said the floors in the old apartment block in Solnechnaya in the Surgut district of Russia where Valiakhmetova lived were supported by wood which had rotted over the years.

Cat ran off with severed toe

2005-10-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

A cat ran off with its owners toe after he accidentally chopped it off and then left it on the floor while he called an ambulance.

Udo Ried, 41, was slicing bread in his kitchen in Luebeck, Germany, when he dropped a large kitchen knife onto his bare foot, chopping off his second toe.

While Ried was hopping to the bathroom to get a bandage and at the same time using his mobile phone to call emergency services, his cat Fritz pounced on the bloody toe and ran off with it into the garden.

Ried tried to get the toe back but after a few minutes he was forced to abandon the search to seek medical attention.

A spokesman for Luebeck hospital said they would have been able to reattach the toe if the cat had not stolen it.

Prince Harry 'ordered to drop pants'

2005-10-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Prince Harry was reportedly forced to drop his trousers during a military parade at Sandhurst.

The Sun says it followed rumours he had the name of girlfriend Chelsy Davy tattooed on his bum.

During a parade, a colour sergeant reporetdly yelled: "Cadet Wales, drop your pants and show me your backside!"

Prince Harry apparently replied: "Are you serious?" before being ordered: "Just get them off, I want to see if it's true."

The prince had his trousers around his knees before the grinning sergeant said: "It's OK, Wales, I'll take your word for it!"

An unnamed member of Harry's platoon told The Sun: "It was the funniest thing any of us have seen for ages. Everyone had heard the rumour but no one wanted to ask Harry if it was true.

"Then one of the colour sergeants decided to play a trick on Harry in front of the whole platoon.

"You should have seen Harry's face. We all fell about laughing. Harry blushed, then he also laughed."

Man Finds 56-Pound Mushroom in Missouri

2005-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 27, 2005 5:31:18 PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The mushroom Ty Whitmore found on a relative's farm near the northwest Missouri community of Maysville this week tipped the scales at 56 pounds — and that was only part of it.

Whitmore, 19, of Kansas City, was cutting firewood Monday when he saw the orange and yellow mushroom growing from the base of a maple tree. He cut it off with a saw and said the biggest half of it fell into a creek.

"I wanted to see if I had a world record," said Whitmore. "It was so heavy, and I was trying to carry it without damaging it, which was hard because I had to wade across creeks, and the brush in the woods was hitting it."

Whitmore got it to his pickup truck, half a mile away, and had it weighed at a Maysville grocery store. He did some checking on the Internet and determined the big fungus was a sulfur shelf mushroom. Its scientific name is Laetiporus sulphureus, and it's commonly referred to as the "chicken of the woods" for its good eating qualities.

"I hunt and fish, but this is the best thing I ever got, a real trophy," Whitmore said.

On the Internet, the Guinness World Records lists the largest edible fungi as a giant puffball weighing 48 pounds, 8 ounces.

Whitmore said he can tell his mushroom has lost some moisture weight, and he was undecided about whether to weigh it again and submit it to Guinness.

The mushroom, measured Tuesday by a Missouri Department of Conservation, was 30 inches wide and 16 inches high. Harold Burdsall, a retired U.S. Forest Service fungus expert in Madison, Wis., said after looking at e-mailed photos that it was the biggest sulfur shelf mushroom he had ever seen.

James W. Kimbrough, an expert on molds, mildews and mushrooms at the University of Florida, said reference books list the biggest sulfur shelf mushroom as being about 20 inches wide.

While experts say it's doubtful anyone has a reliable record book for individual mushroom species, Kimbrough said the one Whitmore discovered has "got to be among the largest ever found in North America."

Burdsall says sulfur shelf mushrooms taste great, with a firm texture and plenty of flavor.

"If there are two wild mushrooms on the table, I'd always take that one, even over morels," he said.

The mushroom probably took about two weeks to grow. Whitmore said the part that fell into the creek was a larger clump growing on top of the one he got. He said the water was too cold and deep for him to retrieve it.

"It might have weighed 120 pounds altogether," he said.

'Superman' Hospitalized After Leap

2005-10-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 8:36:34 PM

GRAZ, Austria (AP) - A man who claimed he was Superman and could fly was hospitalized early Tuesday after leaping from a fourth-floor window, authorities said.

Paramedics rushed the 23-year-old man to a hospital in the city of Graz, about 120 miles south of Vienna, after he jumped from a window and suffered head and back injuries, police said.

They said the man — who apparently had drunk several bottles of red wine before attempting the jump — appeared at the window ledge at around 4 a.m. and shouted: "I am Superman! Nothing can happen to me!"

The jumper, whose name was not released, landed on part of a lower section and roof, sparing him from more serious injuries, authorities said.

Pork chop thief caught on camera

2005-10-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

A Russian man has been sentenced to a year's community service for stealing two pork chops from his flatmates' fridge.

Valery Fefelkin, 46, was caught stealing from flatmates Andrei and Maria Osipov after they installed a secret camera.

They hid the camera in the kitchen after noticing food was disappearing from their own separate fridge.

In court in Moscow, Fefelkin claimed he had mixed up his fridge with the Osipovs' fridge after coming home from a night boozing with pals.

He was ordered to do one year's community service and pay his flatmates £20 in compensation for the stolen meat.

Hollywood Impersonators Busted

2005-10-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 7:50:07 AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The red and cuddly Sesame Street Muppet Elmo has learned a new lesson: 'H' is for handcuffs.

A man dressed as the character was one of three impersonators arrested last week for allegedly harassing tourists for tips after posing for photos on Hollywood Boulevard. Booked with him were people impersonating superhero Mr. Incredible and the dark-hooded character from the horror movie "Scream."

The impersonators said they were taken into custody at gunpoint, handcuffed and paraded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame before stunned tourists and other impersonators. They were charged with misdemeanor "aggressive begging," police said.

"With all of the crime in Los Angeles they pick on us?" said Elmo impersonator Donn Harper, 45, who makes up to $400 a day in tips.

Tourists have complained that the costumed characters harass them for not tipping after posing for photos in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater. Merchants say some of the costumed characters are scaring tourists.

Los Angeles Police Officer Michael Shea said police warned impersonators at a meeting last month that the department would start enforcing solicitation and harassment laws. Officers conducted a sting operation by posing as French tourists who didn't understand English or the American tipping culture.

"Make no mistake about it — I wanted the characters to know what we're doing," Shea said.

Wilma Knocks Roker Off His Feet

2005-10-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Weatherman Not Hurt In Fall

NAPLES, Fla. -- "Today" show weatherman Al Roker knows the power of Hurricane Wilma all too well.

As a crew member held his ankles, Roker began to do a live report from Naples, Fla.

He had just started when a gust of wind suddenly blew him off his feet.

Roker was not hurt in the fall and was able to crawl to safety.

Deer not trick-or-treating

2005-10-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

By Joseph Cress, October 22, 2005

Elizabeth Laatsch had to reassure the operator her call was no Halloween prank.

A deer came through her backyard Friday with a pumpkin stuck on its head.

At least, it looked like a pumpkin to the South Middleton Township woman.

“It sounds very far-fetched,” says Laatsch, who moved into the Stonehedge Drive house with husband, Jerry, about a month ago. Her husband was on the back porch about 11:15 a.m. when something walked through the yard.

“He did not know what it was at first,” Laatsch says. “He called out to me.”

She looked outside and saw the deer moving slowly, unable to see where it was going.

The animal disappeared into a wooded area and gully. Forty-five minutes later, the deer meandered back and Laatsch took its picture.

Third call in 3 days

Concerned for its welfare, she called the Pennsylvania Game Commission and found out she was the third person to report the animal in as many days.

The first call came on Wednesday, says Eric Horsh, wildlife conservation officer for Cumberland County. And Horsh came within 20 yards of capturing the deer in the vicinity of Rockledge Drive and Old School Road in South Middleton.

The deer seems to have a large brown or gold plastic ball stuck on its head — a lawn ornament or possibly a Halloween decoration, Horsh says.

“From the size, it may be a yearling.” He adds, “I’ve never seen anything like it” in five years as a wildlife conservation officer.

The second sighting was Thursday behind East Gate apartment complex. Again, Horsh responded, with no luck.

Every report is within the same general area behind Kmart along Walnut Bottom Road.

Can’t eat or drink

While the deer appeared healthy, Horsh is concerned about its ability to eat or drink with the ball over its head. A healthy deer could survive without water for up to a week.

Horsh suspects the deer came across the ball, poked its head in to investigate, but could not pull out.

He hopes to get close enough to grab or rope the deer. A tranquilizer gun is not an option since the drug would make the deer unfit for human consumption for up to 30 days should it be harvested legally during hunting season.

Upon receiving the call from Laatsch Friday, Horsh followed the deer until its tracks intermingled with those of other deer.

Horsh is the only conservation officer on duty and it can take up to 45 minutes to reach the area of the sighting. By that time, the animal has moved on.

FYI

The Pennsylvania Game Commission asks anyone who has seen a deer with a pumpkin head to call 1-814-643-1831.

Wildlife Conservation Officer Eric Horsh says people should not try to catch the deer but should keep their eyes on it as long as possible so commission officials can better track it.

Corpse Involved in Mexico Motorcycle Crash

2005-10-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 21, 2005 9:32:29 PM

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Police discovered on Friday that a passenger on a motorcycle involved in an accident in the rough Mexican border city of Tijuana was in fact a corpse which the driver had been carrying through the city strapped to his back.

The motorcycle driver lost control and skidded in the downtown area and when a policeman approached to investigate the mishap, the driver fled.

The police officer checked the passenger, who had been seated behind the driver, and found it was the corpse of a man who had died some time before.

Man Allegedly Robs Bank With Pay Stub Note

2005-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 20, 2005 4:10:11 PM

BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) - A note handed to a bank teller demanding $20, $50 and $100 bills "the quicker the better" was written on a pay stub that led police to a robbery suspect even though the name and address were crossed out with a marker.

"It wasn't a huge forensic undertaking," Steven Moran, Bensalem director of public safety, said Wednesday. "We just put it under a light."

The FBI charged Michael Drennon, 26, of Philadelphia, with robbing the Wachovia Bank in Bensalem on Friday. Drennon, who had been living in a halfway house while on probation, was being held at the federal detention center in Philadelphia pending a hearing scheduled for Friday. It couldn't immediately be determined if he had an attorney.

The man who slipped the teller the note Friday left the bank with about $2,500, authorities said. Police said Drennon had about $1,800 on him when he was arrested.

Play Dead: Dog Diagnosed With Narcolepsy

2005-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:54:36 PM

CHUBBUCK, Idaho (AP) - What should be some of a dog's greatest joys in life have become Skeeter's worst nightmare. Food, a chance at chasing a squirrel, going for a walk, or even an opportunity to sniff another dog all have the same effect on the 11-pound toy poodle: he's out cold.

"He has no personality right now," Shari Henderson told the Idaho State Journal. "It is scary. I don't want him turning into a couch pillow."

The condition, narcolepsy, is extremely rare in dogs and has fascinated Skeeter's veterinarian, Walter Rowntree of Bannock Animal Medical Center in Pocatello. The condition is so rare, Rowntree said, that there are no statistics available about its prevalence in dogs.

"I called four or five colleagues to brag that I'd diagnosed a narcoleptic dog," said Rowntree, who first examined Skeeter on Oct. 11 because of an enlarged lymph node.

The condition is more common in humans but has been documented in some dogs, horses, ponies and a single Brahman bull. It is caused by a disconnect between the normal sleep-wake cycle, triggered by excitement that causes the afflicted to go from being awake straight into a deep sleep. In humans, strong emotion triggers attacks, and dogs have strong emotions about eating, Rowntree said.

Stanford University researchers who studied a narcoleptic group of Dobermans discovered the dogs all lacked a certain brain protein involved in wakefulness.

With Skeeter, initially, only the sight of food triggered attacks. His condition has progressively gotten worse, and Rowntree hopes the human medication he prescribed for Skeeter on Tuesday — Ritalin and an antidepressant — will help restore Skeeter's normal routine.

Rowntree also notified faculty at the veterinary school at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., who requested video footage of Skeeter.

Skeeter once spent his afternoons roaming the fence line in the Henderson's one-acre yard. When Shari's husband, Darrell, took him for two-mile walks, he pulled on the chain wanting to walk faster.

Now that Skeeter falls asleep in mid-trot, the Hendersons place him in a stroller for his customary walk.

Skeeter can no longer eat regular dog food, so the Hendersons hand-feed him cooked vegetables and lunch meat. To keep Skeeter awake during the meal, they hold up his back legs and massage his neck.

Aside from the danger of falling asleep in mid-activity, Rowntree said narcoleptic dogs can live as long as healthy dogs.

But Rowntree also noted that there's no joy for a dog who can't stay awake to experience the things he once loved to do.

Suspect tried to eat evidence

2005-10-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

A Russian man who was caught trying to bribe a policeman tried to destroy the evidence by eating the money.

The man, from Ussurisk, was already facing minor drug charges when he approached his investigating officer and offered him £1,200 cash to drop the case.

But when the officer refused the bribe, the alleged drug-dealer began scoffing the notes to destroy evidence of the attempted bribe.

He managed to eat one banknote before being arrested and charged with attempting to bribe a public official, local media reported.

Head of the anti-drugs squad Ivan Chaika said: "This is not the first time someone has tried to bribe one of my men, but it's the first time I can remember someone ever trying to eat the evidence."

Lazy British Police Dog Relieved of Duties

2005-10-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 17, 2005 5:52:56 PM

ROTHERHAM, England (AP) - Buster the German Shepherd could have had a great career as a British police dog had it not been for one flaw: his complete lack of interest in fighting crime.

The canine cop took early retirement after bosses at South Yorkshire Police noted his poor motivation — and a fondness for making friends with rowdy drunkards, his former handler said Monday.

Buster, who spent some six months on the beat, has been placed with a family in Sheffield, near this town in northern England, Police Constable David Stephenson said.

"He has a lack of drive and motivation when asked to do operational work," Stephenson told The Associated Press. "He's just a lovely pet."

Two-year-old Buster performed well at the start of his 14-week training program, but his work gradually deteriorated and the problem worsened once he started patrolling the streets, he said.

On one occasion, Buster walked straight past a suspected criminal hiding in the garden of a house late at night and went off to cock his leg.

"I searched the garden myself and found the bloke. The dog had walked past the spot where I found him," Stephenson said. "You would have expected him to use his nose to locate him."

During a separate tracking operation, also in the early hours of the morning, Buster gave up while in mid-chase across a golf course . "He just downed tools," Stephenson said. "He just lay down and there was nothing we could do. He has got a very low drive for finding people."

When patroling Rotherham at pub closing times — when the streets are often crowded with drunken revelers — Buster wagged his tail when people came up to him and ate their fries, instead of deterring potential trouble makers, his former handler said.

"He just showed no interest in doing the job," Stephenson added. "He had no fire in his belly."

South Yorkshire Police employs some 50 German Shepherds for tracking criminals, searching buildings and helping maintain public order at soccer matches and other events.

Ex-wife was 'best woman' at hubby's gay wedding

2005-10-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

A Belgian lady was 'best woman' when her ex-husband married her hairdresser in a gay wedding.

Tania Van Rysselberghe, 41, from Ghent, said her ex, Guy Van Autreve, 40, and Danny Van der Heyden, 44, were like 'Ying and Yang'.

Guy and Dany had both been married to women for five years when they met, reports Het Nieuwsblad.

They say it was love at first sight but they kept their relationship a secret, meeting up while walking their dogs.

Tania said: "I thought for a very long time they just were friends. It was only during a summer holiday in Spain with the other couple, I got suspicious.

"And then Danny's wife phoned me after Danny confessed. At the beginning, I was furious. But then I learned to accept it.

"I would have felt more ashamed if he had fallen in love with another woman. I saw how happy he and Danny were. They were like Yin and Yang. That's why I wanted to be at his wedding as his best woman."

Mummy robs bank

2005-10-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

A bank robber dressed as an Egyptian mummy staged a successful raid on a bank in Vienna.

The bandage-clad robber walked into a bank in the Austrian capital and stood in line waiting to be served.

He then passed the cashier a piece of paper saying he had a hand grenade hidden in his bandages - and demanded all the money.

He then quietly walked out with a bag filled with cash before police could arrive.

Police Bust Into Wrong Home in Wrong State

2005-10-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Friday, October 14, 2005 4:33:09 PM

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Police here broke down the front door of a home, responding to a report of a suicidal woman. They had the wrong home. In fact, they had the wrong state.

Douglas County now plans to pay for a new front door for Bernice Kennedy, 80, and her husband, Bernard, 82. The county's emergency dispatchers have undergone extra training, and the police are defending their conduct.

"It's a wonder I didn't have a heart attack," Bernice Kennedy told the Lawrence Journal-World.

The incident occurred early Monday morning, after a woman called the county's emergency communications center, distraught and looking for a suicide hot line. She later said she'd taken a drug that would kill her.

The call didn't come in on the 911 line, so the dispatchers' computer display didn't show the number or address from where the woman was calling, said Selma Southard, assistant director.

But instead of asking the phone company to trace the line — which would revealed that the call came from Oklahoma the dispatcher called directory assistance and asked for an address, Southard said.

By mistake, the dispatcher repeated the communication center's extension number — matching the last four digits of the Kennedys' number. The police went to their house at about 3 a.m.

Bernice Kennedy said officers should have investigated more thoroughly before breaking down the door.

But police spokesman Sgt. Dan Ward said the officers acted properly for an emergency.

"We forced entry to try to save somebody, but we weren't at the right place," Ward said. "We did everything that we thought we needed to do."

Ward said officers knocked first. Bernice Kennedy said she didn't hear anything until they broke down the door.

The call later was traced to Oklahoma, and Southard said officials have been told similar calls went to other states.

"It's kind of one of those things that you wouldn't think would happen that just happened," Southard said. "It's three dispatchers working. It's busy, and it happened. We wish it hadn't."