Cop Named "Martyr" After Dying of Alcohol

BEIJING: Though he did not die giving a hot chase to getaway robbers or stopping lawbreakers, yet a Chinese traffic police officer was named a 'martyr' after dying due to heavy drinking at a banquet.

Chen Lusheng, a police sergeant in Shenzhen traffic police in Guangdong Province in southern China was deemed to have died a martyr "in the line of duty" after he was made to attend a banquet by senior party officials for his ability to hold his liquor, the 'China Daily' reported.

Chen became the target of his hosts who repeatedly asked him to "genbei" or "bottoms up" as toast after toast were raised, the report said.

The officer was off-duty when he was invited to a drink- binge. Chen vomited and passed out on a couch and suffocated. He later died in hospital.

His death touched panic among his party official hosts who decided to make him a martyr, in an apparent attempt to meet his family's demand for more compensation.

The daily said after being pressurized by his family the police designated Chen a martyr, so that his family was illegible for a compensation of upto 650,000 yuan (USD 95,000) in compensation, almost double the amount he would have got on death as a working sergeant.

Fart Sparks Gas Scare

SYDNEY: A flatulent pig sparked a gas emergency in southern Australia when a farmer mistook its odours for a leaking pipe, officials said

Fifteen firefighters and two trucks were called to a property at Axedale in central Victoria state after reports of a gas leak, the Country Fire Service said.

"When we got there, as we drove up the driveway, there was this huge sow, about a 120-odd kilo (265-pound) sow, and it was very obvious where the gas was coming from," said fire captain Peter Harkins.

"We could not only smell it, but we heard it and it was quite funny."

Harkins said the pig's owner was "a little bit embarrassed to say the least," and it took fire crews a little while to compose themselves.

"It was fairly obvious what it was. I think we dealt with it fairly professionally and had a bit of a giggle when we got back to the station," he told public broadcaster ABC.

Sex with Horse Lands Man in Prison for 3 years

SOUTH CAROLINA: A South Carolina man caught on video having sex with a horse was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after pleading guilty for the second time in two years to abusing the creature. Rodell Vereen was also ordered never to go near the stable, where the horse's owner caught him and held him for authorities at shotgun point over the summer. He apologized to the woman and to himself after admitting to buggery at the Horry County courthouse. "I'm sorry about what I've done. I didn't mean to do it. It's my fault. I'm sorry for what I've done to myself," Vereen said during Wednesday's court hearing. Vereen was arrested in July after Barbara Kenley caught him entering the barn at Lazy B Stables in Longs, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Myrtle Beach. She had been staking out the stable for more than a week after setting up a surveillance camera and videotaping Vereen's assault on her 21-year-old horse named Sugar. Kenley said she became suspicious because her horse was acting strange and getting infections, and she noticed things were moved around the barn and dirt was piled up near the horse's stall. It wasn't the first time she'd caught Vereen. In late 2007, Kenley found him asleep in the hay after assaulting her horse. For that offence, he also pleaded guilty to buggery, received probation and had to register as a sex offender. On Wednesday, the judge sentenced Vereen to five years in prison, but he will only have to serve three years behind bars as long as he successfully completes two years of probation. Vereen also was ordered to undergo additional mental treatment after he gets out of prison and was told to stay away from Kenley's stable. Kenley told The Sun News of Myrtle Beach she was mostly happy with the verdict, but wished Vereen had got more prison time. "I've been through hell for the last year and it's caused a lot of hardship," Kenley told the newspaper. "There's a lot of ridicule and jokes going around about this thing. And a person can only take so much."

Source: Fox News

Trial For Dog Rapist

Mumbai (India): IN the first case in India in which a crime against an animal is being treated on par with a crime against humans, the prosecution is going to tenuous lengths to prove the rape of a dog.

The stray dog in Tardeo, which was allegedly raped by a taxi driver, exhibits how the authorities are still unclear how to handle bestiality.

Eyewitnesses and medical reports of the bitch and the accused are the only evidence on which the Tardeo police will have to base their case against rape accused Mahesh Kamath.

The victim's testimony is crucial, but there is naturally no chance of recording the dog's statement.

The police and law experts, who have never heard or represented such a case, say the case will be based on eyewitnesses who have seen the act.

The other most important evidence will be the medical reports. The police have asked for medical expert Lt Col (Dr) J C Khanna, secretary of Society of Prevention Cruelty to Animals, to prove the crime.

A Tardeo police official said, "We have heard of man raping a minor girl but this is horrible.

This is the first time we have heard about such a thing." Police officers are also in search of more eyewitnesses who will make the case stronger.

They are collecting semen, going to laboratories to prove force (injury marks on the private parts of the animal and animal hair in the nails of the accused; marks on private parts), used in patently non-consensual sex.


"Kamath is in custody till September 2 and will be applying for further remand on Wednesday," said the officer.

He has been booked under Section 377 of the IPC and Section 12 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

This could prove path-breaking in Indian law.

Some say this could also be the first time in our legal history that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is used in its context to nail an unnatural sexual act and not to prosecute people having consensual sex with people of their same sex.

Want to be a Gangster? Give a Test

OTSU: Japan’s largest and most notorious organized crime group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, is forcing members to take a “gangster exam” in order to reduce costly damages suits, police have discovered.

An affiliate based in Shiga Prefecture is distributing written tests on the revised Anti-Organized Crime Law, which allows higher-ranking gang members to be sued for the actions of their subordinates, as a preventative measure against future lawsuits. Police believe the test has been introduced by Yamaguchi-gumi groups across the country.

Police first discovered the test during an investigation of a member of the affiliate. A 12-question examination paper, complete with model answers, was among the items confiscated, reports the Mainichi Daily News.

Questions included “What kind of activities are banned?” with “dumping industrial waste; bootlegging fuel; theft of construction vehicles and other expensive items; phone fraud scams” etc. listed as the correct answers. The model answer to the final question, “What are you required to do in all your activities?” was: “report and consult with my bosses.”

Cops book Dog for Illegal Parking

MELBOURNE: Traffic wardens of the Darwin City Council recently booked a dog for illegal parking.

The blue heeler was roped to a fence outside Rapid Creek Market when two traffic wardens taped the ticket to the dog's lead.

The Courier Mail quoted witness Ray McEvoy as saying: "I watched an elderly lady and her very faithful blue heeler roll up at the market.

"The lady tied the dog to the fence and gave him a bowl full of water. "And off she went into the markets.

"Then two traffic inspectors came along. They had a bit of a talk and, to my amazement, wrote out a warning infringement notice for the dog and taped it to his lead rope."

McEvoy said the dog was standing peacefully tied to fence wall, far from the shops.

"It was on a path rarely used...And the owner made sure the dog was in the shade.... It wasn't in distress at all. In fact, it was the most placid blue heeler I've seen in my life," he added.

The dog owner was last spotted looking for the two cops. However Council spokesman Grant Fenton defended the move and said a dog was deemed to be "at large" if it's owner was not there.

Girl Finds 15 brothers and sisters on Facebook

London: A teenaged girl has been reunited with her parents and 15 brothers and sisters, thanks to popular social networking website Facebook.

Sophie Featherstone was devastated after the demise of her beloved grandmother Pat, who raised her.

"I occasionally asked about my parents and Nan would tell me what happened with my mum, but she didn't know who my dad was," the Mirror quoted Sophie as saying.

The 19-year-old went into depression after losing her granny to cancer, and destiny struck when she checked her Facebook account while visiting a friend in Liverpool.

She had received a message from unknown woman, called Sarah Prescott, which said: "Your dad would love to get in touch with you."

Sophie began chatting with Sarah, who revealed her partner, Paul, always suspected that the teen was his daughter and when the two met there were no grounds for doubt.

She also met her half-brother, Jessee, 19 months, and Sarah's children Kerry-Ann, 16, and Scott, 12, from a previous relationship.

Sophie also found that she had five half-brothers and half-sisters from Paul's previous relationships.

Sophie's mum Debbie Featherstone, mum of Jamie, 16, Katie, 15, Ffion, 12, Jack, 10, Bailey, four, Madison, two and Declan, one, and eight months pregnant with her ninth child, soon heard the news about the reunion and her daughter initiated a contact using Facebook again.

Sophie said: "I was at my dad's and saw the message from Katie saying 'Mum would love to see you'.I was so happy I almost cried. I thought my mum and I would never meet again because too much time had passed to ever be a family again."

Sophie added: "It was like history repeating itself, we arranged a meeting and I moved in with her and her family for a couple of weeks. It has been incredibly easy to bond with everyone here, I already feel part of the family." (ANI)

Dog Thinks He is a Cat

London: In a bizarre case of identity crisis, a dog who shared his home with 40 cats, and has a feline for his best friend, has been offered for adoption.

Chippy was tagged as an "honorary" feline by the Cats Protection League, after he failed to learn how to be a dog.

The charity in Stroud, Gloucestershire, revealed that the Jack Russell, estimated to be between 13 and 15 years old, even used the litter tray and rarely barked after spending his life around cats.

"He came to us as part of a rescue from a multi-cat household in Cirencester," the Telegraph quoted Liz Dart, who is fostering Chippy in Nailsworth, as saying.

"We couldn't leave Chippy behind because he had lived with cats all his life. I suppose, having always lived among them he just doesn't know any different. He never learned how to be a dog.

"He goes to bed with Annie, one of the other cats, as they are very close and ideally we would home them together. She's very protective of him.

"He didn't really bark and still uses a litter tray now. He has chewed up a toy mouse - whether he was responding to cat nip on it, I don't know. He eats dog food now - goodness knows what he ate before," Liz added.

Referring to Chippy, the Stroud Cats Protection League website, read: "During the last 19 years I have lost count of the number of cats that I have shared my home with. I use a litter tray but have never got the hang of purring! When my owner and 40 felines were evicted the nice people at CP just couldn't leave me behind."

Man Marries 14 times in 30 months

Mumbai (India): An employee of Air India has been arrested in Mumbai after it emerged he had 14 wives.

Tushar Waghmare, alias Tushar Bapat, 40, used an internet marriage site to tie the knot repeatedly during the last two and a half years.

His online profile read: Divorced in 2006, looking out for working Brahmin women. Divorcees or widows no bar.

MSN India reports that Waghare used to spend at least three consecutive days with each of his wives. He would then move out, on the pretext of travelling abroad for work purposes.

Waghare was finally caught when two of his wives ran into another in the same flat.

According to the Sun, five of his other halves have filed official complaints of bigamy to Mumbai police, while the other nine have chosen to remain anonymous due to their embarrassment.

R M Vhatkar, deputy police commissioner in Mumbai, said: "None of the women or their parents ever thought of doing a background check on him as they were impressed by his job title."

Waghare apparently told police that the pressure of having to provide for each of his wives was leaving him penniless.

He has since been sacked by his employers.

Women Marries 7 Times in 45 Days

CAIRO: A 25-year-old Egyptian waitress, ‘addicted to men’ and had allegedly married seven times in 45 days has been arrested by the police in Hurghada on charges of polygamy.

Working in a tourist resort the waitress allegedly developed sexual relationships with young men. Sexual relationships out of wedlock are prohibited by law in Egypt. However, she used to write an unofficial marriage agreement before any new relationship.

The waitress met a young contractor in the cafe who soon fell for her and proposed.

A few days into the marriage, her new husband, Ramadan discovered one of the unofficial marriage agreements dating a few days before they got married. When confronted, she reportedly confessed she was ‘addicted to men’ and had married seven times in 45 days. Two of the marriages were only ten hours apart. She also confessed she was pregnant.

The husband filed an official complaint against his wife and the police detained her on charges of forgery, fornication and polygamy.

Country Runs Out of Toilet Paper

LONDON: Tissue is now an issue in Cuba. Yes, the isolated island nation, which has survived economic sanctions for nearly 50 years, has finally been laid low by a key shortage of lavatory paper.

State-run company Cimex, which manufactures lavatory paper, has warned that the global economic meltdown as well as a series of devastating hurricanes have hit the production and it may not even be able to import sufficient supplies till the end of the year, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

"The corporation has taken all the steps so that at the end of the year there will be an important importation of toilet paper," a Spokesman for Cimex was quoted by the British newspaper as saying.

Cuba both imports lavatory paper and produces its own, but does not currently have enough raw materials to make it, he said, adding the shipment will enable the state-run company "to supply this demand that today is presenting problems".

City's Name means "Unwiped Bottom": Thanks to Spelling Error

TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper faced embarrassing moments when his office issued a press release mis-spelling the name of a provincial capital he was visiting. But it was no ordinary mistake. It was a gaffe which turned the name of the city into 'unwiped bottom'.

This happened during Harper's visit to the country's Arctic territory of Nunavat.

He was in the provincial capital of Iqaluit to announce development projects when the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued the press release with Iqaluit spelt as Iqualuit.

The error left the residents flabbergasted. Because the extra 'u' changed the meaning of the city to unwiped bottom.

"It means people with unwiped bums," Sandra Inutiq of the office of the Languages Commissioner of Nunavut was quoted as saying.

"It's not exactly a nice term," she said.

The Prime Minister's office apologised for the gaffe, calling it a human error that might teach Canadians an important lesson about spelling mistakes, agency reports said.

"Hopefully this unfortunate typo, which we have corrected, will inform the greater public that there is no (extra) 'u' in Iqaluit," PMO spokesman Dimitri Soudas was quoted as saying.

Major Canadian media outlets also misspelt Iqaluit as Iqualuit.

King Cobra Halts Assembly Proceedings

BHUBANESWAR (India): The Orissa assembly was forced to suspend its proceedings on Thursday after a stray snake was spotted by the staff inside the house. But the reptile, believed to be a king cobra, couldn't be found despite hours of search by security personnel, officials and a sniffer dog.

The snake was noticed around 8 a.m. near the house reporters' table by some of the assembly staff during routine cleaning. The reptile sneaked into the table of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and disappeared, officials said.

Snake catchers, security personnel, forest officials and a sniffer dog were pressed into service to locate the reptile. As it could not be found, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat initially adjourned the house for one hour to facilitate the search operation.

The house was later adjourned several times during the day while the search for the futile turned intense. The speaker finally adjourned the house for the day at 4.30 p.m.

Amat said the house will resume its normal business Friday. To remove the legislators' fear, the carpet flooring would be removed, thoroughly checked and disinfected, he told reporters.

Octogenarian Shoplifter Arrested for 61st Time

CHICAGO: An 86-year-old woman has been arrested here for the 61st time after she was caught stealing items worth about $250, including anti-wrinkle cream and batteries, from a retail shop.

The woman, identified as Ella Orko, whom the police called a "career shoplifter" was charged with felony shoplifting and a bail of $10,000 was set for her.

Orko allegedly stole five packs of salmon, 11 packages of AA batteries, two packs of L'Oreal anti-wrinkle cream, eight boxed jars of Olay face cream and four jars of instant coffee from the store.

She was arrested on Monday when someone in the store saw her hiding the items in her cloths. The total value of the items is said to be nearly $252, a police report said.

Orko has been arrested 60 times before this incident, first in 1956 for petty larceny in the city.

She has 13 convictions for shoplifting. The woman also has at least 20 aliases, police spokesman Robert Perez said.

Mouse Builts Nest in ATM Machine with $20 Bills

LOUISIANA GRANDE (US): A mouse found inside an automatic teller machine -- along with a nest it had built with chewed-up USD 20 bills -- gave an Oregon gas station employee the surprise of her life.

The mouse, discovered Thursday, had thoroughly torn up two bills and damaged another 14 to line his nest. Employee Millie Taylor says she screamed and slammed the machine's door shut.

The bank replaced all the money that wasn't extensively damaged, and the ATM has continued to work just fine. The mouse also got a reprieve: He was evicted from his nest but set free outside the station.

Other workers at the Gem Stop Chevron in La Grande in eastern Oregon say they're mystified about how the mouse got inside the machine.

Lottery Winner Gives Money to Beggar

MOSCOW: A Nigerian lottery winner gave all her prize money to a street beggar an hour after being given the cheque, a website said.

Forty-six-year old Rosemary Obiakor from Lagos won over three million naira (about $20,000) in the country's national lottery, the Ananova website reported.

In a ceremony, broadcast on local TV, Rosemary told reporters that she planned to donate all the money she had won to a "lucky beggar".

"I have heard a lot of stories about how people win the lottery, and they get broke in the short run and come across a lot of misfortune. I am scared, and so I'll give it to a lucky beggar on the street," she explained.

After cashing in her cheque Rosemary handed the money to a woman begging with a two-year-old child, who was naturally delighted when presented with the bag of cash.

The beggar gave some cash to other poor people on the street before disappearing with a promise to open a food shop.

Devotees Offer Liquor to Deity

Uttar Pradesh (India): This temple in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district doesn't have an idol or a priest and devotees don't make floral offering. They offer liquor to the deity -- a saint who lived in the area around 150 years ago and was said to enjoy his drink in the evening and had a knack of clairvoyance and curing people.

Welcome to the Khabees Baba temple situated in a forest area near Sandana town in Sitapur district, some 80 km from Lucknow, where devotees offer liquor to the deity.

According to locals, the temple was built around 150 years ago in memory of a saint named Khabees Baba, who devoted his life worshipping Lord Shiva in Sitapur.

"It is believed that Khabees Baba died in the Sandana forest while worshipping Lord Shiva. So, in order to pay homage to their guru, Baba's disciples constructed the temple at the place where he died," Shyam Babu Saini, a teacher and resident of Sandana, said.

The temple is popular not only amongst the locals in Sitapur; devotees from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere too visit the temple.

"Though devotees visit the temple round-the-year, they throng here in large numbers during the month of Ashadh of the Hindu calendar, especially on the occasion of Guru Poornima," said Saini.

Locals say Khabees Baba was fond of liquor and whatever he used to say under its influence proved to be true.

"We have been told by our ancestors that a large number of people used to meet Khabees Baba Monday evenings, when he used to get drunk," said Praveen Kumar, 65, a resident of the Roti Godam area of Sitapur. He visits the temple often.

"People, especially those with chronic health problems, used to come to Khabees Baba. An inebriated Baba used to bless them and their health problems used to be cured," he added.

The small temple has no idol inside, instead there is a raised platform on which rests two slipper-shaped structures that are taken to symbolise the feet of the saint, locals say.

Devotees coming to the temple offer liquor on these clay structures, while a small portion of liquor around the symbolic feet is collected and distributed as prasad (offering) among the devotees.

There is no priest in the temple and the locals themselves take care of its maintenance, taking turns to do so.

Charged 23 Quadrillion Dollars for Pack of Cigarettes

NEW HAMPSHIRE (US): A New Hampshire man says he swiped his debit card at a gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes and was charged over 23 quadrillion dollars.

Josh Muszynski checked his account online a few hours after the purchase and saw the 17-digit number - a stunning $23,148,855,308,184,500 (twenty-three quadrillion, one hundred forty-eight trillion, eight hundred fifty-five billion, three hundred eight million, one hundred eighty-four thousand, five hundred dollars).

Muszynski told WMUR-TV that he spent two hours on the phone with Bank of America trying to sort out the string of numbers - and the $15 overdraft fee.

The bank corrected the error the next day. Bank of America said the card issuer, Visa, could answer questions. Visa, in turn, referred questions to the bank.

Man Uses Nail Clippers to Circumcise Himself

London: A man who gave himself a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) circumcision using nail clippers was taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

The young man had to be rushed to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The wound was disinfected to cleanse it before he was given a bed in an observation ward.

"This is something we would advise men never to attempt," a medic said, "The results can be quite horrific and long-lasting and have quite an affect on a man's sexual performance.

"Using a pair of nail clippers must have caused excruciating pain, even if he had had a few drinks beforehand."

Want Divorce? Spend More Time in the Loo

MELBOURNE: A newly wed man left behind his wife at the airport because he thought she had spent too much time in the toilet.

The Saudi couple, married for only a week, were heading back home from their honeymoon in Malaysia, when the bridegroom decided to fly from Kuala Lumpur International Airport without his wife.

The woman had gone to use the facilities before boarding the flight, and her time in the toilet was apparently unclear, reports News.com.au.

When she reportedly emerged, she could not find any trace of her husband, and began a frantic search subsequently.

According to the Saudi Gazette, the woman eventually found out that her better half had taken the flight back home.

Meanwhile, the man upon arriving at his destination told his relatives his new wife was still in Malaysia.

The woman is now seeking an immediate divorce.

Son Tries to Sell Sexy Photos of Mum on Internet

WELLINGTON: A New Zealand teenager tried to sell some sexy photographs of his mother on an Internet auction site after the pair had an argument,a newspaper here reported.

The 18-year-old student opened an auction for "five naked photos of my Mum" on the Trade Me site after being told to clear the family garage and sell any unwanted items on the site, the Herald on Sunday said.

Trade Me pulled the auction the next day, but the student, identified only as Michael, was soon back trying to sell a series of eight-year-old "glamour" shots of his mother, including one of her in underwear.

His mother Jennifer, 44, who did not want the family name published, told the paper she was "pretty annoyed" when she found out about the first set of photographs.

"He was quite naughty... I thought 'you cheeky little git'," she said.

But she was also annoyed that Trade Me withdrew the second set of pictures, of which she approved.

"I insisted Michael show me first, the little bugger. They are quite artistic. There is nothing dodgy about them."

"I wanted 50 per cent of the sale, but more than that I miss the nice comments."

Trade Me spokesman Jon Macdonald said both auctions were withdrawn because of "inappropriate" photos.

"We don't really want to be the place where people list photos of their mums in their underwear," he said.

Alligator Found on Train

OSLO: Norwegian customs officials carrying out a routine check were shocked to find a live alligator in luggage on board a train bound for Oslo,
officials said Monday.

The 75-centimetre (29.5-inch) caiman reptile, which is on the list of endangered species, was found during a routine baggage control on Sunday on a train travelling from the Swedish city of Gothenburg to Oslo, Norwegian customs inspector Wenche Fredriksen said.

"It was in a ventilation tube inside a bag," she said.

The reptile's owner, a 22-year-old man, said he bought the "pet" in Poland where he was a student and wanted to bring it home to Norway.

The caiman was turned over to veterinary authorities who were to decide its fate.

Women Uses Chicken As Therapist

POLSON: Therapy dogs can be a comfort for seniors and those recovering from illnesses and injuries. So how about therapy chickens? Jana Clairmont of Polson, Montana, calls her therapy birds - a white rooster and Cornish game hen – ‘Fowl Play’.

she took them to visit residents at Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center in northeast Montana, the Missoulian newspaper reported. Many seniors were raised on farms, Clairmont says, and holding a chicken can bring back memories.

As one man stroked the rooster, Alex, the bird stretched out his neck and rested it across the man's forearm, like a puppy. Clairmont has arranged visits to retirement and assisted living homes, and says she'd like to take Alex and Carlita, the hen, into classrooms this fall.

CCTV orders couple to stop having sex

LONDON: A couple were left embarrassed after a talking CCTV camera in a town centre caught them having sex, and ordered to stop.

The pair had been drinking earlier, and when they heard the booming command issued by operators, they immediately stopped and fled from the scene in Northampton.

Northampton Borough Council has talking cameras trained in three town centre streets, which issue warnings about littering, fighting, and street drinking.

While most messages are pre-recorded, there are some specific warnings that are issued by the CCTV operators themselves.

Andrew Simpson, the Northampton Borough Councillor who is responsible for CCTV, said that he was shocked to hear camera operators had spotted people having sex in the street.

"I certainly wasn't expecting them to pick up that kind of thing," the Mirror quoted him as saying.

"Clearly, I would imagine these people must have had too much to drink and had fairly low inhibitions.

"But at least they stopped when the camera operators told them too," he added.

In Japan, Its Raining Tadpoles

LONDON: Bizarre it may seem, but the sky is said to be showering tadpoles over Japan. The apparent downpour of tadpoles in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture has baffled residents — in fact, clouds of the dead creatures have fallen from sky in many cities in the region since the start of the month.

A man who was caughtin a tadpole downpour described hearing a strange sound in a parking lot in Nanao. He found 100 dead tadpoles covering the windshields of cars in an area measuring 10 square metres. Dead tadpole downpours were also reported by local officials 48 hours later in the city of Hakusan in the same prefecture.

Scientists have widely attributed the surreal raining of animals to strong winds, storms and water sprouts suckingup creatures before depositing them further inland. However, this explanation has not satisfied meteorologists in Ishikawa who were unsure how the tadpoles had arrived as there had been no reports of strong winds at the time.

Masters Degree Awarded to 96 year old Taiwanese Man

TAIPEI: A 96-year-old Taiwanese man who will receive his master's degree in philosophy this weekend said he was able to compete with younger students by pulling all-nighters before exams.

Chao Mu-he, better known to his classmates at Nanhua University in southern Taiwan as “Grandpa Chao,” said he began graduate school after being told he was too old to continue as a volunteer at a local hospital.

“I was bored after I left the hospital,” Chao said on Thursday. “I don't play mahjong or have other hobbies. I felt I had to do something with my life.” In London, a spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said she could not say if Chao is the oldest recipient of a graduate degree because the company does not keep records in this category.

Chao said the most difficult part of his studies was coping with a poor memory. “I can't remember things as well as my fellow students,” he said. “So before a test I would wake up at midnight and study all night. That way, the material was still fresh in my mind when the test began.”

He specialized in the works of Chuangtze, a 4th century BC Taoist master. Twenty-five-year-old classmate Liang Yu-chen described Chao as a polite and modest man who got on well with fellow students and paid great respect to younger teachers - making a deep bow before addressing them.

“Grandpa Chao is a living example of Chuangtze's teachings,” Liang said. “He is always at ease, not fighting anyone.” A spokeswoman at Nanhua's graduate school, where Chao will get his degree Saturday, confirmed that he was born on July 4, 1912. Chao, who lives alone, said he was uncertain about his future plans. “I just want to stay healthy,” he said.

Marriage of Frogs to Please Rain Gods

CHIPOHA, ASSAM (India): Fed up with the prolonged dry spell in the region, villagers in Assam married off frogs in a unique custom to please the rain god, asking for an early monsoon.

Residents of the entire Chipoha village turned out to witness the unconventional marriage ceremony of the two frogs, caught by the villagers themselves.

The frogs were decked up with fine clothes. The female frog was even gifted a necklace by the village women for the marriage, which was conducted by a priest according to traditional Hindu rituals.

The residents believed that the marriage would bring plenty of rainfall to their village, which has been grappling with a prolonged dry spell for past couple of months.

"It's a traditional belief that when a frog marriage is performed, rain god is pleased and it rains. Since there has been no rain for the past couple of months, we have performed this frog marriage to invoke Barun Devata. I am sure the rain will come very soon," said Deepika Gogoi, a resident.

The marriage was a desperate measure by the villagers to get rainfall in the parched region.

"The marriage went off well. Our region is absolutely parched and we need rain. We didn't know what else to do. We hope that now the rains will finally come and people can start cultivation," said Uttam Goswami, a priest.

The farmers in Assam are facing major problems due to the protracted dry spell in the region. The lack of water has also affected their crops, mainly paddy.

Called 911 for Orange Juice

ALOHA (US): An Oregon man spent Memorial Day in jail after calling 911 to complain that a McDonald's worker was rude and didn't give him an orange juice he ordered. Sheriff's Sgt. David Thompson said the man, 20, wouldn't listen when deputies told him the emergency number isn't to be used for straightening out fast-food orders.

A McDonald's employee also called 911 during the incident, complaining that the man and the people with him were blocking the drive-thru lane and knocking on the restaurant windows.

The man was accused of improper use of 911. The Oregonian newspaper reported that the man was bailed out of the Washington County Jail on Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

78 year old women beats 84 year old Hubby over Old Affairs

LYNNWOOD, WASHINGTON: A 78-year-old woman arrested last month for allegedly beating her 84-year-old husband because she believed he cheated on her several times during their marriage was charged on Thursday with assault. Prosecutors said she hit him with a bowl, pipe and carpet sweeper. He suffered broken ribs, pelvis and a wrist.

One witness told police the woman admitted kicking her husband three times in the groin in the last six months because she believed he had an affair 35 years ago.

The woman was jailed on $70,000 bail.

A Man Not Bathed Since 1973

CHHATAV (VARANASI): For the last 36 years, a man has neither taken a bath nor shaved.

His neighbours in this Uttar Pradesh village situated 20 kms from Varanasi city say Kailash Singh Kallu, a father of seven daughters, is following the 'ritual' for a son.

But the 65-year-old maintains that he has taken a vow to ensure the welfare of the nation. "I am doing this to do away with the problems of the country," said Kallu, who lives here with his wife Rukmani and the seventh unmarried daughter.

However, his neighbours has a different story to tell. "Kallu has not been taking bath for the last 36 years as he was advised to do so by a Baba so that he can have a son," Ramnath, a villager, said.

Rukmini is not happy with this unnatural behaviour. "I am his wife so I have to live with him but most of the villagers have stopped coming to our house," she said.

Kallu, who works in his one-acre land to earn a living, has replaced bathing with a 'fire bath'. Every evening, he stands beside a bonfire and prays to god. "The fire bath clears me off all ailments and filthiness," he said.

Hands Up And Listen to My Song: Mexican Thief

AGUASCALINTES(MEXICO): Clearly unfazed by the swine flu outbreak, a machete-wielding Mexican thief dressed like a crooning cowboy stole his victims' belongings, and forced them listen to him sing, authorities said.

Police arrested Vicente Fernandez decked out in a charro (singing cowboy) outfit, with a 40-cm machete he used to frighten passersby into handing over their loot, local police spokesman Alfredo Barro said.

But his crime did not stop there: at least one victim -- machete pressed to his throat -- was forced to listen to the thief (who shares the name of a real singer) belt out his own bit of warbling.

A "Designer Vagina" Surgery for Granny

LONDON: A randy Russian granny stunned docs after telling them that she wanted a "designer vagina" to boost her sex life.

The 75-year-old, named only as Nina M, said she wanted the 'in-vogue' surgery to bag herself a young husband, reports The Sun.

Dr Anna Uzunova said: "Usually such requests are from much younger women."

"But she wanted to have an active sex life despite her age so we agreed to do the operation and help her."

After the operation, Nina delighting said: "I feel like a young woman again."

LS Candidate's Wife Never Votes For Him

NEW DELHI: Imagine a candidate whose wife always votes for his rival! That's the case with Ajit Kumar Jain 'Patwa' of Madhya Pradesh.

Jain, 55, is contesting from Indore as an independent for a record 27th time and is busy campaigning. But he always fails to "woo" his wife Rajkumari Jain, who votes for his rival.

Ask him why his wife doesn't vote for him and he says: "Bai bai ko vote deti hai (women vote for women).

"My wife votes for the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party's) Sumitra Mahajan even though she has done little for the city," he said.

Jain, who earns Rs.200 per day by making fancy necklaces, has contested no less than eight times for the Lok Sabha and nine times each for the assembly and Indore Municipal Corporation.

This time round he wants enough people to vote for him so that he does not lose his deposit. But will Rajkumari be one of them?

Facebook Surfing Costs Women Her Job

ZURICH: A Swiss insurance worker lost her job after surfing popular social network site Facebook while off sick, her employer said on

Friday.

The woman said she could not work in front of a computer as she needed to lie in the dark but was then seen to be active on Facebook, which insurer Nationale Suisse said in a statement had destroyed its trust in the employee

Ghost in American Idol Mansion??

LOS ANGELES: The contestants at this year's 'American Idol' are being troubled by a ghost who has claimed residence in the Bel Air mansion which
houses the aspiring stars.

The ghost has been nicknamed Phyllis by the contestants but young singer Allison Iraheta is terrified of the other worldly apparition, reported People.

"Some people are convinced that there's a ghost there, especially Allison. Phyylis bangs around and keeps people awake. Allison hears something in her room every night. I don't know if someone's just creeping around in there or what," said Anoop Desai who was recently voted out of the competition.

Contestant Lil Rounds, who was also voted out, said that she believes that there is a ghost doing the rounds of the mansion though she has never experienced anything untowardly.

"Allison said she lives in her room. She's heard growls. The rest of the girls swear they saw glimpses of her and different things like that, but I never saw it, and I'm glad I didn't, because I was in a room by myself, so I would've been totally freaked out," said Rounds

Women Killed by "Flying" Laptop

TORONTO: A Canadian woman was killed after she was hit by a "flying" laptop, a news report said on Friday.

According to police, 25-year-old Heather Storey died when she was hit by a laptop while driving to work last month. Storey usually kept her laptop in the backseat of the vehicle.

The momentum caused due to sudden braking sent the laptop "flying" and hit her in the head, the police was quoted as saying by the Vancouver Sun.

According to investigators, the woman would have survived had she secured the laptop and warned people not to leave their belongings unsecured in the back of their vehicles.

"Dumbest Criminal" Nabbed

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (US): A retired police chief said he was robbed by "probably the dumbest criminal in Pennsylvania," at a police officers'convention on Friday morning.

John Comparetto said as he came out of a stall in the men's room, a man pointed a gun in his face and demanded money. There were 300 narcotics officers from Pennsylvania and Ohio at the gathering.

Comparetto gave up his money and cell phone. But when the man fled, Comparetto and some colleagues chased him. They arrested a 19-year-old man as he was trying to leave in a taxi.

The suspect is also awaiting trial on four previous robbery charges. The suspect was arraigned and taken to Dauphin County Prison. When a reporter asked the suspect for comment as he was led out of court, he said, "I'm smooth."

British Minister Claims for Adult Movies Expense

LONDON: Britain's Home Secretary has apologized for claiming the cost of adult movies screened at her home on parliamentary expenses.

Jacqui Smith claimed for five movies watched on pay-per view television channels at her family home in April 2008. Two of the movies that each cost 5 pounds (US$7) were classified as adult-only.

The Sunday Express newspaper and other British media reported that the adult movies were watched by her husband.

Smith said in a statement on Sunday that the television package had been claimed in error and would be paid back.

Smith is already under investigation from the parliamentary ethics watchdog over expenses she claims on the home in Redditch, 120 miles (190 kilometers) northwest of London, while staying with her sister in London.

Women Divorces Husband for "cleaning too much"

A German woman has divorced her husband because she was fed up with him cleaning all the time.

German media reported the wife got through 15 years of marriage putting up with the man's penchant for doing household chores, tidying up and rearranging the furniture.

But she ran out of patience when he knocked down and rebuilt a wall at their home when it got dirty, Christian Kropp, court judge in the central town of Sondershausen, said on Thursday.

"I'd never had anyone seek a divorce for this," he said.

Rhode Island strip club to host job fair

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (US): Here's a job opportunity you won't need to buy a new wardrobe for.

Hoping to take advantage of Rhode Island's floundering economy, owners of the Foxy Lady strip club in Providence plan to hold a job fair on Saturday.

They say they're looking to fill around 30 positions, from strippers and waitresses to disc jockeys and bartenders, at that club and two others in Massachusetts.

"I need more managers, I need more competent staff, and I need more attractive waitresses to go along with the ones I have right now," said co-owner Tom Tsoumas.

The naked truth is that Rhode Island's economy is among the worst in the nation, with an unemployment rate of 10.3 percent in January.

The Providence club isn't immune from the recession but is still drawing customers willing to drink and pay for lap dances, said manager Bob Travisono.

"It's taken a hit," he said. "It's not as bad as restaurants and stuff like that. In times like this, they seem to drink their sorrows away."

Tsoumas said he hopes some who might shun strip clubs when the economy is good might consider shedding their clothes now, or at least working as a floor host or bartender.

Student Suspended for Passing Gas

LAKELAND (US): An eighth-grader was suspended from riding the school bus for three days after being accused of passing gas. The bus driver wrote on a
misbehavior form that a 15-year-old teen passing gas on the bus Monday to make the other children laugh, creating a stench so bad that it was difficult to breathe. The bus driver handed the teen the suspension form the next day.

Polk County school officials said there's no rule against flatulence, but there are rules against causing a disturbance on the bus.

The teen said he wasn't the one passing gas.

Whether he did it or not, he might have gotten off easy. A 13-year-old student at a Stuart school was arrested in November after authorities said he broke wind in class.

Teen Fined for Cheeky Flash

CANBERRA: An Australian teenager wearing baggy trousers and no underwear was fined after his pants fell down just as a female police officer was walking past, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Trent Joseph Wroe, 19, was fined A$250 ($168), and ordered to wear a belt, after the February 28 incident in Mooloolaba in the northern Queensland state, the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper reported

Buffalo Gets 7 Missed Calls

Bijapur (India): The buffalo must have been taken back when the mobile phone started ringing in his tummy. When the mobile phone was out through its digestive system it had seven missed calls in it.

Farmer Ishwar Totager lost his mobile near his cowshed. He suspects that the phone must have dropped of from his pocket while he was cleaning the shed. The mobile was packed in a plastic pouch and the buffalo must have swallowed the whole pouch.

Ishwar had forgotten about his phone until he found in the buffalo heap dung. No one knows what the callers heard. The buffalo surely must have wondered where the moo-sic was coming everytime the phone rang.

Australlian Stimulus Package May Be Going to the Pets

CANBERRA: The Australian government will have to give cash handouts to cats and dogs as part of a stimulus package designed to kickstart the economy, the opposition said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's centre-left government has begun giving $900 ($594 US) cash bonuses to eligible taxpayers as part of a $42 billion ($28 billion US) stimulus package passed last month.

But the conservative opposition said cats and dogs would benefit because of the way the handouts were structured -- every eligible person who lodged a tax return last year receives the money regardless of their circumstances.

"It's now emerging that dogs and cats may well be in receipt of this money, because if a deceased person's estate was bequeathed to the family pet, then they may well receive this money," opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey told ABC television.

"This is the absurdity of the Rudd government. Literally hundreds of people die each year and leave, bequeath, their estates to pets or related activities.
"Of course, the executors of those estates have to lodge tax returns for the last year and simply lodging a tax return -- satisfying the eligibility criteria -- means that the estate gets the money and the dogs and cats are richer for it."

Dead Maths Whiz Gets TV Bill

BERLIN: A German mathematician who died 450 years ago has been sent a letter demanding that he pay long-overdue television license fees,
residents at his former address said on Wednesday.

Germany's GEZ broadcast fee collection office sent the bill to the last home address of Adam Ries, an algebra expert who bought the house in 1525.

A club in his honour was set up at the property four centuries later.

Boy Marries Dog

Bubhaneshwar (India): An infant body was married off to his neighbor's dog in eastern India by villagers who said it will stop the groom from getting killed by wild animals.

Around 150 tribes performed the rituals recently after the boy who is under two years old grew a tooth on his upper gum. The Munda tribe see such growth in children as a bad omen and believe that it makes them prone to attacks by wild animals. They believe that the tribal god will bless the child and ward off evil spirits after the marriage.

The dog belonged to the groom's neighbors and was set free to roam after the marriage. No dowry was exchanged the witnesses said and that the boy will still be able to marry a human bride in the future without filling for divorce!!

Buglary Victim Steals Thief's Van

Bellevue (Washington, US): A man in washington made sure that a pair of burglars did not get away with his three flat screen television as he drove away their gateaway car.

Patrick Rosario was in his house basement when he started hearing noises from upstairs. The former Washington Mutual Fund manager who was recently laid off called the police and sneaked out of the house.

He saw a white van sitting in front of his house with the motor still running with the keys in the ignition. He drove the van to his friend's house . The buglars left the television, jewellery and laptop by the door as they got away on foot. No arrest have yet been made said the sheriff's office.

V-Day for Malaysia's Odd Couple

Kula Lampur: Each days has been a valentine day for an "odd" couple where the wife ages 106 and the husband only 36 years old

When Mohammad Nor Che Musa and Wok Kundor tied the knot three years ago, no body gave thier marriage a chance. Now the couple have suprise many by staying happily married and proving that love conquers all.

The couple admitted that they were not familiar with Valentine's day, but for them every day of the three years was Valentine's if it meant professing thier love for each other.

Asked how it all happen, Noor said it was certainly not love at first sight. What started as a friendship developed into "something stronger" and eventually led to marriage.

Statues can get you Pregnant

South Carolina (US): Starting a family can be easier with a visit to Ripley's Believe it or not museum in Myrtle Beach. The museum on Thursday opened a month long display of fertility statues. The five foot statues were acquired from the Ivory West Coast Africa in 1993.

The company said that before been put on display, they were kept in its corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida and within months 13 women got pregnant.

The statues has been since on display around the world. According to the company, around 2000 women have reportedly become pregnant after touching the statues. They will be on display through the first of March. Couples wanting to have a baby can touch the statues during the business hours the company said.

Traveller Nabbed with Pigeons in his Pants

Sydney (Aus): An Australian traveller was caught with two live pigeons stuffed in his pants following a trip to the Middle East, custom officials said.

The 23 year old was searched after they found eggs in a vitamin container in his luggage. The pigeons were wrapped in padded envelopes and held to each of the man's legs with a pair of tights. Officals also seized seeds in his money belt and an undeclared egg plant.

Swiss police finds marijuana using Google

Swiss police said that they stumbled across a large marijuana plantation while using Google Earth. Police arrested 16 people and seized 1.1 tons of marijuana as well as cash and valuables worth nine hundred swiss francs.

Officers discovered the hemp field in the northeastern canton of Thurgau last year while investigating an alleged drug ring. The plantation measuring almost two acres was hidden inside a field of corn. The officers using Google Earth located the address of the two farmers suspected of involvment in the drug operation quickely spotted the illegal crop.