Yahoo! Canada News: Odd News

Spanish police foil a plot to use a zeppelin to help prisoner escape

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:32:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - MADRID - Spanish police foiled a plot to use a zeppelin to help a prisoner break out of jail, the Interior Ministry said Friday.

Swiss town erects giant plastic Michael Jackson

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:01:00 GMT

AFP - ZURICH (AFP) - A giant plastic statue of Michael Jackson has been unveiled in a village near the Swiss city of Zurich, ahead of a ceremony to pay homage to the late pop icon, an organiser said on Friday.

Police foil radio control zeppelin jailbreak

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police said on Friday they had foiled an Italian drug trafficker's plan to break out of jail in the Canary Islands using climbing equipment and a four-meter-long zeppelin.

Game show looks to convert atheists

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:55:00 GMT

Reuters - ISTANBUL (Reuters) - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Would you pledge your soul as loan collateral?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Reuters - RIGA (Reuters) - Ready to give your soul for a loan in these difficult economic times? In Latvia, where the crisis has raged more than in the rest of the European Union, you can.

House wrecked as man kills weeds with flame thrower

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:12:00 GMT

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - A German gardener's house was left a smouldering wreck on Friday after he set it on fire while trying to get rid of the weeds with the help of a flame-thrower, police said.

Thai burglar falls asleep on the job: police

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:49:00 GMT

AFP - BANGKOK (AFP) - A Thai thief broke into a house but promptly fell asleep inside before stealing anything and was eventually discovered by a housemaid on Friday morning, police told AFP.

American woman obsessed with rabbits sent back to jail after she's found in hotel with bunnies

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:32:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - PORTLAND, Oregon - An Oregon woman obsessed with bunnies has been ordered back behind bars after police found her in a hotel room with more than a dozen rabbits.

This is your captain streaking: New Zealand airline's safety video shows staff sans clothes

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:21:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand's national airline has adopted a cheeky way to encourage passengers to watch its in-flight safety video: The cabin crew's uniforms are nothing but body paint.

Illinois cabbie uses spray deodorant to fend off knife-wielding passenger

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:03:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - ELGIN, Illinois - Police in suburban Chicago say a taxi driver who didn't have Mace handy when he was attacked by a knife-wielding passenger instead disarmed the man with a can of aerosol deodorant.

Baaad news? Global warming now shrinking sheep, study suggests

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:25:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON - Like the wool sweater that emerges from the dryer a size too small, global warming seems to be shrinking sheep.

NYPD rookie makes 1st arrest after graduation ceremony

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:37:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - NEW YORK - A New York Police Department rookie just couldn't wait to get started.

California League slugfest: Lake Elsinore beats High Desert 33-18

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:48:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - ADELANTO, Calif. - The Lake Elsinore Storm and High Desert Mavericks combined for 51 runs and 57 hits in a California League game Sunday, won 33-18 by the Storm.

Astros-Padres game delayed by bees in outfield

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:36:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SAN DIEGO - Talk about adding a late-inning buzz to a ballgame.

Police: teens misinterpret woman's screams during sex, beat man with baseball bat, fists

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:04:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - TORRINGTON, Connecticut - A group of teenagers misunderstood a woman's screams during sex and, thinking they were stopping an assault, beat a 25-year-old man in her bedroom, police said.

Tea, water and biscuits as SAfrican govt tightens belts

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:49:00 GMT

AFP - CAPE TOWN (AFP) - Tea, water and biscuits are on South Africa's recession menu to replace lavish meals at some government meetings as the belt is tightened on public spending, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Rome restaurant pays price after tourist rip-off

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:05:00 GMT

AFP - ROME (AFP) - A restaurant in Rome which presented a Japanese tourist with a bill for nearly 700 euros (980 dollars) after a meal with his fiancee has been closed down by the authorities, Il Messaggero daily reported on Thursday.

"Great Train Robber" is refused parole

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - "Great Train Robber" Ronnie Biggs lost his long-running bid for early jail release on Wednesday after the British government said he should not be allowed out on parole because he was "wholly unrepentant."

Guns and booze don't mix, lawsuit argues

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:07:00 GMT

Reuters - NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - A well-known restaurateur is fighting back against Tennessee's newly enacted law that allows gun owners to bring their weapons into bars and restaurants that serve alcohol.

Housewife first up for 100-day "live sculpture"

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:04:00 GMT

Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - A housewife from Sleaford in Lincolnshire will be the first of thousands of people to stand for one hour on top of a plinth in London's Trafalgar Square as part of a 100-day "live sculpture" exercise.

Airline crew bares all to get flyers' attention

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:02:00 GMT

Reuters - WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Air New Zealand has hit on a novel way to make sure even the most jaded flyers keep their eyes glued on its flight safety briefing.

Kiwi airline bares all for safety

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:54:00 GMT

AFP - WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand's national airline has come up with an imaginative way of encouraging passengers to pay attention to the pre-flight safety video -- showing cabin crew in the nude.

US Airways flight diverted after male passenger undresses in seat

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:37:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - A cross-country US Airways flight was diverted to Albuquerque after a male passenger removed his clothing mid-flight.

Running on empty: Police say men robbed US gas station, were caught when car ran out of fuel

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:19:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - KIRKWOOD, New York - State police say two men robbed a gas station and might have gotten away if they had also fueled up.

Russia bans all gambling and shuts casinos

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:42:00 GMT

Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia closed down its casinos overnight as gambling was banned nationwide, a move the industry says could throw a third of a million people out of work.

Fireworks spread terror in war weary town

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:40:00 GMT

Reuters - GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Independence day fireworks sent terrified Congolese sprinting for cover on Tuesday in fear that war had broken out again in their eastern city.

On sober reflection, PM's sports hero is no Aussie

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:09:00 GMT

AFP - MELBOURNE (AFP) - As Australia prepares to battle England for the Ashes, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd revealed Wednesday that his sporting hero did not hail from Down Under and had put Australia to the sword in the 1970s.

Poles find live scorpions in parcel

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:09:00 GMT

AFP - WARSAW (AFP) - Polish customs officers have intercepted a package posted from Hong Kong containing 39 scorpions -- 32 of them still alive -- addressed to a student in Poland's south-west city of Wroclaw.

Ukrainians want village named after Michael Jackson

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:46:00 GMT

AFP - KIEV (AFP) - Residents of a Ukrainian village want to rename it after the late pop superstar Michael Jackson, a lawmaker who represents the village told AFP on Wednesday.

British pensioner batters burglar with right hook: reports

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:34:00 GMT

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - A British pensioner and former boxing champion beat up a knife-wielding burglar who broke into his home, leaving him battered and bruised, newspapers said Wednesday.

Australians split biggest-ever lottery win

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:21:00 GMT

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - Two Australian households were in shock after winning the nation's biggest-ever lottery jackpot, worth more than 100 million dollars (80 million US).

Montreal bike movers ready to haul most household items - except pianos

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:45:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - MONTREAL - For Montreal mover Julien Myette, the chesterfield clean and jerk clearly isn't enough of a workout.

Iowa State Fair to honour Michael Jackson with butter statue of the pop icon

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:07:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - DES MOINES, Iowa - Michael Jackson is getting a new tribute. And it's in butter.

Sacked Polish steelworker scales chimney in protest

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:05:00 GMT

AFP - WARSAW (AFP) - A sacked Polish steelworker whose crisis-hit mill faces closure following an EU subsidy battle held a desperate protest Tuesday, sparking a police operation when he climbed a chimney at the site.

Bendy cucumbers, knobbly carrots return to EU shelves

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:33:00 GMT

AFP - BRUSSELS (AFP) - Bendy cucumbers, knobbly carrots and other strangely shaped fruit and vegetables, long the source of jibes over EU micro-regulation, will be allowed back onto European supermarket shelves from Wednesday.

Man had boss killed to save job?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police have arrested a man whom they suspect hired a contract killer to murder his boss in a desperate bid to avoid being laid off, newspaper El Pais reported on Tuesday.

Mosquito repellent firm in dock for mosquito breeding

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:51:00 GMT

Reuters - COLOMBO (Reuters) - A Sri Lankan court threatened a mosquito repellent factory manager with six months in jail for failing to destroy mosquito breeding areas on company premises to stop the spread of dengue fever, an official said Tuesday.

Daily sex makes for healthier sperm

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:49:00 GMT

Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Having sex every day improves the quality of men's sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to new research.

Slovak president forced off plane after warning

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:44:00 GMT

Reuters - BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovakia's president was evacuated from his official plane because of a telephone warning shortly before it was due to take off on Monday.

Armour-clad Bruno halts Sydney traffic

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:21:00 GMT

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - Gay fashionista Bruno brought traffic to a halt in Sydney when he appeared at the premiere of his new movie dressed as a knight in shining armour and leading a white charger.

Canadian Texting Championships: OMG, txt champ wins 25G

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:28:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - TORONTO - Teen texters and tech-savvy young adults were all thumbs Monday as they nimbly fired off messages while competing to become the Canadian texting champion.

Royal Mint error sees 'dateless' 20p coins valued at £50

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:12:00 GMT

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - A rather costly error by the Royal Mint has seen the issue of tens of thousands of 'dateless' 20p coins -- driving their value up to around 50 pounds each.

Britain's queen orders count of swans

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:54:00 GMT

Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Quiet please -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted.

Nearly one in five Italians trusts sorcerers: watchdog

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:52:00 GMT

AFP - ROME (AFP) - Nearly 18 percent of the Italian population -- 11 million people -- trusts self-styled sorcerers and healers, a consumer watchdog said in a report Monday.

Madrid strips Franco of honorary titles

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:50:00 GMT

Reuters - MADRID (Reuters) - Madrid's city hall Monday stripped former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco of his title as honorary mayor and adopted son of the capital, 33 years after his death began the transition to democracy.

SKorean intelligence agency runs 'spot the spy' game

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:19:00 GMT

AFP - SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's normally publicity-shy intelligence agency is creating a stir among liberal groups with a "spot the spy" flash video game offering a variety of prizes.

Obama's double sworn in at Paris wax museum

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:44:00 GMT

AFP - PARIS (AFP) - Barack Obama's wax double joined the pantheon of world leaders and stars at the Grevin Museum in Paris on Monday, after being unveiled at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Putin gives Communist leader surprise birthday gift

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:44:00 GMT

AFP - MOSCOW (AFP) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has astonished the leader of the Russian Communist Party by presenting him with an unexpected birthday gift -- an early Soviet edition of the Communist Manifesto.

Nepal forces pocket-lining airport workers to change

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:39:00 GMT

AFP - KATHMANDU (AFP) - Nepal's anti-corruption authority has come up with a novel solution to rampant bribe-taking at the country's only international airport -- the pocketless trouser.

Aussie PM 'hotter than Obama,' says Bruno

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:11:00 GMT

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is "uber-cute" -- and even hotter than US President Barack Obama, according to gay fashionista Bruno.

Big box of chocolate is just right for bear that breaks into Southern California home

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:05:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SAN ANTONIO HEIGHTS, California - Deputies say a bear with an apparent sweet tooth broke into a San Bernardino County home and gobbled up a box of chocolates from a couple's refrigerator.

Moon-lovers remember Apollo with radio chit-chat

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:44:00 GMT

Reuters - SYDNEY (Reuters) - Radio hams and amateur astronomers around the world spent the weekend bouncing radio conversations off the Moon to one another in commemoration of the Apollo 11 landings 40 years ago, organizers in Australia said Sunday.

Michael Jackson's death sparks bus brawl

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:21:00 GMT

Reuters - MIAMI (Reuters) - A fight broke out on a Florida bus when news of Michael Jackson's death sparked debate over whether he should be remembered as a great musical talent, and one passenger was charged with assault, police said on Friday.

US man accused of using casket sans cadaver to smuggle marijuana in Dallas

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:57:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - DALLAS - A casket without a cadaver yielded nearly 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of marijuana after a traffic stop in Dallas.

Too much time online strains Irish marriages: counsellors

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:51:00 GMT

AFP - DUBLIN (AFP) - Too much time spent on the Internet is causing increasing friction between couples in Ireland, a marriage counselling service said Friday.

US seniors bash Brits in memory test

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:47:00 GMT

AFP - PARIS (AFP) - American seniors 'remember when' long after their British counterparts have forgotten what day of the week it is, researchers report in a study released this week.

Angry Russian boss pays workers in coins

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:47:00 GMT

AFP - MOSCOW (AFP) - Two Russian women got an unpleasant surprise when their former boss paid them more than 1,000 dollars to settle a labour dispute -- in dozens of heavy bags full of tiny coins.

German court upholds ban on words with Nazi link

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:49:00 GMT

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's highest court has upheld a ban on three words appearing in sequence because of their link to a former anthem of the Nazi party.

Crowd grabs goodies and foils airline stunt

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:48:00 GMT

Reuters - BUDAPEST (Reuters) - An overeager crowd in the Hungarian capital thwarted low-cost airline Wizz Air's attempt to release 1,000 balloons for its fifth anniversary celebrations when they caught wind of the freebies attached.

Sri Lanka arrests astrologer for gloomy predictions

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:48:00 GMT

AFP - COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lankan police say they have arrested an astrologer after he predicted serious political and economic problems for the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Playing dead? Baby opossum stuck in soda machine at NY gym doesn't give rescuers much help

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:08:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - JOHNSON CITY, N.Y. - A baby opossum's instinct to play dead evidently didn't help matters after it got wedged inside a soda machine at an upstate New York fitness club.

Wimbledon church graveyard becomes car park

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:51:00 GMT

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - A church by the Wimbledon championships is letting tennis fans park above the bodies in the graveyard, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Train of thought: Underground gets philosophical

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:40:00 GMT

AFP - LONDON (AFP) - Drivers on London Underground trains have started reading out quotes from thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Mahatma Gandhi in a bid to cheer up passengers, officials said Thursday.

Men charged with taking tourists on police chase

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Reuters - NEW YORK (Reuters) - Operators of an unauthorized New York airport van service that took five French tourists on a high speed chase in an attempt to evade police were charged Wednesday with unlawful imprisonment.

So the honeymoon is over?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A Polish couple living in Germany fell out after tying the knot and decided to end their marriage on the same day.

Elderly man survives 4 days trapped in well

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:31:00 GMT

Reuters - VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - An 84-year-old man escaped with only minor injuries after he spent four days trapped in a well shaft on his remote property on Canada's Pacific Coast, police said.

Stoned wallabies make crop circles

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Reuters - SYDNEY (Reuters) - The mystery of crop circles in poppy fields in Australia's southern island state of Tasmania has been solved -- stoned wallabies are eating the poppy heads and hopping around in circles.

Thief nabbed selling stolen mower to owner

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:28:00 GMT

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A thief in Germany was arrested after he tried to sell a garden mower online to the man he had stolen it from, police said Wednesday.

Struggling Tigers 'exorcised of Colonel's curse'

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:39:00 GMT

AFP - TOKYO (AFP) - The "curse of Colonel Sanders", blamed for a Japanese baseball club's quarter century of bad luck, was declared exorcised in a full Shinto rite Thursday.

Enter Moscow's answer to Batman

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:39:00 GMT

AFP - MOSCOW (AFP) - It's Moscow's version of Gotham City, only the hero of the latest Internet superhero comic strip isn't one of its billionaire oligarchs -- its the speaker of the Russian State Duma.

Pigeons have eye for paintings: Japan study

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:05:00 GMT

AFP - TOKYO (AFP) - Pigeons may sometimes appear to randomly target city sculptures with their droppings, but according to a new Japanese study they also have the potential to become discerning art critics.

Activists in Berlin pose as 'Wonder Merkel' and 'Super Obama'

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:08:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - BERLIN - Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's ... Germany's chancellor and the U.S. president!

Wisdom-dispensing London Tube drivers take commuters on a journey from A to B, via Emc2

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:12:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - LONDON - London Underground riders are being offered a dash of philosophy with their daily commute.

New York town offers backyards to golfers in unique tournament

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:31:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SEA CLIFF, N.Y. - Sure, the Masters has Augusta National and the U.S. Open has Bethpage Black and Shinnecock Hills.

Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles in poppy fields: Lawyer

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:22:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SYDNEY - Wallabies snacking in Tasmania's legally grown opium poppy fields are getting "high as a kite" and hopping around in circles, trampling the crops, a state official said.

Cut prices! Putin drops by on supermarket

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:08:00 GMT

AFP - MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin paid a surprise visit to a Moscow supermarket, instructing startled managers to lower their prices, according to the press.

HK court hears how tycoon burned money for fun

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:51:00 GMT

AFP - HONG KONG (AFP) - A Hong Kong bartender-turned-feng shui master who is fighting for the 13 billion dollar estate of Nina Wang said in court that he and the eccentric tycoon burned money for fun.

Japan firm recalls Buddha figure 'with bulge'

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:43:00 GMT

AFP - TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese company has reportedly agreed with an ancient temple that it would withdraw a controversial plastic figurine -- a seated, grinning Buddha with a bulge between its legs.

Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:21:00 GMT

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - Wallabies are getting "as high as a kite" on opium in Australian poppy fields and flattening crops as they hop round in circles, according to a report.

Man blares porn soundtrack to chase away neighbourhood kids in squabble

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:03:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - PHNIXVILLE, Pennsylvania - Police in suburban Philadelphia say a man fed up of children playing in his cul-de-sac blared a pornographic soundtrack to chase them off.

StatoilHydro fights Lithuanian alcohol ban: report

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:52:00 GMT

Reuters - OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian oil and gas group StatoilHydro is trying to reverse a ban on the sale of alcohol at petrol stations in Lithuania, claiming it may lead to massive lay-offs, daily Dagens Naeringsliv said on Wednesday.

Monkey urinates on Zambian president

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:51:00 GMT

Reuters - LUSAKA (Reuters) - A monkey urinated on Zambian President Rupiah Banda as he spoke to journalists at a news conference Wednesday.

Russia communists turn to Stalin to fight crisis

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:49:00 GMT

Reuters - MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian communists have put up giant billboards of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in a southern city, promoting his tough methods as the best remedy for the world economic crisis.

Star-faced teen lied about tattoo

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:59:00 GMT

NEW YORK, New York -- Authorities in New York City are investigating claims that pop star Rihanna illegally tattooed several people at East Side Ink on Wednesday evening, MTV News reported.

" border="0" />Reuters - BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Belgian teen-ager who made headlines across the globe after claiming a tattoo artist had drawn 56 stars on her face, rather than the three she asked for, has admitted she lied.

Russian Orthodox priests to help 'shame' debtors

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:01:00 GMT

AFP - MOSCOW (AFP) - The Russian Orthodox Church has agreed to send priests to help bailiffs "shame" debtors and men dodging their alimony payments, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Indian frog 'marriage' to bring on monsoon

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:50:00 GMT

AFP - MUMBAI (AFP) - Two frogs have been "married" in a ceremony in the western Indian state of Maharashtra to usher in the delayed monsoon rains, according to a report.

Lost dog in Calif. has microchip that traces to US military in Saudi Arabia

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:43:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - CARLSBAD, California - A "sweetheart" of a dog now in a California shelter may be really, really far from home. His microchip says the knee-high, light tan Saluki came from Saudi Arabia.

N.Y. state police close case of snake head found in broccoli at upstate restaurant

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:53:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. - The mystery of a severed snake head found in a dish of a broccoli at an upstate New York restaurant may go unsolved.

P.E.I. known for beaches, but Canada Games contractor had to buy sand from N.S.

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:24:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - CHARLOTTETOWN - The red sand of P.E.I. may make for stunning postcards, but it doesn't measure up when it comes to the exacting standards of international beach volleyball.

Kids' "power station" sparks radiation alert

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:25:00 GMT

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A toy nuclear power plant built by two six year-olds sparked a public alert in Germany, only for authorities to discover the would-be security threat was the shell of a computer with a radiation warning sign stuck to it.

Police search for naked french fry thief

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:14:00 GMT

Reuters - VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canadian police were on the search on Monday for a brazen thief who snatched a take-away meal while making a naked run past a fast food restaurant's drive-though window.

Police arrest 32 people over jewel heist

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:13:00 GMT

Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - French police arrested 32 people and seized jewels on Sunday and Monday as part of an investigation into a spectacular heist in Paris last year.

Ex-smoker Obama still sneaks occasional puff

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:12:00 GMT

Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama may have just made life more difficult for cigarette makers, but he is not above sneaking a smoke every now and again.

I won't stop screeching, says teenager

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:11:00 GMT

Reuters - LONDON (Reuters) - Portuguese teen-ager Michelle Larcher De Brito swept silently into the second round at Wimbledon Monday and then defiantly refused to stop screeching if her matches get tougher.

Age no barrier to Surrey, B.C. woman's return to international competition

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:59:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SURREY, B.C. - Seventy-one years later, Surrey, B.C., resident Noel Morrow has still got game and she plans to bring it when she competes at the 2009 Masters Games in Sydney, Australia.

Michigan man 'stunned' DNA shows he wasn't snatched tot

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:45:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - KALKASKA, Mich. - A Michigan man who believed he was the toddler kidnapped in New York in 1955 said he was "stunned" to learn DNA testing disproved his suspicion and that he's still seeking his true identity.

'Savvy' croc outwits Aussie hunters

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:12:00 GMT

AFP - SYDNEY (AFP) - A large and "savvy" crocodile which snatched a pet dog just yards (metres) away from two children has outwitted a team of Australian hunters, a report said on Tuesday.

Mt. Gazprom? - Russia region wants to brand mountain with gas monopoly logo

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:59:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - MOSCOW - Coming soon to the stunning snowcapped peaks of southern Siberia - probably the world's highest billboard.

Which way to San Francisco Bay? Baby sea lion rescued on freeway is malnourished but alert

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:49:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - SAN FRANCISCO - A baby sea lion was rescued early Monday after wandering onto a busy San Francisco Bay area freeway.

Silver-haired kidnap gang arrested in Germany

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:04:00 GMT

AFP - BERLIN (AFP) - German police on Monday smashed a gang of suspected kidnappers aged between 60 and 79 -- an act which highlighted the greying of Germany's population.

Customs uncovers 250 smuggled tortoises

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:44:00 GMT

Reuters - KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian customs said on Monday its officers had seized 250 tortoises that a passenger had tried to smuggle across the former Soviet republic's eastern border aboard a sleeper train.

Israel's richest woman gets messages, has visions

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:44:00 GMT

Reuters - TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Shari Arison, Israel's richest woman and the controlling shareholder of the country's second-largest bank, said on Sunday she has visions and receives messages "from above," but they do not influence the management of her companies.

Shot dog bites gunman

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:43:00 GMT

Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - A dog in Germany shot by a drunken man with a gun took swift revenge by biting off the end of the man's nose, authorities said on Monday.

French village on alert after crocodile sightings

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:43:00 GMT

Reuters - PARIS (Reuters) - A French village is on the alert after several sightings of a crocodile were reported in a local pond and police and local anglers have joined the hunt for the elusive creature dubbed the "Loch Ness monster of the Vosges."

William & Mary mascot ideas include an asparagus

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:53:00 GMT

The Canadian Press - WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The College of William & Mary in Virginia is looking for a mascot and ideas have ranged from a feathered horse to an asparagus stalk.

Boozy Aussies get 'on the wagon' for charity

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:49:00 GMT

AFP - MELBOURNE (AFP) - Australians have been urged to give up booze for a month to raise money for cancer, in an unusual stunt that may do as much for participants' livers as it does for hospital wards.

Kung fu master cracks record 4 coconuts with finger

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:36:00 GMT

AFP - KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - A kung fu master has jabbed his way into the Malaysian records book after piercing four coconuts with his index finger in a little over 30 seconds, a newspaper reported on Monday.

Ukraine finds 250 contraband turtles on train

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:23:00 GMT

AFP - KIEV (AFP) - Ukrainian border guards seized 250 turtles being smuggled into the country on a train, where they had been hidden and strapped down with tape to prevent them from moving, officials said on Monday.