Is this the scariest cat ever?

March 19, 2012 at 7:50 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s a hairless “Don Sphynx” cat from Russia

..

..

THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

British soldier attacked by spider, nearly dies: “When Lance Corporal Sammy O’Gorman learned he was being sent to fight in Iraq, he immediately thought of the dangers of deadly roadside bombs. But it was not an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by insurgents that nearly cost the 28-year-old his life. L/Cpl O’Gorman spent three months in intensive care and underwent 17 operations – after being bitten on the thigh by a giant spider. Last night, he told how he was on patrol in western Basra with the Highlanders, 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, when the camel spider struck. The spider, which can grow to eight inches and run at 10mph, is not venomous – but contains potentially lethal bacteria from its desert diet of decaying animal flesh. Unaware of the danger he was in, L/Cpl O’Gorman went on leave before returning to his base in Fallingbostel, Germany. By then, his blood had become infected and he was hours away from death. He reported to the medical centre where the doctor, alarmed by his condition, sent him to hospital for immediate treatment.”

Tonga in mourning after death of its eccentric king: “He took great pleasure in dressing in colonial uniform – complete with white pith helmet and shiny brass – and travelling around his island domain in his personalised London cab. But now the wonderfully eccentric King of Tonga is dead. Oxford-educated King George Tupou V passed away in a Hong Kong Hospital at the age of 63, the cause of death believed to be linked to kidney problems. His death will leave the South Pacific without one of its most colourful characters, for King Tupou enjoyed sailing model boats in his tiny palace swimming pool, playing computer games, wearing that pith helmet, goggles and riding pants as well as staging Agatha Christie-type murder mysteries for his friends in the Tongan capital of Nuku-‘alofa. Despite his eccentricities, he promised his country he would work at bringing about democracy and within two years of his coronation the people of the 176 islands lying between New Zealand and Hawaii were able to vote in their first popularly-elected parliament, bringing to an end 165 years of feudal rule.

NYPD facial recognition technology identifies ‘barbershop shooter’ from his Facebook picture: “A man suspected in a barbershop shooting has been apprehended after New York City detectives used a cutting-edge facial recognition software to nab his identity. Police say a man was beaten and shot last week over a neighbourhood dispute in Queens while trying to get a haircut but the suspect initially made a near-clean getaway as police were left without a name. The victim’s brother who was also at the scene claimed to only know the shooter by his nickname of Armani but thought he may have a photo of him online. ‘We let him log onto Facebook,’ Sgt. Michael Ackerman from the precinct’s detective squad told the New York Post, and ‘Lo and behold, he comes up with a picture of both [suspects] standing next to each other at a party.’ Authorities at the Real Time Crime Center in Manhattan fed the photo through the system and in less than an hour, a match appeared: The suspect’s prior mug shot.”

A 40 -year-wait for plant to flower: “Gardeners must be patient as they wait for their carefully-nurtured plants to flower. But few will have faced quite the wait endured by staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew, where a plant has flowered for the first time after almost 40 years. Just before flowering, the Agave franzosinii more than quadrupled in height – growing a rate of almost 3ft a week until it was as tall as a house. The growth spurt was such that the plant outgrew its west London conservatory, forcing staff to remove parts of the roof to allow its progress to continue. When it did finally bloom, most of the 3in yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers were outside the building. However, the glorious display did not last long. Agaves die shortly after flowering and four months after the start of the growth spurt, the plant had to be felled by Kew’s tree management team. The species is found in the wild in Mexico. Before it died, staff at Kew took some seeds from it, which have already been sown and reached around 2ft in height. They are expected to flower some time around the middle of the century.”

Marmite crisis in New Zealand: “STOCKS of Marmite are expected to run out in New Zealand within weeks – and the cult yeast spread maker is dishing out tips to desperate Kiwis on how to make it last longer. Production at Sanitarium’s Marmite factory in Christchurch was halted in November after an earthquake-damaged tower was deemed too risky to workers, stuff.co.nz reported. Another jar of the salty spread people either love or hate is not expected to be made until July – prompting panic among consumers. Van Heerden told Australian Associated Press he is confident Kiwi shoppers won’t be tempted to turn to Australian rival brand Vegemite in desperation. The sticky brown paste, made from yeast-extract and typically spread on hot-buttered toast, has cult status in countries including the UK and Australia.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.