Wicked Thoughts

Tiny ant picks up caterpillar using just its jaws

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Have gamma rays killed off alien life? Extreme radiation may explain why we have not spotted life on other planets: “Powerful bursts of radiation may have wiped out life on the majority of other planets and even caused a major extinction on Earth, according to research. Physicists have calculated that gamma-ray bursts – caused by some of the largest explosions in the universe – may have prevented the development of complex life in 90 per cent of galaxies. The intense high energy radiation given off by these explosions is known to be lethal to even the most hardy of organisms and can strip away important gases in the atmosphere. The research may help to explain why we have yet to detect any signs of complex life elsewhere in our galaxy and could mean finding any forms of life will be far harder than some believe.”

Natural looks found to be much more important than makeup when it comes to how attractive a woman is: “Most women would confess to rarely leaving home without their full face of make-up, lipstick and mascara. But spending hours in front of the mirror and splashing out on expensive cosmetics, it turns out, could all be a waste of time. Because, according to new research, wearing make-up does little to boost a woman’s attractiveness. Instead, scientists say, natural looks are much more important when it comes to how pretty a woman is viewed by either sex. Robin Kramer, a research psychologist at the University of York, who jointly carried out the research, said: ‘The point is you are what you are. ‘While make-up does make women slightly more attractive to others, it barely does anything when compared to natural features. ‘If you put make-up on an unattractive woman it won’t make her more attractive than a pretty woman without make-up. The study involved 44 female undergraduates, aged between 18 and 21, who were each photographed with and without their make-up. The photographs were shown at random to another 62 students – both male and female – who were asked to rate the women for attractiveness”

‘Boltholes with airstrips’ in New Zealand that are being bought by world’s super-rich who want a hideout: “As world events threaten the comfortable lifestyles of the West’s super-rich they have begun buying up fabulous ‘bolt hole’ properties in the far-away safe haven of New Zealand. The world’s elite are snapping up properties in the tiny country, which they see as a shelter from the threat of terrorism, civil unrest and instabilities in the financial markets. Interest in pricey land and homes in the North and South Islands has soared in recent years following terrorist strikes and civil disobedience in North America, the UK and Europe. Financial experts attending the recent World Economic Forum in Davos this month revealed many wealthy hedge fund managers have already started planning escapes for themselves and their clients should life in the northern hemisphere descend into chaos. Suggesting that there was a risk the poor would rise up against the rich, he said: ‘What’s happened now mean we are going to see all sorts of social problems. It is a breeding ground – not just for terrorism.'”

Retired headteacher is immortalised at public school where he worked for 19 years by being carved into a GARGOYLE: “A retired headmaster has been immortalised in stone – as a gargoyle overlooking his historic old school. Dr Richard Shephard was in charge of the Minster School at York Minster for 19 years where the stone caricature was unveiled yesterday. He said: ‘I don’t look on myself as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I am very grateful they have done it. It is very thoughtful of people who decided to do it to put it there. ‘To be honest I was astonished when I heard it was being done, wherever it had gone I would have been delighted, but obviously it is very appropriate.’ Dr Shephard was also Chamberlain at the Minster and was awarded the MBE for his service. Minster School in York is an independent school for boys and girls aged 3 to 13, and annual fees fall between £6,000 and £8,000

Meet the flower men of Saudi Arabia: “They live in the Habala Mountains that straddle Saudi Arabia’s southern border with Yemen but take orders from neither government, instead living their lives under the dictates of tribal law. Meet the ‘flower men’, a tribe of people descended from the ancient Tihama and Asir groupings and whose traditions, most strikingly the garlands of herbs and blooms they wear, date back more than two millennia. But as photographer Eric Lafforgue discovered, they are the source of much unrest in the region, conducting cross-border battles and reacting violently should any outsider stumble into their turf – including to Lafforgue himself. ‘In the past, it was totally forbidden for foreigners to enter the area and the villages,’ explains Lafforgue, adding: ‘Some hill villages were only reachable with a rope anyway.’ That remained the case until the early 1990s when the Saudi Arabian government, keen to boost tourism in the region, built cable cars to the villages and hotels for tourists to stay in. But with many of the flower men forced out of their homes by the development, clashes soon erupted and the area remains volatile”

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

Sign outside a bar

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

The spelling mistake that wrecked a family business: “The taxpayer faces a bill of millions of pounds after a civil servant’s elementary spelling mistake led to the collapse of a business employing 250 workers. Companies House wrongly said that engineering firm Taylor & Sons Ltd had been wound up – when in fact it was an unrelated company called Taylor & Son Ltd. As false rumours spread that the business was in trouble, customers cancelled their orders and credit facilities were withdrawn, leaving the 134-year-old firm unable to keep trading. Now a High Court judge has ruled that Companies House is liable for the firm’s default, and must pay as much as £8.8million in compensation to its owner Philip Davison-Sebry.”

Regular beer-drinking could help ward off Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons: “Regularly drinking beer could help slow dementia, research suggests. Scientists have discovered an ingredient in hops which they think could slow the progression of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In laboratory experiments they found that the chemical, called xanthohumol or Xn, could help protect brain cells from oxidative damage associated with dementia. The research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggested that people who regularly drink beer might be better able to ward off the progression of neurological diseases. Dr Jianguo Fang, of Lanzhou University in China, wrote: ‘Hops from dried female clusters of the hop plant are widely used in beers and a few types of soft drinks. ‘In traditional Chinese medicine, hops have been used to treat a variety of ailments for centuries. ‘The presence of a high concentration of Xn in beers might be linked to the epidemiological observation of the beneficial effect of regular beer drinking.”

Teachers tell seven-year-olds to write letters of complaint to Santa: “In the weeks following Christmas, thousands of children across Britain sat down to write thank you letters to friends and family kind enough to give them a present. But parents at one primary school were left fuming after they discovered their children had been told to do the complete opposite and complain about the gifts they received. Children as young as seven were asked by teachers to write a letter of complaint to Father Christmas about their ‘rubbish’ presents. Pupils in years three and four at Green Park Community Primary School in Dover, Kent, were told to ‘use adjectives’ to describe their shoddy gifts and how they felt when they tore off the wrapping paper. Children were instructed to use ‘metaphors and personification’ to get a gold award for their work, while all children were told to tell Father Christmas what they expected him to do about it. Some, including Charlotte Balfe’s nine-year-old daughter Summer, were told do the task as homework. Summer did the homework reluctantly as she was worried she would ‘get into trouble’ if she did not.”

Yummy cat!:A truck packed with thousands of live cats destined for the dinner table in Vietnam has been stopped by police. Cat meat- known locally as ‘little tiger’- is an increasingly popular delicacy in the Southeast Asian country. While officially banned, it can still be found in specialist restaurants. The three tons of cats, which were crammed into bamboo cages stacked on top of each other, were seized in the capital of Hanoi on Tuesday but their lives are still in the balance as police decide whether or not they should be destroyed. The truck driver admitted the animals had been smuggled over the border from China into the northeastern Quang Ninh province where he bought them. He told police the cats were destined ‘for consumption’ in the capital. It is not known if they were destined to be sold to restaurants or individuals.

Teenager dies after police caught him in possession of six grams of crack cocaine – and forced him to EAT IT: “A teenager died after police officers caught him with six grams of crack cocaine and forced him to eat it as punishment in Colombia. Juan David Osorio Rodas, 19, was walking home from a friend’s house when he was stopped and searched by officers in the city of Medellin. A local cafe owner said the young man came in and complained of feeling ill. After drinking some milk, he collapsed on the floor. Mr Rodas was taken to hospital where he died shortly after. His brother David Garcia said the teenager dealt drugs to earn money, but was about to quit.”

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

THOUGHTS ON AGEING

Wouldn’t it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes, come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller?

Last year, I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven’t met yet…

I don’t trip over things, I do random gravity checks!

I don’t need anger management. I need people to stop pissing me off!

Old age is coming at a really bad time!

When I was a child, I thought Nap Time was a punishment… now, as a grown up, it just feels like a small vacation!

The biggest lie I tell myself is… “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”

Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!

I don’t have grey hair. I have “wisdom highlights”. I’m just very wise.

My people skills are just fine. It’s my tolerance to idiots that needs work.

Teach your daughter how to shoot, because a restraining order is just a piece of paper.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would’ve put them on my knees.

The kids text me “plz”, which is shorter than please. I text back “no”, which is shorter than “yes”.

I’m going to retire and live off of my savings. Not sure what I’ll do that second week.

When did it change from, “We the people”, to “screw the people”?

I’ve lost my mind and I’m pretty sure my wife took it!

Even duct tape can’t fix stupid… but it can muffle the sound!

Why do I have to press one for English when you’re just gonna transfer me to someone I can’t understand anyway?

Of course I talk to myself, sometimes I need expert advice.

Oops! Did I roll my eyes out loud?

At my age, “Getting lucky”, means walking into a room and remembering what I went there for.

Chocolate comes from cocoa which is a tree… that makes it a plant which means… chocolate is Salad!!!

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Scientists reveal the two questions they say gives ‘clear empirical evidence’ of love: “These are: ‘How happy are you in your marriage relative to how happy you would be if you weren’t in the marriage?’ and ‘How do you think your spouse answered that question?’ Back in the 1980s, scientists asked these two questions to 4,242 couples, and then asked them the same again roughly six years later. Economists Leora Friedberg and Steven Stern, at the University of Virginia, recently analysed the data and found, unsurprisingly, people who thought they would be no worse off being single than they were being married were more likely to end up that way. But people who overestimated how happy their partners were in their relationship were even more likely to find themselves on their own six years later. Only 40.9 per centof couples accurately identified how their spouse would answer the question.

Russian streets turned into huge frozen ice-block: “A Siberian town has found itself, quite literally, frozen to the core, after its water main burst amid an ice cold storm. Residents in Dudinka, central Siberia, emerged from their homes after a powerful storm to find their street frozen solid up to their waists. The storm had burst several waterpipes in the town, and with temperatures dropping to -40C during the night, the water froze solid in the street. Dudinka is a small town of 22,000 residents in Krasnoyarsk Krai, a large territory in the middle of Siberia that borders the Arctic Ocean. As with many residential areas in Siberia, hot water is provided to apartment blocks from a power plant where it is centrally heated and then piped into the homes. Although many homes were left without water and electricity, internet connections were as solid as the ice in the streets, and Dudinka residents shared images of their plight on social media. ‘Even the hot water pipes were freezing, and the water that flooded out quickly formed into a solid block.’

Bungling military aviators in Britain: “A chicken farmer has been handed over £18,000 in compensation after his birds stopped laying eggs because they became terrified by low-flying Apache helicopters. The farmer in the Sussex village of Ninfield received £18,708 from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after claiming his birds were so frightened by the loud noise of the helicopter that egg production fell. The payout was just one of four last year made to poultry farmers who said that their chickens were so scared by military aircraft that they trampled one another death and that the survivors were so terrified by the noise, the stopped laying eggs. It comes as figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed that the MoD paid out a total of £1.1million in compensation due low flying incidents in 2014. Payments were also made to people who lost horses, cows and puppies, which were also spooked by the noise of the military aircraft. The figures also showed that the MoD sanctioned a payment of £25,000 to a falconry centre in Derbyshire which lost a number of precious birds of prey when a helicopter flew over it.

Dopey British burglar broke into a house to steal laptops – but forgot about his electronic tag and was caught just four hours later: “A dopey burglar who raided a house while wearing an electronic tag that tracked his every move is back behind bars. Bungling Jason Farmer was arrested within four hours of the break-in after police were able to place him at the scene of the crime by the gadget’s satellite signal. When officers arrested the 23-year-old serial burglar they found his haul, including two stolen laptops and a mobile phone. Farmer was fitted with the ‘Buddy Tag’ after being released on licence from a previous prison sentence in August last year. He was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Maidstone Crown Court after he admitted carrying out the early morning burglary. The judge was told how Farmer broke into the property in Maidstone, Kent, while the owners were sleeping on December 23, and stole two laptops worth £1,000. Prosecutor Bridget Todd told the court that Farmer’s tag showed he had left his home at 2.38am and was in the garden of the raided property at 3.09am.”

Hundreds of customers in France queue for more than two hours for the opening of a new BURGER KING: “It has long had a reputation as one of the fine dining capitals of the world – but fast food was the order of the day in France when a new Burger King opened its doors. Thousands waited in line for the opening of a new restaurant in Lille in the north of the country with managers promising free meals as part of an opening day promotion. A passer-by captured footage of enormous queues forming outside the new Burger King as crowds waited for hours to be among the first to walk through the doors of the outlet. According to local reports, queues started forming at about 3pm on Sunday – despite freezing conditions – after the American fast food giant offered free burgers for the first 6,000 customers. The outlet opened at about 5pm for the five-hour giveaway. Burger King has started a programme of re-opening restaurants in France – 18 years after retreating from the country. The 600 sq m restaurant, at Lille’s Euralille shopping centre, is reported to have 300 seats and is expected to employ nearly 100 people”

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

How does she expect us to do THAT? Bear cubs look terrified as they watch their mother show them how to fish

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Husband who has his penis chopped off by jealous wife is offered a job as a PORN STAR: “A Chinese man whose jealous wife cut off his manhood twice when she discovered he had been cheating on her has been offered to star in a porn film. Fan Lung, 32, suffered his scorned wife’s wrath after he used her mobile to send a saucy email to his lover in Shangqiu in central China’s Henan province. A pornography production company has now reached out to Mr Fan, offering to pay for an x-rated film starring him and his mistress Zhang Hung, 21. ‘Our intention is to help you financially through this incredibly delicate time but to also help you to restore your sexual confidence,’ the company wrote in a letter to Mr Fan. Fan’s lover, who visited him at the hospital, said she planned to marry him as soon as she could. ‘It doesn’t matter that he’s lost his fertility, he has five children already,’ Zhang said. Feng was discharged and is now under arrest for grievous bodily harm.

Ditch the bike and ‘glide’ to work: £499 AirBoard is controlled by body movements and travels up to 12mph: “It looks like a cross between a Segway and a skateboard, and its makers hope it will ‘revolutionise’ how people travel to work. Called AirBoard, the £499 ($755) ‘vehicle’ is a self-balancing electric board that remains stationary until a user steps on it. Riders then power the device by leaning forward, and the AirBoard reaches speeds of up to 12mph. It was created by the designers behind the AirWheel – a larger, self-balancing device that costs £509.99 ($849) – but reaches similar speeds and distances as its smaller successor. The AirBoard, and entry-level AirWheels, travel up to nine miles (14km) on a single charge, and it takes about an hour to charge this battery back up again. The AirBoard uses similar technology to that seen on certain eco-friendly cars, and when travelling downhill or slowing, the battery charges itself.”

Chihuahua puppy weighing less than one lb becomes best friends with 130lb mastiff: “One’s smaller than a bag of sugar and the other’s as heavy as a full-grown woman – but that hasn’t stopped these two pets becoming best friends. Digby the tiny chihuahua, who weighs less than 1lb, was close to death when he was rescued from between two rubbish bins outside a block of flats in north London. But since being taken to an RSPCA centre he has a new reason to survive – in the form of nine-stone Neapolitan Mastiff Nero. The pair have become inseparable at the centre in Southridge, Hertfordshire, despite giant Nero eating the weight of four Digbys in dog food every day. Centre manager Anna White said: ‘It was as if the little fellow took on Nero as his personal minder. ‘Poor Digby had to be rescued once by the RSPCA and it seems like he is taking precautions to make sure nothing can happen to him again.’ Digby was found severely dehydrated and cowering between two bins on Monday night. Unless an owner comes forward, Digby will be available for rehoming in the next few days.”

3D printing ‘teleporter’ sends physical objects digitally just like Star Trek’s transporter: “‘Teleporting’ physical objects over distances instantaneously – like the transporter in Star Trek – has been brought a step closer thanks to a new prototype that uses a 3D printer. The device, dubbed ‘Scotty’, digitises an object in one place, destroying it in the process, and rebuilds it in another location. Named after the operator of the transporter in the hit sci-fi TV series, Scotty scans an object layer by layer and sends its encrypted digital blueprint to a 3D printer for it to be reassembled. The prototype teleporter scans the object using a digital camera, destroying the original object in the process by slicing it apart layer by layer. Users merely have to place an object into the device, select a recipient, and press the ‘relocate’ button, and the object will be sent to a new location to be reconstructed.

Cheetahs ‘slower than we thought’: Big cats’ top speed is actually around 58mph rather than 70mph: “It has long been admired as the fastest animal. But it seems the cheetah’s lead over other species is not as wide as we thought. Research shows that the feline’s top speed is just 58mph, rather than the 70mph which was accepted for decades. The myth is dispelled in Sir David Attenborough’s new series of Natural Curiosities, in which he examines the most up-to-date findings. ‘For more than half a century we have overestimated the cheetah’s speed,’ the veteran presenter said. ‘The cheetah’s legendary top speed of 70mph is just a myth. But their true speed of 58mph is still extraordinary.’ He added that while the cheetah may not be as speedy as previously believed, it still holds its title as the world’s fastest land animal. ‘Its greatest feat is its acceleration,’ he said, ‘[Which is] four times that of sprinter Usain Bolt.’”

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

In brief

1. I’m not saying let’s go kill all the stupid people. I’m just saying let’s remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out.

2. I changed my car horn to gunshot sounds. People move out of the way much faster now.

3. You can tell a lot about a woman’s mood just by her hands. If they are holding a gun, she’s probably pissed.

4. Gone are the days when girls cooked like their mothers . Now they drink like their fathers.

5. You know that tingly little feeling you get when you really like someone you’ve just met? That’s common sense leaving your body.

6. I don’t like making plans for the day. Because then the word “premeditated” gets thrown around in the courtroom.

7. I didn’t make it to the gym today. That makes 1,500 days in a row.

8. I decided to change calling the bathroom the John and renamed it the Jim. I feel so much better saying I went to the Jim this morning.

9. Dear paranoid people who check behind shower curtains for murderers. If you find one, what’s your plan?

10. Everyone has a right to be stupid once in a while. Yet some just abuse the privilege.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Thief, 23, FORGOT he was a criminal after hitting his head in a car crash: “A 23-year-old man forgot he was a criminal after hitting his head in a car crash – and has now turned his life around, his lawyer has claimed. Christian Eshenbaugh stole around 2,000 aluminum tire rims, worth more than $33,000, from a salvage yard in Pittsburgh, western Pennsylvania, over a two-month period in 2013. But later that year, he suffered traumatic brain injuries when the car he was traveling in smashed into a tree on Warrandale Road, killing the driver. He spent months undergoing rehabilitation. In a Butler County court on Wednesday, Eshenbaugh’s attorney, Stephen Misko, claimed his client has become a ‘completely different person’ as he struggles to regain his memory and motor skills. He said the criminal could not recall his offense, has ‘turned his life 180 degrees’ and no longer has a penchant for petty crimes fueled by drug use, according to the Butler Eagle. In addition to a year’s probation, the criminal was ordered to pay a sum of restitution.

Woman finds an unexpected surprise in her Burger King bag: “A Burger King in New Hampshire mistakenly gave one of their customers the ultimate order: A bag full of cash. After leaving the fast-food restaurant, Janelle Jones noticed that her bag didn’t contain her junior spicy chicken sandwich. She actually found herself with a bag filled with $2,631. She decided to call her husband to figure out what she should do. Her husband said they both considered keeping the money, but their religious conviction (they’re both Jehovah’s Witnesses) kept them from doing so. “Jehovah sees everything,” her husband Matthew Jones said. The restaurant confirmed the account but declined to comment. We do know that the bag full of cash was actually the restaurant’s bank deposit.

Burglar found hanging UPSIDE DOWN from window: “A suspected burglar spent five hours hanging upside down from a window after apparently getting trapped when trying to break into a university. The man got stuck while attempting to squeeze through a 30in-wide window at Nottingham Trent University in freezing temperatures last Thursday night. He was found by two students, who heard him calling for help and then saw his legs dangling out of the side of the lecture hall building. Dan De-Niet and Tom Burdett called 999 so that firefighters could free the man – but not before they had taken dozens of photographs as well as a video clip. The suspect was given medical treatment and later arrested. He has now been charged with burglary with intent to steal.

The world’s most expensive school: “It is widely regarded as the most expensive school in the world with fees more than double those of Eton. The Institute Le Rosey charges £80,000-a-year in fees and has taught the children of Sir Roger Moore and Elizabeth Taylor. It is also a firm favourite of European royalty and the super-rich. Among the facilities on offer for the elite boarders, there is a 38ft yacht as well as a 1,000 seat concert hall. There is also an equestrian centre complete with 30 horses, allowing students to learn skills such as dressage. According to the school’s website, ‘Le Rosey’s campus is set in 28 hectares of magnificent landscaped grounds where age-old trees frame our buildings and sports facilities. This exceptional environment offers a full range of academic, sports and arts facilities. ‘In each boarding house, teachers living with their families ensure discipline, tidiness and are available to listen to any problems, big or small that Roseans may be faced with in their day to day life.” In winter, the school moves to the Gstaad ski resort.”

Villager angry at council cuts hires her own handywoman on £16,000 salary to clean the streets, cut hedges and empty the bins: “A woman angry at cuts being made to council services has decided to take matters into her own hands, by employing a handywoman to do jobs in the area. Former Dragon’s Den contestant Ling Valentine, 41, has employed Clare Honey, 40, on a £16,000 salary to do ‘absolutely anything that needs doing in the community’ after council cuts hit local services in Grange Villa in County Durham. Mrs Valentine pays the wages herself. Ms Honey, a former carer, also has her own motorised buggy provided by Mrs Valentine, and carries out any jobs local residents need including clearing rubbish, cutting hedges and going on patrol to find where street lights need replacing and the elderly need help. The scheme has been so successful Ms Honey has won the backing of Durham Police for her help to clear up the local community and make people feel safe and proud of their area.”

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

Foot-shaped radish with five toes found in Japan – fit for a size 12 shoe

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Amelia Earhart search resumed: “Majuro, Marshall Islands: A search is underway on a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands aimed at solving the mysterious disappearance of American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. A group of researchers travelled on Sunday to Mili Atoll, where a small aluminium cover plate and part of a landing-gear wheel assembly, believed to be from Earhart’s plane, were found last year. “We brought more sophisticated equipment to find other parts,” said Jon Jeffery, director of technology and business development at US-based Parker Aerospace, which is sponsoring the search. Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo, disappeared in 1937 with navigator Fred Noonan when attempting to circumnavigate the world in a twin-engine Lockheed Electra aircraft. “Generations of Marshallese people have known since 1937 that the famous fliers didn’t just disappear in the ocean,” Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak said. The aircraft landed “on a small atoll in the Marshall Islands and [Earhart and Noonan] survived”, he said.”

Kindly doggie: “When this cat found himself in a spot of bother, help was on hand from an unlikely source. As the cat frantically tried to pull a paper cup off its head by wheeling round in circles, a dog trotted on to the scene and came to the rescue. The dog approached the distressed cat and removed the cup with its jaw, setting it free. The two animals then go their separate ways, with the clearly relieved cat the last shot in the clip. The footage left viewers perplexed as the animals put aside their age-old hostilities. One commentator said: ‘I love how the cat casually goes back to whatever it was doing like nothing had happened.’ Others suggested the dog simply wanted the paper cup.

Doggie riders: “Handoko Njotokusuma’s pet dogs are a pair of real ruff riders. His beloved golden retrievers – Ace and Armani – cruise through Surabaya, Indonesia, while perched on the handlebars or the pillion of his motorised scooter. Wearing helmets and red- or green-framed sunglasses, the dogs and their owner have become local celebrities – drawing curious stares and stunned looks from passers-by. Handoko’s four-legged companions sandwich him on the bike as they cruise through the streets of Indonesia’s second-largest city. Ace and Armani – two of Handoko’s four dogs – have been riding since they were just a few months old and now at the age of three they jump onto the scooter whenever they think their owner is heading out. The 59-year-old businessman takes the two pooches for 30-minute journeys around the city. He said: ‘When they were four months old I taught them to sit on the front of my motorbike.”

Life on Mars? New NASA photo shows workman fixing space Rover on the Red Planet, conspiracy theorists claim: “The images taken by a NASA navigation camera have been released and appear to show a human-like figure working on the Mars Curiosity Rover, which is scanning the Red Planet. The pictures seem to feature a human-shaped shadow looming over the probe as if they are repairing it. The shadow formed shows what looks like a male figure, who isn’t wearing a helmet as his short spiky hair is visible. It also looks like the figure is wearing an air tank on his back and a suit covering most of his body. The pictures have been reported to the monitoring website UFO sightings daily, and have sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive, with some claiming it is proof life does exist on Mars.”

Cruise ships a haven for sexual activity with 80% of passengers admitting to getting frisky on board: “Condoms are the latest packing-list essential for those about to embark on a cruise. A new survey of 200,000 cruise passengers has revealed that prophylactics topped passengers’ list of items that they must have while they’re spending days or weeks at sea. Cruise.co.uk has revealed that cruise ships have become a haven for sexual activity, with 80 per cent of passengers admitting to being sexually active while on board. However, the company’s analysis also found that while sex at sea is on the rise, sexual health products available on board cruise liners do leave something to be desired. Most modern cruise lines are simply ill-equipped to facilitate these needs, with 70 per cent failing to sell condoms on board and 80 per cent of ships not offering the morning after pill. Some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and MSC, do allow guests access to condoms, pregnancy kits and lubrication.”

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

Toddler arguing with father despite the fact she is not yet able to SPEAK

Irish father Gareth Roe was captured on video telling his daughter to get off the table. 15-month-old Lola argues back

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Nun who had ‘no idea’ she was pregnant has a baby boy in Italy: “A cloistered nun has stunned her mother superior and sisters after giving birth to a baby boy after complaining of severe stomach pains. The sister, who belonged to an order in Macerata, in the eastern Italian region of Le Marche, claimed to have no idea she was pregnant when she was rushed to hospital in agony, after which she gave birth. The South American nun, who arrived at the convent in June, when it is supposed she was already pregnant, was taken to the emergency department of ‘Bartolomeo Eustachio’ di San Severino Marche by her fellow sisters. Doctors quickly unravelled the cause of the mysterious ailment, Il Corriere Adriatico reported. The baby was born healthy but remains in hospital to undergo more checks, while the nun’s convent has expressed an interest in taking care of him, according to L’Unione Sarda.”

Popular Scottish fizzy drink Irn Bru helps beat ebola: “A British nurse struck down by ebola said last night she had come so close to death fighting the killer virus that she had told herself: ‘That’s it.’ Pauline Cafferkey, 39, was speaking after making a full recovery and being discharged from the Royal Free Hospital in London. She spent almost a month in an isolation tent, and for nine days during that time she was in a critical condition. Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, was treated with experimental antiviral drug called ZMAb. She also received blood plasma from an ebola survivor containing antibodies which are thought to have helped her battle the virus. The nurse added to the antivirals and antibodies with her own regime, saying: ‘I had lots of Irn-Bru to help me!’” The 39-year-old contracted the disease while volunteering at a Save the Children treatment centre in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone

Apps made more money than HOLLYWOOD last year: “Apps made as much money as Hollywood took in the US last year by raking in more than $10billion. Games such as Angry Birds and the mobile version of Facebook earned the developers behind them more than the efforts of the film industry, even with hits like The Hunger Games. Individual developers now earn more than some Hollywood stars and apps support more jobs in America than Tinseltown. The study showed that total App store revenues since 2008 now stand at $25 billion (£17 billion) with no sign of slowing down. Industry analysts Asymco looked at the figures for apps sold by Apple through its iTunes service last year. Producers behind huge apps such as Angry Birds, which has been sold more than 12 million times, earned Finnish Developers Rovio Entertainment, now earn more than even the biggest stars like Tom Cruise. Asymco also pointed out that the average app developer who has a medium sized hit would earn more than their Hollywood equivalent, as many actors only earn a few thousand for small roles. The report came as a major Hollywood studio announced that it is cutting the number of films it produces by a third and axing 500 jobs.”

Strange plastic piano: “Hungarian musician Gergely Boganyi claims to have reinvented the grand piano after spending 8,000 hours and almost £1million building his own in a workshop in Budapest. With its edgy design, finished entirely in glossy black paint, music fans have dubbed the creation the Batpiano – for its resemblance to the Batmobile. It is certainly futuristic, doing away with most of the wood traditionally used in grand pianos such as the Steinway, and replacing it with cutting-edge carbon fibre. Rather than the traditional three legs, the Boganyi has only two, and both of them have been carefully shaped to help project the sound into the auditorium. He had also reinvented the key mechanism, meaning it applies only the slightest pressure to the soundboard – the anchor of the piano to which everything else is fixed. The board itself, instead of being made from the traditional wood, is made from more than 20 carbon composite layers woven one on top of the other. And it seems that it could have been worth the wait as expert piano players agreed that the sound it produces is entirely new.”

Multi-billionaire who gave a lecture about American’s ‘needing to have less things and live a smaller existence’ owns a staggering FIVE mansions… including the nation’s most expensive home: “Billionaire property investor Jeff Greene recently spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying he believes people in the United States need to stop aiming so high and start living with less. ‘America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence,’ Greene, who ran for the Democratic Senate nomination in Florida in 2010, said in an interview. The only issue Americans took with the 60-year-old’s opinions was, well, everything, given he owns a $195 million palace in Beverly Hills, which has 23 bathrooms and a rotating dance floor, as well as four other blue ribbon properties, and is famous for throwing wild parties on a 145-foot yacht. Greene, 60, is a billionaire property investor and entrepreneur. He made his money betting against subprime mortgages”

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

Sounds a good idea

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Jewish politician arrested for financial fraud: “New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested Thursday on public corruption charges and accused of using his position as one of the most powerful men in Albany to obtain millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks masked as legitimate income. The 70-year-old Silver was taken into custody around 8 a.m. at the FBI’s New York City office, FBI spokesman Peter Donald confirmed. Silver faces five counts, including conspiracy and bribery charges.”

Nosy father opens a parcel addressed to his son and gets hit with a glitter bomb: “All that glitters is not gold as a new prank video demonstrates. YouTube user Edamame said he was so sick of his father opening his mail that he decided to give him a sparkling surprise. He sent himself a spring-loaded tube of glitter and secretly filmed his nosy father popping it open. As the ‘glitter bomb’ releases hundreds of shimmering pieces, the father is heard angrily cursing. The purple glitter coats his desk and computer keyboard. The man continues to swear as he finds glitter all over his clothing. He then walks off in a huff. His son apparently ordered the glitter bomb from the website ruindays.com. The company states: ‘[We] believe that anyone that has ever wronged you should pay.’ It specializes in anonymously sending ‘annoying packages’ to enemies, from sand in an envelope to ‘smelly poop’ in a box. Prices start from $4.99.

Hybrid taxi cabs do only 50 miles on battery alone: “London’s first electric zero-emission black cabs are now on trial in the city. Designed and built in Britain, the all-new zero-emission Range-Extended Electric Metrocab run on a powerful, near-silent electric motor. Inside there is seating for up to seven passengers, complete with a USB charging socket, panoramic glass roof and colour TV displays. So far a price tag has not yet been set, but Metrocab has announced there will be no price premium over the current black cab, which costs around £33,000. The new Metrocab is driven by two independent brushless electric motors. A small petrol engine, coupled with a generator – the ‘Range Extender’ – is used to recharge the battery pack or provide power directly to the motors. A company spokesman said: ‘The new Metrocab boasts an incredible environmental record, exceeding current standards. ‘Metrocab can operate with zero emissions, giving it a range of well over 50 miles on its battery pack only.

Dwarf stripper and her six-foot tall soldier fiance: “They say opposites attract and that’s certainly the case for 3ft 11in Kat Hoffman, whose husband-to-be is almost double her height. The 26-year-old from Bellefontaine, Ohio, who earns more than $1,000 a week as a stripper, met 6ft Eich Buscher last year through a friend and they hit it off instantly. ‘Our personalities clicked . . . I always go for tall men, I love the size difference,’ Kat mused. Busher, 35, says their difference in appearance ‘does pose some problems’ but nothing too big that they can’t handle. ‘Obviously she walks slower,’ he joked. The wrestling enthusiast who is a soldier in the U.S. army has a full body tattoo from his neck to his ankles so is used to getting ‘strange looks’ in public. Busher’s fiancee was born with diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism which means her arms, legs and torso are shorter than average and weighs just 61 lbs.”

No Coke for kids in Russia: “Children in Russia gave been banned from buying fizzy drinks ‘in a bid to protect their health’. The local parliament banned the sale of fizzy caffeinated drinks to minors in the country’s Vologda region. The ban includes carbonated drinks containing caffeine or plant extracts, which applies to Western soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew, as well as domestic products such as Baikal. But tea and coffee is not restricted, according to The Moscow Times. An overview of the law on the regional legislative assembly’s website states stores will have to ask for identification when selling certain soft drinks to young people. In addition to the outright ban on sales of carbonated caffeine drinks to minors, the law also prohibits their sale in ‘children’s, educational and medical institutions, as well as cultural and sports centers.’ Yevgeny Korotkov, chair of the parliament’s committee on economic policy and property, said the ban has been put in place to protect the health of minors.”

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

The polite Italians — Yes, Italians

An Arab family was considering putting their grandfather, Abdullah, in a nursing home. All the Arab Facilities were completely full, so they had to put him in an Italian home.

After a few weeks in the Italian facility, they came to visit Grandpa. How do you like it here?” asked the grandson?”

“It’s wonderful! Everyone here is so courteous and respectful,” said grandpa.

“We’re so happy for you. We were worried that this was the wrong place for you since you are a little different from everyone.”

“Oh, no! Let me tell you about how wonderfully they treat the residents”, Abdullah said with a big smile.

“There’s a musician here – he’s 85 years old. He hasn’t played the violin in 20 years, and everyone still calls him “Maestro”! There is a judge in here – he’s 95 years old. He hasn’t been on the bench in 30 years and everyone still calls him “Your Honor”. There’s a dentist here – 90 years old. He hasn’t fixed a tooth for 25 years, and everyone still calls him “Doctor”!

And me I haven’t had sex for 45 years, and they still call me “The F*cking Arab”.

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

German court rules men DO have the right to stand up while urinating: “A German court today ruled men do have the right to urinate standing up. The finding was made after a landlord claimed their tenant ruined their marble floor by sprinkling it with urine. Attempting to retain part of the tenant’s €3,000 (£2,300) deposit, the landlord argued their bathroom floor was eaten away by uric acid. The debate about whether men should stand or sit is no laughing matter in Germany. Some toilets in the country have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position. There is also a derogatory term for men who sit and pee – ‘Sitzpinkler’ – which implies that it is not masculine behaviour. Judge Stefan Hank in the city of Duesseldorf said men who insist on standing ‘must expect occasional rows with housemates, especially women’. But he added that they cannot be held to account for collateral damage.”

Danish man proves he is still a weightlifting champion… at the ripe old age of 95: “At 95, an elderly man from Denmark is still able to lift weights that most people a quarter of his age wouldn’t be able to budge from the ground. Even more astonishingly, it was only two-and-a-half years ago that powerlifter Svend Stensgaard was rushed to hospital after having a heart attack. Yet a video filmed of him working out at the gym – in a room full of boys young enough to be his great-grandchildren – proves just how fit and healthy he is in later life. Both standing and lying on his back, he is seen shifting a whopping 290 pounds of weight as he controls his breathing to establish a rhythm. Mr Stensgaard says in the interview that exercising, which releases a lot of stress-fighting endorphins, is comparable to a ‘dosage of morphine’ for him.”

A really shocking story: “Abandoned poodles that were found in such an appalling condition that at first the RSPCA did not even realise they were dogs have undergone an amazing transformation. The nine animals were found in such a poor state – with long matted hair covering their faces – that officers struggled to identify what breed they were. The pets, found across Winchester yesterday, were unable to see or stand and appeared to be just mounds of rags as they cowered in a huddle. All of the poodles, which are worth up to £500 each, had to be shaved by vets, who found that each animal weighed a staggering 12 kilograms – almost half of what their whole body weight should be. Each dog took around three hours to shave. The council has seized legal control of the animals while a new home for them is found and they are nursed back to health. Abigail Toms, environmental health manager for Winchester City Council, said: ‘On Tuesday night, three were found on Morestead Road, Winchester. ‘We will make assessments of welfare needs and decide where best to place them.’

Stupid stunt: “The Doomsday Clock’s minute hand has been moved two minutes closer to midnight as experts warn we are closer than ever to a global catastrophe. In a live international news conference, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) said that the threat of climate change and nuclear war posed a very serious threat to modern society. Their symbolic clock is now set at three minutes to midnight, but while they say it is not too late to avert disaster ‘the window for action is closing rapidly’. Key topics discussed included evidence of accelerating climate change and the increasing threat of nuclear war after failed promises from various international governments. ‘The danger is great but our message is not one of hopelessness,’ Kennette Benedict, executive director of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), said in the announcement. ‘We find conditions to be so threatening that we are moving the hand two minutes closer. It is now three minutes to midnight,’ she continued.”

Wacky Scottish government says mothers must not breastfeed at an event designed to support breastfeeding: “Mothers invited to a conference on breastfeeding were told by the government it was ‘not appropriate’ to breastfeed at the event. The Scottish government invited dozens of volunteers and NHS workers to the event. But mothers who asked to bring babies to the conference were told by officials the venue ‘is not designed to accommodate breastfeeding’. Ms Stirling, who lives in Falkirk, told MailOnline: ‘Their reason for turning us away was very flaky, implying I would still be welcome without my baby. ‘I replied that this was still discriminatory (and illegal, if they followed through on it) and the ​next reply I got was a group email to multiple respondents saying that they had updated the arrangements and it was now suitable.” ‘There was no apology or admittance of guilt provided in the final email, just an assurance that the matter had been resolved.'”

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

O Canada!

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Chilly feet CAN increase the risk of catching colds and flu: “It’s that time of year when there’s nothing more comforting than some woolly socks or a nice pair of slippers. And new research shows they could also ward off colds and flu, as having chilly feet increases the risk of catching viruses. Dr Ron Eccles, director of Cardiff University’s Common Cold Centre, has been studying the issue for more than 25 years and has carried out a review of the medical literature on the topic. Many people carry the bugs which cause colds and flu in their nose already, without it causing symptoms that make them ill, he told MailOnline. But if the temperature of their feet drops, it causes a change in the whole body which leads to their nose becoming cold, he explained. This increases the likelihood of a full-blown cold developing. Being cold also slows down the movement of the cilia – hairs in the nose that filter dirt and germs – allowing the virus to get into the body, he added.

Fishing trawler crew discover terrifying prehistoric shark with 300 TEETH: “A group of fishermen got quite a shock when they pulled a terrifying prehistoric shark from the water near Lakes Entrance in Victoria’s east. The dark brown, eel-like looking creature is a frilled shark, also known as the ‘living fossil’, and was named for its six pairs of frill-like gills along with its dorsal fins, similar to the predatory fish. The shark’s origin dates back 80 million years and is only one of two species still alive from this period. Mr Boag said this was the first sighting of the species alive by humans. ‘It does look 80 million years old. It looks prehistoric, it looks like it’s from another time,’ he said. The shark that was pulled from the water was two metres long and caught at 700 metres. Usually the species is found deeper at 1,500 metres but it rare to find them below 1,200 metres, according to the SETFA website. The shark has a dorsal, pelvic and anal fins towards the back end of its body. Its long and flexible jaw means it can ingest its prey whole while its teeth clamps down and keeps its food from escaping its clutches.”

“Ambulance drone”: “A student in the Netherlands has come up with the idea of fitting out a quadcopter with a defibrillator to create what is believed to be the world’s first ‘drone ambulance.’ Delft Technical University student Alec Momont says his specially equipped flying machine could potentially save the lives of thousands of people hit by heart attacks thanks to its ability to reach victims in super-fast time. Weighing 4kg and reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h (60 mph), Momont says that installing a network of the first-aid quadcopters across a city would give someone suffering a cardiac arrest an 80 percent chance of survival, up from around 8 percent today. Writing on his website, the engineering student said that some 800,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in Europe every year, but less than 10 percent survive. “The main reason for this is the relatively long response time of emergency services”

ABORIGINES on the menu?: “A fast food takeaway has been forced to reprint its menu after it accidentally offered its customers Aborigines as a pizza topping on its vegetarian option. The blunder happened due to a production error when somebody mistook Aborigine for aubergine and unfortunately, thousands of flyers were distributed with the embarrassing typo to houses across Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Super Pizza, who produced the leaflet admitted that the inclusion of the unusual antipodean ingredient was ‘a mistake’. Following the embarrassing blunder, the shop has reprinted a new version of the menu with the correct spelling of aubergine – which, despite being a type of fruit, is commonly used as a vegetable.” The Aborigines, also known as Aboriginal Australians, were the original inhabitants of Australia before the British colonized the country”

Traffic warden slaps WHEELIE BIN with a ‘parking ticket’: “An over-zealous traffic warden appeared to slap a ‘parking ticket’ on a wheelie bin after it was left blocking the road on double yellow lines. The warden was slammed by shocked motorists who watched him attach the penalty charge envelope to the large Biffa waste bin. ‘It appeared the warden slapped the plastic ticket envelope on the bin in a moment of hi-jinx after a member of public pointed out it was parked on double yellow lines,’ he said. The local authority has launched an investigation into the conduct of the enforcement officer after he appeared to give the bin, pictured above, a ticket. ‘The officer, in a light-hearted moment, wrapped a Penalty Charge Notice envelope around the bin handle. ‘There was no ticket issued, it is not possible to book a wheelie bin or anything that is not motorised.

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