Astronomer Tips Major Tokyo Quake
(Associated Press )
A Japanese researcher is causing a stir in Tokyo with a prediction based on his study of radio waves that a major destructive earthquake is highly likely to hit the city this week.
The Truth About Your Laptop Computer and Landing Safely
(The Sydney Morning Herald )
Next time you're on a flight and the plane suddenly begins to climb or pitch to the left, don't panic. It's probably just the kid next to you conquering level 16 on his computer game.
Mascot Penalized in Canadian League Game
(Associated Press )
Blitz, the Montreal Alouettes' mascot, received a reprieve — and a stern reprimand — after being given a penalty for pecking an official during a Canadian Football League game.
Playboy Wants Wal-Mart Women
(CNN/Money )
If you're a female cashier or a corporate officer at Wal-Mart, age 18 and over, and you're not afraid to shed your inhibitions in front of the camera, Playboy wants you.
A 'C' Change in Spelling Sought for the Koreas
(Los Angeles Times )
Korean scholars and politicians have begun a drive to change the official English-language name of their country to "Corea."
Pole Vaulter Bares His Backside at Crowd
(Associated Press )
German pole vaulter Tim Lobinger could be fined for baring his backside at the crowd at the World Athletics Final in Monaco.
Giant Swastika Trampled Into Cornfield
(Reuters )
German police discovered a giant swastika trampled into a cornfield near Berlin but have not been able to figure out how the banned Nazi emblem got there.
Two Women Set Teeter-Tottering Record
(Associated Press )
Brandi Carbee and Natalie Svenvold of Bellingham, Washington, set a world record for teeter-tottering — 75 hours after they plopped down for the challenge.
Blaine Endures Hunger, Ridicule in London
(Associated Press )
When magician David Blaine organized his latest feat — six food-free weeks suspended in a plexiglass box beside London's Tower Bridge — he prepared for loneliness, hunger and boredom. He may not have planned for Londoners.
Forceps Left in Patient for Six Years
(Associated Press )
A woman in southeastern Thailand is returning to the hospital where her uterus was taken out nearly six years ago — this time for surgery to remove the forceps that doctors left behind.
Love in the Aisles as Supermarket Dating Hits Paris
(Reuters )
Supermarket dating, where singletons can check each other out via the contents of their trolleys, flirt while weighing vegetables and even walk down the aisles together, is coming to Paris.
Pig Sculpture Is Carved from Bars of Soap
(Associated Press )
Sudsie should be the cleanest pig in Cincinnati. The sculpture of a winged pig, weighing more than 7,000 pounds, was carved out of the equivalent of 26,666 bars of Ivory soap.
Dallas Stowaway Becomes Media Darling
(Reuters )
Charles McKinley is a new legend in the world of celebrity culture who has gone from being mistaken for a corpse in an air cargo crate to the world's most sought after stowaway.
Vigilantes Kill Man for Stealing Washing
(Reuters )
A man in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province was beaten to death by members of his community on suspicion of stealing clothes off washing lines.
Two Stage Chainsaw Accident in Insurance Scam
(Reuters )
A German court convicted two men of staging a chainsaw accident in which one of them cut off the other's thumb and forefinger to claim 40,000 euros ($44,780) in insurance money.
Female Alligator Wrestler Gets Attention
(Associated Press )
Babs Steorts' wrestling opponents are dirty fighters: they bite, squirm and have angry dispositions. They're also alligators and crocodiles.
As China Speeds Toward Prosperity, Babies' 'open-Crotch Pants' Face Extinction
(Associated Press )
The startlingly revealing "kaidangku" (literally "open-crotch pants") have made posterior peek-a-boo a common sight in China for decades — rain, shine or, in a specially padded form, snow. The principle is clear: no-fuss waste disposal. They're split down the middle — in front and back — and provide what many parents say is maximum convenience with minimum coverage.
50,000 Sheep Offered for Free
(Reuters )
A shipload of Australian sheep stranded in the Persian Gulf for almost six weeks after being rejected by Saudi Arabia is being offered for free to stop an escalation of protests by animal rights groups.
Hitler's Alpine Retreat Lures Tourists
(Reuters )
Adolf Hitler once said he would prefer his Alpine home, the "Berghof", to go up in flames after his death rather than have tourists flock to see where he had breakfast.
