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Bizarro Earth

Australia: No birthday calls led to siege

A man who held police at bay during a 12-hour siege west of Brisbane because no-one called on his birthday has been jailed for six months.

Ashley Martin Hurst, 32, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court to three counts of serious assault and one count of going armed in public so as to cause fear.

Judge Helen O'Sullivan today said Hurst's actions at an Ipswich residence warranted imprisonment, as he had caused great distress to the police, who he had tried to provoke into killing him.

"In my view the circumstances warrant a custodial sentence," Judge O'Sullivan said.

Smiley

Richard Branson Beats Jesus in British Role Model Poll

He's a multi-millionaire maverick entrepreneur, part-time daredevil and now Britain's Richard Branson has beaten Jesus Christ in a survey to find the top role model for children.

Richard Branson
©REUTERS/Chip East
Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson.

Smiley

'I'll be back!': Schwarzenegger says ride on Austrian army tank will be a reward

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he asked for the return of his Austrian army tank from a museum because he was concerned about the upkeep and wants to offer rides on it to schoolchildren.

Schwarzenegger, a native of Austria, said he plans to offer the rides to inner-city kids in the Los Angeles area as a reward for staying in school, avoiding drugs and working hard.

Image
©mottsmilitarymuseum.org

Bizarro Earth

US: Elmo doll makes death threats to 2-year-old

A Florida family is reporting that their son's Elmo Knows Your Name toy has turned nasty since its batteries were changed.

Instead of singing cute songs and telling jokes to its 2-year-old owner, James, Elmo made death threats when the toy's belly was squeezed, issuing the chilling "kill James" apparently in a "sing-song voice".

Image
©Unknown

No Entry

Greece: Lost ostrich found on fast lane of highway

An ostrich found wandering in the fast lane of a provincial highway outside Thessaloniki early yesterday morning was caught by police before it could could get hurt or provoke a traffic accident.

Ostrich
©Unknown

Smiley

Teenage jam thief jailed in Russia

A Russian teenager convicted of stealing 11 jars of jam from a neighbor has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison, local prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old from the Republic of Bashkiria, in the southwest Urals, smashed a lock to gain entry to the neighbor's store room stealing six jars of raspberry and five pots of currant jam.

Stormtrooper

Hasta la vista, baby! Ohio museum returns Schwarzenegger's tank

A military museum that for the past eight years has displayed a tank driven by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was a member of the Austrian army has returned the vehicle to the California governor at his request.

"I'm not upset a bit," Warren Motts, founder and director of Motts Military Museum, said Tuesday. "I'm pleased we had the opportunity to have it and let people see it. It was neat to have a Hollywood connection."

Ambulance

'Dead' man comes alive!

KOT AHMED KHAN(Gurdaspur): Call it a miracle or diagnostic error on the part of the attending doctor, a 70-year-old man, who on Sunday was declared dead, came alive on Monday while his body was being taken home for cremation.

Bulb

Woman tries to escape custody through ceiling

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - A woman who tried to escape from the police station in Peterborough, Ont., through the ceiling was thwarted by a falling tile.

Police say the woman was in an interview room last Thursday to be questioned about the theft of an Internet router and laptop computer.

Bizarro Earth

German cleans up glacier graffiti

A German tourist caught spraying graffiti on the rocks and ice face of New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier was forced to clean up his handiwork, local media reported Tuesday.