Don't Panic! Lighten Up!S

Roses

Iran court orders 'stingy' husband to buy 124,000 roses: report

An Iranian court has ordered a man to buy his wife 124,000 roses after she filed a complaint against her "stingy" husband to claim her dowry, a press report said on Monday.

"After 10 years of marriage Hengameh had decided to claim her dowry of 124,000 red roses to punish her very stingy husband," the Etemad newspaper said.

"Shortly after marriage I realised that Shahin was very cheap. He even refused to pay for my coffee if we went to a cafe or restaurant," said the woman, identified only by her first name Hengameh.

Pistol

Washington state detectives say man asked friend to shoot him in the arm so he could skip work

Pasco, Washington - What happened to faking a cough?

Sheriff's detectives in Franklin County, Washington, say a man had his friend shoot him in the shoulder so he wouldn't have to go to work.

Key

Five Year-Old Boy Steals Car

A five-year-old Czech boy stole his parents' car and drove it for a mile before crashing into a wall.

Heart

Paternal dog Billy takes on an unusual kid

A paternal dog has adopted an abandoned baby goat as his surrogate child.

Billy the boxer has become the constant companion of the 12-day old kid called Lilly. He sleeps with the goat, licks her clean, and protects her from any dangers at Pennywell Farm wildlife centre at Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, Devon.

Billy and Lilly
Billy and Lilly have formed a close bond

Bulb

Egyptian nine-year-old may be admitted to university

A nine-year-old Egyptian boy, dubbed "Mr Calculator" by his family and friends for his amazing ability with calculations, may be admitted to Cairo University, local media said.

This week Mahmoud Wael is meeting with the Egyptian education minister who will make a decision on whether to admit him to the university, the Al-Ahram daily said.

Mahmoud, who was acknowledged a wunderkind by teachers and officials at the age of four, can work out the most complicated calculations in a matter of seconds.

The boy learnt the multiplication table orally before he could read. He learnt English in three months, and now has advanced French and German.

Image
©Mohamed Wassim

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