Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Koala paddles across river and climbs aboard passing canoe
Koalas aren't normally known for taking a dip, but one curious creature on Queensland's Gold Coast wasn't shy about exploring new terrain.
The koala was caught on camera swimming across Burleigh Point and up to a stunned group of local paddlers, joining them in the canoe. Julie Elliott, who filmed the rare encounter, said she and her colleagues from the local Outrigger Canoe Club were amazed when the koala came paddling towards them.
YouTube link.
"It took a sip of water and then saw us and obviously decided to come straight over," she said. "Then it started clawing at the boat and we didn't know what to do."
YouTube link.
"We were thinking it was going to drown so my mate behind me just grabbed him and put him straight in the boat." The group later released the koala on an embankment at a local golf club where koalas were known to populate the gum trees.
There's a news video, including interview with Ms Elliott, here.
The koala was caught on camera swimming across Burleigh Point and up to a stunned group of local paddlers, joining them in the canoe. Julie Elliott, who filmed the rare encounter, said she and her colleagues from the local Outrigger Canoe Club were amazed when the koala came paddling towards them.
YouTube link.
"It took a sip of water and then saw us and obviously decided to come straight over," she said. "Then it started clawing at the boat and we didn't know what to do."
YouTube link.
"We were thinking it was going to drown so my mate behind me just grabbed him and put him straight in the boat." The group later released the koala on an embankment at a local golf club where koalas were known to populate the gum trees.
There's a news video, including interview with Ms Elliott, here.
Cross-dresser held up petrol station
Australian police have released an image of a man who allegedly held up a Lara service station at knifepoint at about 1.30am on Friday wearing women's clothing and a long blonde wig.
Sen-Constable Paul Evans, of Geelong Police, said the alleged bandit, who was wearing fake nails, blue eye shadow, red lipstick and black stockings, had demanded cash and cigarettes in a manly voice. Sen-Constable Evans said he was hopeful someone from the public would recognise the alleged offender.
Sen-Constable Paul Michell said there was no doubt the offender was male, despite his efforts to disguise his masculine appearance. "As soon as the person has walked up to the counter, the staff member has realised it was a male," Sen-Constable Michell said.
YouTube link.
"It was quite obvious with long blonde hair half way down his back, wearing blue eye shadow, lipstick, fake nails, black stockings and carrying a brief case." The offender is described as about 22 years old, Caucasian, about 170cm tall and of stocky build. He was also wearing a black hat, jacket and black shoes. Anyone with information is urged to contact Geelong Police.
Sen-Constable Paul Evans, of Geelong Police, said the alleged bandit, who was wearing fake nails, blue eye shadow, red lipstick and black stockings, had demanded cash and cigarettes in a manly voice. Sen-Constable Evans said he was hopeful someone from the public would recognise the alleged offender.
Sen-Constable Paul Michell said there was no doubt the offender was male, despite his efforts to disguise his masculine appearance. "As soon as the person has walked up to the counter, the staff member has realised it was a male," Sen-Constable Michell said.
YouTube link.
"It was quite obvious with long blonde hair half way down his back, wearing blue eye shadow, lipstick, fake nails, black stockings and carrying a brief case." The offender is described as about 22 years old, Caucasian, about 170cm tall and of stocky build. He was also wearing a black hat, jacket and black shoes. Anyone with information is urged to contact Geelong Police.
Man accused of attacking brother with Styrofoam plate
A Florida man was charged with battery after he allegedly hit his brother with a Styrofoam plate.
On Aug. 17 the two brothers and their father were in the dining room of a Fort Walton Beach residence when an argument. According to the father, the spat began when one of the brothers began making disparaging comments about his mother.
During the argument, one brother apparently picked up a Styrofoam plate and swung at his brother, striking him in the face. The victim suffered several small cuts to his cheek and the left side of this face, an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy wrote in the arrest report.
The brother was charged with misdemeanor battery and will report to a judge on Sept. 4.
On Aug. 17 the two brothers and their father were in the dining room of a Fort Walton Beach residence when an argument. According to the father, the spat began when one of the brothers began making disparaging comments about his mother.
During the argument, one brother apparently picked up a Styrofoam plate and swung at his brother, striking him in the face. The victim suffered several small cuts to his cheek and the left side of this face, an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy wrote in the arrest report.
The brother was charged with misdemeanor battery and will report to a judge on Sept. 4.
Duck foetus eating competition held in New York
Competitors in New York have taken part in possibly one of the most unpleasant eating contests ever hosted in the city. Dozens of intrepid eaters and an audience of hundreds gathered on Friday to celebrate balut, essentially a boiled duckl foetus still in its egg.
"It's about 11 to 14 days from hatching and it's a delicacy in the Philippines," described Miguel Trinidad, executive chef and partner at Maharlika, a Filipino restaurant in the City. "Once you crack it open, there is basically a soup in it and you crack it open, you drink that soup and then you eat the yolk and inside you see a baby duckling.
"Sometimes you might get lucky and you might find one that has a few feathers, a little bit of a beak on it, but you do see a little embryo and that's the part that you eat along with the yolk and the soup. And it's a great source of protein. It's considered an aphrodisiac. It's supposed to give people power," he added. The competition involved eating as many balut as possible within five minutes.
YouTube link.
"You can feel the feathers and then like feel a little bit of the bone. It's a little bit crunchy. But honestly, I wasn't even thinking. I was just shoving it in my mouth," said one competitor, Jill, who managed eight eggs. The winner, however, Wayney Wonder, managed 18 eggs in five minutes. "I had never tried it before this contest. This is the first time I've had it, but it tasted like an egg. I didn't think about the little animal I was eating," he said.
"It's about 11 to 14 days from hatching and it's a delicacy in the Philippines," described Miguel Trinidad, executive chef and partner at Maharlika, a Filipino restaurant in the City. "Once you crack it open, there is basically a soup in it and you crack it open, you drink that soup and then you eat the yolk and inside you see a baby duckling.
"Sometimes you might get lucky and you might find one that has a few feathers, a little bit of a beak on it, but you do see a little embryo and that's the part that you eat along with the yolk and the soup. And it's a great source of protein. It's considered an aphrodisiac. It's supposed to give people power," he added. The competition involved eating as many balut as possible within five minutes.
YouTube link.
"You can feel the feathers and then like feel a little bit of the bone. It's a little bit crunchy. But honestly, I wasn't even thinking. I was just shoving it in my mouth," said one competitor, Jill, who managed eight eggs. The winner, however, Wayney Wonder, managed 18 eggs in five minutes. "I had never tried it before this contest. This is the first time I've had it, but it tasted like an egg. I didn't think about the little animal I was eating," he said.
Taxi driver forced to have sex with Angelina Jolie lookalike at knifepoint
An Angelina Jolie lookalike held a terrified taxi driver at knifepoint while she forced him to have sex, police in Tulcea, Romania, have been told. Cabbie Nicolae Stan, 34, says that Luminita Perijoc, 30, threatened to kill him unless he agreed to perform oral sex on her after he'd dropped her off at her apartment.
"She asked me to help with her bag but when we were upstairs she got me in to her kitchen and told me she had to have sex with me," claimed the married dad-of-three. "I think she wasn't used to anyone saying no because she flew into a rage when I declined. She took out a knife and forced me to undress and have sex with her.
"But she wasn't satisfied and wanted sex again. When I refused she attacked me with a knife, and forced me to have oral sex with her, but then she still stabbed me," he added. Friends said that Perijoc is a huge fan of actress Jolie and models herself on the Tomb Raider star.
Stan says he only escaped when he managed to barricade himself into a bedroom and dial 999 on his mobile phone. Police say he was taken to hospital with more than half a dozen stab wounds. "We are interviewing both parties to discover what could have happened," said a police spokesman.
"She asked me to help with her bag but when we were upstairs she got me in to her kitchen and told me she had to have sex with me," claimed the married dad-of-three. "I think she wasn't used to anyone saying no because she flew into a rage when I declined. She took out a knife and forced me to undress and have sex with her.
"But she wasn't satisfied and wanted sex again. When I refused she attacked me with a knife, and forced me to have oral sex with her, but then she still stabbed me," he added. Friends said that Perijoc is a huge fan of actress Jolie and models herself on the Tomb Raider star.
Stan says he only escaped when he managed to barricade himself into a bedroom and dial 999 on his mobile phone. Police say he was taken to hospital with more than half a dozen stab wounds. "We are interviewing both parties to discover what could have happened," said a police spokesman.
Abused dog walking again after getting artificial legs
A dog in Mexico who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of a drugs gang has been given a new lease of life, with new legs.
Lemon Pie was owned by a gang linked to the Zetas Cartel, who mutilated him so junior members could learn how to torture rival gangsters.
He was found dying in a rubbish bin with his front legs cut off, and was subsequently rescued by the Canine Miracles Centre near Mexico City.
YouTube link. Also.
The charity raised more than $6,000 for a Californian company to make Lemon Pie a pair of state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs, using X-rays and measurements to make sure the legs were the perfect fit.
Lemon Pie was owned by a gang linked to the Zetas Cartel, who mutilated him so junior members could learn how to torture rival gangsters.
He was found dying in a rubbish bin with his front legs cut off, and was subsequently rescued by the Canine Miracles Centre near Mexico City.
YouTube link. Also.
The charity raised more than $6,000 for a Californian company to make Lemon Pie a pair of state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs, using X-rays and measurements to make sure the legs were the perfect fit.
School bans handstands, cartwheels and somersaults
Playtime is over for some Australian schoolchildren daring to do cartwheels and handstands during their lunch hour. Drummoyne Public School in Sydney has banned handstands, cartwheels and somersaults in the playground during lunch and recess unless "under the supervision of a trained gymnastics teacher and with correct equipment."
The move has confounded parents such as Rebecca Chown, who has called for the rule to be overturned. "It's ridiculous, what's the world coming to when kids can't do handstands and cartwheels at lunch time," she said. Ms Chown said she understood school principal Gail Charlier felt she was "doing the right thing".
"So many principals are wary ... about children injuring themselves, due to the growing litigative culture we live in," she said. Ms Chown first heard about the ban when her daughter Estelle, 10, came home on August 17 and said children had been told they couldn't do anything that had them "upside-down".
Ms Chown said she understood the risks involved, but the children were playing, not training to be gymnasts. What frustrated Ms Chown was the school's P&C, which her husband has been active in, had spent four years raising about $200,000 for playground upgrades, which included soft fall surfaces so children could play in a safer environment. "It just feels like a slap in the face," she said.
The move has confounded parents such as Rebecca Chown, who has called for the rule to be overturned. "It's ridiculous, what's the world coming to when kids can't do handstands and cartwheels at lunch time," she said. Ms Chown said she understood school principal Gail Charlier felt she was "doing the right thing".
"So many principals are wary ... about children injuring themselves, due to the growing litigative culture we live in," she said. Ms Chown first heard about the ban when her daughter Estelle, 10, came home on August 17 and said children had been told they couldn't do anything that had them "upside-down".
Ms Chown said she understood the risks involved, but the children were playing, not training to be gymnasts. What frustrated Ms Chown was the school's P&C, which her husband has been active in, had spent four years raising about $200,000 for playground upgrades, which included soft fall surfaces so children could play in a safer environment. "It just feels like a slap in the face," she said.
Woman took part in search for herself
A tourist in Iceland who was declared missing and the subject of an intense police search had no idea she was missing, and in fact took part in the search itself.
The story began on Saturday when the woman, who was described as "of Asian origin, aged 20-30, about 160cm, wearing dark clothing and speaks fluent English" was declared missing somewhere in the vicinity of Eldgjá, in south Iceland. The search found no sign of her.
However, on Sunday morning, she was reported found - and had no idea she was missing in the first place. This was apparently the result of a misunderstanding regarding her appearance. While it was initially reported that she had stepped off the bus at Eldgjá and never returned, in fact she changed clothing before getting back on the bus.
It appears she had even taken part in the search, without realising that she was the woman being searched for. Eventually, it occurred to her that she could very well be the "missing person" being described, and reported the matter to the police. The search was called off shortly thereafter.
The story began on Saturday when the woman, who was described as "of Asian origin, aged 20-30, about 160cm, wearing dark clothing and speaks fluent English" was declared missing somewhere in the vicinity of Eldgjá, in south Iceland. The search found no sign of her.
However, on Sunday morning, she was reported found - and had no idea she was missing in the first place. This was apparently the result of a misunderstanding regarding her appearance. While it was initially reported that she had stepped off the bus at Eldgjá and never returned, in fact she changed clothing before getting back on the bus.
It appears she had even taken part in the search, without realising that she was the woman being searched for. Eventually, it occurred to her that she could very well be the "missing person" being described, and reported the matter to the police. The search was called off shortly thereafter.
Bank left unlocked over weekend
The Royal Bank of Scotland has launched an investigation after the main doors to one of its branches were left unlocked over a weekend.
The problem at the branch in Carnoustie near Dundee was only discovered when a member of the public leaned against them setting off the alarm. The bank said the internal doors were locked.
A spokeswoman added that they were "pleased the alarm system worked as planned". The member of the public is understood to have lent on the wooden front doors at the bank, pushing them open, as she waited for a bus.
Tayside Police were called to the scene when the alarm activated. The Royal Bank of Scotland spokesman said: "We are investigating why these doors could have opened."
The problem at the branch in Carnoustie near Dundee was only discovered when a member of the public leaned against them setting off the alarm. The bank said the internal doors were locked.
A spokeswoman added that they were "pleased the alarm system worked as planned". The member of the public is understood to have lent on the wooden front doors at the bank, pushing them open, as she waited for a bus.
Tayside Police were called to the scene when the alarm activated. The Royal Bank of Scotland spokesman said: "We are investigating why these doors could have opened."
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