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Tag: Offbeat

Streaker cops fine, unwanted female attention

August 20, 2008 15:26:00

The Darwin Magistrates Court has been told unwanted female attention is just one of the setbacks of streaking at a national sporting event.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, nt, darwin-0800

New Zealand teen admits he is 'Piddler on the Roof'

August 20, 2008 14:38:00

A teenager dubbed "The Piddler on the Roof" by New Zealand police has admitted to urinating into a parking machine and has been ordered to pay $164 to the city council.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, law-crime-and-justice, crime, antisocial-behaviour, new-zealand

iPod nano causes fires: Japan Govt

August 19, 2008 23:22:00

Japan's trade ministry said that three fires had been caused by overheating Apple iPod nanos, which it said could be due to a battery defect.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, science-and-technology, computers-and-technology, japan

Turtle on wheels finds love at Israeli zoo

August 19, 2008 22:02:00

Arava the turtle may never walk again, but a makeshift wheelchair has given the 10-year-old reptile wings by helping her to find a mate at an Israeli zoo, her keepers said.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, animals, offbeat, israel

NZ court gives green light to 'boobs on bikes' parade

August 19, 2008 13:18:00

A New Zealand court has allowed a parade of topless porn stars on motor bikes to proceed on the main street of the country's biggest city, local media said.[MORE]

Tags: community-and-society, pornography, human-interest, offbeat, law-crime-and-justice, event, new-zealand

'Stillborn baby' comes back to life in hospital fridge

August 19, 2008 07:15:00

A stillborn Israeli baby who was pronounced dead by doctors "came back to life" yesterday after spending hours in a hospital refrigerator.[MORE]

Tags: pregnancy-and-childbirth, offbeat, israel

Food crisis? Try rats, says Indian state

August 18, 2008 21:44:00

A state government in eastern Indian is encouraging people to eat rats in an effort to battle soaring food prices and save grain stocks.[MORE]

Tags: community-and-society, poverty, human-interest, offbeat, india

Mt Isa Mayor stands by 'beauty-disadvantaged' comments

August 18, 2008 15:48:00

Mt Isa's Mayor says he did not mean to cause offence by suggesting that less attractive women should move to the north-west Queensland mining town.[MORE]

Tags: community-and-society, population-and-demographics, government-and-politics, local-government, human-interest, offbeat, australia, qld, mount-isa-4825

Loo blue for Qantas jet

August 18, 2008 07:32:00

Another Qantas flight has had a problem - but this time with the toilets. [MORE]

Tags: offbeat, air-transport, sydney-2000, sydney-airport-2020, sa, adelaide-5000, perth-6000, perth-airport-6105

Chattanooga: home of the tow truck

Feature

August 17, 2008 10:18:00

Chattanooga is where the tow truck had its beginnings.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, road-transport, united-states

Couch potato Bolt reveals training secrets

August 17, 2008 10:09:00

Usain Bolt has revealed the secrets behind his Olympics 100m win.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, sport, athletics, olympics-summer, china, jamaica

'Miracle' woman gives birth to septuplets in Egypt

August 17, 2008 09:34:00

An Egyptian woman has given birth to a set of septuplets in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, in what doctors termed "a miracle," the official MENA news agency has reported.[MORE]

Tags: health, reproduction-and-contraception, pregnancy-and-childbirth, human-interest, offbeat, egypt

'Bizarre' new laws by Italy's mayors

August 17, 2008 00:23:00

When in Capri, do not wander off the beach in a bikini. If you go to the sea in Eraclea, near Venice, remember that building sandcastles is forbidden. And do not even think about mowing your lawn on the weekend in Forte dei Marmi.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, italy

Penguin power: Norwegian regiment honours pint-sized chief

August 16, 2008 23:15:00

A penguin called Nils has waddled into the history books when he was knighted by a visiting royal Norwegian regiment in Scotland.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, norway, united-kingdom, scotland

English lord cancels eBay auction of title

August 16, 2008 21:15:00

A British lord who was selling off his title and property on the internet website eBay said he has halted the auction because of concerns over whether the bids were genuine.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, united-kingdom, england

Texas school OKs gun-toting teachers

August 16, 2008 10:50:00

A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, united-states

Bigfoot fails DNA test

August 16, 2008 09:41:00

Bigfoot remains as elusive as ever, after results from tests on genetic material from alleged remains of one of the mythical half-ape and half-human creatures failed to prove its existence.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, united-states

Museum plans exhibition of fakes

August 15, 2008 13:33:00

The Brooklyn Museum, which recently announced its prized collection of stone sculptures from ancient Egypt was cluttered with fakes, is planning an exhibit with these pieces to raise awareness of forgeries in the world's art collections.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, libraries-museums-and-galleries, offbeat, united-states

Pirates of the Colosseum? Rome plans theme park

August 14, 2008 22:45:00

With the ruins of ancient Rome, the splendour of Vatican City and countless Renaissance art treasures, what does Italy's capital lack to attract tourists?[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, lifestyle-and-leisure, travel-and-tourism, italy

Cat-loving Pope urged to stop wearing fur

August 13, 2008 22:05:00

Italian animal rights campaigners are urging Pope Benedict to stop wearing ermine on his hats and robes, appealing to his reputation as a cat lover.[MORE]

Tags: catholic, human-interest, animals, offbeat, religious-leaders, holy-see, italy

Eat rats, 'solve global food crisis'

August 13, 2008 19:41:00

Eating rats is the best way for rich and poor people to solve the global crisis of rising food prices, an Indian official said as he unveiled his plan to put rodents on menus.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, india

Body found headfirst in hole

August 13, 2008 14:00:00

Police believe a man whose body was found headfirst in a hole on a construction site may have been trying to rescue a dog.[MORE]

Tags: offbeat, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

Mexican bands plan to rock the sky

August 13, 2008 08:45:00

Two top Mexican bands reportedly plan to rock the sky in a concert at some 9,000 metres on an airplane travelling between Mexico City and the western city of Guadalajara.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, music, offbeat, mexico

'Olympets' descends on Hong Kong

August 13, 2008 07:07:00

As athletes from around the world sweat it out in Beijing, Hong Kong's pampered pets are being put though their paces in their own version of the Olympic Games.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, animals, offbeat, hong-kong

Indonesia wants special corruption uniforms

August 12, 2008 23:13:00

In a bid to shame Indonesia's legions of corrupt politicians, officials, bankers and businessmen, the country's anti-graft agency has come up with a novel solution: a special uniform for the bribers and the bribed.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, indonesia