Tag: Offbeat

Zsa Zsa Gabor to be preserved by plastination

September 2, 2010 20:12:00

The German husband of ailing 93-year-old Hollywood actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor said he wanted to preserve her body by plastination after she dies, the Bild newspaper reported.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, popular-culture, human-interest, offbeat, united-states

High house prices drive ex-miner underground

September 2, 2010 19:03:00

A retired Chinese coal miner has found an underground solution to the country's sky-high housing costs, by carving out a new home beneath the shack he lives in, state media reported.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, china

Japanese police hunt rogue monkey gang

September 1, 2010 19:37:00

Hundreds of police and officials in Japan have been deployed to catch a band of monkeys responsible for attacking more than 60 people.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, animal-attacks, offbeat, japan

Big bill for world's slowest pub crawl

September 1, 2010 16:53:00

A New Zealand pub has been painstakingly moved 40 metres up an Auckland hill to make way for a road tunnel.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, new-zealand

French spiderman charged after Sydney climb

August 30, 2010 13:03:00

Police charge the man known as the French Spiderman after he climbs to the top of a skyscraper in Sydney.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, law-crime-and-justice, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

Outback race swells zero-population Betoota

August 30, 2010 07:47:00

A horse from South Australia has won the Betoota Cup at the town's race meeting in far south-west Queensland. [MORE]

Tags: community-and-society, human-interest, offbeat, community-and-multicultural-festivals, australia, qld, birdsville-4482, longreach-4730, windorah-4481

Mushroom hunter 'massacre' claims 18 lives

August 30, 2010 00:01:00

At least 18 mushroom lovers have been killed in accidents while hunting for their favourite fungi in the mountains and forests of northern Italy.[MORE]

Tags: accidents, human-interest, offbeat, italy

John Lennon's toilet sells for $16,000

August 29, 2010 05:50:00

A toilet belonging to Beatles legend John Lennon sold at auction in Liverpool on Saturday for 9,500 pounds ($16,400) - nearly 10 times its guide price, organisers said.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, music, human-interest, people, offbeat, united-kingdom, england

Tiger found in airport baggage

August 27, 2010 18:42:00

Airport customs in Thailand have found a two-month-old tiger stashed in a bag which was checked in for an international passenger flight, authorities say.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, animals, offbeat, animal-welfare, crime, thailand

Man torches home after mum bins robots

August 25, 2010 18:12:00

A Japanese man has pleaded guilty to burning down his family home after his mother threw away some of his favourite robot toys.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, arson, japan

Sue Jedi Mind company, Lucas will

August 24, 2010 17:11:00

Star Wars creator George Lucas has filed a $US5 million trademark lawsuit against a company marketing a technology that allows users to control computer applications with their minds.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, feature-films, human-interest, offbeat, information-and-communication, copyright, law-crime-and-justice, united-states

Japanese pilot forgets to lower landing gear

August 24, 2010 10:00:00

A major Japanese airport has been forced to close for hours after the pilot of a small plane forgot to lower his landing gear while touching down.[MORE]

Tags: accidents, air-and-space-accidents, offbeat, japan

Ambo officers fend off snake during car crash rescue

August 23, 2010 08:47:00

Ambulance officers got more than they bargained for during a rescue at Millfield near Cessnock, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.[MORE]

Tags: community-and-society, disasters-and-accidents, accidents, road-accidents, human-interest, animals, offbeat, australia, nsw, millfield-2325

Moama gets a soul change to aid men's health

August 20, 2010 12:00:00

The southern New South Wales town of Moama is changing its name to Motown in November as part of the Movember fundraiser. [MORE]

Tags: mens-health, human-interest, offbeat, australia, nsw, moama-2731, wagga-wagga-2650, bendigo-3550, wodonga-3690

'Psychic' croc predicts Gillard victory

August 19, 2010 15:31:00

An enormous saltwater crocodile named Harry has picked Julia Gillard as the winner of the federal election in a snap poll.[MORE]

Tags: offbeat, federal-elections, australia, nt, darwin-0800

Police find bears guarding pot crop

August 19, 2010 15:17:00

A pair of marijuana growers in western Canada appear to have been using bears to protect their illegal crop, but the well-fed animals proved to be a bit lax in their guard duties, police say.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, law-crime-and-justice, crime, drug-offences, canada

Vuvuzela blows into dictionary

August 19, 2010 15:00:00

The brightly coloured plastic vuvuzela has achieved its own form of immortality by being included in the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, information-and-communication, south-africa, united-kingdom, england

Nick Cave voted muso PM

August 19, 2010 11:41:00

Rocker Nick Cave has been voted the musician Australians would most like to see installed as prime minister.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, music, popular-culture, offbeat, federal-elections, australia

'Psychic' croc to deliver snap poll on election

August 19, 2010 11:15:00

A saltwater crocodile named Harry will try to pick the winner of the federal election in Darwin this afternoon.[MORE]

Tags: offbeat, federal-elections, australia, nt, darwin-0800

Sudan unveils plan for rhinoceros-shaped city

August 19, 2010 10:05:00

Authorities in southern Sudan have unveiled an $11 billion plan to rebuild the region's cities in the shapes of animals and fruit.[MORE]

Tags: human-interest, offbeat, sudan

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler falls off stage again

August 19, 2010 10:05:00

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler may be American Idol-bound, but he has taken another tumble on stage - this time in Toronto.[MORE]

Tags: arts-and-entertainment, music, offbeat, united-states

30 injured as Spanish bull fights back

August 19, 2010 10:01:00

A bull leapt out of the arena at a bullring in northern Spain and charged into a crowd of terrified spectators, injuring some 30 people, Spanish media said.[MORE]

Tags: accidents, animals, offbeat, spain

Stray vulture poses threat to Scottish airspace

August 19, 2010 06:15:00

Pilots in Scottish airspace have been warned of the potential danger posed by a vulture which flew off from a public display and failed to return, air traffic controllers said on Wednesday.[MORE]

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

Elusive marriage-wrecking fish carps it

August 18, 2010 07:02:00

A giant marriage-wrecking carp that eluded fishermen in Britain for decades has been found dead.[MORE]

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