'Telepathic' chiropractor surrenders his license

Columbus - A chiropractor who was accused of medical malpractice this spring for charging patients $60 an hour to heal their pain telepathically surrendered his license Thursday.

Dr. James C. Burda of Athens had claimed he possessed the power to heal clients via techniques he dubbed "Bahlaqeem Vina" and "Bahlaqeem Jaqem," made-up terms that he said described his ability to go back in time to the date of an injury and realign bones and joints using telekinetic vibration.

After stumbling across his Web site, bahlaqeem.com, the Ohio State Chiropractic Board accused him of being a long-distance quack, charging that a psychological exam determined he was mentally ill and suffered from "delusional disorder, grandiose type."

In an interview in April, Burda, 58, said he discovered his "God-given gift" when his foot began to hurt while he was driving from Athens to Parkersburg, W.Va. He said he commanded it to stop and the pain went away.

He was back in his car Thursday when a reporter called to ask about the surrender of his license and his written admission that Bahlaqeem "is not an acceptable form of treatment according to acceptable and prevailing standards of chiropractic care."

"I really can't speak to you right now; I'm in my vehicle," he said.

Sex shop robbers use kinky cuffs

Armed robbers who held up a sex shop in the US used kinky fur handcuffs to restrain workers while they made their getaway.

Three gunmen stole about £125 cash in the raid on a store in Stone Mountain, Atlanta, Georgia, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The masked men escaped on foot after using leg irons and fur handcuffs from the shop shelves to restrain two employees.

One was handcuffed with a "pair of silver leg irons" to a sink. The other was bound with a pair of black fur handcuffs, according to a police report.

No one was injured in the robbery, which was captured on a video.

Dry cleaner finds note about 'murder'

ANN ARBOR, Michigan - Dry cleaners find all kinds of things hiding in the clothes of their customers - but probably nothing quite like what some employees stumbled across recently. A note found in a customer's clothing read, "You have committed a murder, but no one believes it. All I can do is kill myself, then everyone will see what you have done."

It was signed: "Your wife, Alice."

Employees called police, fearing the note described a murder-suicide plot. But it turns out the owner of the sport coat is an actor involved in a play. The note was a prop, city police Detective Brian Zasadny told The Ann Arbor News.

Zasadny tracked down the customer on Wednesday. The man explained he is involved in the play, "Retreat from Moscow."

Man allegedly seeks revenge over glasses

HAMMOND, Ind. - A man upset that his neighbor's children helped break his wife's eyeglasses is accused of trying to bomb the neighbor's house in retaliation. David Michielsen, 27, of Hammond is charged with detonating a destructive device with intent to intimidate or destroy and manufacturing a destructive device. He faces 58 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

The neighbor told police she was visiting Michielsen's wife Sunday when her children and Michielsen's broke the glasses. Michielsen ordered her and her children to leave, a probable cause affidavit said.

Later that night, he called the neighbor and asked for a pair of glasses he could use to fix his wife's broken ones. The neighbor told police she complied, but Michielsen threw the glasses into her house about 10 minutes later, saying they wouldn't work.

About an hour later, the woman heard a noise and looked outside. She saw Michielsen running away and spotted an item on her air conditioner that turned out to be a canister with a lighted green wick, the affidavit states. She extinguished the wick and called police.

Police said the canister was an explosive device made from a carbon dioxide container filled with a shiny black powder.

A search of Michielsen's home turned up a wick matching the one in the device, a pack of model rocket engines and other items believed used to make the device, police said.

Michielsen was released after posting $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to make a formal court appearance on Oct. 6.

Michielsen could not be reached for comment because his telephone number is not listed.

Police find meth in man's prosthetic leg

JAY, Okla. - Sheriff's deputies have arrested a Grove man on drug charges after finding crystal methamphetamine inside his prosthetic leg. Larry Clinton Harper, 64, was arrested at his business, Harper's Used Cars and Body Shop, last week.

During a search, deputies found drugs inside a sock-like covering inside Harper's prosthetic leg, said Delaware County Sheriff's Capt. Larry Barnett.

"They just tumbled out, and he just laughed," Barnett said. "He said he thought he was pulling the wool over our eyes, but we had the last laugh."

The arrest followed successful drug buys from Harper's business, Barnett said

Woman eats sand to stay healthy

An Indian grandmother has revealed she eats a kilo of sand a day to stay fit and healthy.

Ram Rati, 80, considers sand an essential part of her daily diet and eats a kilo of it before breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea

Ram who lives in Chinhar in Lucknow told Asian News International: "When young, I tried it for fun once. Since then, I am used to it. My brothers and relatives pestered me to quit it but it was all in vain. I eat on an average around one or one-and-a-half kilos of sand per day."

Her granddaughter Shikha said: "The doctor said if she has no health problems, let her eat. We think it suits her health."

Man dies after swallowing coins

AN INQUEST heard that a man who could not stop himself from eating unusual objects died soon after an operation on his bowel.

Dewi Evans suffered from a condition called pica which is an abnormal appetite or craving for substances that are not fit to eat.

The operation discovered a paper towel, a screw, a magnet and 54p in change inside his distended bowel.

Mr Evans, 61, had been a patient at the Hensol psychiatric hospital in Pontyclun, south Wales, from the age of six.

He was transferred to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant on June 24, 2003, after complaining of stomach pain.

Susan Miller, the deputy manager at Hensol Hospital, told the inquest: “Mr Evans had very specialist care needs.

“An additional fence had to be erected around the hospital to prevent him from absconding and looking for items to digest."

The inquest in Pontypridd heard that four days after the various objects were removed during the operation at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Mr Evans died.

David Stock, a consultant pathologist, found the primary cause of death to be coronary heart disease and the secondary cause was an obstruction of the small bowel.

Coroner Philip Walters recorded a verdict of death by natural causes.

Twins finally meet after 71 years

MILWAUKEE - Pat Gudinas has finally met her sister, 71 years after they were born, culminating eight years of effort to track her down.

"I've never had anybody in my family," she told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl of the reunion Tuesday at suburban West Allis restaurant not far from where her sister, Shirley McGuire, lives.

"It's hard. All these years I have missed with her," McGuire said after she and Gudinas, who lives near Austin, Texas, shared their first hug and kiss.

Stingl reported that the twins were born to a woman who had been intimate with a married man, and they ended up in different foster homes and eventually at St. Joseph Orphanage on Milwaukee's south side.

"But we were kept separated. We were never in the same room with one another," Gudinas said.

Both girls were told while they were growing up that they were adopted and had a twin.

The efforts by Gudinas to find her sister made significant progress recently when a nun in Chicago who had archival materials from the orphanage provided her with the name of the people who adopted her twin.

She hired a genealogist to track her down with the help of public records and newspaper obituaries, and the genealogist showed up at McGuire's door recently, leading to the arrangements for their meeting Tuesday.

No mercy for priest with parking ticket

NEW YORK - The city is showing no mercy to a priest who got a $115 ticket for parking in an ambulance zone while ministering to an ailing hospital patient.

Two months after ticketing the Rev. Cletus Forson of St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Brooklyn, the city has thrown out his appeal.

"It's just a disappointment," said Forson, who got hit with the ticket July 26 outside Maimonides Medical Center. "I was attending someone who was in a debilitated state who needed attention."

Though Appeals Board Judges Irwin Strum and Diane Pine wrote they "accept" Forson was filling a "religious obligation," they ruled he still broke the law by parking in an ambulance zone.

The silver lining is that readers who learned about the ticket from the Daily News, where the story first appeared, and from an Associated Press story mailed cards, letters and nearly $1,500.

"I was very surprised," Monsignor Guy Massie, pastor of St. Andrew's, said Wednesday. "People are responding to their own frustration with the Bureau of Traffic Violations."

Massie said he would donate the money to charity.

Yogi's clerk slugs would-be robber

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Talk about customer service. When a would-be robber pulled a knife on a customer in Yogi's Convenient Mart in Manchester and demanded money, the store clerk didn't reach for the cash register.

Instead, Richard Cote swung into action - he grabbed a baseball bat from behind the counter and whacked the attempted thief twice.

Cote said he just reacted spontaneously to protect his customer.

The attempted robbery yesterday and Cote's swift reaction were all recorded on a store surveillance video.

After getting hit by Cote's swinging bat, the man ran and dropped the knife outside the store.

Police arrested Christopher Johns, 36, in connection with the botched robbery.

Man flags down cops, gets busted for pot

ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. - A man who flagged down a police cruiser for a ride to "a house on the hill" was charged with possession of marijuana. Daniel Paul Steinbach, 19, was standing in the middle of the road waving his arms at a police car Saturday night.

When officer Chad Christian stopped, Steinbach appeared unsteady on his feet and asked for a ride "to a house on the hill."

"I asked him what house, and he just replied 'A house on the hill,'" Christian said in his report.

Christian asked Steinbach if he was taking any medication, and, according to the report, the young man said he had been smoking marijuana.

The officer searched Steinbach's pockets and found about an ounce of marijuana and $75, the report states.

Steinbach was charged with public intoxication and possession of marijuana for resale, a felony punishable by one to two years in prison.

He was released Sunday from the Hawkins County Jail after posting bail and is scheduled for arraignment in general sessions court Oct. 4.

Car salesman accused of machete attack

TYLER, Texas - A 73-year-old used car salesman allegedly ended an argument with a customer by pulling out a machete and whacking the man's arm, according to police.

Robert Parker was arrested Monday night on charges of aggravated assault after the incident.

According to police, Gerald Davis had purchased a car from Time Auto Sales and went back to the dealership to pick up his license plates. Police said Davis, 53, and Parker began arguing and eventually Parker produced the machete.

Police said they don't know what the argument was about.

Davis was treated for the wound, but police didn't provide details on the seriousness of the injury.

Alleged burglar in thong leaves video

FORT MITCHELL, Ky. - A northern Kentucky man wearing only a thong and carrying a knife allegedly videotaped himself attempting a burglary, then left the tape behind, police said. That evidence ultimately led to his arrest, Fort Mitchell Police Chief Steve Hensley said.

Rodney McMillen, 36, of Covington was charged over the weekend with first-degree burglary.

"This is a very, very bizarre case, to say the least," Hensley said.

McMillen allegedly broke into a woman's apartment about 3 a.m. EDT on Sept. 20, clad in only thong underwear and carrying a knife, Hensley said. The woman fended off the attacker, who left the apartment and fled into a stand of trees near the apartment complex, Hensley said.

Investigating officers found a video camera the burglar left in the apartment, Hensley said, and found video of McMillen's family on the end of the tape, Hensley said.

Investigators were able to identify some of them and tracked down McMillen at his mother's house in Norwood, Ohio, Hensley said.

McMillen was lodged in the Hamilton County Justice Center in Cincinnati on $50,000 bond, awaiting extradition to Kentucky.

World’s Largest Cat Eats World’s Smallest Cat For Lunch

THE WORLD’S LARGEST CAT, Verismo Leonetti Reserve Red, and the world’s smallest cat, Mr. Peebles, were scheduled to be photographed together in a publicity event on Wednesday. Both hold Guiness Book World Records for Longest and Smallest cat, respectively. While it is normal for some cats to reject eachother upon meeting, an unexpected turn of events led to Mr. Peebles’s untimely demise.

It is unknown whether Verismo Leonetti “Leo” Reserve Red, a 4-foot-long Maine Coon, ate breakfast on Wednesday morning. When he was introduced to the 2-lb Mr. Peebles, they immediately took to one another. One witness says, “Leo just started licking Mr. Peebles like a mother to a kitten.”

Once the two were taken to the room with all of the cameras, things began to get a little strange. Leo, who has been rumored to have performed in a cat food commercial on one or two occasions, immediately climbed upon a table and prepared by primping for the photo shoot. Mr. Peebles crawled into a glass bowl to help emphasize his small stature. A photographer thought that this would have been a cute scene, so he asked someone on the set to move Mr. Peebles’s bowl to the table where Leo was bathing.

“From there, it was a bloodbath,” said photographer Peter Ellis. “That big cat must have thought that the bowl was carrying his lunch.” Before anyone could intervene, the massive Maine Coon cat swallowed the tiny Mr. Peebles and licked his chops as though he had just had a tasty meal.

At this time, it is not known whether anyone will be pressing charges

Playboy Parliament

Engineers are investigating a glitch which appeared to put porn on to the Scottish Parliament's TV system.

Adverts for adult channels such as Red Hot Wives, Playboy TV and Spice Extreme popped up on 320 TV monitors at Holyrood.

When viewers scrolled through the list of channels, they appeared as options but could not be accessed, reports The Scotsman.

A Holyrood spokeswoman said the channel labels had been added by mistake to the TV feed and supplier Telewest had been asked to remove them.

"The channels have been removed," she said. "There is no way anybody could watch porn in parliament."

The system had to be closed down at 9.30pm to prevent "teasers" for the adult channels appearing, the spokeswoman added.

Iowa woman finds drowned bat in tea mug

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A western Iowa woman is recovering from the shock of finding a drowned bat in her tea mug - after she sipped from the cup all day.

The brown bat, about the size of two tea bags, was found a few weeks ago by a 60-year-old Woodbury County woman, said Chuck Cipperley, an environmental director for the Siouxland health office in Sioux City.

"I knew the person, so I knew it was no joke," said Cipperley, who took the call from the woman.

The woman, who declined to identify herself, told Cipperley she found the bat when she was cleaning out the mug at night. She said she put the bat in a plastic bag before alerting the Siouxland health office the next morning.

Cipperley said the bat was sent that day - Sept. 1 - to the University Hygienic Laboratory in Coralville. Results showed the bat did not have rabies.

State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk said had the bat been rabid, the woman probably would have underwent a series of rabies shots, even though the probability of contracting rabies would be low.

The virus needs a break in the skin to enter the body, said Susan Brockus, state public health veterinarian.

Mike Pentella, program manager at University Hygienic Laboratory, said the bat was a first for the lab.

"We test many, many bats," he said, "but none that have drowned in a cup of tea before."

Killer teddy bear leaves 2,500 fish dead

MILFORD, N.H. - A teddy bear has been implicated in 2,500 deaths. Of trout, that is. State officials say a teddy bear dropped into a pool at a Fish and Game Department hatchery earlier this month clogged a drain. The clog blocked the flow of oxygen to the pool and suffocated the fish.

Hatcheries supervisor Robert Fawcett said the bear - who was dressed in yellow raincoat and hat - is believed to be the first stuffed bear to cause fatalities at the facility.

"We've had pipes get clogged, but it's usually with more naturally occurring things like a frog or even a dead muskrat," he said. "This one turned out to be a teddy bear and we don't know how it got there."

The deaths prompted Fawcett to release a written warning: "RELEASE OF ANY TEDDY BEARS into the fish hatchery water IS NOT PERMITTED."

He said it's not known who dropped the bear, but urged anyone whose bear ends up in a hatchery pool to find a worker to remove it. "They might save your teddy bear, and keep it from becoming a killer," he said.

"It's kind of a cute little teddy bear and people wouldn't think that a cute little teddy bear would be able to kill fish."

Skunk supporters gather in northern Ohio

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - People from as far away New Mexico and the Netherlands were in northern Ohio over the weekend, getting up close and personal with skunks.

Skunk owner Jeri Lynn Poling says others may not understand, but skunks make great pets and are soft and cuddly. She thinks having a rat or a lizard or a snake is weird.

Poling and other polecat enthusiasts gathered in North Ridgeville, about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland, for the sixth annual Skunkfest.

The event raises money for Skunk Haven, a nonprofit group that saves and rehabilitates injured skunks. And, pet skunks compete in beauty, personality and costume contests.

By the way, they all pass the sniff test, because those domesticated skunks are deodorized.

PETA upset at Six Flags roach contest

GURNEE, Ill. - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants Six Flags Great America to scrap its Halloween-themed cockroach-eating promotion.

A spokeswoman for the animal rights organization says the contest at the amusement park's FrightFest is "gratuitously cruel."

The park in Gurnee, Ill., is joining other Six Flags parks in offering unlimited line-jumping privileges to anyone who eats a live Madagascar hissing cockroach. The bugs are up to three inches long.

The contest begins next month.

Amusement park officials are defending their menu choice. Great America spokesman Jim Taylor says the bugs are nutritious, high in protein and fat free.

'Dead' woman shocks family

A Brazilian woman shocked her family by turning up alive and well a week after her own funeral.

Relatives of 18-year-old Maria Fabiana Franco thought she was a ghost and wouldn't let her in the house.

Miss Franco, from Vitoria, had been missing for two weeks when her sister wrongly identified the body of a young woman as being her.

Adriana Lacerda, the sister, said: "The dead woman was identical to my sister. They even had the same scar on the same eyebrow!"

The body was buried in the family grave and the family were still mourning a week later when Miss Franco turned up.

A police spokesperson told Terra Noticias Populares: "The family was so happy but really scared at the same time.

"They didn't let her in until we arrived, they thought they were seeing a ghost."

Miss Franco told police she had run away with her boyfriend but had to return home after he was arrested.

Boy, 3, buys £9K car on eBay

A three-year-old boy went on his parents' computer - and bought a £9,000 car.

Jack Neal made a successful bid for the Barbie pink Nissan Figaro on eBay.

Jack's parents, Rachel and dad John, found out about the car when they got a message from the internet auction site to congratulate them.

According to The Sun Rachel, 36, said: "We couldn't understand. So we checked and saw it was a Barbie pink car which we'd bought for £8,999.99."

Rachel, of Sleaford, Lincs, says Jack was able to log on to her eBay account as she left her password in her computer.

She added: "Jack's a real whiz - he's been able to log on since he was two.

Dad John phoned the seller and explained the error.

'2 b o not 2b?'

Education chiefs may turn Shakespeare into text speak so children can relate to it.

The Department of Education has issued guidelines to schools to be more creative. They are even backing the scheme to take a new approach to plays by the Bard.

Classic lines such as "To be, or not to be?" would be revamped into "2b o not 2b?".

Sean Dickinson, headteacher of Park Community School in Havant, Hants, said: "The core issue with Shakespeare is that it's become dull.

"Using technology like text messaging is one approach to fuel expression and creativity."

Colin Chuter, of Priory School, Portsmouth, said: "Children can lose their way, and this is one way of combating that."

According to The Sun Lindsey Lovett, 15, said: "I think it's a great idea. Shakespeare is well out of date."

But Mark Courtice, director of the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth, said: "If you just said to young people, 'Here's Shakespeare as text', it might confuse them."

Farmer discovers a four-legged chicken

SOMERSET, Pennsylvania - Henrietta the chicken was living inconspicuously for 18 months among 36,000 other chickens at Brendle Farms - until a farm foreman discovered she had four legs.

Farm-owner Mike Brendle was amazed by the discovery among his standard two-legged, egg-laying hens.

"It's as healthy as the rest," he said.

Brendle's 13-year-old daughter, Ashley, named the bird Henrietta after the discovery. It has two normal front legs and, behind those, two more feet. They are of a similar size to the chicken's front legs, but do not function. The chicken drags her extra feet behind her.

Brendle said he has never seen a chicken with four legs before. He moves 36,000 chickens through his farm three times a year and has been farming for 30 years.

There is no definitive reason behind such deformities, said Cliff Thompson, a retired professor of genetics at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He said it could be an accident of development, akin to a sixth toe on a cat.

Brendle said he jokingly suggested to his family they sell Henrietta in an Internet auction, but Ashley objected.

Women arrested after bizarre sex sting

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - An undercover police operation took an odd turn Thursday when a Syracuse police officer pretending to be a john met a suspected prostitute who pretended to be a police officer.

The encounter ended with two women under arrest. Police charged Lisa Greene, 31, with first-degree criminal impersonation, prostitution and fifth-degree conspiracy. Elena Irwin, 20, was charged with fifth-degree conspiracy and possession of a hypodermic needle.

Police spokesman Sgt. Tom Connellan said a male undercover officer driving in a neighborhood known for prostitution was flagged down by Greene. The woman got in his car and the two went to a nearby parking lot to negotiate a price for sex.

She asked the cop if he was a cop and the police officer said no.

"That's OK, because I am," the woman told the officer as she pulled out handcuffs and a two-way radio and barked a command into the radio: "Move in!"

The officer, concerned the woman was armed and looking to rob him, forced her from the car, Connellan said. Moments later, officers who had been monitoring the situation arrived and grabbed Greene - with the radio and cuffs - at a nearby intersection.

A male officer pretending to be a female used the radio to find out who was on the other end, Connellan said.

Police found Irwin waiting in a car in a nearby alley.

"We believe these people were going to rob people or extort money," Connellan said.

He did not know if they had successfully used the scam in the past.

Drunk Firefighter Steals New Jersey Fire Truck

Rockland, N.J.-- An off-duty FDNY firefighter swiped a fire truck from a local firehouse and drove it to a strip mall fire in Closter, N.J., -- apparently in a drunken attempt to respond to the blaze.

Eyewitness News has learned the fire burned through a spa in the Closter Commons, a strip mall on Piermont Road, just after 11:45 p.m.

When he heard of the blaze, the off-duty suspect rushed to the the Rockleigh Fire Station in Rockleigh, N.J. and swiped a fire truck.

Police say 33-year-old Raymond Oprey, of Palisades, N.Y., then drove the fire truck to respond to the Closter blaze.

Apparently when he arrived, Oprey was clearly intoxicated and refused a breathalizer test. He was charged with driving under the influence.

Oprey was arraigned this morning in municipal court and posted $25,000 bail.

The suspect has been a member of the FDNY for the past three years. He is assigned to Ladder 50 in the Bronx. The FDNY would only say the matter is under investigation.

Angry drink driver runs himself over

A US drink driver, who drove at a gang of bikers while waving a pool cue, ran himself over after getting out of his car.

The 50-year-old was driving along Highway 4 near Concord, California, when he saw the bikers, many of whom were wearing leather and skull caps.

California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Yox told the San Francisco Chronicle the man waved a pool cue at the bikers and swerved his car towards them.

The bikers split into two groups to get away and the irate driver aimed his car at two bikers who had pulled off the highway.

He got out of his car with the pool cue - but before he could do anything, he was knocked down by his own car which had been left in reverse.

The man was knocked into the highway and his car reversed into the central reservation. Some of the bikers grabbed him and pulled him out of danger.

Authorities said they had no idea why Brooks reacted the way he did to the bikers, who kept calm and didn't retaliate.

"We don't believe they went to fisticuffs with him," said Officer Yox.

The man suffered cuts and scratches and was taken to hospital. He could face charges of assault with a deadly weapon and drink driving.

Cops: Don't open door, there's a gator

HOLIDAY, Fla. - Police lights and a phone call woke Kevin Jessup at 4 a.m. "Good morning, sir," a deputy told him in the pre-dawn call Wednesday. "I advise you not to step out your front door. There's an alligator right there. A large one."

46-year-old plumber looked out a window to his porch.

"That was a sight to see," he told the St. Petersburg Times. "Like a big lizard."

Jessup went back to bed. One of his neighbors suggested the wandering alligator might be the reason the neighborhood's stray cat population has declined.

A trapper came and hauled reptilian trespasser to a slaughterhouse in Lacoochee.

Samaritans unwittingly help in car theft

MESA, Ariz. - People got behind and pushed and even offered an impromptu driving lesson to help a boy who was struggling to drive a car - all without realizing that the 14-year-old was stealing the vehicle, police said.

The boy stopped mid-getaway Wednesday to ask for help, and at least 15 people responded, according to Phoenix police. Police said the boy then got stuck in reverse, and more neighbors helped him push the car.

When he still couldn't figure out how to operate the manual transmission, police said he asked a passer-by for an impromptu driving lesson. Margarita Wood tried to give him directions through the car window and finally climbed in to help.

Police said none of the would-be Samaritans realized the vehicle was stolen or that the driver was underage.

"It is incredible that an entire neighborhood would participate in this comedy of errors," said Sgt. Dave Norton.

"Nobody asked why a 14-year-old is out with a vehicle and doesn't know how to drive it," said Norton. "His looks and size should've made bells and whistles go off in people's minds."

World's most expensive marmalade

A jam maker has marked its 125th anniversary by producing the world's most expensive marmalade.

F Duerr & Son's Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade with Whisky, Champagne and Gold costs £5,000 a jar.

That means it would cost an estimated £76 to spread on just one slice of toast, reports the Telegraph.

It contains finest Seville fruit with vintage Dalmore 62 whisky from Whyte & Mackay, valued at £32,000 per bottle, Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 1996 vintage champagne and flakes of 24-carat gold leaf.

The Manchester-based firm's special marmalade is encased in a custom-made crystal jar valued at £1,100.

Mmanaging director Mark Duerr said: "It's unbelievably good - we tasted it at a board meeting last week for the first time, and were amazed. The whisky comes through immediately. The champagne's more subtle."

The initial plan was to make the exclusive preserve a one-off production, with the one-kilo jar being auctioned on eBay to raise money for the Manchester Kids charity.

However, Duerr's has been so impressed by the taste that it is considering making a more affordable version as a normal product.

Girls leave room, rig crashes through it

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Two little girls, who apparently couldn't sleep, got out of the bed they shared less than a half-hour before a tractor-trailer plowed through their bedroom.

Cori Morgan, 7, and her sister, Shadia, 3, had left their bedroom for the living room just before the 4:30 a.m. crash, said Cerrisa Moore, whose mother owns the house.

The girls' parents, Cody Batiste and Sally Morgan, both are deaf.

"When it happened, I just thought it was the rain," Batiste said through sign language interpreter Phyllis St. Cyr.

"There was a big noise, and I was puzzled," Batiste said. "Cori looked around and said the bedroom was all messed up."

St. Cyr, who knows the family, had stopped by when she saw Morgan picking up children's clothes from the ground where the bedroom had been.

Willie Edwards, a trucker for Edwards Transport of Houston, was cited for reckless driving, said Cpl. Mark Francis of the Lafayette Police Department.

Before hitting the house, Edwards hit a light pole and a traffic control box. He was treated for minor injuries.

Driver accidentally crashes car into Springfield convenience store

A woman (pictured at right) waits in the back seat of her car for a police officer to fill out a report after she accidentally crashed her car at the Kwik Pantry convenience store at Chestnut Expressway and Patterson Avenue this morning.

The woman had stopped at the store for a cup of coffee when her foot slipped off the brake and hit the accelerator, knocking down a wall and soda display inside the store.

"I've heard of people doing this and thought, 'how stupid,'" she said. "It's embarassing."

Kwik Pantry manager Peggy Price said the store will be closed until an inspector surveys the damage, but she is still able to sell gas. Price anticipates the store will fully reopen this afternoon.

Mini the Pooh

At just 5mm high, this is the world's smallest teddy bear.

Mini the Pooh, made by German sculptor Bettina Kaminski, is almost invisible to the naked eye.

Farmers fed cows cannabis

Five Romanian farmers are being investigated after police discovered they were feeding their cows cannabis.

The farmers from Romanesti in Botosani county, told officers the drug helped the cows produce more milk.

The farmer aged between 57 and 82, claim they didn't know they were doing something illegal by growing the drug in their field

Farmer Ion Astarastoaie said: "We grew it because the cows seemed to like it, and happy cows give more milk."

Love-sick Moose wanders onto campus

MARQUETTE, Mich. - A moose that wandered onto the Northern Michigan University campus and broke a dormitory window might have been looking for love in all the wrong places, a wildlife expert said.

City police chased the animal away after the Tuesday evening incursion at Magers Hall, Detective Capt. Mike Angeli said. It was unclear whether the moose got inside the building.

"It's not unusual for a moose to do something like this now," said Dean Beyer, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist who has an office at Northern Michigan. "We're in the middle of the (mating) rut right about now.

"Moose, especially a young bull moose, will move long distances," he said. "They could be searching for a cow to mate with, or simply be a young bull dispersing after being chased away from its herd and looking for a new home range."

A yearling bull generally weighs 500 to 600 pounds, but any wild animal should be avoided, Beyer told The Mining Journal.

"They're more aggressive this time of year," he said. "It's always best to keep your distance."

Man's lost gnome attends Steelers game

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Allen Snyder's garden gnome is apparently out of jail and now traveling the country. The 14-inch tall red-and-white statue disappeared from Snyder's Morgantown yard in the spring, and Snyder has since received three letters claiming to have been written by "Gnomey."

The latest letter, which Snyder received this week, included photos of the gnome in the company of Steelers fans attending Pittsburgh's football home opener.

"You never took me to any games," the note said. The letter ended: "Have to go now. Boarding a plane. Now, finally, broadening my travels."

An earlier letter included a request for bail money and included what appeared to be booking photos of Gnomey and another of the gnome in the back seat of a police car.

Snyder has no idea who's pulling this prank but said his short list of suspects includes several gag-loving friends.

The plight of his gnome has gotten a lot of attention. Snyder says people are always asking if he's heard from Gnomey.

"I never thought it would go this far," he said.

Man urinated on cash till

US police are hunting a man who stood on a conveyor belt and urinated on a till at a supermarket.

Witnesses said the man was standing in line at the check out at a ShopRite store in Chester, New York state.

He suddenly climbed on the belt, took out his penis and urinated on the till, reports the Times Herald Record.

Police responded to a report of indecent exposure but were unable to find the man who fled before startled staffand shoppers could act.

ShopRite officials called it an unfortunate incident and said the register was cleaned and disinfected immediately.

False teeth snare robber

An Argentinian robber was caught after he lost his false teeth during a raid on a house.

Householder Juan Navarro, from Cordoba, noticed one of the masked robbers lose his dentures.

In his hurry to escape, the robber left the false teeth behind and Mr Navarro handed them over to the police.

Two days after the robbery, Mr Navarro noticed his own nephew suddenely seemed to have lost his teeth.

A police spokesman said: "Mr Navarro came straight to us and we had the denture analysed. It turns out it belongs to his nephew.

"What a funny thing to happen. Caught by a denture! Unbelievable!"

Man Says Food Found In Dumpster “Not As Good As It Looked”

PHILADELPHIA, PA- A Philadelphia man spent the night in an area hospital recovering from dehydration as the result of vomiting and uncontrolled defecation.

Phil Navaro, of North Philadelphia, said the emesis began about one hour after eating the remains of a cheese steak he discovered in a dumpster outside of his apartment complex.

“It was practically untouched…just nibbled on one end a little. I guess it wasn’t as good as it looked. You never know about these things until it’s too late,” Navaro said while leaving the emergency room of Temple University Hospital.

Navaro was released by hospital physicians after receiving two liters of IV fluid and a tetanus shot.

Thief steals courthouse computers while on trial for computer theft

NOVATO, Calif. (AP) -- A man was convicted of various theft charges, after prosecutors say he stole computers from the courthouse while he was on trial for computer theft.

"It just amazed me that someone could be in the middle of a jury trial for a burglary involving computers and immediately get involved in another burglary at the Civic Center," said sheriff's Sgt. Jerry Niess.

Jon Houston Eipp, 39, of Novato pleaded guilty Monday in three separate cases involving 10 different charges, including burglary, theft, drug possession, attempted auto theft and more.

He could be facing nearly five years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

In an interview Monday night at the county jail, Eipp said he stole the computers "for personal reasons."

"I needed help, and I didn't know how to ask for help," he said. "And I guess, in my crazy way, that was my way of asking for help. Help with my drug problems, help with my sanity."

Trees planted by Nazis show a huge swastika 70 years later

The 60 x 60 meter swastika consisted of Larch trees in a Pine forest near the village of Zernikow (110 km Northeast of Berlin). It was only visible from the air a few weeks in the Spring and a few weeks in the Fall when Larch trees stood out in contract to the surrounding Pine trees.

These trees were planted in the 1930's by a local resident during Nazi times. They were largely forgotten until after the German reunification in 1992 when planes once again flew over the area.

Local forestry officials cut down 25 of the Larch trees after this photo appeared in several German tabloids. Swastikas are mostly outlawed in Germany.. Coins and stamps are exempt from the ban.

Man Plummets 50 Feet to Grab Missing $20

PALMETTO, Fla. Sep 19, 2006 (AP)— Mark Giorgio figured a 50-foot fall was worth $20. Giorgio, 47, was counting his money Monday while walking across the U.S. 41 bridge over the Manatee River when a $20 bill blew out of his hand and flew over the rail.

He followed. And plummeted 50 feet into the river.

Then he swam about 100 yards to fish the bill from the water.

"I got my money back, hell yeah," Giorgio told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "Twenty bucks is a lot of money when you're broke."

He was fished from the water by a passing Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer. Giorgio, who said he was already suffering from a broken collarbone, refused treatment for cuts and scrapes he suffered in the fall.

Panda Bites Man, Man Bites Panda at Zoo

A drunken Chinese migrant worker jumped into a panda enclosure at the Beijing Zoo, was bitten by the bear and retaliated by chomping down on the animal's back, state media said Wednesday.

Zhang Xinyan, from the central province of Henan, drank four jugs of beer at a restaurant near the zoo before visiting Gu Gu the panda on Tuesday, the Beijing Morning Post said.

"He felt a sudden urge to touch the panda with his hand," and jumped into the enclosure, the newspaper said.

The panda, who was asleep, was startled and bit Zhang, 35, on the right leg, it said. Zhang got angry and kicked the panda, who then bit his other leg. A tussle ensued, the paper said.

"I bit the fellow in the back," Zhang was quoted as saying in the newspaper. "Its skin was quite thick."

Other tourists yelled for a zookeeper, who got the panda under control by spraying it with water, reports said. Zhang was hospitalized.

Newspaper photographs showed Zhang lying on a hospital bed with blood-soaked bandages and a seam of stitches running down his leg.

The Beijing Youth Daily quoted Zhang as saying that he had seen pandas on television and "they seemed to get along well with people."

"No one ever said they would bite people," Zhang said. "I just wanted to touch it. I was so dizzy from the beer. I don't remember much."

Man Jailed For Putting Urine In Coffee At Work

AKRON, Ohio -- There will be no trial for an Ohio postal worker accused of urinating in his co-workers' coffee.

Thomas Shaheen admitted Monday that he put urine in the break room coffee pot at the Wolf Ledges, Ohio, post office branch earlier this year. Shaheen was sentenced to six months in a jail work release program.

He was also ordered to pay his co-workers $1,200 to reimburse them for the video camera they rented to help capture him in the act.

Shaheen told his former co-workers during his sentencing that he was sorry for what he did.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm really sorry," said Shaheen. "I don't know what came over me. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm really sorry, I just want to get my life over, get my life going again."

But before he apologized and was sentenced, some of the postal employees he worked with at the transportation maintenance shop gave Shaheen a piece of their minds.

"He not only watched us drink the coffee but the majority of the shop, his own friends and fellow workers, about 20 of us all together, he would sit in the same room with people and watch them drink his sick little brew and think nothing of it," said postal worker Jene Jackson.

Postal workers said Shaheen poured urine in the coffee pot several times in a four- to six-month period. Employees said Shaheen was jealous of some of his peers who had certain work privileges.

Driver tried to hide crack cocaine by feeding it to puppy

A puppy that was fed crack cocaine by a driver who was stopped at a DUI checkpoint appears to be healthy and unharmed by the incident.

Dr. Steven Smolen, a veterinarian at the Veterinary Emergency Clinic in Shaler, who was on duty when the puppy was brought in, said the puppy is "doing very well."

"It was really very thin from not getting the proper nutrition. We're treating it for internal and external parasites -- worms and fleas and ticks," he said.

He said one person called the clinic yesterday morning, wanting to adopt the dog. But, the trooper called yesterday, as well, and wants the clinic to hold onto the dog until he can "make arrangements."

Police said charges are pending against the driver, identified as Rich Lavelle, 19, of Pittsburgh. State police said Mr. Lavelle would be charged with cruelty to animals, DUI, driving under suspension and other summary offenses.

"The plan is that the dog is not going back to that owner," Dr. Smolen said.

Cocaine beverage enters energy drinks market

A new energy drink called Cocaine, aimed at the young party-going market, has been launched in the US.

The product, which shares the same name with the illegal drug also associated with a young party-going circuit, has been marketed as giving a bigger and better high than any other energy drinks but without the crash the similar drinks cause.
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The drink's maker Las Vegas-based Redux Beverages claims that five minutes after consumption the drinker will achieve a high which is then followed by a caffeine boost 15 minutes later. The effects are supposed to last for up to five hours.

The maker also claims its latest product is 350% stronger than leading energy drink Red Bull.

The drink's creator claims its effects are caused by the use of simple sugars that don't need to be broken down by the body in order to create a "sugar buzz", which is accompanied by a large dose of vitamin B12.

Redux have also proposed that consumers will experience a psychological boost after hearing the name of the drink.

The Attak of the Clowns

Police in Seattle are on the lookout for members of a machete-wielding gang in angry clown make-up after a rampage of robbery and violence left nearly two dozen people injured while dozens more were treated for excessive helium inhalation in a park in western Washington state

The group, who said they were “juggalos,” devotees of the Detroit-based rap-metal group Insane Clown Posse, attacked, entertained, robbed and delighted visitors to Fort Steilacoom Park while shouting “Woo, woo, juggalo!” to each other, according to court documents.

Prosecutors in Pierce County, south of Seattle, charged three people with assault, robbery and wacky mayhem last week, but police in the City of Lakewood said they are searching for another twenty five to thirty suspects who took part. They are believed to be driving a green and white polka dot colored Volkswagen Rabbit.
According to police reports, some members of the gang wore black hooded sweatshirts or clown make-up and told victims they would “cut their heads off” with machetes. “They said it in such a way that we all had to laugh.” Said Marge Rincon of Seattle. “There was actually a decapitation line, there was a sucker punch line. We thought it was all in fun.”

Italian thief accidentally turns himself in

MILAN (Reuters) - An Italian thief accidentally turned himself in after losing his cellular phone while robbing an elderly lady, calling his own number to meet the finder -- and unwittingly arranging a date with police.

The 77-year-old victim handed over the phone that the bag snatcher had dropped to police, who lured the thief to a meeting where he was arrested, news agency Agi reported on Monday.

Agi said the man had been freed from prison recently under an Italian mass pardon meant to ease congestion in jails.

By the time police were waiting for him at the meeting point, the 35-year-old had already robbed another old lady and was riding a stolen scooter, Agi said.

Fonz to take pantomime role as Hook

Actor Henry Winkler will play Captain Hook in Peter Pan at London's New Wimbledon Theatre.

David Hasselhoff was originally offered the role but pulled out to appear on Simon Cowell's new US show America's Got Talent.

Winkler, 60, will co-star with entertainer Bobby Davro. The show marks his British stage debut.

"I'm thrilled to be doing this and I'm honoured to be one of the first Americans invited to appear in panto. We don't have panto in America and it sounds unbelievably fun," he said.

"I love the Peter Pan story and I love Captain Hook. He's a villain but, hey, he had his hand bitten off by a crocodile - you have to feel some sympathy for the guy."

Winkler, whose film credits include Scream and The Waterboy, found fame as Arthur 'Fonz' Fonzarelli in hit show Happy Days. It ran from 1974-84 and the character became an icon - with The Fonz always sporting his trademark biker jacket and Elvis quiff.

"I won't be bringing too much of The Fonz into Captain Hook because it might get confusing for the audience - but I may keep the quiff under my wig just for old times' sake," Winkler said.

The show opens on December 8 and runs until January 14. Producer Kevin Wood said: "Henry was an obvious choice for us. He is a brilliant actor and is known for his larger than life performances as The Fonz across the globe. Parents will know and remember him fondly and a new generation of children will get to know his unique sense of humour."

Winkler is not the only US star treading the board in panto this Christmas. Dallas star Patrick Duffy is appearing in Cinderella at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking.

Drunken cowboy arrested

A drunken German cowboy was arrested after he rode his horse into several pubs looking for a nightcap.

The 33-year-old trotted with his mount into several saloons in Geseke requesting: "Just one for the road - and an apple for Hendrik."

Hendrik the horse plodded faithfully around the town as his master fired a cap gun and at one stage fell off.

It wasn't long before the sherrif arrived and the night ended with the midnight cowboy sleeping it off in the local cells.

Hendrik was bedded down for the night at a stable with police horses. His owner faces a charge of being drunk in charge of a horse and a fine.

Google Earth reveils Shark in Las Vegas Swimming Pool

A keen-eyed Google Earth user has spotted what appears to be a live shark in a swimming pool in Las Vegas.