Police in northeastern Iran are launching a new morality drive by confiscating alluring mannequins from boutiques and clothes stalls in the bazaar, authorities in the city of Bojnourd said Monday.
A spokesman for the city's judiciary, who asked not be named, explained the drive would tackle problems of "public chastity." He said 65 mannequins have been impounded so far.
He explained the crack-down on tailors' dummies was part of a larger offensive against anti-social behavior such as vandalism and biker gangs.
Bojnourd owes its traditional religious climate to the nearby shrine city of Mashhad, a focal point of pilgrimage for the world's Shi'ite Muslims.
20051029
Harry Potter's "flying" car is stolen
The "flying" Ford Anglia used in the Harry Potter films has been stolen from a film studio lot, police said on Friday.
"For those who have not seen the Harry Potter films, this is the car that flies in the movies and is very well known," a police spokesman said.
The blue Anglia went missing from South West Film Studios at St Agnes in the southwestern English county of Cornwall.
"The film prop was being stored under a tarpaulin. It was not in good condition and could not have been driven away under its own steam," the police spokesman said.
"For those who have not seen the Harry Potter films, this is the car that flies in the movies and is very well known," a police spokesman said.
The blue Anglia went missing from South West Film Studios at St Agnes in the southwestern English county of Cornwall.
"The film prop was being stored under a tarpaulin. It was not in good condition and could not have been driven away under its own steam," the police spokesman said.
20051027
Rome bans goldfish bowls
The city of Rome has banned goldfish bowls, which animal rights activists say are cruel, and has made regular dog-walks mandatory in the Italian capital, the town's council said Tuesday.
The classic spherical fish bowls are banned under a new by-law which also stops fish or other animals being given away as fairground prizes. It comes after a national law was passed to allow jail sentences for people who abandon cats or dogs.
"It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention," said Monica Cirinna, the councilor behind the by-law.
"The civilization of a city can also be measured by this," she told Rome daily Il Messaggero.
The newspaper reported that round bowls caused fish to go blind. No one at Rome council was available to confirm this was why they were banned. Many fish experts say round bowls provide insufficient oxygen for fish.
In July 2004, parliament passed a law setting big fines and jail terms for people who abandon pets and since then local governments have added their own animal welfare rules many of which will be difficult to police.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to fine pet owners up to 500 euros if they do not walk their dogs at least three times a day.
The new Rome by-law requires owners to regularly exercise their dogs, and bans them from docking their pets' tails for aesthetic reasons.
It also provides legal recognition for cat lovers who provide food for the colonies of strays which live everywhere from the city's ancient Roman ruins to modern office car parks.
Animal rights groups estimate that around 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year.
The classic spherical fish bowls are banned under a new by-law which also stops fish or other animals being given away as fairground prizes. It comes after a national law was passed to allow jail sentences for people who abandon cats or dogs.
"It's good to do whatever we can for our animals who in exchange for a little love fill our existence with their attention," said Monica Cirinna, the councilor behind the by-law.
"The civilization of a city can also be measured by this," she told Rome daily Il Messaggero.
The newspaper reported that round bowls caused fish to go blind. No one at Rome council was available to confirm this was why they were banned. Many fish experts say round bowls provide insufficient oxygen for fish.
In July 2004, parliament passed a law setting big fines and jail terms for people who abandon pets and since then local governments have added their own animal welfare rules many of which will be difficult to police.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to fine pet owners up to 500 euros if they do not walk their dogs at least three times a day.
The new Rome by-law requires owners to regularly exercise their dogs, and bans them from docking their pets' tails for aesthetic reasons.
It also provides legal recognition for cat lovers who provide food for the colonies of strays which live everywhere from the city's ancient Roman ruins to modern office car parks.
Animal rights groups estimate that around 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year.
20051024
Inventions: Sex drive patch to sideways bike
From a scented patch to boost a woman's sex drive to a bicycle that travels sideways, the weird, wonderful and wacky were out in force at the British Invention Show on Saturday.
Inventor Liz Paul claims that her Scentuelle -- a tiny transparent patch that exudes dopamines and is worn by a woman on her wrist to recharge her sexual battery -- is just what today's stressed and multi-tasking females need.
"Men have Viagra, now we women have this," she told Reuters at the show in north London's Alexandra Palace. "Research has shown that 35 percent of women have problems with their libido."
At the other end of the scale she also has a patch that might not be quite so welcomed by women as it blocks cravings for chocolate -- regarded by many women to be as good as sex.
Elsewhere in the show -- and somewhat less discreet or even portable -- is a giant appliance called The Egg which offers a full body massage at the same time as aroma therapy and relaxing music.
"Step in stressed and emerge 15 minutes later a new person," said Cathy Morris. "We have had enquiries from business and even some home individuals interested in installing one at home."
But sensuality was not all that was on offer, Brent Simon waxed lyrical about his coolbag that behaves like a fridge, Roark McMaster showed off his rubber hat that keeps cut cucumbers fresh and Lewis Kirkbride had a new take on umbrellas.
Reza Kahouli even offered to make it rain -- or stop raining -- in just 15 minutes if someone would let him have an aircraft.
At the simple end of the spectrum, Mike Minton was deeply proud of his hand-held device that pre-cuts toast soldiers for dipping into soft-boiled eggs.
"Look," he said. "Straight edges and no crumbs every time."
But perhaps the wackiest invention was Michael Killian's SidewaysBike -- a contraption with a single handlebar at either end and a saddle in the middle that he described as the bicycling equivalent of snowboarding.
"The beauty of this is that it has absolutely no purpose except fun," he said with a broad smile.
Inventor Liz Paul claims that her Scentuelle -- a tiny transparent patch that exudes dopamines and is worn by a woman on her wrist to recharge her sexual battery -- is just what today's stressed and multi-tasking females need.
"Men have Viagra, now we women have this," she told Reuters at the show in north London's Alexandra Palace. "Research has shown that 35 percent of women have problems with their libido."
At the other end of the scale she also has a patch that might not be quite so welcomed by women as it blocks cravings for chocolate -- regarded by many women to be as good as sex.
Elsewhere in the show -- and somewhat less discreet or even portable -- is a giant appliance called The Egg which offers a full body massage at the same time as aroma therapy and relaxing music.
"Step in stressed and emerge 15 minutes later a new person," said Cathy Morris. "We have had enquiries from business and even some home individuals interested in installing one at home."
But sensuality was not all that was on offer, Brent Simon waxed lyrical about his coolbag that behaves like a fridge, Roark McMaster showed off his rubber hat that keeps cut cucumbers fresh and Lewis Kirkbride had a new take on umbrellas.
Reza Kahouli even offered to make it rain -- or stop raining -- in just 15 minutes if someone would let him have an aircraft.
At the simple end of the spectrum, Mike Minton was deeply proud of his hand-held device that pre-cuts toast soldiers for dipping into soft-boiled eggs.
"Look," he said. "Straight edges and no crumbs every time."
But perhaps the wackiest invention was Michael Killian's SidewaysBike -- a contraption with a single handlebar at either end and a saddle in the middle that he described as the bicycling equivalent of snowboarding.
"The beauty of this is that it has absolutely no purpose except fun," he said with a broad smile.
20051023
Senate budget chief wins big in lottery
Sen. Judd Gregg (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, worries that his deficit-ridden, free-spending country is gambling on its future.
But the New Hampshire Republican's own little gamble paid off big time when he won $853,492 -- before taxes -- as a second place winner in the multi-state Powerball lottery.
Gregg said on Thursday that he had bought $20 worth of tickets at a Washington gas station on his way to work on Monday. With gas selling for around $3 a gallon in Washington, Gregg said he was watching his bill mount when he decided to buy the lottery tickets "and see if I can make some of it back."
Gregg, who is affluent but not among the Senate's multi-millionaires, said he would donate part of the money to a foundation named for his father, Hugh, which helps New Hampshire charities.
About a third will go to taxes and his wife will have a say in how the rest is spent. "She deserves that," he said.
Meanwhile his colleagues gathered around him, mercilessly teasing him and proclaiming that they were long lost relatives "They're tormenting me," Gregg said.
The budget chief, who can rattle off all sorts of statistics about federal spending, said he couldn't remember what his winning numbers were. "The first one was a seven," he said.
But the New Hampshire Republican's own little gamble paid off big time when he won $853,492 -- before taxes -- as a second place winner in the multi-state Powerball lottery.
Gregg said on Thursday that he had bought $20 worth of tickets at a Washington gas station on his way to work on Monday. With gas selling for around $3 a gallon in Washington, Gregg said he was watching his bill mount when he decided to buy the lottery tickets "and see if I can make some of it back."
Gregg, who is affluent but not among the Senate's multi-millionaires, said he would donate part of the money to a foundation named for his father, Hugh, which helps New Hampshire charities.
About a third will go to taxes and his wife will have a say in how the rest is spent. "She deserves that," he said.
Meanwhile his colleagues gathered around him, mercilessly teasing him and proclaiming that they were long lost relatives "They're tormenting me," Gregg said.
The budget chief, who can rattle off all sorts of statistics about federal spending, said he couldn't remember what his winning numbers were. "The first one was a seven," he said.
20051020
Fowl play suspected in theater abduction
The star of a London West End theater comedy -- a talented duck called Daphne -- has been stolen, just two days before opening night.
Daphne was the leading lady in "Ducktastic" -- a spoof inspired by showbusiness duo Siegfried and Roy.
Daphne, who performs trick and bows to the audience in her show-stopping appearance, was stolen after a preview performance.
"I am very concerned. She had done 30 performances and was our best duck," producer David Pugh told Reuters. An understudy duck called Saber is waiting in the wings. "I hope it will be a case of 'A Star Is Born,'" Pugh added.
"The police came and were very supportive. Forty-five minutes after the theft, a lady found an empty box in Covent Garden. The box has been fingerprinted," Pugh said.
The show is being staged at a West End theater not far from London's Chinatown, famed for its Peking duck dishes.
"I am distraught. I found it too upsetting to walk through Chinatown afterwards in case there was any recognition," Pugh said. "It is not often you have a West End star stolen."
Pugh said he feared for the welfare of Daphne, a pure white Indian runner. "I hope they don't try to take this duck to water. Indian runners don't swim."
In desperation he has offered a reward -- two tickets to the play and an invitation to the first night party.
Daphne was the leading lady in "Ducktastic" -- a spoof inspired by showbusiness duo Siegfried and Roy.
Daphne, who performs trick and bows to the audience in her show-stopping appearance, was stolen after a preview performance.
"I am very concerned. She had done 30 performances and was our best duck," producer David Pugh told Reuters. An understudy duck called Saber is waiting in the wings. "I hope it will be a case of 'A Star Is Born,'" Pugh added.
"The police came and were very supportive. Forty-five minutes after the theft, a lady found an empty box in Covent Garden. The box has been fingerprinted," Pugh said.
The show is being staged at a West End theater not far from London's Chinatown, famed for its Peking duck dishes.
"I am distraught. I found it too upsetting to walk through Chinatown afterwards in case there was any recognition," Pugh said. "It is not often you have a West End star stolen."
Pugh said he feared for the welfare of Daphne, a pure white Indian runner. "I hope they don't try to take this duck to water. Indian runners don't swim."
In desperation he has offered a reward -- two tickets to the play and an invitation to the first night party.
20051019
Robbers snatch woman's purse, then return it
Two hooded gunmen who robbed a pharmacy returned an elderly woman's purse after she told them it contained the only money she had to buy medicine, Maltese newspapers reported Tuesday.
The two men barged into a pharmacy at Marsascala, a seaside village in the south of the island, Monday and took 600 Malta liri from the till after threatening the pharmacist with their guns.
One of them grabbed the purse held by the elderly woman who was waiting to be served, then handed it back after her pleading and rushed out to a waiting motorcycle.
The two men barged into a pharmacy at Marsascala, a seaside village in the south of the island, Monday and took 600 Malta liri from the till after threatening the pharmacist with their guns.
One of them grabbed the purse held by the elderly woman who was waiting to be served, then handed it back after her pleading and rushed out to a waiting motorcycle.
20051018
Lose weight, enjoy a better sex life: study
Obese women who start to lose weight will also see an improvement in the quality of their sex lives, according to a U.S. study released Monday.
Even a moderate weight loss reduced complaints of feeling sexually unattractive and led to improved desire, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) in Vancouver.
"If people experience benefits and rewards from their weight loss and health efforts, it may motivate them to continue a healthy lifestyle," said Martin Binks, director of behavioral health at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina.
Researchers who tracked 161 obese women participating in a prescription weight loss program in Minnesota found almost two-thirds reported problems with aspects of their sex life when the study began.
Within the first year, the percentage of women who said they had problems with sexual desire dropped to 15 percent from 39 percent and the number who felt they were sexually unattractive dropped to 26 percent from 68 percent.
The Minnesota weight loss program lasted for two years, but health officials said it was normal for the majority of the weight loss to be in the first year.
The researchers said they found similar results in a survey of 26 obese men in the Minnesota weight-loss program, but cautioned that the small number of male participants made it difficult to draw conclusions from that data.
Health officials say there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in North America in the past two decades, and 64 percent of adults in the United States are considered to be overweight or obese.
Even a moderate weight loss reduced complaints of feeling sexually unattractive and led to improved desire, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of The North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) in Vancouver.
"If people experience benefits and rewards from their weight loss and health efforts, it may motivate them to continue a healthy lifestyle," said Martin Binks, director of behavioral health at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina.
Researchers who tracked 161 obese women participating in a prescription weight loss program in Minnesota found almost two-thirds reported problems with aspects of their sex life when the study began.
Within the first year, the percentage of women who said they had problems with sexual desire dropped to 15 percent from 39 percent and the number who felt they were sexually unattractive dropped to 26 percent from 68 percent.
The Minnesota weight loss program lasted for two years, but health officials said it was normal for the majority of the weight loss to be in the first year.
The researchers said they found similar results in a survey of 26 obese men in the Minnesota weight-loss program, but cautioned that the small number of male participants made it difficult to draw conclusions from that data.
Health officials say there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in North America in the past two decades, and 64 percent of adults in the United States are considered to be overweight or obese.
20051017
U.S. rejects Katrina meals, offers them to others
The United States on Friday offered needy countries more than 330,000 packaged meals donated by Britain to feed Hurricane Katrina victims but rejected due to a U.S. ban on British beef.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the "Meals Ready to Eat," or MREs, had been held in a warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, for more than a month after U.S. Agriculture Department officials said they could not be distributed in the United States because they contained British beef products.
"We are certainly, for our part, looking to dispose of these MREs that were offered in the spirit of friendship and charity. We are looking to dispose of them in the same way," Ereli told a State Department briefing.
The United States bans the import of products containing British beef because of fears of mad cow disease, a chronic, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
An additional 33,000 MREs from Germany, Russia, Spain and France had also not been distributed to hurricane victims because of U.S. legal restrictions, Ereli said without elaborating.
More than 100 nations offered assistance to the United States after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other U.S. Gulf Coast communities on August 29.
The U.S. relief effort to help victims of the hurricane was criticized as too slow and inefficient and bogged down by bureaucracy and in-fighting among government departments.
Early on, there was a need for about 500,000 readily packaged meals and the State Department asked its embassies worldwide to seek food donations. Britain was among the first countries to offer MREs.
The State Department said it did not want to appear ungrateful for the British donation and that it was working hard to pass on the meals to another country in need.
"We obviously want to find needy populations and get them these supplies as soon as possible, because if you need them, you need them now. So we're eager to resolve this soon," said Ereli, adding he did not know what the expiration dates were on the food packages.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the "Meals Ready to Eat," or MREs, had been held in a warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, for more than a month after U.S. Agriculture Department officials said they could not be distributed in the United States because they contained British beef products.
"We are certainly, for our part, looking to dispose of these MREs that were offered in the spirit of friendship and charity. We are looking to dispose of them in the same way," Ereli told a State Department briefing.
The United States bans the import of products containing British beef because of fears of mad cow disease, a chronic, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle.
An additional 33,000 MREs from Germany, Russia, Spain and France had also not been distributed to hurricane victims because of U.S. legal restrictions, Ereli said without elaborating.
More than 100 nations offered assistance to the United States after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other U.S. Gulf Coast communities on August 29.
The U.S. relief effort to help victims of the hurricane was criticized as too slow and inefficient and bogged down by bureaucracy and in-fighting among government departments.
Early on, there was a need for about 500,000 readily packaged meals and the State Department asked its embassies worldwide to seek food donations. Britain was among the first countries to offer MREs.
The State Department said it did not want to appear ungrateful for the British donation and that it was working hard to pass on the meals to another country in need.
"We obviously want to find needy populations and get them these supplies as soon as possible, because if you need them, you need them now. So we're eager to resolve this soon," said Ereli, adding he did not know what the expiration dates were on the food packages.
Half-century in mental asylum a mistake..
More than half-a-century ago, Machal Lalung was thought to be insane and sent to a mental asylum in India's remote northeast.
A few months ago, he was set free after the National Human Rights Commission found that healthcare authorities had made a mistake and Lalung suffered only from epilepsy.
Lalung's confinement for 54 years has shocked rights activists and mental health experts in a country where it is not uncommon for people to be branded insane and locked up in homes or asylums for months, if not a few years.
"Machal Lalung's case was not in our knowledge but once it was brought to our notice, we immediately completed all legal formalities to secure his release," Assam's Home Minister Rokybul Hussain told Reuters.
"I am really sorry for him," he said.
That comes as small consolation for the 77-year-old frail tribal man, who was 23 when he was sent to the state-run mental hospital in the Assamese city of Tezpur.
Fifty-four years with psychiatric patients has dulled his senses, made him forget his family, his tribal dialect and even the taste of the food he liked.
His life before entering the asylum is nothing but a blip in his memory. So is the story of how and who brought him to the mental home. Doctors who treated Lalung have retired and records about him are missing.
Today Lalung said he awaits peace in death.
"I feel sad at what happened to my life but there is no use grumbling now. I am just waiting for death," he told Reuters at his nephew's home in Silchang village, about 55 miles east of Assam's main city of Guwahati.
"Initially, I used to miss my family and always begged my wardens to send me home. But they never listened to me," he said with tears in his eyes.
Lalung's only family members -- his father and elder sister -- are dead. He lives with his sister's son who grew up listening to stories about his uncle's disappearance.
It was in fact the nephew who managed to trace Lalung after a man from their village had gone to the same mental hospital for treatment and saw Lalung.
"It was very difficult to stay with insane people in the same room but gradually I got used to it," Lalung said.
Today, despite his poor health, Lalung likes to work in a small vegetable garden outside the house, carrying a spade and a pouch containing a tobacco and betel nut snack to chew.
Although there were many women in the hospital, Lalung never tried to make friends with them or consider marriage.
"Who would want to marry an insane woman?" he asks.
A few months ago, he was set free after the National Human Rights Commission found that healthcare authorities had made a mistake and Lalung suffered only from epilepsy.
Lalung's confinement for 54 years has shocked rights activists and mental health experts in a country where it is not uncommon for people to be branded insane and locked up in homes or asylums for months, if not a few years.
"Machal Lalung's case was not in our knowledge but once it was brought to our notice, we immediately completed all legal formalities to secure his release," Assam's Home Minister Rokybul Hussain told Reuters.
"I am really sorry for him," he said.
That comes as small consolation for the 77-year-old frail tribal man, who was 23 when he was sent to the state-run mental hospital in the Assamese city of Tezpur.
Fifty-four years with psychiatric patients has dulled his senses, made him forget his family, his tribal dialect and even the taste of the food he liked.
His life before entering the asylum is nothing but a blip in his memory. So is the story of how and who brought him to the mental home. Doctors who treated Lalung have retired and records about him are missing.
Today Lalung said he awaits peace in death.
"I feel sad at what happened to my life but there is no use grumbling now. I am just waiting for death," he told Reuters at his nephew's home in Silchang village, about 55 miles east of Assam's main city of Guwahati.
"Initially, I used to miss my family and always begged my wardens to send me home. But they never listened to me," he said with tears in his eyes.
Lalung's only family members -- his father and elder sister -- are dead. He lives with his sister's son who grew up listening to stories about his uncle's disappearance.
It was in fact the nephew who managed to trace Lalung after a man from their village had gone to the same mental hospital for treatment and saw Lalung.
"It was very difficult to stay with insane people in the same room but gradually I got used to it," Lalung said.
Today, despite his poor health, Lalung likes to work in a small vegetable garden outside the house, carrying a spade and a pouch containing a tobacco and betel nut snack to chew.
Although there were many women in the hospital, Lalung never tried to make friends with them or consider marriage.
"Who would want to marry an insane woman?" he asks.
GM posts huge loss, sets UAW deal
General Motors Corp. on Monday posted a quarterly loss of $1.6 billion, much worse than Wall Street had expected, and announced a deal with the United Auto Workers union to cut its health-care costs.
GM also said it plans to eliminate at least 25,000 manufacturing jobs.
The world's largest automaker, which lost more than $1.4 billion in the first half of the year amid deepening financial woes, posted a loss of $1.6 billion, or $2.89 a share, for the third quarter. The company had a profit of $315 million in the year-earlier quarter.
GM has seen high gasoline prices slam sales of big sport utility vehicles, while increased costs for everything from raw materials to health care have also eroded profits.
Excluding special items -- including a charge of $805 million for asset impairments primarily in North America and Europe and restructuring charges at GM Europe of $56 million -- GM's third-quarter loss totaled $1.92 per share. On that basis, analysts' average forecast was a loss of 81 cents, according to Reuters Estimates.
Quarterly revenue rose more than 5 percent to $47.2 billion.
Months of talks with the UAW over GM's demand for cuts in health care and other benefits -- costs identified by Chief Executive Rick Wagoner as the company's single biggest challenge -- have finally produced positive results.
The tentative agreement is projected to reduce GM's retiree health-care liabilities by about $15 billion and cut its annual employee health-care expense by about $3 billion before taxes. Cash savings are estimated to be about $1 billion a year, GM said.
News of the agreement with the union sent GM shares up sharply in pre-market trading. The shares are down about 30 percent so far this year, compared with a 2 percent drop in the S&P 500 index and a 4.6 percent decline in the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial average.
GM also said it plans to eliminate at least 25,000 manufacturing jobs.
The world's largest automaker, which lost more than $1.4 billion in the first half of the year amid deepening financial woes, posted a loss of $1.6 billion, or $2.89 a share, for the third quarter. The company had a profit of $315 million in the year-earlier quarter.
GM has seen high gasoline prices slam sales of big sport utility vehicles, while increased costs for everything from raw materials to health care have also eroded profits.
Excluding special items -- including a charge of $805 million for asset impairments primarily in North America and Europe and restructuring charges at GM Europe of $56 million -- GM's third-quarter loss totaled $1.92 per share. On that basis, analysts' average forecast was a loss of 81 cents, according to Reuters Estimates.
Quarterly revenue rose more than 5 percent to $47.2 billion.
Months of talks with the UAW over GM's demand for cuts in health care and other benefits -- costs identified by Chief Executive Rick Wagoner as the company's single biggest challenge -- have finally produced positive results.
The tentative agreement is projected to reduce GM's retiree health-care liabilities by about $15 billion and cut its annual employee health-care expense by about $3 billion before taxes. Cash savings are estimated to be about $1 billion a year, GM said.
News of the agreement with the union sent GM shares up sharply in pre-market trading. The shares are down about 30 percent so far this year, compared with a 2 percent drop in the S&P 500 index and a 4.6 percent decline in the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial average.
20051016
Troops relax with musical pillow
A pillow that plays relaxing music has been sent by the Danish army to its soldiers posted in Iraq and Kosovo to help them combat stress and tension.
"In a first test, we have sent 10 pillows each to Iraq and Kosovo and they are now being used by the troops," Henrik Lundstein, head of the leadership and psychology department at Denmark's Royal Defense College, told Reuters.
The Nordic country has around 540 soldiers in Iraq and 340 on a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
The pillow has built-in speakers attached to an mp3-player piping soft instrumentals and sounds of nature like trickling water and chirping birds. Called "MusiCure," it was created for use in therapy by composer and oboist Niels Eje with doctors and psychologists.
Referring to the pillow's success in Danish hospitals, Lundstein said the army hoped it could also help tense soldiers.
"We are hoping it can bring relaxing moments in a stressful environment for soldiers who are at the limit of their stress levels," he said.
"In a first test, we have sent 10 pillows each to Iraq and Kosovo and they are now being used by the troops," Henrik Lundstein, head of the leadership and psychology department at Denmark's Royal Defense College, told Reuters.
The Nordic country has around 540 soldiers in Iraq and 340 on a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.
The pillow has built-in speakers attached to an mp3-player piping soft instrumentals and sounds of nature like trickling water and chirping birds. Called "MusiCure," it was created for use in therapy by composer and oboist Niels Eje with doctors and psychologists.
Referring to the pillow's success in Danish hospitals, Lundstein said the army hoped it could also help tense soldiers.
"We are hoping it can bring relaxing moments in a stressful environment for soldiers who are at the limit of their stress levels," he said.
20051015
Woman ticked off by police for "fat" comment
A woman struck by a hit and run car driver in northern England said she was told off by a police officer for using the F-word to describe the driver -- "fat".
Mary Magilton, 54, suffered cuts and bruises after being hit by the car which mounted the pavement while she was chatting with friends in Oldham and then drove off, newspapers reported on Friday.
She reported the incident but was ticked off by a police officer when she said the driver of the car was a "fat" woman.
"I was given a frosty look and told I couldn't say that. I could have said lardy, porky or podgy. But I wouldn't dare use those words," the Daily Mirror quoted her as saying.
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the description recorded on the police log of the incident did include the word "fat."
"I don't think she was severely reprimanded," the spokeswoman said, adding GMP had a policy to ensure officers used "appropriate language" that would not cause offence.
Mary Magilton, 54, suffered cuts and bruises after being hit by the car which mounted the pavement while she was chatting with friends in Oldham and then drove off, newspapers reported on Friday.
She reported the incident but was ticked off by a police officer when she said the driver of the car was a "fat" woman.
"I was given a frosty look and told I couldn't say that. I could have said lardy, porky or podgy. But I wouldn't dare use those words," the Daily Mirror quoted her as saying.
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the description recorded on the police log of the incident did include the word "fat."
"I don't think she was severely reprimanded," the spokeswoman said, adding GMP had a policy to ensure officers used "appropriate language" that would not cause offence.
20051012
Burglar, scared by corpse, phones police
A Dutch burglar phoned police after fleeing in panic when he found the corpse of an 89-year-old woman in a house he broke into in
The Hague.
Police said they were still searching for the burglar who "got the fright of his life."
"He said he was the burglar and that he found a corpse," a police spokesman said. "He found the mortal remains in one of the rooms and left the home to call emergency number 112."
Police were investigating if anything was stolen and believed the woman may have been dead for some time.
The Hague.
Police said they were still searching for the burglar who "got the fright of his life."
"He said he was the burglar and that he found a corpse," a police spokesman said. "He found the mortal remains in one of the rooms and left the home to call emergency number 112."
Police were investigating if anything was stolen and believed the woman may have been dead for some time.
20051011
Shepherds wanted -- accountancy skills preferred
Do you have an accountancy qualification and are you familiar with the bureaucracy of the European Union? Perhaps a career as a shepherd on the plains of southern Hungary beckons.
The "puszta" flatland, traditional home to more than a million sheep, is running out of qualified shepherds and is now importing them from neighboring Romania.
Not only are herd numbers growing, but shepherds must have accountancy skills and, since the country joined the EU last year, be capable of applying for grants, the newspaper Nepszabadsag reported Tuesday.
Ference Silay, who trained as an architect, is an ethnic Hungarian from Romania who now earns a living from the award-winning herd he owns in Domaszek, southern Hungary.
"Being a shepherd isn't just sitting next to your dog on the field all day, smoking a pipe," he told the paper.
The "puszta" flatland, traditional home to more than a million sheep, is running out of qualified shepherds and is now importing them from neighboring Romania.
Not only are herd numbers growing, but shepherds must have accountancy skills and, since the country joined the EU last year, be capable of applying for grants, the newspaper Nepszabadsag reported Tuesday.
Ference Silay, who trained as an architect, is an ethnic Hungarian from Romania who now earns a living from the award-winning herd he owns in Domaszek, southern Hungary.
"Being a shepherd isn't just sitting next to your dog on the field all day, smoking a pipe," he told the paper.
20051008
Looking for work? Consider Al Qaeda...
Al Qaeda has put job advertisements on the Internet asking for supporters to help put together its Web statements and video montages, an Arabic newspaper reported.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat said on its Web site this week that al Qaeda had "vacant positions" for video production and editing statements, footage and international media coverage about militants in Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Chechnya and other conflict zones where militants are active.
The paper said the Global Islamic Media Front, an al Qaeda-linked Web-based organization, would "follow up with members interested in joining and contact them via email."
The paper did not say how applicants should contact the Global Islamic Media Front.
Al Qaeda supporters widely use the Internet to spread the group's statements through dozens of Islamist sites where anyone can post messages. Al Qaeda-linked groups also set up their own sites, which frequently have to move after being shut by Internet service providers.
The advertisements, however, could not be found on mainstream Islamist Web sites where al Qaeda and other affiliate groups post their statements.
Asharq al-Awsat said the advert did not specify salary amounts, but added: "Every Muslim knows his life is not his, since it belongs to this violated Islamic nation whose blood is being spilled. Nothing should take precedence over this."
The Front this week issued the second broadcast of a weekly Web news program called Voice of the Caliphate, which it says aims to combat anti-Qaeda "lies and propaganda" on major global and Arab television channels such as CNN and Al Jazeera.
Last month it issued an English-language video on the Internet called Jihad Hidden Camera which showed sniping and bombing attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq, and carried comical sound effects as well as laugh tracks.
Al Qaeda and other groups have increasingly turned to the Internet to win young Muslims over to their war against Western-backed governments in Arab and Muslim countries.
Islamist insurgents fighting U.S. forces and the U.S.-backed government in Iraq have often posted slick montages of their military activities, including beheadings of hostages, on the Internet.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat said on its Web site this week that al Qaeda had "vacant positions" for video production and editing statements, footage and international media coverage about militants in Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Chechnya and other conflict zones where militants are active.
The paper said the Global Islamic Media Front, an al Qaeda-linked Web-based organization, would "follow up with members interested in joining and contact them via email."
The paper did not say how applicants should contact the Global Islamic Media Front.
Al Qaeda supporters widely use the Internet to spread the group's statements through dozens of Islamist sites where anyone can post messages. Al Qaeda-linked groups also set up their own sites, which frequently have to move after being shut by Internet service providers.
The advertisements, however, could not be found on mainstream Islamist Web sites where al Qaeda and other affiliate groups post their statements.
Asharq al-Awsat said the advert did not specify salary amounts, but added: "Every Muslim knows his life is not his, since it belongs to this violated Islamic nation whose blood is being spilled. Nothing should take precedence over this."
The Front this week issued the second broadcast of a weekly Web news program called Voice of the Caliphate, which it says aims to combat anti-Qaeda "lies and propaganda" on major global and Arab television channels such as CNN and Al Jazeera.
Last month it issued an English-language video on the Internet called Jihad Hidden Camera which showed sniping and bombing attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq, and carried comical sound effects as well as laugh tracks.
Al Qaeda and other groups have increasingly turned to the Internet to win young Muslims over to their war against Western-backed governments in Arab and Muslim countries.
Islamist insurgents fighting U.S. forces and the U.S.-backed government in Iraq have often posted slick montages of their military activities, including beheadings of hostages, on the Internet.
20051006
Jay Leno's new book targets class clowns
Why can't an elephant ever be on the radio? Answer: He would break it.
Jokes like that won't ever make it into Jay Leno's monologue on "The Tonight Show." But the host of America's most watched late-night TV program has written hundreds of similar zingers for the latest generation of class clowns and future comics.
They're all in his new book, "How to be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class)," published by Simon & Schuster, with proceeds benefiting families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
Leno said he finds that many youngsters are natural performers who lack good material or an outlet to develop their talents.
"Luckily, when I was a kid,
Ritalin hadn't been invented yet," Leno joked in a recent interview with Reuters.
"I kind of wrote this book for all the kids who really couldn't throw a ball," he said. "In schools nowadays, with all the programs being cut, unless you're doing sports, there's very few ways for kids to express themselves."
His book consists mostly of pun-heavy one-liners composed with comedy partner and "Tonight Show" head writer Joe Medeiros.
"We put our two 4-year-old minds together and came up with some jokes that 8-year-olds would like," Leno said.
Other features include witticisms from fellow comedians, such as the Woody Allen line: "When I was kidnapped, my parents snapped into action. They rented out my room." There also are musings from historical figures, like Daniel Boone saying: "I've never been lost but I will admit to being confused for several weeks."
The book opens with a brief introduction chronicling Leno's comic roots and is sprinkled with tips on how kids can develop the craft of joke-telling for themselves.
Leno said during his childhood in Massachusetts the closest he came to show business were the motivational talks his father gave to other salesmen at his insurance company.
Leno still remembers the landmark first big laugh he got as an up-and-coming classroom cut-up. It came during a lesson on Robin Hood when he asked his teacher if she knew why Friar Tuck was boiled in oil: "Because he was a friar. Get it? ... fry-er."
Leno said he actually has no idea how Friar Tuck was killed "or even if he was killed. But the joke worked and that was all that mattered to me."
A more defining moment came in high school when Leno and a pal won $150 in an employee talent show sponsored by the McDonald's fast-food chain.
"That was the first glimmer that I could make money telling jokes," he wrote.
Jokes like that won't ever make it into Jay Leno's monologue on "The Tonight Show." But the host of America's most watched late-night TV program has written hundreds of similar zingers for the latest generation of class clowns and future comics.
They're all in his new book, "How to be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class)," published by Simon & Schuster, with proceeds benefiting families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
Leno said he finds that many youngsters are natural performers who lack good material or an outlet to develop their talents.
"Luckily, when I was a kid,
Ritalin hadn't been invented yet," Leno joked in a recent interview with Reuters.
"I kind of wrote this book for all the kids who really couldn't throw a ball," he said. "In schools nowadays, with all the programs being cut, unless you're doing sports, there's very few ways for kids to express themselves."
His book consists mostly of pun-heavy one-liners composed with comedy partner and "Tonight Show" head writer Joe Medeiros.
"We put our two 4-year-old minds together and came up with some jokes that 8-year-olds would like," Leno said.
Other features include witticisms from fellow comedians, such as the Woody Allen line: "When I was kidnapped, my parents snapped into action. They rented out my room." There also are musings from historical figures, like Daniel Boone saying: "I've never been lost but I will admit to being confused for several weeks."
The book opens with a brief introduction chronicling Leno's comic roots and is sprinkled with tips on how kids can develop the craft of joke-telling for themselves.
Leno said during his childhood in Massachusetts the closest he came to show business were the motivational talks his father gave to other salesmen at his insurance company.
Leno still remembers the landmark first big laugh he got as an up-and-coming classroom cut-up. It came during a lesson on Robin Hood when he asked his teacher if she knew why Friar Tuck was boiled in oil: "Because he was a friar. Get it? ... fry-er."
Leno said he actually has no idea how Friar Tuck was killed "or even if he was killed. But the joke worked and that was all that mattered to me."
A more defining moment came in high school when Leno and a pal won $150 in an employee talent show sponsored by the McDonald's fast-food chain.
"That was the first glimmer that I could make money telling jokes," he wrote.
20051003
Oktoberfest beer drinking dips as volume lowered
Despite having an extra day to celebrate, revelers drank less of Germany's favorite tipple at this year's Munich Oktoberfest tribute to beer which ended Monday.
Some 6 million litres of beer -- enough to fill around six Olympic-sized swimming pools -- were downed by the 6.1 million visitors to the festival in the Bavarian capital. That was about 100,000 litres below the 6.1 million litres in 2004.
The 172nd edition of the event was extended beyond the usual 16 days to 17 this year because Monday is the German Unification Day holiday. But unseasonably cool weather and strict limits on the music volume before 6 p.m. kept consumption down.
Local tabloid newspapers criticized organizers for dampening the noise of the famous oom-pah brass bands, however officials said it helped cut the drunken violence seen in previous years.
"We never promised anyone a giant techno disco here," said Munich mayor Christian Ude.
"I don't know how anyone could call this a 'snore fest' or a 'whisper fest'," Ude added, referring to the tabloid criticism.
Police reported a drop in assaults, with 248 this year compared to 351 last year. The number of criminal acts fell to 1,304 from 1,690 in 2004. There were 22 incidents of sexual coercion, down one, but three rapes, in increase from two.
"When the music volume is lower people tend to drink a bit less but instead eat more," said Gabriele Weishaeupl, head of the Munich tourism office that runs Oktoberfest. The number of cows slaughtered rose to 95 from 89 a year ago.
The origins of the Oktoberfest date back to 1810 when a lavish five-day celebration was held all over Munich to mark the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig.
Since then it has evolved into an annual celebration of excess, with tens of thousands gorging on sausage and pretzels, swaying to oom-pah bands and tippling till they topple.
There were 4,000 items left behind in beer tents this year, including a set of dentures, two crutches and one wedding ring.
Some 6 million litres of beer -- enough to fill around six Olympic-sized swimming pools -- were downed by the 6.1 million visitors to the festival in the Bavarian capital. That was about 100,000 litres below the 6.1 million litres in 2004.
The 172nd edition of the event was extended beyond the usual 16 days to 17 this year because Monday is the German Unification Day holiday. But unseasonably cool weather and strict limits on the music volume before 6 p.m. kept consumption down.
Local tabloid newspapers criticized organizers for dampening the noise of the famous oom-pah brass bands, however officials said it helped cut the drunken violence seen in previous years.
"We never promised anyone a giant techno disco here," said Munich mayor Christian Ude.
"I don't know how anyone could call this a 'snore fest' or a 'whisper fest'," Ude added, referring to the tabloid criticism.
Police reported a drop in assaults, with 248 this year compared to 351 last year. The number of criminal acts fell to 1,304 from 1,690 in 2004. There were 22 incidents of sexual coercion, down one, but three rapes, in increase from two.
"When the music volume is lower people tend to drink a bit less but instead eat more," said Gabriele Weishaeupl, head of the Munich tourism office that runs Oktoberfest. The number of cows slaughtered rose to 95 from 89 a year ago.
The origins of the Oktoberfest date back to 1810 when a lavish five-day celebration was held all over Munich to mark the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig.
Since then it has evolved into an annual celebration of excess, with tens of thousands gorging on sausage and pretzels, swaying to oom-pah bands and tippling till they topple.
There were 4,000 items left behind in beer tents this year, including a set of dentures, two crutches and one wedding ring.
20051002
Dollars to doughnuts...
Australia's highest court has upheld a A$471,000 compensation payout to a pastry cook who cut her little finger while reassembling a doughnut machine, court officials said Friday.
Robyn Vanessa Laybutt was employed at a Sydney factory in 1999 when her supervisor asked her to put the doughnut machine back together after it had been washed.
Laybutt said she did not know how to reassemble it, but instead of being given a demonstration or an instruction manual she was told to "just give it a go."
She sliced her right little finger as a result of handling slippery cylinders from the machine without gloves.
Thursday, Australia's High Court unanimously ruled that Sydney company Glover Gibbs had negligently caused her injury by rejecting her request for instructions.
Laybutt had won the A$471,000 compensation payout in a New South Wales state district court but her former employer appealed that decision, saying she should have specified what instructions she needed to complete the task.
The matter was then referred to the High Court, which upheld the earlier ruling to end a six-year legal battle.
Robyn Vanessa Laybutt was employed at a Sydney factory in 1999 when her supervisor asked her to put the doughnut machine back together after it had been washed.
Laybutt said she did not know how to reassemble it, but instead of being given a demonstration or an instruction manual she was told to "just give it a go."
She sliced her right little finger as a result of handling slippery cylinders from the machine without gloves.
Thursday, Australia's High Court unanimously ruled that Sydney company Glover Gibbs had negligently caused her injury by rejecting her request for instructions.
Laybutt had won the A$471,000 compensation payout in a New South Wales state district court but her former employer appealed that decision, saying she should have specified what instructions she needed to complete the task.
The matter was then referred to the High Court, which upheld the earlier ruling to end a six-year legal battle.
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