Student arrested for ‘passing gas’ at Fla. school

Arrented for Farting?

STUART, Fla. – A student at a Florida school has been arrested after authorities said he was “passing gas” and turning off his classmates’ computers. According to a report released Friday by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the 13-year-old boy “continually disrupted his classroom environment” by intentionally breaking wind. He then shut off some computers other students were using.

The Spectrum Junior-Senior High School was arrested Nov. 4.

A school resource officer placed the boy under arrest after he confessed about his behavior, according to the report. He was charged with disruption of school function and released to his mother.

Aussie mayor wins sexist ‘award’ for inviting ugly women to town

AFP/File – A view of Australian outback mining town of Mount Isa.

SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian mayor who invited ugly women to move to his outback mining town, saying even they would find a man there, has won the top “award” for the most sexist public comment of the year.

Mayor John Moloney of remote Mount Isa was chosen by the volume of boos, jeers and stamping of feet that greeted his nomination at the annual women-only Ernie Awards in the New South Wales parliament on Thursday night.

Panda in China zoo bites student who wanted a hug

Panda

BEIJING AP – A college student in southern China was bitten by a panda after he broke into the bear’s enclosure hoping to get a hug, state media and a park employee said Saturday.

The student was visiting Qixing Park with classmates on Friday when he jumped the 6.5-foot (2-meter) -high fence around the panda’s habitat, said the park employee, who refused to give his name.

The park in Guilin, a popular tourist town in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, houses a small zoo and a panda exhibit. It was virtually deserted when the student scaled the fence surrounding the panda, named Yang Yang, the employee said.

Farmer avoids jail in fake tiger photo trial

Tiger

BEIJING (Reuters) – A farmer in northern China found guilty of doctoring photos of an endangered tiger after collecting a cash reward from wildlife authorities, has been handed a lighter sentence on appeal, local media said on Tuesday.

Zhou Zhenglong, a 54-year-old farmer from a mountainous county in northern Shaanxi province, was awarded a 20,000 yuan bonus last year, after he produced pictures which authorities said were evidence of a South China tiger.

Nightclub raffle for larger breasts sparks health row in Spain

AFP/File – Doctors prepare to place a silicon implant during breast enlargement surgery in 2003.

MADRID (AFP) – Health authorities in Spain Wednesday expressed outrage over a raffle being organised by a nightclub in which the prize is breast enlargement surgery.

The raffle, called “Pretty Woman,” is to take place at the Pacha discotheque in the Mediterranean city of Valencia on December 5. Tickets cost 20 euros (25 dollars) and the prize is worth 4,500 euros.

“A tribute to women. Buy your ticket and take part in the raffle for breast enlargement,” the club said on its website.

SKorea’s military teed off with golfing officers: officials

AFP/File – Golf enthusiasts are seen practicing at a driving range in Seoul.

SEOUL (AFP) – Dozens of South Korean military reservist officers face punishment for playing golf while supposedly on duty, officials said Thursday.

The defence ministry said 15 officers were sent to military courts while 40 others have already been punished.

“They were all found to have played golf frequently while on duty,” a spokesman told AFP.

The move followed a one-month investigation, he said, declining to give details.

Maine man sheds 140 pounds to join the Marines

The Marines

LEWISTON, Maine – Army and Navy recruiters took one look at 330-pound Ulysses Milana and told him to forget about joining. “‘You’ve got to lose weight,’” Milana remembers them saying. But Marine recruiters were willing to work with him as he began his weight-loss journey in December 2007.

Now, 11 months later, Milana is 140 pounds lighter as he leaves Monday for Parris Island, S.C., to begin boot camp.

Man accused of dousing neighbor for a ‘confession’

Gas (google)

ROCHESTER, Pa. – Police said a Pennsylvania man bound his neighbor with duct tape, doused him with gasoline and threatened to set him on fire unless the neighbor confessed to burglarizing his house. John Black, of New Sewickley Township, was charged with burglary, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and related crimes.

Police said that on Thursday, Black accused Henry Schmitt Jr. of burglarizing his home earlier this month before eventually letting him go. Police said they have no evidence Schmitt burglarized Black. Schmitt lives in a camper on Black’s property.

‘Meh’: new word for indifference enters English dictionary

AFP/Getty Images/File – Characters perform on stage at "The Simpsons" Panel during the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego

LONDON (AFP) – “Meh”, a word which indicates a lack of interest or enthusiasm, became the latest addition to the Collins English Dictionary on Monday.

The word, which beat hundreds of other suggestions from members of the public, will feature in the 30th anniversary edition of the dictionary, which is to be published next year.

Though the word apparently originates from North America, Collins said it was now widely used on the Internet, and was increasingly seen in British spoken English.

Kangaroo genes close to humans

Kangaroo (reuters)

CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia’s kangaroos are genetically similar to humans and may have first evolved in China, Australian researchers said Tuesday.

Scientists said they had for the first time mapped the genetic code of the Australian marsupials and found much of it was similar to the genome for humans, the government-backed Centre of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics said.

“There are a few differences, we have a few more of this, a few less of that, but they are the same genes and a lot of them are in the same order,” centre Director Jenny Graves told reporters in Melbourne.