Offbeat
Latest stories
Dolphins Beat Italian Swimming Champ in Race-Off

Italian swimmer Filippo Magnini once ruled the pool in the 100 meter freestyle, but on Thursday he met his match dolphin-style.

The captain of the national swimming team raced a pair of dolphins — King, 19 years old, and Leah, nine-years old — at a specially arranged event in a swimming pool in Torvaianica, about 30 miles (50km) south of Rome.

W140 Full Story
Seemingly Drunk Swedish Moose Found Stuck in Tree

A seemingly intoxicated moose has been discovered entangled in an apple tree by a stunned Swede.

Per Johansson says he heard a roar from his vacationing neighbor's garden in southwestern Sweden late Tuesday and went to have a look. There, he found a female moose kicking about in the tree. The animal was likely drunk from eating fermented apples.

W140 Full Story
Galliano Found Guilty of Anti-Semitism

Fashion icon John Galliano was Thursday convicted of anti-Semitism for hurling abuse at bar patrons in Paris' Jewish quarter in a career-breaking outburst he has blamed on drink and drugs.

But the 50-year-old British designer, who faced a maximum of six months in jail in the French trial, received a much lower sentence with suspended fines totaling 6,000-euro (8,400-dollar).

W140 Full Story
U.S. City May Pass Public Nudity Restrictions

Something could soon be coming between San Francisco's proud nudists and their unusual freedom to bare it all.

Walking around naked is legal in the city under most circumstances, but a city supervisor concerned about public health and sanitation introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the clothing averse to put a cloth or other barrier under their bottoms if they take a seat in public.

W140 Full Story
Dutch Woman Calls Ex-Boyfriend 65,000 Times

Dutch prosecutors are charging a 42-year-old woman with stalking after she allegedly called her ex-boyfriend 65,000 times in the past year.

The 62-year-old victim from The Hague filed a police complaint in August due to the persistent phone calls. Police arrested the suspected stalker Monday, seizing several cell phones and computers from her home in Rotterdam.

W140 Full Story
Mouse Halts Hong Kong to Nepal Flight

A Nepal Airlines Boeing 757 was grounded at Hong Kong's airport after a mouse sneaked into the cockpit, the airline said Wednesday.

The Kathmandu-bound flight, due to take off Tuesday evening, had to be cancelled after a mouse was reportedly spotted by pilots before departure, holding up the 84 passengers waiting to board the flight.

W140 Full Story
Taiwan Man Arrested for 'Stealing 35 Skeletons'

A Taiwanese man has been arrested over the theft of 35 skeletons which had been discovered at a construction site in the island's north, police said Wednesday.

The skeletons, unclaimed and apparently from an old burial ground, had been placed temporarily in a warehouse. The man allegedly stole them and took them to Taipei, where he was caught on Tuesday, police in Miaoli county said.

W140 Full Story
Jesus Thumbs-Up Ad Gets Thumbs Down from British Watchdog

Britain's advertising watchdog Wednesday banned a mobile phone company commercial which featured a cartoon Jesus who winked and gave a thumbs-up gesture.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the Phones 4 U campaign, which carried the slogan: "Miraculous deals on Samsung Galaxy Android phones", appeared to be mocking the Christian faith.

W140 Full Story
S.Africa Police Minister Robbed by Officer on Duty

A South African police officer has been arrested for stealing from his boss, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, who is tasked with bringing down high crime levels, his spokesman said Tuesday.

A laptop and cellphone were taken from the minister's home in Cape Town.

W140 Full Story
Man Breaks into Celine Dion's home, Takes Bath

A 36-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly broke into singer Celine Dion's home near Montreal, raided the fridge and even took the time to pour himself a bath, police said Tuesday.

He was nabbed by police in the Montreal suburb of Laval on Monday afternoon after the alarm system went off.

W140 Full Story