An eThekwini municipality search and rescue team has joined the Umdoni Local Municipality teams as the search for three drowned bathers continues.

The help from eThekwini was confirmed by Umdoni Local Municipality mayor Mbali Cele-Luthuli on Sunday - Luthuli said eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba reached out to her and offered to assist with his team to help find three people who are still missing.

She said in total there were seven people were swept away by a rip current while they swam at Pennington beach on the New Year’s Day, three were found dead while one was rescued. 

“We are grateful for the support we are getting from our neighbouring municipalities such as eThekwini. I must also indicate that the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality on the lower south coast has also sent its teams. We are continuing with our search today and we hope with the assistance of teams from eThekwini and Ray Nkonyeni municipalities we will find the remaining missing people,” said Cele-Luthuli.

She said that of the three bodies that had been found, two swimmers are from New Germany, west of Durban while one is from Malangeni village which falls under her municipality. 

Police have opened three inquest dockets following the incident.

The National Sea Rescue Institute's spokesperson Craig Lambinon said his team was alerted on Thursday afternoon about the drowning by local lifeguards and they immediately started the search.

“The initial incident saw a large group of people caught in rip currents near the tidal pool at approximately 6.20pm. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 39 Rocky Bay, along with Police Search and Rescue, Umdoni lifeguards, and IPSS medical rescue, responded to the alarm,” said Lambinon.

He said after the search, a 21-year-old man was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics, however, the tragedy deepened later that night when, at approximately 9.30pm police recovered the body of a second man, also aged 21, nearby on the beach. The third victim, an 18-year-old woman, was found on Friday.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

Businesses that were affected by the deadly floods in KwaZulu-Natal south coastal towns of Port Shepstone and Margate are fully operational.

On Sunday, the two areas were severely affected by heavy rainfall that resulted in localised flooding which forced the authorities to issue a travel warning to motorists particularly tourists. The floods caused significant damage to the beach promenade in Margate and the restaurants in Shelly Beach, negatively impacting tourism in these coastal areas. A 63-year-old woman from Ebomvini died after a mudslide and more deaths were reported in Amanzimtoti.

After the mop-up operation and a safety assessment which was completed on Tuesday, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality and tourism bodies declared the area safe for travel and called on tourists to return to their hotels.

Surina Mart, a spokesperson for Margate Basin Association, a tourism body, said after the mop-up and safety assessment, the area returned to normal for business on Tuesday.

“We are a hundred percent fine now. It’s now business as usual so all our properties are full back to business,” said Mart.

Ray Nkonyeni municipality spokesperson, Simon April, concurred saying all areas that were affected by the floods are now operational so visitors that start making their way to the south coast.

“As we urged them to delay their trips because of floods, we want to assure our visitors that it is now safe to travel to all our municipal towns,” said April.

The Sunday floods left roads damaged, some with sinkholes. Trees were uprooted and blocked entrances to towns. Debris was all over the beaches. Authorities said disaster management teams remain on the high alert for any possibilities.

With eThekwini municipality beaches still affected by 2022 floods which damaged sewage infrastructure, tourism in the north and south coastal towns have been benefiting. KwaDukuza and Mandeni municipalities in the north coast announced two weeks ago there were a sizable number of tourists visiting their shores.

Margate and Shelly Beach are popular tourist destinations under Ray Nkonyeni municipality with attractive beaches.  Although the towns have been hit by several storms a few years ago, their beaches remain open.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

IOL stands by its investigation, however, additional information has since come to light that has necessitated the removal of the story in its original form.

Certain aspects of the story, particularly surrounding Raymond Chigogwana's alleged involvement in the matter, were found, under further investigation, to be false. 

IOL apologises unreservedly to Mr Chigogwana for any harm caused.

An Olympic skier has opened up about the excruciating pain of suffering a frozen penis—not once, but twice—during intense competitions in sub-zero conditions.

Remi Lindholm, 27, represented Finland in the Men's 50km Cross-Country Skiing event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, one of the most physically demanding disciplines, where athletes can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour.

Due to extreme winds and freezing temperatures that year, the race distance was reduced to 30km. Lindholm finished in 28th place, but his toughest battle wasn’t against his competitors—it was against the brutal -17°C cold that left him with a frozen manhood.

“It was all about pushing through,” he admitted. “But when my body started to warm up after the race, the pain was unbearable.”

Officials provided him with a heat bag to help thaw his frozen body parts, but this wasn’t his first experience with the painful condition.

Lindholm had already suffered the same affliction during the Ruka World Cup the previous year. Comparing the two incidents, he told the Mirror, “It was worse this time—pretty unbearable pain.”

Despite his recent success, finishing second in the Finlandia Ski Marathon Freestyle, it remains uncertain whether Lindholm will brave the elements again at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. 

IOL Lifestyle

Overflowing sewage caused by a "large blockage" of fat, grease and rags has forced organisers to cancel a Bryan Adams concert in Australia, citing a threat to the arena's toilets.

The Canadian singer-songwriter's Sunday night event fell victim to the sewers of Perth, Western Australia, "due to the risk of sewage backing up within the venue's toilets", the state water corporation said.

"Our crews are working to clear the large blockage of fat, grease and rags, which has caused several wastewater overflows at properties," it said in a statement on the night of the concert.

In an update Monday, the water authority said the blockage "could not be easily dislodged", with venue management taking the "incredibly tough decision to cancel the Bryan Adams concert".

"Contingencies, including the use of sucker trucks, were considered, but the volume of wastewater generated by a capacity crowd of 16,000 people at the Arena was considered too great," it said

"We can certainly understand people's disappointment and frustration."

Concert promoter Frontier Touring said the cancellation was "bitterly disappointing" but out of Adams' control, and tickets would be refunded automatically.

AFP

Bolt has enhanced its security measures and blocked ride requests across countries amid a concerning and foolish trend by South African and Nigerian netizens, who have been requesting fake rides wasting precious time and fuel for driver-partners in both countries.

The issue, which emerged from a prank involving false ride requests across borders, has been addressed with a series of swift and decisive actions to safeguard the platform’s integrity and protect its users, says Simo Kalajdzic, Senior Operations Manager at Bolt.

Following a thorough investigation, Bolt has enhanced security measures such as the restriction of ride requests across countries, to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Additionally, those responsible for this malicious activity have been identified and blocked from using the Bolt app.

“We understand the impact this situation has had on our driver-partners in Nigeria and South Africa. We are committed to ensuring a safe, reliable, and secure experience for all members of our community.

“We thank our driver-partners for their patience and professionalism during this time and remain dedicated to supporting them in every possible way,” Kalajdzic said.

Kalajdzic emphasised that Bolt’s primary concern is maintaining a safe and reliable platform for both driver-partners and riders and reaffirmed its commitment to the platforms’ zero-tolerance policy to abuse.

On Thursday, a number of South African and Nigerian netizens participated in a tug of war involving a silly prank of ordering Bolt and then cancelling them after drivers have waited for a long time, in order to inconvenience and financially harm the drivers in both countries.

This act of recklessness from both sides reflects the complex and often competitive relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, and has only intensified the hostility between the two nations.

IOL

Some foolish South Africans have started a troubling trend that could hurt e-hailing drivers in both Nigeria and South Africa.

Recently, sections of Mzansi netizens have been ordering Bolt rides in Nigeria and then cancelling them after drivers have waited for a long time.

A trending video on X shows a South African man and others mocking a Nigerian driver named Kotoro-Ola after he cancelled a ride they had booked.

😂😂 pic.twitter.com/IxbIPjGzts

— Jus_Martin (@MSeagi) August 21, 2024

Along with this video, screenshots have emerged online revealing South Africans ordering Bolt rides in Nigeria from their home country, apparently to inconvenience and financially harm Nigerian drivers.

This behaviour comes in the wake of the animosity during the Soweto-born Chidimma Adetshina saga, who was forced to withdraw from Miss South Africa and who is now one of the top 25 leading women in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.

The impact on drivers is serious. Nigerian drivers are dealing with wasted time and fuel costs because of these prank requests, especially during a fuel shortage in Nigeria.

This has led to strong reactions on social media, where Nigerians have criticized these actions and pointed out that South Africa has a higher unemployment rate than Nigeria.

@PetiteEbonyGirl posted on X: “South Africans requesting Uber/Bolt in Nigeria is cruel and without reason. With high unemployment in Nigeria, no one should understand the value of income and respect more than South Africans.”

South Africans requesting Uber/Bolt in Nigeria is unnecessarily cruel. There’s no justification for this behaviour. With an unemployment of 33% no one more than South Africans should know the value of any source of income and respect that.

— Petite Ebony Girl 🇵🇸 (@PetiteEbonyGirl) August 21, 2024

In response to these provocations, Nigerians have sought revenge by adopting similar tactics.

They have started requesting Bolt rides in South Africa from Nigeria, causing unnecessary stress and financial loss for South African drivers.

This retaliation has further escalated tensions between the two nations.

The growing backlash from both sides reflects the complex and often competitive relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.

Both countries frequently vie for the title of the best in Africa, and this rivalry extends to cultural claims as well.

For instance, Nigerians claim they invented Amapiano, a popular music genre, while South Africans argue it is their creation.

Nigerians have organized counteractions by gathering drivers in one place and engaging with prank riders by providing unrealistic pickup locations.

This retaliation demonstrates the increasing tensions and competitive spirit between the two countries.

Nigerians have also voiced their frustration online. @UObizzy wrote: “Nigerians have gathered all South African Bolt drivers in one place! Well done to everyone! Tinubu would be proud!”

Nigerians don mount all South African Bolt drivers for one place😂!!! I hail theee my people! Tinubu will be proud of us✅✅✅✅😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/uUKpCxjx3Z

— UG (@UObizzy) August 22, 2024

@realdoctorbarn added: “Bolt’s failure to manage abuse is letting users in both countries hurt local drivers. It’s time for @boltapp to fix this issue.”

Bolt's lack of strict controls is allowing users in both South Africa and Nigeria to exploit and harm local drivers. By not addressing this abuse, @boltapp is fueling tensions and letting its platform be misused. It's time for Bolt to step up and take charge of this situation.

— Dr. Barn (@RealDoctorBarn) August 22, 2024

IOL

Denmark will introduce the world's first carbon tax on livestock, a unique measure designed to bring the Scandinavian country closer to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.

From 2030, methane emissions caused by flatulence from cattle and pigs will be taxed at a rate of 300 kroner (R5,420) per tonne of CO2 equivalent.

This amount will rise to 750 kroner in 2035 under the terms of an agreement reached at the end of June between the government, part of the opposition and representatives of livestock farmers, industry and trade unions.

It is estimated that cows and other livestock account for around 14% of the world’s human-induced climate emissions.

The text for the Danish tax still has to be approved by parliament, which will examine it after the summer.

For Christian Fromberg, a campaign leader at Greenpeace Nordic, the text "offers hope... in a situation where a lot of countries are back-pedalling on climate action."

"While the carbon tax should have been both higher and implemented sooner, it does marks a significant milestone," he told AFP.

At the same time, Fromberg deplored the "missed opportunity" to bring about "a new direction for Danish agriculture".

This is despite the fact that its practices remain highly intensive and discharges a lot of nitrogen, which is responsible for deoxygenating the water.

Without oxygen, marine flora and fauna disappear.

'A sad day' for agriculture

For the Danish Association for Sustainable Agriculture, however, the agreement is "useless".

It is "a sad day for agriculture", it said in a press release.

"As a farmer, I feel uncomfortable because we are taking part in an uncertain experiment" that could threaten "the security of the food supply", said the association's president Peter Kiaer, recalling New Zealand's abandonment of a similar proposal in the face of farmers protesting.

To soften the bill for Danish farmers, the plan proposes a 60 percent tax deduction.

The true cost to farmers is expected to be 120 kroner per tonne from 2030, rising to 300 kroner five years later.

However, projections by the economy ministry estimate that up to 2,000 jobs could be lost in the sector by 2035 as a result of the agreement.

The revenue generated by the tax will be reinvested in the ecological transition of the agricultural industry.

Over 60 percent of the country's surface area is devoted to agriculture.

In addition, the fallowing of 140,000 hectares should help to increase carbon storage in the soil, thereby reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"We have a great myth in Denmark of being a green frontrunner," said Fromberg.

"It is very hard to make the case, that this agreement is historic. It is a continuation of the path of intensification that Danish agriculture has occurred for the last 70 years. And the deal incentivises that Danish agriculture will continue to be the most intensive meat-producing country in the world."

Denmark is one of the world's leading exporters of pork, which accounts for almost half of the country's agricultural exports, according to the Danish Agriculture and Food Council.

AFP

Celebrated actor Sello Maake kaNcube’s bogus doctorate from the warehouse-like structure of a so-called Trinity International Bible University has set tongues wagging on social media.

But the former Generations actor is not the only well-known figure in Mzansi who has been conferred with a bogus doctorate, there are many more including the likes of Shauwn Mkhize, Lucas Kgaphola, Winnie Mashaba, Peter Mabula, Ngwana Ledwaba, Kenneth Makweng and Deborah Fraser.

Higher Education Minister Blade Ndzimande confirmed the institution was a bogus university., saying it was not registered with the authorities.

IOL News recently reported that Nzimande said the so-called university was not authorised to offer any honorary doctorates and qualifications because it was not legally registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training.

“According to our records, Trinity International Bible University is not a registered private higher education institution.

“Trinity International Bible University is therefore not authorised to offer any qualifications, including honorary degrees,” he said in a statement.

He threatened legal action against the so-called university.

IOL takes a look at some of the Mzansi celebrities who have been awarded with bogus doctorates at the Trinity International Bible University:

Sello Maaka kaNcube

The former Generations actor took to social media with excitement to announce to his fans that he has been bestowed with a doctorate.

“It’s now Dr Sello Maake kaNcube,” he boldly wrote, before Nzimande and hundreds others, burst his bubble.

At his moment of joy, he wrote, quoting Isaiah 43:2.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

And its still, Mr Sello Maake kaNcube!

Elizabeth Serunye

Skeem Saam actress Elizabeth Serunye who portrays the character of Jacobeth Thubakgale, also took to social media on the same day as Maake kaNcube to announce to her fans that she recently received her doctorate from the very same university.

She excitedly captioned her post: “Graduation day. Honour me as Dr Sikasu Serunye.”

And with her too, she is still Ms Elizabeth Sikasu Serunye!

Zwelinzima Vavi

Unionist and secretary general of South African Federation Trade Unions (SAFTU), Zwelinzima Vavi was also awarded an honorary degree by the bogus university in 2018.

Vavi took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and said that he was approached by the church to recognise his exceptional work with an honorary doctorate.

“I was asked by the man of God to accept an honour of my contributions to the struggle for social justice from the church! I wonder if the Bishop who approached me himself knew that the Trinity Bible University was not registered,” @Zwelinzima1 wrote on X.

He added: “Be that as it may be, I did not ask to be honoured or had to pay anything of bribe anyone to receive the honour. All I know is that my contribution to workers and liberation struggle is no fake.”

Winnie Mashaba

In 2019, multi-award winning gospel sensation Winnie Mashaba took to Instagram to share her joy.

“I truly never thought that being disciplined and humbled to the talent would one day give me an Honorary Doctorate and also make me dine with Kings and highly respected leaders.

Also take me and my children in music to the places we always dreamed of ministering at. I bow 🙇🏼‍♀️ unto the Lord 🙏🏽 Ruri kea reta go Balegodimo 😢😢.”

Ouch.

Deborah Fraser

The late gospel singer Deborah Fraser, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 56, was also awarded the honorary doctorate from the bogus university in 2021.

The ‘Abanye Bayombona’ singer also posted on her socials beaming with excitement expressing that she has been honoured with a doctorate degree.

“My journey is not defined by the number of albums I have…It is not defined by the number of accolades I have received…

“It is a journey of thousands miles experienced with so much love from my supporters and fans…

“It is defined through the millions of souls that I have reached and touched out there with this everlasting gift that God gave me….

“It is defined through lives I have saved and changed through the language of music…. It has been a tedious journey with lows and highs…..

“However, to God almighty….. Father, I wouldn't have made it without your grace and love…. U have always been the pillar of my strength through the darkest moments of my faith being shaken…. Such an honour it is to be called Dr. Deborah Fraser.🙏❤️”

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Dr Deborah Fraser (@dr_deborahfraser)

Kenny Makweng

Limpopo gospel singer Kenny Makweng, who passed away in January this year was also bestowed with an honorary doctorate from Trinity International Bible University in 2022.

The ‘Ke Mosione' singer posted a video of himself on his Instagram account walking to the stage to receive his honorary doctorate.

Peter Mabula

Another Limpopo gospel singer who received an honorary doctorate from the bogus university in 2022, is Peter Mabula.

Ngwana Ledwaba

Limpopo gospel singer Ngwana Ledwaba, also received an honorary doctorate from the ‘bogus’ university in 2022.

Ledwaba also shared her graduation pictures on her Facebook page, in which she can be seen on cloud nine together with the late gospel singer, Kenny Makweng.

She captioned her post: “Dr Ngwana Ledwaba officially🙏.”

Not so fast, “doc”.

Lucas Kgaphola

Former SABC Sepedi television news anchor, Lucas Kgaphola was also among those who received a bogus honorary doctorate in 2022.

He also shared pictures of his graduation on Facebook and said:

“Modimo Kea leboga, I am officially Dr Lucas Kgaphola. I was honoured by the Internationally recognized institution Trinity International Bible university. Same institution that honoured Dr Winnie Mashaba and Dr Deborah Fraser just to mention but few. To God be glory.”

Not so fast Mr Kgaphola.

IOL

A consumer who hauled Mr Delivery to the Advertising Regulatory Board after he received a small watermelon which was slightly bigger than the size of his hand, has won his case.

Consumer Colijn van Bergen told the ARB that he ordered a watermelon from Pick n’ Pay and a magnum ice-cream from the Engen garage via the Mr D app which is part of the Takealot group.

The man complained that the advertisements on the Mr D app did not match the items that he received.

“The complainant stated that the app showed a picture of a large watermelon slice, and he received a watermelon slice slightly bigger than his hand.”

Van Bergen also complained that the ice cream from the Engen Quickshop via the Mr D app was advertised as 110ml and what he received was 100ml.

According to the Directorate of the ARB it is assumed from the previous responses from the Takealot group that they are not a member of the ARB.

In its ruling the ARB said:

“In respect of the size of the watermelon, the Directorate appreciates that the images of fresh fruit or vegetables may not always be true to size.

“In other words, the images may appear to be distorted or misleading when it comes to the size of the actual product.

“The size of the watermelon in isolation is therefore not the problem. However, the advertisement on the app states that the watermelon is “R24.99 per kilo”.

The Directorate said in essence van Bergen ordered and paid for R24.99 worth of watermelon.

“Customers who pay this price would reasonably expect to receive a kilogram of watermelon.”

The ARB said the watermelon does not appear to be one kilogram.

“The advertiser has submitted no contradictory information.”

The ARB further ruled that if the watermelon had a price of just R24.99 the consumer would have understood that the size might be a matter of luck.

They also found that the Magnum is 100ml and could be attributed to a typo error.

“However, the Directorate received no response to the merits of this complaint. It is also currently unable to find any available Magnum ice creams at Engen stores on the Mr D app, so is unable to check whether the error is corrected.”

The Directorate said it has no choice but to conclude that the advertising in question was misleading.

Members of the ARB were instructed not to accept advertising for the Advertiser in its current format.

IOL News

South African Twitter users have come out and shared their views on a job advert looking for an all-in-one House Manager, Au Pair, Tutor and Personal Assistant, basically a stay at home mom (SAHM).

According to the ad, the position exists within the Du Plessis Family in Modderfontein in Johannesburg.

Is this family looking for another mom? Yoh pic.twitter.com/catmebOv7l

— Gugu “Princess Teacher” Dlamini 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 (@ggdlams) November 2, 2022

The job requirements left Tweeps wondering if they would be able to fill this “special position”.

The job requires the candidate to be a woman graduate, able to drive confidently and be between the ages 24 to 30. It offers R 22 000 a month, starting the first week of December 2022.

According to the job ad, the job is a “professional extension” of the Du Plessis home and family.

The Du Plessis are looking for someone who is honest, friendly, professional, possesses good morals, hard-working, perfectionist, logical, responsible and organised.

Now here is where things get interesting. Some of the responsibilities include preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner, driving the kids to and from school, taking the children to the doctor, if need be, working out a holiday programme, running errands, walking the family Jack Russell, doing grocery shopping on a Monday and Friday and also baking rusks.

The user who posted the job on Twitter, Gugu “Princess Teacher” Dlamini, asked: “Is this family looking for another mom? Yoh.”

A user by the name of Watch The Throne responded: “Act professionally after teaching homework, dog walking and baking rusks?”

Act professionally after teaching homework, dog walking and baking rusks? pic.twitter.com/ETnYnBCoYb

— Watch The Throne (@Ntebogeng___) November 2, 2022

Another user, TK, said: “This is what young South Africans are doing in other countries especially America. They call it Au Pair. SA gov ships 100’z of graduates over seas to go and do this. Some seas the opportunity by getting there and studying further or look for other opportunities.”

This is what young South Africans are doing in other countries especially America. They call it Au Pair. SA gov ships 100’z of graduates over seas to go and do this. Some seas the opportunity by getting there and studying further or look for other opportunities.

— TK (@Tk_Cele) November 2, 2022

Granti M’coola, @CoolGranti, responded: “Idk about you but I'd take this job if i wasn't a man😂. Plus they're around the corner. I practically do half of these things anyway, might as well do it for money.”

The email address on the ad was contacted to verify if this job really exists, however, our messages were rejected and blocked.

Los Angeles - A California woman found $36 000 (about R560 000) stuffed in the cushions of a free couch she snagged on Craigslist - and gave the money right back.

Vicky Umodu needed to furnish her new home cheaply and could not believe her luck when she found a sofa set being given away.

"I just moved in, and I don't have anything in my house," she told ABC7 from her home in Colton, near Los Angeles, this week.

"I was so excited, so we picked it up and brought it in."

But it turned out there was a whole lot more to the give away than met the eye.

The lump she found inside one of the cushions turned out to be several envelopes filled with cash - thousands of dollars' worth.

"I was just telling my son, come, come, come! I was screaming: this is money! I need to call the guy."

Umodu called the people who had given her the couch, told them of the bonanza, and returned the cash.

The family, who were clearing out the home of a loved one who had recently died, said they had no idea where all the money had come from.

By way of thanking her, the family gifted a surprised Umodu more than $2 000 - enough to buy the refrigerator she needs for her new home.

"I was not expecting a dime," she said.

Related video:

Rio de Janeiro:- At a Rio de Janeiro pastry shop, customers are waiting in line to buy waffles – but the chocolate-covered treats come with a twist that is causing controversy in Brazil: they are shaped like penises.

Since the "Putaria" pastry shop opened last month in the upscale beach neighbourhood of Ipanema, it has drawn a steady stream of titillated customers, but also disapproval from some neighbours, who have called in the authorities.

This week, the justice ministry's consumer protection agency ordered the shop and similar businesses across the country to suspend sales to minors of "all products reproducing or suggesting the shape of human genitalia and/or body parts with a sexual, erotic or pornographic connotation".

It also barred them from displaying the products in shop windows and ordered them to take down any signs with words or pictures referring to them.

The shop had a policy against selling to minors, anyway, says co-owner Juliana Lopes, who also has franchises in Lisbon and the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte.

But having to cover up the sign outside the shop came as an "unpleasant surprise", she said.

"It made me sad. I knew some people might not like us – as with any business. But I didn't think it would reach this point."

The shop has placed pink cloth over its sign, matching the decor inside, but does not appear to have lost customers over the kerfuffle.

Inside, clients laughed and snapped pictures with the waffles of their choice – phalluses or vulva – against a backdrop of neon signs with phrases such as "Tastier than your ex".

"I don't agree with the decision. It's a business like any other," said an elderly woman, Neusa, holding a freshly purchased penis shape.

"It's just for fun, I think it's great."

Cape Town - Minister Lindiwe Zulu’s reaction to being load shed half an hour into her interview with SABC journalist Vuyo Mvoko has gone viral.

During Wednesday’s episode of Mvoko’s show, “The Watchdog”, the social development minister was discussing her department’s performance in the rollout of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

Just as she started answering, Zulu was surprised by the power cut and was instantly cloaked in darkness.

“We are dealing with something that we only had two weeks to implement. When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the SRD R350, we had no system whatsoever to implement it.

“This was very different from all the grants that we deliver to our people. People had to apply online and get approved online. No one went to a Sassa office to apply for this money,” said Zulu.

“So we needed to put systems in place and make sure from May [2020] at the time this announcement was made, and the other complication was that in order to be able to pay people...”

Zulu was cut off when the power went out, but not before saying, “Oh No!”.

Mvoko intervened, but was able to come back to the minister, where she addressed what had happened.

“Sorry. That was load shedding. My sincere apologies,” she said. ”Yes, we back again.”

The moment has since gone viral on TikTok and Twitter, with many commenting on how the incident was an apt visual representation of what it’s like living in the country, and feeling the impact of load shedding.

They dont even know the schedule of Eskom

How ignorant one could be 😧#eskom https://t.co/iQm2F80Lir pic.twitter.com/XyYJhHTBNL

— Ramoshaba Madiba (@RMadiba) June 10, 2021

Lol 😂 see how we feel? https://t.co/JIuQLLTxcM

— Paseka_Vee™️🌈🇿🇦🇱🇸 (@Paseka_Vee) June 10, 2021

this is me on zoom with my american-based colleagues every other day 😭 https://t.co/T8LEVOMHNe

— Kevin Minofu (@SKevinM) June 10, 2021

“oh no” took me out💀 https://t.co/F3DGV8GEJd

— yūga (@yuga97_) June 9, 2021

That “Oh no!” captures the national sentiment. This is the reality of living in SA, Minister Zulu. https://t.co/74FK8VFvfN

— Neo. (@realNeoM) June 9, 2021

Surely this is a sketch. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/DgJlnCgWNK

— Donovan Goliath (@DonovanGoliath) June 10, 2021

@callumtownsley_

Load shedding on live TV. Bro what 🤣#greenscreenvideo

♬ original sound - Callum Townsley

Meanwhile, civil society organisations are still advocating for the extension SRD grant and Basic Income Grant (BIG) saying there was no justification for terminating the grants.

Watch the full interview with the minister:

Cape Argus

Cape Town - The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has dropped presenters Elmarie Kapunda and Jesica Kaimu from its line-up following an on-air gaffe that was widely reported, Namibia media reported on Friday.

According to daily newspaper New Era, the two were informed on Thursday that they have been dropped from presenting news and sport, indefinitely.

Sports anchor Kaimu left viewers and social media users in stitches after confronting her colleague during a prime time news broadcast on Wednesday, not realising they were live.

In a video widely shared on social media platforms, NBC news anchor Kapunda introduced the sports presenter Kaimu, making a brief reference to the story to follow.

A combative Kaimu objected to the apparently off-script introduction, stating: "No, we are not going to do that. You are just going to greet me and say: Take it away."

A brief silence followed, before Kapunda informed her colleague: “Jessica, we are live."

Another awkward silence ensued, before the news channel cut the live shot and went to a commercial.

What’s going on with Jessica? LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/xAtvhntbLW

— Shut It All Down (@ShadowsOfWolf_) June 9, 2021

In a Twitter post following the on air-gaffe, Kaimu said she was not aware she was live when making the comment and apologised to viewers, adding that there was no animosity between Kapunda and herself.

"I didn’t know we were live… my sincere apology to the nation," the post said.

"There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live."

The incident triggered hilarity beyond Namibia’s borders on social media but also drew criticism, with some users slamming Kaimu as rude and unprofessional.

"But you used beef tone, was it your duty to rectify her? Couldn't you find a way of covering her mistakes then discuss that later?" one Twitter user posted in response to Kaimu’s apology.

"Even if you behind the scenes, you don't address someone like that. Let alone a colleague," another responded.

African News Agency (ANA)

Cape Town - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) presenters decided to deliver a spoof on the viral on air gaffe between two Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) anchors.

In a video widely shared on social media platforms, NBC news anchor Elmarie Kapunda introduced the sports presenter Jesica, making a brief reference to the story to follow.

A combative Jesica objected to the apparently off-script introduction, stating: "No, we are not going to do that. You are just going to greet me and say: Take it away."

A brief silence followed, before Kapunda informed her colleague: “Jesica, we are live."

Another awkward silence ensued, before the live shot was cut and the channel went to a commercial.

What’s going on with Jessica? LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/xAtvhntbLW

— Shut It All Down (@ShadowsOfWolf_) June 9, 2021

While the who incident has been trending on Twitter, and the Jesica in question has apologised and cleared the air on the matter. She did add that despite the seeming tension, she was on good terms with her colleague.

“There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live.”

There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live 😭😭💔
That’s it

— Guess who (@Jesica__s) June 9, 2021

In their own spoof of the moment, two SABC anchors, Sakina Kamwendo and Vaylen Kirtley re-enacted it after discussing the trending topic in their morning breakfast show.

“Sakina.. er...I understand the Covid-19 cases have been resurging in the country? South Africa in the throws of a third wave?”

Kamwendo quickly cut in with, “No Vaylen. We’re not going to do that, just say my name and then take it away...”

Kirtley added: “Sakina, we’re live”

The two anchors then also added in the awkward pause as seen in the original clip.

SABC this morning 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/2L4AbGfv5D

— Aluteni (@Aluteni_) June 10, 2021

Twitter weighed in and said that while the moment was a bit cheesy, it still brought smiles to their faces this morning.

We’re always making time for jokes, and so our country is a mess...? 👀🤷🏾‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/6aXoeOgY0o

— Refilwe Moloto (@RefilWest) June 10, 2021

😭Jessica the remake #nbcnews #Jessica https://t.co/2grgVbxjyU

— WeLiveNBC (@fmb_royal) June 10, 2021

we take nothing seriously in this country 😂😂😂 https://t.co/orGsM9X96H

— Didi Mmusi ✨💙 (@Dineo_em) June 10, 2021

Why is this better than the original 😭😂😂😂 https://t.co/DBx2I8Hbua

— the feminist. (@MhakaTinatswe) June 10, 2021

I would have been shocked if my people didn't try to do this. But I didn't think it would be SABC. It's funnier cos it's them.

Our elders must have been shocked. Some of them probably wrote to BCCSA already. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/Dbml6WPC9I

— Obakeng Van Dyk (@ObakengvanDyk) June 10, 2021

South Africans don’t deserve the internet 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/Ez87V0nZzc

— Albertina Kashuupulwa (@AlberBetty) June 10, 2021

Oh my god I love this so much 🤣🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/eMLij2jsio

— CasualGamerSA (@casualgamer_sa) June 10, 2021

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I hate load shedding, now I have missed out... https://t.co/CwsTyZjm4D

— For Shizzle my Wizzle 🌷 (@BlackroseShazy) June 10, 2021

Sabc recreated Jessica..... We are a comedy as a nation
😂😂😂

— Lufuno Vincent (@Chindubi01) June 10, 2021

No guys 😭 first eNCA did an exclusive with Spider-Man and now SABC is doing a Jessica Challenge💀💀💀 our country is not real😂 https://t.co/XASZhl5W3r

— Sole's Burner (@NotSoletheDJ) June 10, 2021

Cape Argus

Gently unwrapping clingfilm covering the old man's damaged feet - skin darkened and cracked, nails lumpen and deformed - the Hong Kong beautician doesn't flinch. Instead she picks up her tools and starts working.

Once to twice a month, Cass Ng and her team of beauticians swap out their nail polish collection for tough scissors, nail files, an electric drill.

Her initiative CHANGE (Caring Health Anywhere Nails Goal Elderly) offers free pedicures for low-income elderly people who cannot afford healthcare and do not have family to fall back on.

"We want to serve these people the most because they lack others' love the most," the 37-year-old told AFP.

After three years of giving volunteer manicures, Ng was inspired to start her own social enterprise to help those - often over 65 and on social benefits - unable to afford the city's expensive private healthcare.

While Hong Kong has a public healthcare system, many complain they have to wait for long periods to be seen with various ailments getting worse.

One of those visiting Ng's free clinic for the first time was Martin Sun, 71, who said he had been troubled by ingrowing toenails and fungal infections for years.

He describes that day's treatment, a full pedicure, as a blessed relief.

"If not, I would do it myself, bend down, then take a deep breath, and endure the pain," he said of trying to do the same work himself.

Kwan Lung, 86, gave a thumbs up and beamed during her visit to the clinic at the Kwai Chung community centre.

"The more they (the manicurists) come, the happier we old people are," the grandmother explained.

She described "sweating like it's raining" when she tried her own pedicures before.

Although the day seems light-hearted, Ng explains, when the elderly don't treat their fungal nail infections - the most common problem - they can face difficulties walking.

"Slowly, they might tend not to go out and they will become lonelier," she said.

"If the nails are fixed, they feel more comfortable with their feet and can... take a walk and chat with friends."

"When you manicure, the smell and level of dirtiness are very difficult to accept," she said, describing how difficult it was to help one man who was particularly filthy.

"But after half a year to a year, his situation has changed," she said.

Ng said: "This service should not be just a small thing in community centres, but a service that might be needed by people from all Hong Kong," adding that she hoped everyone could one day be set on equal footing.

AFP

Cape Town – Superstitions are often passed down from generation to generation and can often cause near paralysing fear of something which is considered ’normal’ to other people.

Merriam-Webster defines superstition as

1a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation

b: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition

2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary

One example of a superstition which my mother passed down to me was that we needed to put a thick covering (like a blanket) over the windows of our home during a thunderstorm. To this day I do this.

It got me thinking about superstitions in other countries, and I stumbled on a few in Nigeria.

Here are seven superstitions which are widely held in Nigeria:

Eating in the dark – It is believed that if you eat in the dark, you could be giving room to the dead to eat with you and this could lead to your death or grave ailments, writes Pulse Nigeria.

Whistling at night means you are inviting evil spirits – A majority of Nigerians believe that when you whistle at night, you are inviting evil spirits. That’s why till this day, many people avoid whistling at night.

Sleeping face up – According to Pulse Nigeria, many Nigerians believe that if you sleep face up it is the best position for spirits to have access to your body and soul.

Placing knives or cutlasses at the doorpost – It is also believed that when they place knives or cutlasses (short sword with slightly curved blade) at a doorpost, it drives away evil spirits and witches.

Putting eyelashes in your parents’ shoes – Another superstitious belief in Nigeria is that If you put your eyelashes in your parent’s shoes, they will forget the offence you committed.

Disposing of fingernail clippings – When you cut your fingernails, make sure it’s disposed of thoroughly or your destiny is at stake, according to the website Hello World Magazine.com.

Lending of money – Another Nigerian superstitious belief is that if you lend someone money too early in the morning, it is bad luck.

African News Agency (ANA)

In an unlikely crossover, Goku from "Dragon Ball" defeated the Flintstones in a recycled 'crazy car' race in Peru on Monday.

The event in Lima's San Miguel district saw contestants race in homemade cars built from recycled materials.

"Families, children and parents show their creativity in this crazy car contest," San Miguel mayor Jose Guevara said.

The overall winners were three friends who built a car inspired by "Dragon Ball" animation. Second and third places were taken by the Flintstones and "Fast and Furious"-themed cars.

"We gave it our souls, our hearts and life and it's incredible we built this (car) in a couple of days. And here's the result of the union between three friends," winner Henry Villodas said.

When 38-year-old Anouar (last name unknown) picked up a piece of paper in a train station in Frankfurt, Germany, only to discover it was a cheque for $4.7 million (about R80m), he must have thought he was in luck.

Instead of trying to cash it in, he decided to return it to the original owner, probably thinking he would be greatly rewarded for his kind deed.

One couldn’t fault him for wondering how much cash sweet company Haribo would give him for returning the cheque worth millions of dollars.

The German confectionery company was owned by billionaire Hans Riegel who was worth nearly $3-billion when he died in 2013, according to Forbes.

Unfortunately for Anouar, things didn’t pan out exactly as he thought.

He told the German news outlet Bild that he contacted the company and they told him to destroy the cheque, and then send them a picture of proof.

Once he had emailed them the proof, Haribo allegedly sent him a package of just six bags of sweets as a reward.

"I thought that was a bit cheap," he told the newspaper.

When Fox Business contacted the sweet company for comment, a spokesperson said they were "very glad that Mr Anouar got in touch."

"While we recognised that this was a crossed cheque that could not be deposited by anyone but the company this was addressed to, we were grateful that Mr Anouar took the time to contact us and we were pleased to share a sweet gesture with him as a thank you," the spokesperson added.

No doubt those sweets left a bitter taste in Anouar’s mouth.

The Swiss have cheese and the Scots scotch, but the Serbians have ’’balls’’ and tennis star Novak Djokovic, of course.

In the Serbian village of Lunjevica, chefs cooked up delicacies to make your mouth water or your stomach churn on Saturday, watched by a niche following of curious spectators.

Dozens of chefs from Serbia, Germany, Austria and abroad gathered in the small village to take part in the World Testicle Cooking Competition, known locally as “Mudriajda”.

The organisers described the event as such: ’’If you happen to be in Serbia during the summertime, you’re in luck – you can eat testicles. That is, if you have the balls.

’’During the last weekend of August, Serbia holds the World Testicle Cooking Championship – aka the Balls Cup – where people gather to compete in a battle like no other.

’’Winners of the testicle cooking contest prepare a feast at the end of the fest and everyone eats and enjoys the evening, with the sounds of live music filling in the air.’’

“Gentlemen, start your testicles!” organiser Ljubomir Erovic usually says from an improvised stage, exclaiming, “Let the best balls win!”

Drinking cold beer and “rakija’’, a home-made fruit brandy, chefs and their helpers spiced gonads stewing in cauldrons. On the menu is bull, boar, camel, ostrich, pig and even kangaroo testicles, with judges tasting the myriad goulash recipes.

The festival includes dishes such as testicle pizza and testicles in bechamel sauce flavoured with a variety of herbs found in the region. Some believe ’’the bulls' testicles are the best, goulash-style’’.

It is known to be ’’all about fun, food and bravery’’, for a delicacy politely called "white kidneys’’ in Serbian, which is believed to be rich in testosterone.

In the Balkans, it is considered to help men's libido, with the festival organisers saying a ’’long time ago in the French castles it was a favoured food because it was an aphrodisiac, really... but now we have forgotten this kind of food’’.

The festival also gives prizes to those who have made the news for being ’’ballsy’’.

The colourful competition was founded in 2004 as a fun way for Serbia to grab headlines and to help bolster the image of the war-torn former Yugoslavia.

Englishman Peter Atkinson told a news website it was a ’’very social occasion’’ that gathers together families and groups of people that cook together.

IOL

Cape Town - A Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) sports anchor left viewers and social media users in stitches after confronting her colleague during a prime time news broadcast on Wednesday, not realising they were live.

In a video widely shared on social media platforms, NBC news anchor Elmarie Kapunda introduced the sports presenter Jesica, making a brief reference to the story to follow.

A combative Jesica objected to the apparently off-script introduction, stating: "No, we are not going to do that. You are just going to greet me and say: Take it away."

A brief silence followed, before Kapunda informed her colleague: “Jessica, we are live."

Another awkward silence ensued, before the news channel cut the live shot and went to a commercial.

What’s going on with Jessica? LMFAOOOO pic.twitter.com/xAtvhntbLW

— Shut It All Down (@ShadowsOfWolf_) June 9, 2021

In a Twitter post following the on air gaffe, Jesica said she was not aware she was live when making the comment and apologised to viewers, adding that there was no animosity between Kapunda and herself.

"I didn’t know we were live... my sincere apology to the nation," the post said.

"There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live."

I didn’t know we were live 😭😭, my sincere apology to the nation 🙏

— Guess who (@Jesica__s) June 9, 2021

There’s no any beef between us, my colleague forgot the script and I was just trying to correct her but I forgot we were live 😭😭💔
That’s it

— Guess who (@Jesica__s) June 9, 2021

The incident triggered hilarity beyond Namibia’s borders on social media, but also drew criticism, with some users slamming Jessica as rude and unprofessional.

"But you used beef tone, was it your duty to rectify her? Couldn't you find a way of covering her mistakes then discuss that later?" one Twitter user posted in response to Jesica’s apology.

"Even if you behind the scenes, you don't address someone like that. Let alone a colleague," another responded.

Others then used the opportunity to find the the humour in the situation.

On behalf of the entire nation of Namibia, I'd like to take this opportunity to personally thank Jessica for making our night. With everything that's been going on, we definitely needed a good laugh. We love and appreciate you Jessica 😩😂😂

— Ann Singer (@ann1singer) June 9, 2021

NBC needs to give Jessica a bonus, she really made the whole country laugh even our neighbors SA😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oRBqosvdwj

— Sam🇳🇦 (@sam_too_Good) June 9, 2021

F that, Jessica stays! These will be the highest online figures they’ve had in months! https://t.co/cZV2WiKqO7

— Sizwe Dhlomo (@SizweDhlomo) June 9, 2021

Jessica after she was told that they are live pic.twitter.com/BpyGCPmueC

— Is To Kiss 💋 (@werrie_dj) June 9, 2021

African News Agency (ANA)

Tarrytown, United States - The Westminster Dog Show crowned a Pekingese named Wasabi its "Best in Show" Sunday, in the culmination of a reworked pandemic edition of the competition missing its usual pooch-loving crowds.

Normally held in February, the show was delayed and moved from its home in the heart of New York City to a country estate due to Covid-19.

Spectators were kept away and it was the show's first time being held outside Manhattan, but the singular passion of the event, now in its 145th year, was unchanged: dogs.

Three-year-old Wasabi was crowned best in show from a pack of seven group winners which also included Mathew, a French bulldog; Connor, an Old English sheepdog; and Striker, a Samoyed.

Bourbon the whippet came in second.

Speaking a day earlier when Wasabi won the toy group, his owner and handler David Fitzpatrick - who also won "Best in Show" in 2012 - lauded his pooch's "charisma, movement and showmanship."

"He's in his prime and he just looks wonderful," he added.

The event, an annual celebration of purebred dogs from across the spectrum in size, shape and fur types, brought together over 2,000 candidates from more than 200 breeds.

Dogs are judged on the basis of how well they stack up against breed characteristics as set by the American Kennel Club.

Breeds are assessed not just in terms of how they move, but whether their facial expressions show what is deemed proper vigilance or merriment.

Cape Town – An Italian student has had his Covid-19 vaccine QR (Quick Response) code tattooed on his arm, according to reports.

A QR code, once scanned, provides information and operates much like barcodes and can be used to log and transfer important personal data from one data system to another.

As Covid-19 ‘vaccine passes’ become more prominent across the world to access public spaces, it seems that the world is heading in the direction that requires proof of being vaccinated against Covid-19, and this young man decided to permanently prove that he in fact is vaccinated.

Andrea Colonnetta, 22 became an overnight internet sensation after he posted his new ink on the social media network, Instagram, recently.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andrea Colonnetta (@andrea_colonnetta)

“The idea was born by talking to my tattooist, Gabriele Pellerone, on what I wanted to represent the bad time that we all went through during this pandemic a little I think,” Colonnetta told African News Agency ANA on Wednesday.

“But as I like doing things differently and in an original way, we decided to tattoo something that nobody had still done yet.”

Pellerone is a popular tattoo artist with over 200 000 followers on Instagram.

According to a report by news website CGTN.com, Colonnetta explained that he understands that the useful aspect of the tattoo might expire, “but this is something that I can also use for nine months, but the meaning is something more”.

“Either way the meaning will stay – and that's what's important,” said Colonnetta, as reported by CGTN.com.

According to the Mirror.co.uk, the Green Pass certificate was first introduced in Italy in June to facilitate travel in Europe, and allow people to take part in large events like weddings, and to provide access to nursing homes.

It has been a requirement in Italy for anyone wishing to dine indoors or attend a cultural event to present a "Green Pass" certificate upon entry showing they have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from Covid-19, according to reports.

Italy was one of the countries hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with around 4.5 million cases and 120 000 deaths.

African News Agency (ANA)

CAPE TOWN – Kenya’s first-ever national wildlife census has revealed the country’s rarest animal, the Roan Antelope.

Kenya, as is the case with the entire East African region, is world-renowned for its rich wildlife from lions to elephants and buffalos, to name only a few.

In order to assist in conservation efforts to protect its wildlife, the Kenyan government has launched a two-month back exercise to determine the number of land and aquatic wildlife the country possesses, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has said back in May.

Kenya’s National Wildlife Census 2021 is the first of its kind in the country and establishes “a baseline data on wildlife population status and distribution for future use to understand wildlife population trends and shifts in their distribution,” according to the cabinet secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala at the launch of the census.

Earlier this week, Balala presented the complete census to President Uhuru Kenyatta, according to State House Kenya.

The census involved methods such as aerial counting – involving aircraft and drone technology, indirect dung counting, a ground census, waterhole census, and even camera traps, according to Kenya’s National Wildlife Census2021.

The census has revealed that Kenya has the fourth largest population of Savanna elephants in the world, with more than 36,000 counted in the East African country.

Animals of the “least concern” category, which has thriving populations include more than 57,000 wildebeest, 121,911 common zebras, and nearly 20,000 reticulated giraffes.

Overall, there is a total of 17 animals within this category.

On the other end of the scale is the critically endangered category, which includes the tana river mangabey, black rhino, hirola, sable antelope, and the roan antelope.

The roan antelope possesses the lowest numbers out of the entire category, at only 15 counted in the East African country.

The roan antelope grows up to 2.4m tall, can weigh nearly 300kg, have white eyebrows and cheeks with a black face, with ringed horns that can grow up to one metre.

The National Wildlife Census 2021 reveals that the roan antelope used to roam widely in Africa. However, over the past 40 years their numbers have decreased dramatically due to poaching and land conversion for agricultural usage.

The only population of roan antelope which is either stable or increasing is mainly found in private reserves in South Africa.

There is an estimated 76,000 roan antelope in the world today, and a third of the animal’s population is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Zambia, and Tanzania.

– African News Agency

US authorities have rescued from a New York apartment a feline that was no house cat - she was an 80-pound wild cougar.

The 11-month-old puma - called Sasha - was living inside a home in the Bronx, officials said.

She was rescued last week in a joint operation by police, the Humane Society of the United States, city officials and Bronx Zoo personnel.

The owner "surrendered" the big cat and was present during the removal, the groups said in a statement Monday.

The mountain cat was taken to the Bronx Zoo, where veterinarians examined her over the weekend.

Sasha was then transported to Turpentine Creek animal sanctuary in Arkansas, which cares for neglected big cats.

"This cougar is relatively lucky that her owners recognized a wild cat is not fit to live in an apartment or any domestic environment," said Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for the Humane Society.

"The owner's tears and nervous chirps from the cougar as we drove her away painfully drives home the many victims of this horrendous trade and myth that wild animals belong anywhere but the wild," she added.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said the case was under investigation and no further information, including about the owner, was immediately available.

Sasha isn't the first big cat or exotic pet to have come to the attention of authorities in New York.

Police removed a 425-pound adult tiger called Ming from an apartment in Harlem in 2003 while in 2004, an eight-year-old boy on Long Island was attacked by his father's pet leopard.

Animal rights activists want Congress to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would strengthen laws prohibiting the breeding and possession of species such as lions, tigers, cheetahs and jaguars.

AFP

In another case of strange things that happen on flights, a social media user has taken to Twitter to share her flight experience after a pug was found on board.

According to Laura Peek, a stand-up comedian from Nashville and @laurapeek on Twitter, she woke up from her nap on a flight to the flight attendant holding a pug and grilling passengers on who it belonged to.

On my flight today I woke up from a nap & an attendant was walking down the aisle holding a pug, saying “we found this pug. Whose pug is this??” And for 3 hours we all just took turns holding the mystery pug until a verrrry stoned man in the last row woke up & was like “Roscoe?!”

— Laura Peek at Helium Indy Dec 10-11 (@laurapeek_) November 19, 2022

The Twitter user said that the flight attendant “was walking down the aisle holding a pug” and questioning the passengers on who the owner of the pug was.

“And for three hours we all just took turns holding the mystery pug until a verrrry stoned man in the last row woke up and was like ‘Roscoe?!’”

As if this experience isn’t strange enough, other Twitter users opened up on their experiences on flying and having pets on board.

I was flying to Alaska and as I boarded the plane there was a HUGE dog sitting in the front row middle seat. I was like “Holy Moly” to the flight attendants and they told me it was a well trained cadaver dog on its way to a mission in Alaska. pic.twitter.com/poAaI3Uf35

— Krista Steele (@SciVizKrista) November 20, 2022

A Twitter user, Krista Steele, commented: “I was flying to Alaska and as I boarded the plane there was a HUGE dog sitting in the front row middle seat. I was like “Holy Moly” to the flight attendants and they told me it was a well-trained cadaver dog on its way to a mission in Alaska.“

Another user, Bruce Arthurs, added more humour to the incident by asking: “Was he flying business class?”

Was he flying business class? pic.twitter.com/meJjZwzzgC

— Bruce Arthurs (@BruceArthursAZ) November 20, 2022

A flight attendant, @swedegirl67, also shared their experience of having fury pals on board: “I’m a flight attendant for AA, formerly America West. One night on the red-eye from Vegas to Columbus a cat darted out from a row and I walked thru the cabin going, ‘is this your cat’ to everyone. It belonged to a man who had been lying down sleeping with his cat.”

Read the latest issue of IOL Travel digital magazine here.

San Francisco police faced an unprecedented problem recently when an officer stopped a car that was driving at night with no headlights on, only to discover there was no one inside.

The vehicle, it turned out, was a self-driving car, and the police officer's encounter was captured on film by a passerby, who posted the footage on social media.

The clip, showing bemused officers circling the vehicle and peering through its window for several minutes, has been shared so widely that Cruise, the company that owns the vehicle, reacted on Twitter to explain what had happened.

It said the self-driving car "yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location for the traffic stop, as intended. An officer contacted Cruise personnel and no citation was issued."

In the footage, as the police are inspecting the parked vehicle, someone can be heard exclaiming, "There's no one in it, it's crazy!"

A police spokesperson said that after the police had stopped the car, a maintenance team had taken control of it. Cruise explained that the headlights were turned off due to human error.

Founded in 2013, Cruise has developed software that allows cars to drive themselves completely autonomously.

General Motors owns the majority of shares in the company, valued at more than $30 billion (R290bn) thanks to investments by giants such as Microsoft, Honda and Walmart.

Since February, Cruise has passed a key threshold in offering individuals the chance to book free trips in the streets of San Francisco in its driverless cars.

Residents of the Californian city also regularly come across robo-taxis from Waymo, Google's self-driving subsidiary.

These camera-clad vehicles take passengers wherever they want, with a driver who is present but does not touch the steering wheel or the pedals.

Agence France-Presse

A traditional Indian wedding procession with pumping music, fireworks, dancing and a marching brass band in shiny jackets has been blamed for the death of 63 chickens.

Ranjit Kumar Parida said the party was blasting out "ear-splitting noise" as it passed his poultry farm in the eastern state of Odisha shortly before midnight on Sunday.

"I asked the band operators to lower the volume as the music was too noisy and terrifying the chickens. But they did not listen and the groom's friends shouted at me," Parida told AFP.

A vet told Parida the chickens had died of a heart attack, and he filed a police complaint after the wedding organisers refused to pay compensation.

Zoology professor Suryakanta Mishra, who has authored a book on animal behaviour, told the Hindustan Times that loud noise increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in birds.

"Chickens are governed by a circadian rhythm that is controlled by the natural light/dark cycle of day and night.

"Sudden excitement or stress due to loud music could disrupt their biological clock," Mishra said.

The story had a happy ending - except for the chickens - after police convinced the warring parties to "solve the matter mutually".

"We have not initiated any action as (the poultry farmer) withdrew the complaint," police official Droupadi Das said.

AFP

DURBAN - AS South Africans, laughing through the pain or breathing through the wound is our vibe.

Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing tighter restrictions and the country's move to an Adjusted Alert Level 2, the most important thing many of us took from last night's family meeting was that our dearest president used the word “asterisk”.

Nevermind that the speech started promptly at 7pm and ended 30 minutes later, nope. That didn’t even phase us.

Ramaphosa was explaining how people can register to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. Instead of using the word “star for the USSD code, he said ”asterisk“, and that left the country in stitches.

It didn’t take long for Twitter to get wind of the gaffe and have a go at the president.

Asterix mr president🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️is it not the same as star

— Stanley Phiri (@stanleyphiri111) May 30, 2021

I’m sure Ramaphosa was referring to Macron’s envoy’s. #asterix #obelix #asterisk #FamilyMeeting #mzansi #COVID #Covid19 pic.twitter.com/RXmcLk9zfQ

— Basil Parker (@basilparker) May 30, 2021

President Zuma wouldn't have disrespected nor puzzle the entire nation with #Asterisk ke star ntheo mann but it's fine #FamilyMeeting #Level2 pic.twitter.com/GeWFHjBgzw

— Phaks🇿🇦🇱🇸 (@Phaks_) May 30, 2021

Glad to hear Asterix will help us fight COVID 🤓#asterix #asterisk #FamilyMeeting #COVID #Covid19 #Covid19SA pic.twitter.com/L4ehZXxIRk

— Basil Parker (@basilparker) May 30, 2021

#FamilyMeeting What was so difficult to use *star whatever I stead of this asterisk Ramaphosa is talking about. Our grannies are confused now. #Asterisk 😂😂😂

— @Ubaba kaZolotov (@FraternityZA) May 30, 2021

#asterisk I just learned a new word for * from the president Asterisk. Who also learned something new?

— Giardia lamblia 🎆🎇 (@MabethaTebogo) May 30, 2021

As for asterisk... Thina sithi star nton'ntoni#Asterisk

— Nobantu (@SophiaSo_Phly) May 30, 2021

Also, here are the four ways that you can register to receive your Covid-19 vaccine:

- Use the online registration platform, available on the SA Coronavirus website.

- Dial *134*832# and register via USSD.

- Send the word “register” via WhatsApp to 0600 123 456.

- Call the national toll-free call centre on 0800 029 999, where somebody will help you to register and answer any questions about the vaccination rollout

IOL

The body of a missing man has been found inside a dinosaur statue in Barcelona, Spain.

The 39-year-old man's body was discovered in a papier-mâché stegosaurus statue outside the Cubic Building in Santa Coloma de Gramenet after police said a father and son had noticed a smell coming from it, the BBC reported.

The father saw the body through a crack in the stegosaurus' hollow leg and alerted the authorities.

A spokesperson for the regional police force told the Guardian they believe it was an accidental death and no violence was suspected. The man had been reported missing just hours before his body was discovered.

🔴 Troben el cos sense vida d'un home dins d'un dinosaure decoratiu dels antics cinemes del Cubics de #SantaColoma de #Gramenet. Un nen i el seu pare, que juguen sovint a la zona, han trobat el cadàver. El pare ha avisat immediatament la policia, que investiga la causa de la mort pic.twitter.com/EIAc3P4Lr1

— El Mirall.net (@elmirallnet) May 22, 2021

According to a local media report, the man was reportedly trying to retrieve his cellphone that dropped inside the statue when he fell inside and was trapped upside down.

Firefighters pried open the dinosaur leg to retrieve the body after three teams were called to the scene.

Police are awaiting the results from his autopsy to determine how he died, and the statue has since been removed.

A spokesperson for the Mossos d’Esquadra, the local police, said: “It’s an accidental death; there was no violence. It looks as though he was trying to retrieve a mobile phone, which he’d dropped.”

The statue, which was used to promote an old cinema, has been removed from its original location.

IOL

An Austrian hospital has amputated the wrong leg of a patient, blaming human error for what it called a “tragic mistake”.

The elderly patient is suffering from many illnesses, the Freistadt Clinic, in a town of the same name near the Czech border, said in a statement. Previous sicknesses have affected his legs, to the point that his left leg required amputation.

“We are deeply shocked that on Tuesday, May 18, despite quality assurance standards, the wrong leg of an 82-year old man... was amputated,” the clinic said, adding that the mistake was first noticed during a bandage change on Thursday morning.

The error appears to have been made shortly before the operation, when the leg that was to be amputated was marked, the clinic said.

“Unfortunately the mistake, in which the right leg was removed instead of the left, occurred as a result of a sequence of unfortunate circumstances,” it said, adding that it was investigating what happened and would review its standards.

The patient has been offered psychological assistance and must still undergo another operation to remove his left leg from mid-thigh.

“The operation is planned shortly,” the clinic said.

Reuters

Los Angeles – Fans who can't wait to see the next Indiana Jones film can bid to own his iconic fedora next month – if they have perhaps a cool $250 000 (about R3.5 million ) to spare.

The custom-made hat worn by Harrison Ford in 1984 action classic Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will go on sale in Hollywood from June 29, for an estimated $150 000-$250 000.

Film-makers commissioned the archaeologist's fedora from London hatter Herbert Johnson a year before the film was shot, said Prop Store auction house chief operations officer Brandon Alinger.

"They didn't just walk in and buy a hat off the shelf ... they combined attributes from a few different hats to make what became the Indiana Jones Fedora, which is probably now today, one of the most recognisable hats in all movies," he said.

Ford, 78, is set to appear in his final film as the hero archaeologist next summer.

Over 1 200 items from Hollywood folklore will go on sale in June and July, including Princess Leia actor Carrie Fisher's annotated Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back script and Tom Cruise's sword from The Last Samurai.

The golf cart driven by Brad Pitt's character in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood will be wheeled onto the auction block alongside a wand and eyeglasses used by Daniel Radcliffe in the final two Harry Potter films, donated by studio Warner Bros to raise funds for charity.

Alinger said prices for Hollywood artefacts had "trended up over time" as they became a more established collector's items for investors who seek accumulating value and bid against wealthy fans.

"Pieces like stormtrooper helmets that have been sold in the past and sold more recently – you can see that rise in value over time, as more people become aware that this type of asset is available as a collectible or as a piece for investment," he said, of the distinctive Star Wars costumes.

Last year, a Darth Vader costume used for promoting the first film in George Lucas's original space saga sold for $287 500.

A "light-up remote-control droid" called R2-SHP from the most recent Star Wars film is expected to earn up to $120 000 at the next auction, ending July 1.

A nine-month-old Bengal tiger called "India" which was seen roaming the lawns of suburban Houston a week ago has been captured unharmed and was moved on Sunday to an animal sanctuary, police said.

When the tiger was first spotted and reported on social media, a local off-duty sheriff confronted it with a revolver, as seen in footage filmed by neighbours.

But the animal was later put in a vehicle and driven off by a man whose lawyers deny he was India's owner. The man was then arrested, but the tiger, which was wearing a sparkly collar, was not immediately located.

"We are happy to report that the missing tiger seen in a Houston neighbourhood last week has been found and appears to be unharmed," city police said on Saturday.

The Houston Police Department released a video of the tiger being petted and given a drink.

The big cat will be transported to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, where it will have its own habitat with half an acre of land (0.2 hectare), including a wooded area and pool.

"Our goal is to provide him the best quality of life for the rest of his life," ranch director Noelle Almrud told US media. "We hope he will spend the rest of his life at Black Beauty."

AFP

Johannesburg - Revered diving champion Rhiannan Iffland has taken an 18 metre dive from a hot air balloon over New South Wales’s Lostock Dam - becoming the first person to ever dive from a moving hot air balloon.

Iffland, who is the cliff diving sport’s most decorate female athlete, thus becomes the first person to ever dive from a moving hot air balloon.

Preparing for the feat was not been easy as it has been a year of great uncertainty since the world has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

In the past year Iffland has had to cancel a year of competitive sport, and has only been able to train from 10-metre diving platforms.

The four-time Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion was determined to start 2021 by doing a dream dive she had long set her sights on. A year in the making, from finding the right location to narrowing down a weather window, the Newcastle athlete picked to soar over the Hunter region’s Lostock Dam, close to her home.

At first Iffland had to wait out swelling winds as a result of fog in the surrounding mountains.

Once the safety helium balloon stood upright as a sign of steady conditions, the hot air balloon took off from the ground with Iffland standing harnessed on a small platform outside the basket.

Moving close to the exact diving spot, the balloon sank down from its 40m soaring altitude to the actual diving height, and the athlete had only a fleeting moment to smoothly push off from the platform and take flight.

IOL

Hannah Knowles

Noah Ruiz had sat patiently through remote learning on his mom's computer, and now the 4-year-old wanted his favourite treat: a SpongeBob Popsicle with gumball eyes. His mother was onboard until she saw the price on Amazon - one case of 18 ice pops for $51 (about R700).

"Noah, you know, I don't feel like paying 50 dollars for this," Jennifer Bryant told her son. A Brooklyn mother of three juggling a prison counseling job with graduate studies in social work, she couldn't afford to splurge.

Then the boxes arrived - three of them, each about 70 pounds (about 30kg) and loaded with what the family determined to be 918 cartoon desserts worth $2 618.85.

"Oh hell no," Bryant said, rushing to check her bank account on her phone. Somehow, Noah had sent 51 cases of the treats to his aunt's house, and he was eager to pick them up - though he didn't seem to comprehend just how many were waiting.

"Do we need to order more?" Bryant, 37, said her son asked innocently when she confronted him last month.

Thus began Bryant's quest to recoup her losses - comical, frustrating and ultimately heartwarming as GoFundMe donors raised more than enough to cover Noah's SpongeBob popsicle spree. With more than $11 600 collected as of Friday, Bryant sees a chance to save up for her son's education.

She said she has always worried that, as a kid with autism spectrum disorder, Noah will be misunderstood in classroom - "Do they know how to deal with him? Do they know that they can just sit on the floor and say, 'Noah, just use your words'?" Now, Bryant dreams of sending him to a New York school designed for children like him.

And Noah is all over the Internet - standing atop his Amazon boxes in a Mickey Mouse shirt, Mickey Mouse jeans and glasses matching the yellow of his popsicle, the ill-fated purchase that brought so much good their way.

"Never would have ever imagined this," Bryant said. "Never."

Most of the Popsicles - the hundreds not eaten by Noah - ended up melting, she said. They couldn't even fit in the freezer for later.

When the Amazon boxes arrived last month, Bryant was in a panic. She tagged SpongeBob and Nickelodeon on Twitter, adding emoji in various states of distress. She tried to get the purchase refunded without luck, she said, and attempts to sell the popsicles to dessert companies did not go any better. Finally, Bryant vented to her classmates on a Facebook group for NYU's Silver School of Social Work. "If my tuition is late this month, this is why," she wrote.

"You laugh about it, but, you know, my bank account is crying right now!" she said later.

Enter Katie Schloss, an NYU classmate who had worked with Bryant on a project. Texting Bryant to see how she could help, Schloss got permission to start a GoFundMe called "Noah Bought $2 619 Worth of SpongeBob Popsicles."

Donors identified themselves as fellow SpongeBob fans, sympathetic parents and simply amused readers. Amazon also got in touch with the family after the GoFundMe went viral, Bryant said, offering to make a donation of their family's choice when it became clear the popsicle costs are well-covered.

Amazon confirmed that staff were in touch with the Bryants about giving to a local charity in the amount of Noah's popsicle order.

Bryant said her intensely curious youngest child has gotten some stern words and will not be able to order more snacks any time soon. Earlier, she tried reporting the Popsicle purchase as fraudulent; now the Amazon account has all of them locked out.

Related Video:

Moscow - Russia said on Tuesday it had caught a criminal gang led by a traffic policeman that extorted huge bribes, airing footage of his mansion containing palatial tsarist-style rooms, gaudy decorations and a gilded toilet.

The Investigative Committee that styles itself as Russia's FBI said a traffic police colonel in the southern region of Stavropol had been arrested along with six other people on suspicion of taking large bribes.

The group, it said, had for years issued permits to grain cargo transporters in the region in exchange for payments allowing permit holders to ignore regional administrative laws even when crossing traffic police checkpoints.

The group received bribes worth a total of 19 million roubles ($255,000), the agency said. The other members of the gang included a former senior traffic policeman in Stavropol, a traffic inspector and four civilians who were not identified.

Alexander Khinshteyn, a senior lawmaker for the pro-Kremlin ruling United Russia party, said that a total of more than 35 traffic police officers had been detained.

He and the Investigative Committee aired images of piles of seized cash, and a mansion said to belong to the police colonel containing extravagantly decorated rooms, a billiard hall, gilded columns and toilet.

Police officers carried out raids at 80 properties in the case, seizing large amounts of cash, expensive cars and other documents, the Investigative Committee said.

Sydney - A man in the Australian city of Perth escaped mandatory quarantine in a hotel by scaling down a rope made of tied together bedsheets from a fourth-floor window, police said on Tuesday.

After arriving in the West Coast city on an interstate flight from Brisbane, the man had his application for entry refused under the state's tough border entry rules intended to stop the virus entering from elsewhere in the country.

The man was told to leave the state within 48 hours and taken to a hotel for temporary quarantine, but just before 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday (17:00 GMT on Monday) "he climbed out a window of the fourth floor room using a rope made of bed sheets and fled the area", Western Australia Police said in a Facebook post.

They also posted photos the makeshift rope hanging from a window on the brick building's top floor down to the street.

Police arrested the man across town about 8 hours later, and charged him with failing to comply with a direction and providing "false/misleading information". They did not disclose the man's identity except to say that he was aged 39 and tested negative to the virus, nor did they give a reason for his alleged actions.

Australia has recorded far fewer coronavirus cases and deaths than many other developed countries partly because it closed national and internal borders and imposed mandatory hotel quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad or - during outbreaks - another state.

The policy has however brought with it a series of escapes, including a woman accused this month of climbing down two balconies and kicking in a door to evade quarantine in north-east regional hub of Cairns.

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Daewoung Kim and Dogyun Kim

Seoul - Plenty of gym-goers rely on a good tune to get themselves through that workout, but in South Korea their musical options have just reduced significantly under new Covid-19 rules.

To the standard restrictions such as social distancing and travel curbs, South Korea has added a requirement that gyms do not play music with higher than 120 beats per minute (bpm) during group exercises such as aerobics and spinning.

Health officials say the measure was intended to prevent breathing too fast or splashing sweat to other people while avoiding having to close such businesses entirely, as they have during previous waves.

The rule has invited ridicule from some opposition lawmakers, who called it "nonsense", and gym owners see the rules as barely effective or unrealistic to maintain.

For Kang Hyun-ku, an owner of a gym in northern Seoul, lining up fast, funky K-pop songs on his playlist was his morning routine.

"Playing bright tracks is to cheer up our members and the overall mood, but my biggest question is whether playing classical music or BTS songs has proven to have any impact on spreading the virus," Kang told Reuters.

"Many people use their own earphones and wearable devices these days, and how do you control their playlists?"

The government imposed its highest level of distancing rules in Seoul and neighbouring regions starting Monday, as the country battles its worst-ever Covid-19 outbreak.

The rules also limit treadmill speeds to a maximum 6km (3.73 miles) per hour, ban the use of showers at gyms, and restrict table tennis matches to two people per table, among other measures.

"So you don't get Covid-19 if you walk slower than 6km per hour," said Kim Yong-tae, a member of the main opposition People Power Party. "And who on earth checks the bpm of the songs when you work out? I don't understand what Covid-19 has to do with my choice of music."

When asked about the actual effectiveness of the workout music speed guidelines, a health official said authorities came to the decision after taking into consideration a broad range of opinions.

President Moon Jae-in on Monday said he felt heavy-hearted when thinking of small and medium-sized business owners and others burdened by the rules.

"I can't help but feel very sorry to once again ask the citizens for a bit more patience," he said at a special Covid-19 response meeting.

Whang Myung-sug, a 62-year-old member of Kang's gym, said the government had applied a double standard in restricting gyms.

"The regulations are just bureaucratic, as if those who devised them had never worked out at a gym," she said.

Don't worry: the 120 bpm rule means you can still listen to "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, or K-pop sensation BTS' latest hits such as "Dynamite" and "Butter". But if your favourite workout song is Psy's "Gangnam Style" - the South Korean hit that went viral the world over - you're out of luck.

Vienna - An Austrian had the kind of morning that nightmares are made of on Monday when a python slid through his drains and bit him while he was sitting on the toilet.

The stunned 65-year-old in the city of Graz turned around shortly after 6 am to see a roughly 1.6-metre (5-foot) albino reticulated python in the bowl, police in the province of Styria said in a statement.

"Shortly after he sat on the toilet the Graz resident - by his own account - felt a 'pinch' in the area of his genitals," the police statement said.

The snake, a constrictor native to Asia that can grow to more than 9 metres (29 feet) long, is thought to have escaped a neighbour's apartment unnoticed and slid into the toilet through the drains, though its exact route was still unclear, the police said.

A reptile expert contacted by the emergency services removed the snake from the toilet, cleaned it and returned it to its owner. Its victim was treated in hospital for minor injuries.

The 24-year-old neighbour, who owns 11 snakes, all non-venomous constrictors, has been reported to the prosecutors' office on suspicion of negligently causing bodily harm, the police added.

Washington - A highly awaited US intelligence report on dozens of mysterious unidentified flying object sightings said most could not be explained, but did not rule out that some could be alien spacecraft.

The unclassified report said researchers could explain only one of 144 UFO sightings by US government personnel and sources between 2004 and 2021, sightings that often were made during military training activities.

Eighteen of those, some observed from multiple angles, appeared to display unusual movements or flight characteristics that surprised those who saw them, like holding stationary in high winds at high altitude, and moving with extreme speed with no discernable means of propulsion, the report said.

Some of the 144 might be explained by natural or human made objects like birds or drones cluttering a pilot's radar, or natural atmospheric phenomena, the report said.

Others could be secret US defence tests, or unknown advanced technologies created by Russia or China, it said.

Yet others appeared to require more advanced technologies to determine what they are, it said.

The sightings of what the report calls unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) "probably lack a single explanation," said the report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"We currently lack sufficient information in our dataset to attribute incidents to specific explanations."

The report made no mention of the possibility of -- or rule out -- that some of the objects sighted could represent extra-terrestrial life.

The military and intelligence community have conducted research on them as a potential threat.

"UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to US national security," the report said.

Some could be US rivals' intelligence collection operations or represent other technology so advanced that the United States military has nothing similar.

The report was ordered after more UFO sightings by military pilots became public and pilot and radar videos leaked out showing flying objects behaving strangely with no explanation.

It stressed that pilots and their aircraft are ill-equipped to identify out-of-the-ordinary objects floating around the skies.

The only one of the 144 incidents in the years covered by the report that was explained turned out to be a large deflating balloon.

The nine-page report released Friday did not discuss any specific incidents.

It was the public version of a more detailed classified version being supplied to the armed services and intelligence committees of Congress.

Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the frequency of UFO reports "appears to be increasing" since 2018.

"Today's rather inconclusive report only marks the beginning of efforts to understand and illuminate what is causing these risks to aviation in many areas around the country and the world.," Warner said in a statement.

"The United States must be able to understand and mitigate threats to our pilots, whether they’re from drones or weather balloons or adversary intelligence capabilities," Warner said.

At the Pentagon, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued a memorandum ordering more systematic reporting of UAPs encountered during military training and testing.

"Incursions into our training ranges and designated airspace pose safety of flight and operations security concerns, and may pose national security challenges," said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

The department "takes reports of incursions -- by any aerial object, identified or unidentified -- very seriously, and investigates each one," Kirby said.

AFP

Miriam Berger

Authorities in New South Wales, Australia, are struggling to get ahead of a recent outbreak of coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant, despite the country's stringent virus restrictions.

But there was one incident they could not have prepared for, NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller told reporters Monday during a news conference: the case of two naked sunbathers who were startled by a deer and ran into a forest, where they became lost and required a helicopter rescue.

The rendezvous cost each $1 000 Australian dollars (around R10 800) in fines for breaking public health orders prohibiting residents of greater Sydney from traveling beyond the city. Police said in a statement that they had located one naked 30-year-old man with a backpack in the Royal national park, about 25 miles from the center of Sydney. The second man, age 49, was found partially clothed nearby.

It is "difficult to legislate against idiots," Fuller said of the incident.

It was not immediately clear how the deer scared the men and why they decided to escape into the bushland.

"Clearly putting people at risk by leaving home without a proper reason, and I think then on top of that, getting lost in the national park and diverting important resources away from the health operation, I think they should be embarrassed," Fuller continued.

"But, again, they both received a $1,000 fine. Now, it's only a small percentage of the New South Wales people that are not following the health guidelines, but I can assure you, if you breach the health orders or the guidelines, you will be punished," he added, according to the Guardian.

The incident, however, did provide a collective moment of laughs for many Australians, who have watched the recent rise in coronavirus cases and resulting lockdowns with renewed trepidation.

"Let those among us who have NOT been startled by a deer while sunbaking naked and then run into a forest before getting lost requiring police to render assistance cast the first stone," tweeted Malaysian Australian chef Adam Liaw.

"In the interests of public morale, I demand one story like this every day for the duration of lockdown," he added.

Police said in a statement that they had issued a total of 44 fines Sunday for violations of pandemic-related public health rules. Among the violators were four people found not wearing proper face masks, which incurred a fine of $150 ($200 Australian dollars) each.

Beginning Saturday, around 5 million residents of Sydney have been ordered to stay at home until at least July 9. People can leave homes only for essential work, small exercise groups, and for medical care, grocery shopping and other essential services.

Fewer than 5% of Australians are fully vaccinated, but life in much of the country had largely returned to pre-pandemic times. However, a recent virus outbreak has shattered the country's relative sense of success in curbing the pandemic, with authorities warning that further restrictions could follow.

Newsflare

Would you dare to ride this crazy rollercoaster?

Insane POV footage gives an idea of the nervous anticipation followed by the thrills of this white-knuckle ride at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

"This one is definitely for the adrenaline junkies. It was an unreal experience," said filmer Lucas Marques.

The footage was captured in July 2020.

Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s light-hearted remarks lamenting his “missing” iPad missed the mark and caused quite the discussion on Twitter.

Ramaphosa was idly waiting for his laptop before his press conference on Tuesday, and ended up unintentionally giving a speech on the “missing” iPad.

The president was about to hold a press conference after he had visited the Port of Cape Town, where he announced the decision for the establishment of the National Ports Authority as an independent subsidiary of Transnet.

“I had my iPad... Do you know where they took my iPad to? This is the problem of always handing out your gadgets to other people.

“It’s always best that I should keep all these things with me, all the time. I had my iPad, I had it in my hand. It’s gone. I’ve lost it, it seems.”

A staff member then comes up to the president to explain the situation, to which he responds, “Should I sit down?”

#Busta929 we are looking for iPad #Mpho hango ivhona iPad ya Daddy pic.twitter.com/X794TayBFJ

— Humbulani F Makhari (@freddye27) June 23, 2021

The moment, which was caught on camera, went viral, with many on social media weighing in. Some used the opportunity to make light while others took a more critical approach.

What’s this now? Is it a speech about a lost iPad? Some people never cease to clown and amaze! pic.twitter.com/Pc8lOXzT1J

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) June 22, 2021

It’s the “...hmmmm...?” for me.
💀👀😬🙈

Also, how is a whole national President of a middle income (for now) country walking around with ONLY one copy of a speech...?!

And ONLY on his personal device? https://t.co/BTSZyIOwBy

— Refilwe Moloto (@RefilWest) June 22, 2021

Wait — then he went on to read the teleprompter...?! 🤷🏾‍♀️

What was the iPad tantrum about, ke? pic.twitter.com/qSyztVKD0u

— Refilwe Moloto (@RefilWest) June 22, 2021

Leaked from Ramaphosa's IPad 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/9N2iTHWyHz

— K U L A N I (@kulanicool) June 22, 2021

Allegedly R500 billion has been set aside to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa missing Ipad 🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/LprzfU6r7A

— #BlackExcellence™🌍 (@Sakhi_Afrika) June 23, 2021

Because South Africans don't waste time😂😂😂😂😂#ipad pic.twitter.com/MHEHZLCK9m

— Nelisiwe Msomi (@NeliMsomi) June 22, 2021

This is Ipad Mathebula. The first president to abandon his speech after losing his iPad on live TV. pic.twitter.com/vb2NCU4szQ

— 🏌🏿‍♂️Paballo🏌🏿‍♀️ (@_pabi_S) June 23, 2021

My love life is Ramaphosa's lost iPad

— nana 🦋 (@LauraBonginkosi) June 22, 2021

#Ramaphosa iHad my iPad and now it's gone. 🤣⚠️#nochill in #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/erYkL2JLyU

— Justin Colbert (@zuess_1) June 22, 2021

Ramaphosa showed us that government can't work without an iPad😆.

— Mhlawakhe Vatsha (@MhlaaaMhlawakhe) June 22, 2021

Somewhere in South Africa an amapianoa artist is cooking "I lost my iPad "song after that ramaphosa drama pic.twitter.com/nItiPUPMDS

— SON OF A SOLDIER🗯️ (@khani_hlahla) June 22, 2021

The presidency later came out and clarified that the president was in jest, and that all was fine with the iPad.

“Thank you, South Africa. There was no question of the iPad being missing or stolen. The president was making a light-hearted point while waiting for the iPad to be brought to him – which it was before he began his remarks to media.”

Thank you, South Africa. There was no question of the iPad being missing or stolen. The President was making a light-hearted point while waiting for the iPad to be brought to him - which it was before he began his remarks to media.

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 22, 2021

Today, the president is in Maputo, Mozambique, t participate in the Extraordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The summit will consider the proposed “SADC Regional Response and Support to the Republic of Mozambique” to address terrorism and acts of violent extremism in the Cabo Delgado province.

This summit is a follow up of the Extraordinary SADC Double Troika Summit that took place in Mozambique on May 27.

Ramaphosa is accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Dr Naledi Pandor and the Minister of State Security, Ayanda Dlodlo.

Cape Argus

Vatican City - A different type of participant dropped in on Pope Francis' general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday - Spider-Man.

A man dressed in a full, skin-tight, red, black and blue costume of the comic book and film character - including head cover - sat in the VIP section of the audience in Vatican's San Damaso Courtyard.

He sat quietly next to a priest dressed in black who appeared to be unperturbed by the colourful character with big white eyes in the next seat.

The man behind the mask turned out to be Mattia Villardita, 27, from northern Italy. He was given a place in the VIP section because of his work dressing up in superhero costumes and visiting sick children in hospitals.

At the end of the audience, he was introduced to the pope and gave the pontiff a Spider-Man mask.

Last year, Italian President Sergio Mattarella gave Villardita an award for his work with sick children.

As the sun was beginning to rise in Mississippi on Friday, the only thing that stood between Lee Sanderlin and surviving a 15-hour visit to Waffle House was eating just one more waffle.

It was his ninth, with each waffle consumed signifying an hour shaved off a 24-hour stay in a Waffle House as punishment for finishing last place in his fantasy football league.

"I thought, 'If I can eat nine, then I'll feel like I really did something,'" Sanderlin, a journalist at the Clarion-Ledger, told The Washington Post. "And hey, I ate nine."

But while Sanderlin said he simultaneously felt pride and shame in completing the penalty, he did not anticipate tens of thousands of people following along in the fun and pain. Sanderlin documented his eating excursion of nearly 3,700 calories in a Twitter thread that's gone viral and caused "Waffle House" to trend into Friday.

Hours after eating his last bite, Sanderlin, 25, said in an interview that the North Carolina native's love of Waffle House had temporarily changed following the intestinal ironman challenge.

"This is not the way I wanted to get into The Washington Post," he said.

I am coming to you live from a Brandon, Mississippi Waffle House. I, a total loser, came in last place in my fantasy football league. As punishment, I spend 24 hours in a Waffle House. Every waffle I eat shaves an hour off the clock. It’s 4:07 Central. pic.twitter.com/oRugzU7rQT

— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 17, 2021

The road to Waffle House began months earlier with a fantasy football league made up of high school and college buddies from around the country, he said. Though there's personal glory in winning the league, more focus was on the punishment for the team that came in last. Sanderlin had an idea: He had seen instances of people being forced to spend 24 hours in a Waffle House and thought it would be funny if one of his friends did the same when they came in last.

"I suggested it because I thought there was no way I'm coming in last," he said.

But a few weeks into the 2020 NFL season, his glee turned to dread as half of his fantasy team was placed on injured reserve, he said. Perhaps Sanderlin knew what awaited him halfway through the season when he changed his team name to "Waffle House 24."

With his cellar-dweller status sealed, Sanderlin said, he waited months after the season, and until he was fully vaccinated, before paying his fantasy football debt at a Waffle House in Brandon, Mississipi, about 13 miles east of the state capital, Jackson. In his Columbia University sweater and carrying books and magazines, Sanderlin sat down at a table at around 4 pm on Thursday and began what he described as "pure misery."

"I, a total loser, came in last place in my fantasy football league," he tweeted. "As punishment, I spend 24 hours in a Waffle House. Every waffle I eat shaves an hour off the clock."

Though he vowed to enjoy his first two waffles lathered in syrup and butter, Sanderlin's stomach was already rumbling, causing him to feel "dead on the inside." A classic waffle at the restaurant has 410 calories, 870 milligrams of sodium and 15 grams of sugar, according to Waffle House.

The next few hours would be rough. At one point, songs played throughout the restaurant, like Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" and Metallica's "Enter Sandman," helped push him to order more. Other times, he found himself sitting in the parking lot, questioning whether he had the mettle to finish and if he would see those consumed waffles again.

"When you do what I do and eat five waffles in about four hours, you're like, 'Man, this isn't that hard,' " he said to The Post. "But then you get to waffle No. 6, and it's really painful."

Makeba Parker, a manager at the Waffle House in Brandon, said she had not seen anyone take on a similar challenge in her eight years working there. Parker, 34, was perplexed seeing Sanderlin go forward with his penalty.

"It was very interesting to see him sit there and gobble down all those waffles," Parker said to The Post.

Sanderlin said the staff couldn't be nicer - he saw three shift changes - but they probably wondered, "Why would you do this to yourself?"

As he stared into the fantasy football abyss, "hoping for it all to end," Sanderlin tweeted how the waffles were "going down like cement now, and the heart is beating real heavy-like." The situation improved when Clarion-Ledger executive editor Marlon A. Walker came by the restaurant to show his support.

The restaurant playing LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" didn't hurt either.

"Full of waffles but devoid of life," Sanderlin tweeted.

Sanderlin could see the finish line at around 6 a.m. Friday: Two more waffles and he would be out at the 15-hour mark.

"Let's do it," he said of the two waffles, clarifying minutes later, "This is NOT enjoyable."

Then, it happened: At around 7.30 am, Sanderlin had paid for his last-place finish with roughly 3 690 calories. He told The Post that completing his mission meant he "resented my entire existence." Finally exiting the restaurant, however, gave him life.

"It was the most alive I had felt in nine hours," he said of walking outside.

Parker, who had returned to Waffle House on Friday morning for her shift, could only laugh at seeing the customer still there.

"One thing I told him is that he could be a Waffle House employee," she said. "We're 24 hours and you're a trooper if you can stay up."

Sanderlin, an investigative and political reporter covering Mississippi, was surprised by the reaction his Waffle House trip received online. Even though "some people got to dunk on me," he said, Sanderlin hoped his dine-in discomfort brought smiles to others. But that doesn't mean he recommends anyone follow in his waffle wake.

"If you're going to lose and you make a bet like this, you better be OK going through with it," Sanderlin said.

The Washington Post

Bangkok, Thailand - Some families living in a jungle may be fearful of things going bump at night, but for one household in Thailand, the sight of an elephant rummaging through their kitchen was not a total shock.

"It came to cook again," wrote Kittichai Boodchan sarcastically in a caption to a Facebook video he shot over the weekend of an elephant nosing its way into his kitchen.

Likely driven by the midnight munchies, the massive animal pokes its head into Kittichai's kitchen in the early hours of Sunday, using its trunk to find food.

At one point, it picks up a plastic bag of liquid, considers it briefly, and then sticks it in its mouth - before the video cuts out.

Kittichai and his wife live near a national park in western Thailand, by a lake where wild elephants often bathe while roaming in the jungle.

He was unperturbed by the mammoth mammal, recognising it as a frequent visitor as it often wanders into homes in his village where it eats, leaves and shoots off back into the jungle.

The elephant had actually destroyed their kitchen wall in May, he said, creating an open-air kitchen concept reminiscent of a drive-through window.

This weekend, its sole task was to find food.

Kittichai said a general rule of thumb in dealing with unwelcome visitors crashing is not to feed them.

"When it doesn't get food, it just leaves on its own," he told AFP.

"I am already used to it coming, so I was not so worried."

Wild elephants are a common sight in Thailand's national parks and its surrounding areas, with farmers sometimes reporting incidents of their fruits and corn crops being eaten by a hungry herd.

Polish construction firm Budimex and refiner Lotos have created a floral-scented asphalt in a bid to improve working conditions for road builders, Budimex said on Monday.

While vapours emitted by ordinary asphalt are not harmful to humans, the novel material will provide a more comfortable working environment for construction workers paving roads, Budimex said.

The new bitumen contains a mixture of natural and synthetic essential oils, most of which neutralise the typical smell of asphalt, while the remaining ones add a more pleasing scent to the compound.

"At times one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant", Slawomir Szpak, a foreman for Budimex was quoted as saying in a press release.

Budimex said it will consider introducing the new compound on a wider scale.

The tallest man in America - he stood 2.35 meters - has died of a heart problem at the age of 38, his mother said on Facebook.

Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy had a condition called pituitary gigantism that caused excessive secretion of growth hormone.

His mother, who said her son died Friday in Minnesota, had brought him from their home in Ukraine in 1989 to get medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the northern US state.

Two surgeries saved his life but failed to stop his growth.

At age 27, Guinness World Records declared Vovkovinskiy the tallest person in America.

In the 2013 edition of the Eurovision song contest, Vovkovinskiy walked on stage cradling Ukraine's singer, Zlata Ognevich, in his arms. She looked tiny and doll-like.

Vovkovinskiy enjoyed another moment of celebrity in 2009 when then-president Barack Obama noticed him towering above the crowd at a political rally. Vovkovinskiy was wearing a T-shirt that called him the "World's Biggest Obama Supporter." He shook hands with the politician.

Guinness World Records says the tallest person in the world now is a Turkish man named Sultan Kosen, who is 8 feet 2 inches tall (2.51 meters).

The tallest man in modern US history was Robert Wadlow, who was 2.72 meters. He also suffered from a growth hormone disorder, and died in 1940 at the age of 22.

AFP

DURBAN - First it was the #IceBucketChallenge that saw hordes of people allowing other people to dunk buckets of ice-cold water over them, now a whole new very dangerous fad is sweeping the internet.

SMH, cue the #CrateChallenge. It's like you can throw in a hashtag and include the word “challenge” and you're an internet sensation.

Log onto Tik Tok or any social media platform and you're bound to find a video of someone climbing up onto a pyramid-styled stack of crates.

Indian Express reported that the challenge that “began as a quest to kill boredom or to flaunt people’s athletic side after the Tokyo Olympics” has now gone viral with thousands taking up the, err, challenge(?).

According to the article, this trend originally started in TikTok, the video showed while some attempted it by using just a few blocks, others raised the stakes, stacking dozens of it, as well as simultaneously doing other things. The challenge has become so popular, particularly in the US, that even official accounts have been set up.

Some are even going as far as climbing up the stacks of crates in heels.

An US-based medical expert has warned of the dangers of the challenge.

Dr Shawn Anthony, an orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai in New York said people could hurt themselves.

“Injuries can include broken wrists, shoulder dislocations, ACL and meniscus tears, as well as life-threatening conditions like spinal cord injuries," he warned.

Somebody getting arrested out of frustration after this.. 😩😂 #CrateChallenge pic.twitter.com/NjlxUUPxak

— Mamba Out ✌🏾✌🏾 (@kcjj_04) August 24, 2021

They bought the crate challenge to the UK😭 pic.twitter.com/VHZNN8vnMo

— EIGHT. (@8akuaa) August 24, 2021

Hospitals gone be full of crate climbers🤣💔#CrateChallenge #ShutdownSA #NoVaccine pic.twitter.com/BFnJSLgwPL

— ✘🥕🐇 (@Kutenda_SA) August 24, 2021

Sis did the milk crate challenge in high heels….she won! pic.twitter.com/OEDWw3DeXA

— Sugared momma ✨✨✨ (@Iamcoco78) August 23, 2021

At least former Bachelorette SA contestant, Justin Lakey, has some sense.

I don’t have good health insurance to try the “CRATE CHALLENGE” 😂hell naw 💀

— Justin Garth Lakey (@Caramel_Unic0rn) August 24, 2021

IOL

Cape Town resident Kouthar Davids has gone viral, and it may not be for the very best reasons.

Davids posted a video of her battle with Covid-19 in December and documented how ill she was during that period.

The shocking video detailed Davids, who was struggling to breathe, stay in hospital and she told viewers that she was busy drawing up her last will and testament.

"This is real, it kills," said an emotional Davids.

Davids told the BRICS Channel that she had Covid-19 pneumonia and warned fellow South Africans that people should not take the virus for granted. She urged South African’s to take major precautions against getting Covid-19.

December 2020: COVID is real. It kills.
August 2021: “I don’t believe in COVID” pic.twitter.com/ey1TiW5Lzx

— robynsmithsa (@robyn_smith_sa) August 22, 2021

THE JANUARY VIDEO

Davids posted a follow-up video in January on Facebook. She, at the time, advocated for the controversial drug ivermectin, and in fact, injected the drug into her mouth.

Ivermectin is controversial due to the fact that it was created to help people who have an intestinal roundworm parasite.

Its manufacturer, Merck, stated that the drug had not been found to have a meaningful efficacy against Covid-19.

In a lengthy post of gratitude in January, Davids extolled the virtues of ivermectin, with a poster that read: "I took ivermectin and recovered from Covid".

Majority of the @radio786online listeners are Elderly people. How can we have #KoutharDavids in studio when she go live on camera & says this nonsense. No man 🙈🙉🤣 pic.twitter.com/KoHMLiX2xf

— #SA4Palestine 🇿🇦❤️🇵🇸 (@CSMFootball) August 24, 2021

A TURNAROUND OR CONTRADICTION

Despite her savage battle with Covid-19, and her troubling battle to recover, Davids was part of a protest against Covid-19 vaccinations outside Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town on Saturday.

Davids told the media that the virus did not exist.

Davids was part of a protesting group that had posters that read: "I am not a lab rat".

What was really troubling was that she then accosted a doctor, demanding to see sick patients.

Al Jazeera reporter Robyn Smith interviewed Davids and asked her why she did not believe in Covid-19 if she had it in December.

"Now I don't believe in it," Davids argued.

Davids then argued that she was misquoted. But Smith released two videos on Twitter, showing that she did not misquote Davids.

In the video, Davids says she had Covid- 19 but almost in the same breath says I do not believe I had Covid.

OTHER FACTS THAT DO NOT HOLD UP

Davids has stated that she is a lawyer, yet there is no proof of where she went to college or university.

Davids also said she was a brand ambassador for well-known coffee shop Coco Safar, but Coco Safar's public relations specialist Megan Gotkin said that Davids is not a brand ambassador for Coco Safar, and in fact, the company does not work with brand ambassadors.

Davids said she was employed by the City of Cape Town. City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said that Davids was employed as an Expanded Public Works Programme worker in the Community Services and Health Directorate.

Her contract ended on June 30, 2018, and that this was more than three years ago.

Davids lastly also said that she is a presenter with Radio 786.

Station manager Tashreeq Truebody, however, said Davids is not a permanent employee but is an external service provider who does a shift once or twice a year.

Watch | Message by Kouthar Davids and Radio 786 to Faizal Sayed (Published via Public Relations for Faizal Sayed) pic.twitter.com/NvceVkAjlu

— Faizal Sayed - TV Talk Show Host (@Deenmedia) July 20, 2021

IOL NEWS

Derbyshire, England - We can all sympathise with someone who urgently ‘needs to go’, but legally speaking that certainly won’t serve as an excuse for driving at over 200 km/h on the freeway. A driver in the UK recently found that out the hard way when she was caught driving at speeds of up to 209 km/h.

According to social media posts by the Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit, the driver was caught doing an average speed of 181.8 km/h, with speeds varying between 160 km/h and 209 km/h, in her Mercedes-AMG G63.

The driver claimed she was driving that speed because she “needed the toilet”, however police say she was driving so fast that she didn’t even notice that she had passed a service station.

To make matters worse, the driver only holds a provisional licence, which is the equivalent of South Africa’s learner’s licence, and she was driving unsupervised. The Derbyshire Constabulary said that the vehicle was seized, and the driver will presumably face a court of law fairly soon.

M1. Mercedes G Wagon spotted at excess speed. Varying between 100 and 130mph, measured to an average of 113mph. The unsupervised provisional licence holder driving it claimed she was driving fast as she needed the toilet. So fast she missed the services. Vehicle #Seized #Fatal4 pic.twitter.com/qIrWQhJ9ja

— Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit (@DerbyshireRPU) July 28, 2021

The vehicle appears to be a Mercedes-AMG G63 AMG, which is powered by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 430 kW and a whopping 850 Nm of torque. According to factory claims the vehicle can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4,5 seconds, however the top speed is limited to 220 km/h, although it can be optionally raised to 240 km/h, presumably for those moments when you really just can’t hold it in.

SWEDEN - Sweden's tax authority has rejected a couple's request to name their newly born son "Vladimir Putin," arguing the name was inappropriate.

The Swedish Tax Agency ruling said that under the country's law "first names can only be names that cannot cause offence, or be assumed to cause distress, to the person carrying the name".

It added that "surnames are not suitable as first names, and this also applies to names that resemble surnames," said the ruling, which was issued in early September.

The tax agency also refused to consider "Vladimir" and "Putin" as two separate first names, saying it had to be considered "in its entirety", and therefore rejected it.

The letter announcing the rejection of the name, shared by Russia's president, also contained a new name registration form for the new parents, who live in a village in southern Sweden.

AFP

A coronavirus briefing in Britain took an unexpected turn when the country's buttoned-up chief medical officer and prime minister found themselves talking about Nicki Minaj, vaccine hesitancy and her cousin's friend's supposedly swollen testicles.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his chief medical officer Chris Whitty were drawn into a debate about the global rap superstar after she revealed to her 22.6 million Twitter followers she had not yet been vaccinated.

Being jabbed was a requirement for attendance at this week's glamorous New York fashion event the Met Gala, she said, indicating she was doing her own research on jabs.

Minaj then shared a story about a cousin in Trinidad who refused to be vaccinated because his friend got jabbed, became impotent and got swollen testicles.

Whitty, 55, the face of Britain's coronavirus response not previously known for his knowledge of celebrities, did not skip a beat when he was asked about Minaj's comments at a Covid question and answer session on Tuesday.

"There are a number of myths that fly around, some of which are just clearly ridiculous," he told reporters.

"Some... are clearly designed just to scare. That happens to be one of them."

Instead, he said he was encouraged that most people were ignoring myths and getting jabbed, and hit out anyone knowingly "peddling untruths".

"In my view, they should be ashamed," he added.

Classically educated Johnson, 57, who regularly peppers his speeches with Latin, stuttered that he was "not as familiar with the works of Nicki Minaj as I probably should be".

Instead, he said he preferred to listen to another woman of the same name, "superstar GP" Nikki Kanani, who has been closely involved in the government's Covid vaccine campaign.

The straight-talking Minaj later sent Johnson a voice message, in an English accent, claiming she was born in Britain and went to university with Margaret Thatcher -- both untrue.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Wednesday he did not want to give the comments "the oxygen of publicity", and called for public figures to be responsible in their comments.

"Reshuffle gossip: Health Secretary Minaj," suggested one Twitter user on Wednesday, as rumours again swirled that Johnson was about to rearrange his cabinet.

"That will enable Cardi B to move to the Treasury and Kardashian to Environment," replied another, referring to reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian.

AFP

DURBAN: Durban’s Aunty Shamilla might have had the figure but she woudn’t have worn clothes that were too revealing, even if it was for the Met Gala.

Speaking during her fashion police take on the outfits chosen by certain celebrities at this year’s Met Ball, Aunty Shamilla respectfully asked many designers, among them Ralph Lauren, to go back to the drawing board and rethink their designs.

In a comedy stint, Aunty Shamilla said Whoopi Goldberg’s outfits gave her Barney vibes and Zoe Kravitz’s dress looked like a nice see-through doily.

Aunty Shamilla said that while she had also had the figure back in the day to wear something like that, she had preferred her saris and gowns.

She was also not impressed with Kim Kardashian’s much-talked-about look with her outfit covering her entire face and body.

“We all have days we don’t want to do our make-up but she looks like a spook.”

She said that although Kim’s sister Kendall Jenner looked beautiful in her revealing outfit, the most she (Aunty Shamilla) would reveal was her attitude when she was hungry.

She said she and JLo had something in common – they both didn’t age.

But one of the celebrities dresses was so bad that Aunty Shamilla was sure that ivermectin, the drug used for treatment of Covid-19, was injected into the dress.

IOL

Mussa Hattar

Madaba, Jordan - Friends and family initially mocked one Jordanian family's new venture making soap from donkey milk. But now, a year on, the company is cleaning up as customers bray for more.

Atan Donkey Milk Soaps produces 100 percent natural soaps from its farm in Madaba, 35 kilometres (21 miles) southwest of Amman, where it keeps 12 donkeys, and a small manufacturing workshop in the Jordanian capital.

Although other regions around the Mediterranean produce soap from donkey milk, this is the first for Jordan.

"At the beginning, many laughed at the idea," said Emad Attiyat, 32, co-founder of the project which takes its name from the Arabic for a jenny or female donkey, "atan".

Sceptics scoffed they "would use nothing on (their) skin related to donkeys," added Attiyat who has a degree in Management Information Systems.

But "after trying the soap, all that changed, and now we produce more than 4 500 bars of soap per month to meet the demand," he said, standing next to the barn where the animals are housed.

'Reducing ageing'

Donkey's milk is said to be rich in minerals and proteins that can help moisturise the skin. It also has high levels of antioxidants, which protect the skin from sunlight and the effects of ageing, according to beauticians.

One litre of milk produces around 30 bars of soap, but milking each female is a painstaking task done with the help of a hand-held electronic pump.

Each donkey has to be milked three times a day in order to get about a litre of fluid, and leaving about another litre for its foal. The milk is frozen and then transferred to the company's workshop in Amman to be turned into soap.

Research has shown donkey milk can "help regenerate skin cells, reduce signs of ageing and help cure some skin diseases such as eczema," said Attiyat's mother Salma Al-Zubi.

She was the one who came up with the idea of trying the venture.

An environmental activist and retired teacher, she said donkey's milk soap contributes to balancing the skin's moisture levels, removing wrinkles as well as the effects of spots and acne.

Now in her 60s, she helps mix ingredients in their company's Amman workshop in a large steel bowl, wearing a white face mask and blue gloves.

Olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil as well as shea butter are added to the donkey milk to produce the soap which is then sold via their Facebook page.

A small, 85-gram bar of soap costs eight Jordanian dinars ($11), while a large 125-gram bar of soap is sold for ten dinars ($14).

By comparison, a litre of donkey's milk in Europe can reach as high as 60 euros, and is used in making some expensive cheeses.

Providing jobs

Attiyat is now hoping to expand production to face and hand creams and lotions.

Donkey's milk is "rich in proteins and minerals including magnesium, copper, sodium, manganese, zinc, calcium and iron, all of which are very important for the skin," said dietician Susanna Haddad, who works at a beauty centre in Amman.

It contains "higher percentages of whey, which has antimicrobial properties" and can also prevent the growth of viruses and bacteria.

As she poured the mixture into special silicon moulds to shape the bars over the next month, Zubi said the venture had provided jobs to several family members "including my son Emad, who has suffered from unemployment for many years".

Jordan's already weak economy has been badly hit by the year-long restrictions and closures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The poverty rate, according to official figures, rose to about 15.7 percent by late 2020, while estimates say it could soar to more than 24 percent this year.

Unemployment also increased in the first quarter of 2021 to reach 25 percent, or 50 percent among the youth in a country whose public debt exceeded $48 billion, or more than 108 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Loyal customer, lawyer Esraa al-Turk, 48, said she had been attracted to the donkey milk soap because it is a natural product.

"I take care of my skin," she said, adding that although she did not wear much make-up, she had now "become more daring to leave home without any cosmetics on my face".

Madrid - The streets of Madrid were filled with sheep and the clanking of bells on Sunday as shepherds guided their flocks through the heart of the Spanish capital, following ancient seasonal herding routes.

Locals lined the route to welcome back the spectacle, which was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The annual event, which started in 1994, allows shepherds to exercise their right to use traditional routes to herd their livestock from northern Spain to more southerly pastures for winter grazing.

The route would have taken them through quiet countryside a few centuries ago, but today sees them traverse the busy city.

"It's marvellous. I come every year and this is the first year I've brought the children so it's amazing," said Graciela Gonzalez, 39.

The sheep walked to the sound of their jangling neck bells. Shepherds dressed in traditional dress accompanied their flocks with folk music and dancing.

Children more used to seeing traffic jams on the city streets enjoyed the opportunity to get up close to the animals.

"We can sometimes touch them," said Carmen Iglesias, eight, who was watching with her father and younger sister Noa, six.

By Martin Petty

Tokyo - Australia's Ariarne Titmus lit up the pool with a stunning victory over Katie Ledecky at the Tokyo Games on Monday, but when it comes to celebrations it was her wide-eyed, hip-thrusting coach Dean Boxall who deserved an Olympic gold.

As Titmus reached for the wall to dethrone her American rival in the 400m freestyle, Boxall burst into a frenzy of exuberant celebrations, punching the air and darting around the spectator gantry.

While the 20-year-old Titmus was being congratulated by her fellow swimmers, the crowd were mesmerized by Boxall as he leaped in the air, tore off his mask and screamed ecstatically, headbanging with his surfer-like hair tumbling around him.

"It just came out ... When I saw the race unfolding I couldn't keep it in," he told Australia's Seven network. He said he started frantically shaking the barrier just like his childhood hero, American wrestler 'The Ultimate Warrior', used to do to the ring.

pic.twitter.com/dMKcbxN8k9

— hehateme2012 (@hehateme2012) July 26, 2021

"Arnie executed it to perfection. So when I saw it starting to build, I thought 'here we go'," he said. "I need to apologise, I took my mask off by mistake and it just ripped. I just lost it in the moment."

Titmus had nothing but praise for her coach, whose antics played out on television globally and went viral on social media.

"He means everything to me," Titmus said. "We didn't discuss what I wanted to do in the pool. It was more of a 'have fun' moment. I love you. Have fun."

Nearby staff in the arena jumped to avoid Boxall as he lurched unpredictably and it took the embrace of a fellow Australian team member to calm him down.

"I have seen little snippets of it," Titmus said of Boxall's reaction. "That's just the way Dean is, he is just passionate about what he does, he becomes so animated. For him as much as it is for me. He puts 100% into being a swimming coach."

Five-times Olympic gold medallist Ledecky held a good lead in the early part of the race before Titmus began to reel her in and then burst out of the final turn to power her way to victory.

Titmus said she became emotional during the medal ceremony knowing her coach was watching and what it meant to him.

"It was actually hard to contain it," Titmus said.

"I could see Dean on the other side bawling his eyes out. You don't really see that often, so, that made me want to tear up."

Dado Ruvic

Srbac, Bosnia - Seeking to please his wife who had wished for a more diversified view from their family house, a Bosnian self-taught innovator has built a rotating house, allowing her to watch a rising sun in one moment and passers-by in the next.

"I've got tired of her complaints and frequent refurbishing of our family house and I said: I'll build you a rotating house so you can spin it as you wish," Vojin Kusic, 72, told Reuters, standing in front of his new house that attracts the attention of visitors.

Situated on a fertile plain in northern Bosnia near the town of Srbac, the house spins around a 7-metre axis designed by Kusic, with the view of cornfields and farmland changing to forests and the river at a desired speed.

"The house can make a full circle for 24 hours when it's at the slowest speed, while at the fastest spinning it can make a full circle in 22 seconds," Kusic said.

His wife did not wish to comment on the new house.

Kusic said he was inspired by Serbian-American inventors Nikola Tesla and Mihajlo Pupin, and that coming from a poor family without the possibility of a good education had forced him to look for ways to make things by himself.

"This is not an innovation, it only requires will and knowledge, and I had enough time and knowledge," he said, adding that he had built the house completely by himself.

The project took six years to finish, except time off for a hospital stay due to a heart condition. The house is more resistant to earthquake damage than stationary houses, he said.

"I asked doctors to try to prolong (my life) for at least a year because I have this project in my head, and... nobody will know how to complete it."

We get it. Families can be a handful sometimes and their pranks can be a bit much. But this man got more than he bargained for when all the women in his family decided to show up to his wedding wearing white dresses in a bid to “test“ the bride.

In an AITA (that stands for ’Am I the A-hole’) post on Twitter, one man shared his story about how his aunts, women cousins, mom, stepmom, stepsister and grandmother formed a “unit” - that he says is “toxic” - aimed at “testing” the women who want to be part of the family.

“They’d tease and roast every new woman that enters the family by marriage by setting up ’tests’ to see if they deserve to be part of the family.

He added that some of these “test“ and roasts would get to the point where it could break confidence and affect self-esteem.

“Then after a few months of teasing, they’d announce that they’ve finally welcomed them into the family,” he posted, adding that the newest member would join in on the teasing if a new woman gets introduced.

The man posted that his brother warned him that his women family members intended to wear white to the wedding as an “ultimate test“. When confronted, the family said they would never do such a thing. However, when the big day arrived, all of them showed up wearing white dresses.

He asked that they leave, resulting in scenes being made. His aunts and mother refused to leave, prompting him to threaten “harsher action”. They eventually all left.

“My cousin blasted me on social media later, saying I excluded all the women from the wedding because my wife was insecure that she couldn’t handle another woman’s presence at the wedding.”

He posted that he also got in an argument with his mother, who said it was “just supposed to be a prank” and that they wanted to see if she was a “bridezilla”. His mother also asked that he and his wife apologise to them.

“I haven’t seen the lot of them in two weeks and they’ve excluded me from everything.”

IOL

Mumbai - India has brought us yoga, chess, the concept of zero, the USB key and buttons. Now its transport minister Nitin Gadkari is about to make humanity's next big leap with a law replacing car horns with the sweet sound of the sitar, flute, tabla and violin.

"I am studying this and soon planning to make a law that the horns of all vehicles should be in Indian musical instruments so that it is pleasant to hear," Nitin Gadkari told local media recently.

The hooters could blast sounds made by the flute, tabla, violin, mouth organ or harmonium, he added.

Gadkari also said he wanted to replace the "irritating" sirens used by ambulances and police vehicles with soothing tunes.

India is home to some of the noisiest cities in the world, as rickshaws, buses, taxis, weaving motorbikes and private cars fight for space on the traffic-clogged roads.

The horn is deemed almost as important as the gas pedal - and more so than wing mirrors - and is used by drivers more to alert other road-users to their presence rather than to rebuke.

India's colourful trucks often have messages painted on their backs aimed at overtaking drivers such as "Horn OK Please" or "Blow Horn".

The World Health Organisation says noise pollution can cause hearing loss, cardiovascular problems, cognitive impairment, stress and depression.

Surely there can be no more deserved winner of the Nobel Peace Prize if the minister succeeds?

Agence France-Presse

A knee-high celebrity cow that became a sensation in Bangladesh has won posthumous recognition as the shortest on the planet just weeks after its untimely demise.

Rani, just 50.8 centimetres high, became an instant internet celebrity with tens of thousands of people rushing to the farm she lived on outside Dhaka for a glimpse of the miniature cow.

But just after its owners applied to Guinness World Records, tragedy struck on August 19 when the beloved bovine suddenly died due to a sudden internal build-up of gas.

The cow's owner Kazi Mohammad Abu Sufian said he received an email on Monday from Guinness World Records saying that Rani's application had been accepted.

A statement on the Guinness website confirmed the miniature Bhutti world-record cow's status, beating the previous holder, an Indian cow named Manikyam that stood 61 centimetres from hoof to withers.

"We sent several video of Rani in line with Guinness World Records prescriptions. We have also sent the post-mortem report to the Guinness authorities to see that there was nothing unusual about her death," Sufian told AFP.

Sufian said he had also sent Guinness Rani's medical records after they asked whether she had received hormone injections.

@insideedition World’s Shortest #Cow Is the Size of a Small #Dog ♬ original sound - Inside Edition

"We have a mixed feelings after Rani got the recognition. We are happy that she got her due honours. But we are at the same very sad because she is no more with us," Sufian said.

"Her carer burst out crying as soon as we told him the news."

AFP

Dhaka, Bangladesh - A knee-high celebrity cow that became a sensation in Bangladesh has won posthumous recognition as the shortest on the planet just weeks after its untimely demise.

Rani, just 50.8 centimetres high, became an instant internet celebrity with tens of thousands of people rushing to the farm she lived on outside Dhaka for a glimpse of the miniature cow.

But just after its owners applied to Guinness World Records, tragedy struck on August 19 when the beloved bovine suddenly died due to a sudden internal build-up of gas.

The cow's owner, Kazi Mohammad Abu Sufian, said he received an email on Monday from Guinness World Records saying that Rani's application had been accepted.

A statement on the Guinness website confirmed the miniature Bhutti world-record cow's status, beating the previous holder, an Indian cow named Manikyam that stood 61 centimetres from hoof to withers.

"We sent several video of Rani in line with Guinness World Records prescriptions. We have also sent the post-mortem report to the Guinness authorities to see that there was nothing unusual about her death," Sufian told AFP.

Sufian said he had also sent Guinness Rani's medical records after they asked whether she had received hormone injections.

"We have a mixed feelings after Rani got the recognition. We are happy that she got her due honours. But we are at the same very sad because she is no more with us," Sufian said.

"Her carer burst out crying as soon as we told him the news."

AFP

Being a ’’pretty thick guy’’, former US president Donald Trump did not want to build a golf course in Africa because he was too scared of lions, a new book claims.

Trump, who was surprised that lions couldn’t jump over high fences, revealed his fear of lions during a round of golf with South African legend Gary Player, a nine-time Major champion, according to revelations in Peril, a book authored by Bob Woodward, an associate editor at The Washington Post, and Robert Costa, which went on sale yesterday.

The conversation took place as Player tried to help Trump with his swing and told the then president to use more “control”, and said he should be “toning it down, swinging less extravagantly’’.

Trump is a keen golfer and began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 1999. By the time of his election as US president in 2016, he owned 17 golf courses.

Player then reportedly encouraged Trump to expand his golf and hotel empire to Africa. However, Trump was not impressed with the idea, the book claims.

“What happens, Gary, when two lions look out and say, ‘You know, that’s a pretty thick guy. I’d like to eat him. Let’s go eat him’,’’ Trump reportedly joked.

“Well, they’ve got fences and stuff,” Player explained.

“You mean they can’t climb over a fence?” Trump asked according to the book.

“If you get in a Jeep, they won’t come into the Jeep,” Player explained.

“How do you know they won’t come into the Jeep?” Trump asked.

“I’m not betting my life on it,” added Player.

In January, Player's son Marc led outrage over the golf legend accepting Trump’s Presidential Medal of Freedom.

’’I implored my father not to accept the medal,’’ Marc said at the time, ’’but my pleas, particularly after Trump's role in the horrific invasion of the US Congress Building, went unheeded.’’

In 2018, Trump referred to African nations as “s***hole countries” during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House.

He reportedly made the comment in the Oval Office during a 2018 discussion about immigration and questioned why the US needed to accept people from Africa and countries such as Haiti.

IOL

Cape Town – A video of a man who used a tractor-loader-backhoe, more commonly referred to as a TLB, to destroy a fleet of trucks in spectacular fashion after he was allegedly fired has sparked a lot of comment from Mzansi on social media.

The video has been viewed over 70 000 times on Twitter, with some people commenting that his “selfishness’’ would cause other people to lose their jobs. Employees and people in the vicinity who came running can be seen looking on aghast at the spectacle.

It was uploaded by @LeratoN_ on Twitter, who wrote: “They fired him from work with immediate effect and this is what he did before he left.”

They fired him from work with immediate effect and this is what he did before he left pic.twitter.com/lXAsn3VZa7

— Ntshieng (@LeratoN_) September 14, 2021

However, this incident didn’t occur in South Africa – though it could easily have been the case – and it was unpaid wages that triggered the destruction. According to Turkish news site Konhaber, it was a furious coal miner, identified only as Hakan M, who crushed the roofs of five tipper trucks, claiming his boss, who is also his uncle, had not paid his wages for a month.

The incident happened near Mount Cudi, in Turkey's Sirnak Province, last month. The trucks are reportedly valued at around R1.4 million each. It is not clear yet whether Hakan will be facing any legal action.

At least Hakan didn’t go a far as a Florida resident who went totally berserk after being fired.

In 2019, Errol Gray was arrested after he punched and kicked his supervisor numerous times, then threw a chair at a woman outside the office before stealing a truck.

He jumped in the truck and stopped just short of hitting the group of women outside the city hall.

Then there was the notorious Seth Aaron Ator, 36, who opened fire after a routine traffic stop in Texas in 2019, killing seven people and injuring 22. He was fired just hours before the deadly shooting.

Ator had been fired from his job at Journey Oilfield Services after a disagreement, according to police. The shooting rampage ended when Ator was killed by police.

IOL

* This article contains an image that might upset sensitive readers.

Cape Town – Imagine the horror on suddenly chewing on something unfamiliar while tucking into your favourite burger at a fast-food outlet – only to discover it’s a severed human finger.

Then, while still in shock, observing the outlet carrying on serving customers like nothing had happened after they had been alerted to the gruesome discovery.

This happened to Estefany Benitez at a Hot Burger outlet in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia on Sunday. She posted images of the rotting finger on Facebook along with videos of her waiting to speak to a company representative at one of her favourite fast-food chains.

Later, a Hot Burger spokesperson called the matter an ’’unfortunate incident’’ and explained that a worker in the factory where the burger was prepared had lost part of his index finger while preparing the meat. They also claimed that “nothing like this has ever happened to us before”.

However, the authorities investigating the case of a ’’rotting’’ human finger found in a hamburger say that a worker had lost two fingers in the industrial accident – and they can’t trace the second finger.

Subsequently, the Vice Minister for the Defence of User and Consumer Rights decided to temporarily close the branch and impose a fine on the company.

Benitez says in one video viewed over 60 000 times: ’’Here we are at the magnificent Hot Burger where a finger ended up in my burger. I'll post a photo of the finger right away.’’

According to Benitez, a store representative had offered to close the restaurant while she was still there, but then ’’carried on serving customers like nothing had happened’’.

It is not yet known whether Benitez will take legal action.

IOL

London - From the dog with the longest ears to the world's tallest teenager, Guinness World Records reveals its latest record breakers in the 2022 edition of the popular book.

The annual publication, out on Thursday, features an array of records and feats, including the fastest walking on hands and the most skips over a person's own hair in 30 seconds.

Briton Bethany Lodge, a gymnast since a young age, scored the titles of fastest 100 metre forward rolls – in 42.64 seconds - and the most backwards somersault burpees by a female in 30 seconds - five.

"It feels incredible to achieve a Guinness World Record title. It's something that I never even considered doing. I always used to get the books when I was little and used to read through them and just look at all the incredible things that people could do," Lodge said.

"So it's kind of surreal to then know that I have got a record title and to see that in the book."

American Zion Clark, who was born without legs, took the record for fastest 20 metres walking on hands, achieving the feat in 4.78 seconds.

Laetitia Ky from Ivory Coast set the record for most skips over a person's own hair in 30 seconds - 60. The 25-year-old model, actress and artist is known for making sculptures with her locks.

"For this new record, Laetitia braided her natural hair and then added extensions to form the 'rope' she would use to skip," Guinness World Records said in a statement. "She attempted to break this record to inspire others to celebrate their talents."The title of tallest teenager living (male) went to American Olivier Rioux, with a height of 226.9 cm (7 ft and 5.33 in).

Lou, whose owner is American Paige Olsen, took the record of longest ears on a dog (living). His ears are 34 cm (13.38 in) long.

Dog and cat duo Lollipop and Sashimi, from Canada, earned the record of fastest 5 metres on a scooter by a dog and cat (pair), with a time of 4.37 seconds.

Related Video:

Scientists say they have successfully "potty trained" cows to urinate in a designated toilet area as part of a programme aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

The team of New Zealand and German researchers admitted the idea began as a joke but said dealing with cows' nitrogen-rich liquid waste could have genuine long-term climate benefits.

"If we could collect 10 or 20 percent of urinations, it would be sufficient to reduce greenhouse gas emission and nitrate leaching significantly," Auckland University's Douglas Elliffe said.

Elliffe said the nitrogen in cow pee broke down into two problem substances over time -- nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, and nitrate, which collects in soil then leaches into rivers and streams.

Nitrous oxide accounts for about five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and just under 10 percent of New Zealand's total, according to official data, with more than half linked to livestock.

Researcher Lindsay Matthews said that the idea of toilet training cows so their urine could be captured and treated first occurred to him when a radio host was interviewing him in 2007 and made a throwaway joke on the matter.

"People's reaction is 'crazy scientists' but actually the building blocks are there," he said.

Working with colleagues in Germany, the scientists used food rewards to train 16 calves to urinate in a latrine pen, saying the results were similar to those you would expect from a three-year-old child.

Elliffe said the research, published this week in the journal Current Biology, provided "proof of concept" that toilet training cows was possible.

He said the challenge was to upscale the concept to train large herds and adapt it for cows in environments such as New Zealand, where the animals live outdoors rather than spending most of their time in barns.

Farming creates about half of New Zealand's greenhouse emissions, mostly in the form of methane and nitrous oxide.

Unusually for a developed nation, New Zealand's farm-reliant economy means methane accounts for about 43.5 percent of the country's emissions, almost equal to the amount of carbon dioxide generated by sources such as fossil fuels.

The South Pacific country has numerous research projects examining possible solutions, such as breeding low-methane emitting livestock, using feeds that reduce emissions and even vaccinating animals so they produce less harmful gases.

AFP

Strasbourg - A top European Commission official followed the thread of her boss' annual "state of the union" address on Wednesday by knitting.

Margrethe Vestager, who is in charge of ensuring fair business competition in the EU, sat calmly knitting in the European Parliament in Strasbourg while Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen delivered her hour-long policy address.

She was filmed by the EU broadcaster but it was not clear what she was making. She has posted photographs online of green and yellow elephants in the past.

Vestager, who is Danish, said on Twitter in 2018: "Knitting keeps you focused."

BIRMINGHAM - What do you do when your driver’s licence is suspended? If you’re as senseless as the 31-year-old in the video below, you might just take to the tracks - on your way to jail that is.

After being caught on camera and leaving some evidence behind, the British motorist was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for driving a Mitsubishi Pajero down a railway line near the Duddeston station.

According to the British Transport Police (BTP), the man was found guilty of endangering people on the railway as well as dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance.

Prosecutors said the man drove the SUV through a gate at the Duddeston station and then drove 800 metres down the track before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing the scene. He didn’t, however, think of taking his cellphone with, and police were able to use this to track him down.

According to police, the stunt caused over £23 000 (R450 000) worth of damage to the track, while train passengers faced delays of up to eight hours.

“This was an immensely dangerous and senseless act by O’Halloran which caused significant risk to passengers and damage to the railway,” said Detective Inspector Raymond Ascott. “The sentence handed to him reflects the severity of this crime and we are thankful no one was injured as a result of O’Halloran’s alarming behaviour.

“He’ll now have plenty of time to reflect on his idiotic actions in prison.”

IOL Motoring

We all have a rough idea on what the most expensive metals are. We know that we cannot afford them but somehow the knowledge is there, in case we want to spend our hard-earned cash on gold ingots. But do we know what the world’s most expensive liquids are?

1. Scorpion venom

Scorpion venom is the most expensive liquid in the world, with a staggering price of R146.4 million per litre. Collecting scorpion venom is dangerous as scorpions are milked by hand and they are difficult to get the hands on.

The protein in the venom can be used to fight multiple sclerosis, arthritis and bowel disease. It is also believed that when consumed it can stop the growth of cancer cells.

2. King cobra venom

Venom seems to be a lucrative business as king cobra venom comes in at number two on the list of the most expensive liquids, with a price tag of about R554 030 a litre.

The venom contains a unique property that can regenerate nerve cells in the brain. It can also be used to combat Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia.

3. LSD

LSD, one of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs in the world, goes for about R453 300 per litre. Although, buying a litre of LSD would not be the best idea as just one litre can send a approximately one million people on quite a trip.

4. Horseshoe crab blood

Horseshoe crab blood is approximately R218 254 per litre. This crab has blue blood that contains a substance called coagulated, which determines the presence of bacteria and that acts as its own primitive immune system.

Harmful micro organisms are captured in an irreversible blood clot. It’s because of this that makes the horseshoe crab blood so valuable as it may help fight diseases.

5. “Chanel No. 5” perfume

Coming in at number 5 is a perfume most of us know about but we definitely can’t afford it – Chanel No.5. This perfume is R97 000 per litre. It is not only expensive because of the popularity of the brand but also because the cost of the raw materials used to produce it are pricey.

More ridiculously expensive liquids

Because insulin is difficult to obtain, it goes for about R45 000 per litre. Insulin is naturally produced in the body and its purpose is to regulate blood glucose levels. People with diabetes need extra insulin to bring their glucose levels back to normal.

Ink for printers is usually expensive but black ink for printers is one of the most expensive liquids, with a price tag of R40 000 per litre. According to printer manufacturers, this price is due to its high research and development costs.

Another drug gets a mention on this list. Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as liquid ecstacy, costs nearly R39 000 per litre. It was originally used as a pain reliever and to treat conditions such as alcoholism, insomnia and narcolepsy. However, it currently has a bad reputation for drug abuse.

Because mercury is the only metal that remains liquid at room temperature, it is approximately R12 000 per litre. It is also very difficult to find or obtain. Mercury is widely used in metallurgical and chemical industries.

We mentioned horseshoe crab blood but human blood is also an expensive liquid. Due to minimum reserves and the high cost, human blood is about R5 600 per litre.

IOL

A YOUNG woman has become an internet sensation after she was filmed removing a snake from a walkway.

In the clip, which has been viewed more than 14 million times, the woman is walking past what appears to be a city caretaker who, armed with a broom and dustpan, is struggling to pick up the snake.

The woman simply bends down, grabs the snake and walks past a patch of flowers and towards a lake where she puts the snake down.

Totally unfazed, she walks back and shows a double thumbs up to the small crowd cheering her bravery.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @memelif3_

The video, shared by @memelif3 and captioned, “She’s the main character”, has had people amazed by the woman’s courage.

aznpanda510: This dude is working by the hour and she speed it up… Now this dude really has to work.

jduds_wrld: Tell me love at first sight isn’t true

hahnoalmano: If you marry her she will most definitely take care of the spiders in the corner of your room

chiamakabrowneyes: Eve is that you?

However, Durban snake catcher, Nick Evans, has warned people against picking up snakes.

He said most snake bites he sees in Durban are from people who have picked up snakes and in most cases, they are venomous stiletto snakes due to its inoffensive appearance.

He said night adders are another species people occasionally pick up, although this year someone picked up a juvenile green mamba, thinking it was a bush snake.

"If you see a snake and think it's harmless, please do not pick it up. If you think the snake is venomous and think you'll be safe restraining it behind the head, do not do that. It sounds obvious, but a year or two ago we had a guy try catch a 2.5m black mamba. I went to visit him in hospital," Evans said.

He said killing a snake isn't safer either.

"I've heard of people being bitten while killing snakes or injuring themselves in the process of killing a snake.

“One can take a photo from a distance, if possible, and send it to a snake catcher for identification and the snake catcher will advise the best course of action.

“Otherwise just step away slowly from the snake and either let it slither off or call a snake catcher," he said.

IOL

When his client came to claim the winnings from a 500 000-euro lottery scratch card, a tobacconist in Naples grabbed it and fled the city, Italian investigators said.

A man was detained at Rome's Fiumicino airport, police said on Monday, as he was about to board a plane to the Canary Islands.

According to investigators, the man grabbed the winning ticket on Thursday and reportedly jumped on his scooter and rushed to the town of Latina between Naples and Rome.

His plan, they said, was to deposit the ticket in a bank with a view of returning later when things had calmed down.

He denied stealing the ticket and said he would make an official complaint against his customer, a 70-year-old woman.

Prosecutors have opened a probe for aggravated robbery.

The man's tobacconist licence has been suspended and the precious ticket itself has been seized.

AFP

By Tristan BARRAUX

Devotees of the mullet, the iconic and improbably resilient haircut of the 1980s, have a new hero after a Belgian man's short-to-long locks were deemed Europe's best at a festival in central France.

Revered or ridiculed, the mullet - business in the front, party in the back - is more than a coiffure for the 500 people at the party on Saturday in Cheniers, a village in central France.

"It's a way of life, of being able to laugh at yourself," said Hubert, who made the trip from Belgium, where the first unofficial European Mullet Championship was held two years ago.

Attendees flaunted their flair or lined up for cuts by professional stylists as the beer flowed, with organisers saying the crowd would have been bigger if not for Covid limits on public gatherings.

And for the men at least, it seemed generally understood that mullets look best when associated with salient sideburns, a big-league beard, or at least a moustache.

The pandemic may have even given the mullet a boost, as people worldwide took advantage of lockdowns to try a style more often associated with America's Deep South, or the sparkling extra-wide suits on pop stars of a certain era.

"Just for laughs, a friend of mine told another one, who was feeling depressed, that he looked like a mullethead - That's how we came up with the idea of hosting an event," said Johan Detour.

Around 100 people were vying for the capillary crown that was won by Nicolas Vanderkelen, a Belgian truck driver who said he's been rocking the mullet for 20 years.

He succeeded Gauthier Istin of France, who said he was happy to pass on the title - "But I put a few of my hairs in the trophy, I hope the next champion will do the same."

"We don't care about fashion, or if people look at us," said Julian from behind his sunglasses, a beer in hand.

"No matter the colour of your skin, your gender, your clothes, your haircut, we want everyone to be seen the same way," he said.

"And this is the culmination of all that - it's mullet paradise!"

AFP

Cape Town - Many local brands ware eager to get a piece of the Drake cake after he dropped his much-anticipated and streamed album on Friday.

Social media has been abuzz with comments and opinions about his new album since then.

“Certified Lover Boy” has a 21-song tracklist that features Jay-Z, Lil’ Baby, Travis Scott, Future and Kid Cudi.

The album has connected with many South Africans for a variety of reasons.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

Renowned singer and songwriter Tresor was celebrating a milestone for featuring as a writer-producer on Drake’s sixth album.

Tresor was personally invited to contribute to Drake’s project by his OVO Sound Team, after they expressed how impressed they were by his latest work on the collaboration album “Rumble In The Jungle”.

Even politician Mmusi Maimane was the subject of local chatter after sharing that he had listened to the album, much to the surprise of some people.

The leader of One Movement South Africa, took to Twitter where he posted the album cover of “Certified Lover Boy”, with a cryptic message that seemed to be a clear dig at the DA, a party he once led.

“When they ask me about the old situation…,” he tweeted. This was followed by saying: “want sympathy when they tried to end me”…

A whole lot of other commentary and quips followed with one social media user suggested he was too old to be listening to Drake.

When they ask me about the old situation…🤷🏾‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/S2OFXXNuze

— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) September 3, 2021

However, these weren’t the only instances of the album connecting with South Africans companies, organisations and brands.

Many then delivered their own take on the album cover, which was arguably sparked when famed social media troll, marketing extraordinaire and talented performer Lil Nas X first showed off his take on the album cover when promoting his new album.

“MONTERO” THE ALBUM
OUT SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 pic.twitter.com/M7qVwV1uOu

— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) August 30, 2021

Some of the local brands which got in on spoofing the “Certified Lover Boy” album art included Durex SA, Pick n Pay, and Food Lovers Market, and Capitec, with even the City of Johannesburg jumping on the bandwagon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Durex South Africa (@durexsouthafrica)

Certified Smart Shopper. pic.twitter.com/asDEEBovQJ

— Pick n Pay (@PicknPay) September 2, 2021

Certified Food Lover. #eatinthecity #foodloverseatery pic.twitter.com/HUj6mXhf1Y

— Food Lover's Eatery (@FoodLoversEat) September 6, 2021

CERTIFIED GLOBAL ONE LOVER. pic.twitter.com/81pn6EcfkA

— Capitec (@CapitecBankSA) September 3, 2021

Certified Service Delivery #WeServeJoburg #JoburgServices ^GZ pic.twitter.com/Wwit4SwbR9

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) September 5, 2021

Many, however, couldn’t resist letting the City of Johannesburg know what they really thought of it’s claim of “Certified Service Delivery”.

nothing in here is delivered. https://t.co/tUwm3BZrgt

— abdul shmurda (@phinabatha) September 6, 2021

Can’t even deliver memes successfully https://t.co/urXxBxl9Rk

— Aalia (@AllyAalia_) September 5, 2021

The irony in this tweet https://t.co/FNg5HYvXAw

— Aarif Mamoojee 🇵🇸 (@AarifMamoojee) September 6, 2021

Okes can’t even certify documents but claim this ! https://t.co/uuRqL0PPmI

— Niklaus Mikaelson 🇵🇸🐺🧛🏽 (@dushan_munsami) September 5, 2021

https://t.co/TB3KN3XX8m pic.twitter.com/ETxm2HzCQb

— Safeera 🇵🇸 (@safeerakaka) September 6, 2021

joke of the year https://t.co/74rmiAncwU

— wow it's mad horny hours (@lifeof_forbes) September 6, 2021

Haiiii sit this one out. https://t.co/ggfLq2Wrfg pic.twitter.com/8FNjYTboPr

— 🦋 (@ethrealblcksoul) September 5, 2021

How did they actually tweet this with chest? 😭 https://t.co/9OX5F77yAI

— Mikaeel Omar (@Mikaeel_Omar) September 5, 2021

Cape Argus

by Natalie HANDEL

Move over parrots: scientists have stumbled across an impersonating bird whose repertoire goes well beyond demanding a cracker.

An Australian musk duck was able to memorise and reproduce sounds and speech -- imitating the noise of a door slamming and someone muttering the phrase "You bloody fool".

Biologist Carel ten Cate says he found it "hard to believe" when he discovered a claim that musk ducks could parrot human speech.

But he decided to go hunting to see if it was true.

Hours of searching through archives brought him to an eerie 1987 recording of "Ripper" - a hand-raised specimen who was four years old at the time and living on the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, near Canberra.

"You bloody foo," the duck says, over and over, "You bloody foo," dropping the "l", which is apparently hard for ducks to articulate.

The sounds accompanied Ripper's mating display, according to the study published Monday in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

A male musk duck usually fends off competitors with repetitive sounds accompanied by kicking, while "the tail is kept in different positions".

Peter Fullagar, who made the recordings, would deliberately "enrage" the duck by approaching the cage, the report said.

Ripper would begin his dance -- but then quack out the insult instead of making ordinary duck noises.

And his vocal skills went further.

Fullagar also recorded Ripper imitating the sound of a light door slamming.

Sonogram analysis revealed the sound to be strikingly similar to one made by a screen door next to the sink, in which Ripper was kept as a duckling.

Ten Cate says the fact that Ripper reproduced sounds he most likely heard when he was young is a key finding of the research.

"Vocal learning of the type shown by Ripper was thought only to be present in songbirds, hummingbirds and parrots," he said.

- Elephants vocalise too -

Besides ducks, the special animal vocal learning issue of Philosophical Transactions delves into sounds made by elephants, dolphins and seals.

Research collected from adult African elephants in Botswana, South Africa, Germany and Austria explored their ability to reproduce specific trumpeting and snorting sounds on cue.

A male named Jabu who began learning to vocalise on cue when he was a calf was able to produce seven distinct sounds on cue with nearly 100 percent accuracy.

The other elephants who learnt in adulthood still managed to respond correctly over 80 percent of the time, suggesting a "complex level" of vocal on-cue learning in the species, the study says.

AFP

Durban – A Gauteng man woke up this morning and chose violence – literally. But it seems his plan didn't quite end as he'd hoped after he shot himself in the leg while escaping.

Netcare 911 spokesperson, Shawn Herbst said emergency services were called to the scene of a shooting in Kenilworth just after 7am this morning.

"Reports indicate that an adult male had been shot in the head and chest during an armed robbery by a gun-wielding adult male. This happened at the corners of Van Hulsteyn and Andrews streets.

“After the firearm was discharged, the gunman attempted to flee on foot. In doing so, he had shot himself in the upper thigh, effectively ending his escape," Herbst said.

He added that the adult male victim was found to have sustained critical injuries and was treated on scene by emergency care practitioners.

"The suspect had sustained serious injuries and was treated on scene by paramedics. Once stabilised, both patients were transported to hospital for further care. Circumstances leading to the incident will be investigated by the relevant authorities," Herbst said.

IOL

Brisbane – A 60-year-old Australian man escaped the jaws of a large crocodile by stabbing it repeatedly in the head with his pocket knife as it dragged him into a river, local authorities said Wednesday.

Wildlife officers said the man was "lucky to be alive" after the terrifying attack at a remote riverbank in Australia's far northern Cape York Peninsula.

"There was a struggle and he fortunately escaped the grip of a four to four-and-a-half-metre crocodile. The odds of doing that are about zero," said the Queensland state environment department's Matt Brien.

The man had gone fishing on his property last week near Hope Vale, about five hours' drive from Cairns, and he shooed away a bull from the riverbank so he could take over the spot.

Then, the crocodile struck.

'It lunged at him'

"He described seeing the crocodile seconds before it lunged at him, knocking him over as he was about to cast his fishing rod," the department said in a statement.

He grabbed onto the branch of a mangrove tree in a desperate attempt to stay out of the river as the crocodile's jaws clamped around his boots. But he quickly lost the tug-of-war and was pulled in.

"The man said that as he entered the water, he managed to retrieve his knife from his belt and stabbed the crocodile in its head until it let him go."

The man then scrambled up the bank to escape the predator.

After emergency treatment at Cooktown Hospital, he was later flown to Cairns Hospital where he was still recovering a week later.

A health department spokeswoman said he was in a "stable" condition.

'Harrowing experience'

Wildlife officers who interviewed the man Tuesday confirmed that his injuries were consistent with a crocodile attack.

"It appears that the crocodile was targeting the bull or the cow at the time, and he's just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time," Brien told reporters.

"It's an absolutely harrowing experience. He won't forget that in a long time."

Brien said the man had been left "quite traumatised" by the incident, adding he would need "time for healing, both mentally and physically".

Saltwater crocodile numbers have exploded in Australia's "croc country" since they were declared a protected species in 1971, with attacks increasing in recent years.

The "salties", which can grow up to seven metres long and weigh more than a tonne, are a common feature of the vast continent's tropical north.

Fatalities remain relatively rare, with locals and visitors warned to keep their distance from crocodile-inhabited waterways.

AFP

Rozzie, a much-loved greater sulphur-crested cockatoo, has gone missing and owner Craig Fry has been doing everything he possibly can to have his pet returned home safely ‒ from offering a R10 000 reward to putting an animal communicator on the case.

Speaking from his Ashburton farm yesterday, Fry said Rozzie went missing on October 17 while Fry was in Cape Town for the weekend.

“Rozzie had gone from our home across to our office on the property. My wife went to fetch him when the dogs gave him a fright and he flew down the slope and disappeared,” Fry said yesterday, adding that he suspected Rozzie flew over the fence and into the bush.

“My wife phoned to tell me Rozzie was missing. I went to pieces. I moved my flight back to Durban to first thing in the morning and as soon as I got home, I started searching. I spent the next four days of solid searching in the bush,” he said.

Fry originally rescued Rozzie from an unscrupulous pet shop owner in Johannesburg in 2016 and named his new bird after a friend, Rosalind, who had funded the purchase of Rozzie.

“It was only when we got Rozzie home that we noticed she wasn’t a she, but a he, but we kept the name anyway,” he said.

For the first few months, no one was able to touch Rozzie, who was angry and aggressive.

“I had put him in a big flight aviary and he hated people. So I spent a couple of hours a day feeding and being with him. One day I was standing by the door and he put his little foot out towards me, he didn’t zap me, and since that day, we’re together 24 hours a day.

“He sleeps on the bedroom door and even takes a shower with me. He can hear my car coming from a kilometre away and starts shouting.

“Wherever I am on the farm, he’ll come and find me. I operate my life with one hand because Rozzie is always on the other,” said Fry, confirming he had offered a R10 000 reward for the safe return of his bird.

He added that it was possible someone had taken Rozzie and he had contacted animal communicator, Elaine Whitwam to help find his pet.

“If someone has bought a bird that was offloaded cheap cheap and that bird is Rozzie, I’m happy to pay the price that person paid to get him back,” said Fry.

Anyone with information can contact Craig Fry at 074 737 2729.

The Independent on Saturday

Nokulunga Mkize

With the elections finalised and as politicians start negotiations this weekend, a reluctant resident is outraged after being “put up for election as a ward councillor” without his knowledge or consent.

On Monday, Nhlakanipho Mthethwa, 49, from Mlalazi was tipped off that his poster had been put up as one of the local councillor candidates, without him haven given his consent.

Mthethwa, a representative of Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco), received a call on the day of the local government elections telling him that his name and his face were on ANC posters at one of the voting stations near where Mthethwa lives.

“I was attending my mother’s funeral when I got the call informing me that my photograph was on posters as an ANC candidate. I was shocked at the news because I had never registered with any political party and I have no intention of becoming a councillor,” said Mthethwa.

Mthethwa said he went to confirm the matter at the voting station and then headed to eShowe Police station to open a case.

Sakhiseni Mabaso, the ANC candidate who was up for election, said he was aware of the matter but did not comment further.

Yesterday, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said they were aware of the matter and a case of fraud was being investigated.

“It is alleged by the complainant that on November 1 at 13.30 noticed that his picture was fraudulently used on the poster as a candidate. The matter is still under investigation,” said Naidoo.

Independent Electoral Commission spokesperson Thule Dlamini said on Thursday the commission was not aware of the matter.

The Independent on Saturday

South Africa has a few unspoken rules in our everyday life that we somehow just know. However, if you are not aware of them or you would like a reminder, we list nine from Reddit users to get you started:

Now-now and just now

Reddit user F1_Guy said “Learn the difference between ’now-now’, and ’just now’.”

Yes, there is a huge difference. If you say you will do something ’now-now’, you will be expected to do it immediately. Saying 'just now’ will give you some time. If you say “I will do the dishes now-now”, what the next person hears is that you will do it this instant. If you say “I will do the dishes just now”, it means you will laze around and do them in an hour or so.

Koesister and koeksister

Reddit user Youdontspeakforme said: “Never confuse a koesister for a koeksister” – one of the best pieces of advice you can ever get. As dragonic87 noted, koesister is pronounced koesieste. The koeksister (with the k) is plaited, deep-fried and then dipped into a cold sugar syrup. It has a crispy exterior. The koesister is a Cape Malay dish and is usually flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and mixed spice.

Braai etiquette

We as South Africans love our braai. But there are unspoken rules. Stu_Thom4s said “Don’t touch someone else's braai unless you're invited to do so.” While plasticLawChair warned people to not bring chicken breast fillets to a braai. There have also been several users saying to never come to a braai empty-handed (if you don’t bring, you don’t eat.)

How to find your car guard

Car guards are found often in South Africa, but also in a number of other African countries. They find parking spots for cars as well as ensure the safety of cars. And who doesn’t love their bright smiles and conversation? User @arbstrakzak said it perfectly: “Making eye contact with a car guard is a binding contract for car guarding services.”

How drivers thank each other

There is nothing like quite like two drivers communicating with each other using their lights. After all, it’s good manners. As @Initial-Plane561 said: “Also using your hazards to say thank you when driving. When I moved to the UK I was surprised they don't say thanks when driving.” It’s worth noting that the “thank you” can also be acknowledged.

Warning others of a traffic cop

It seems we have a number of rules on the road, none of which appears to be in the K53. Our next unspoken role is warning fellow road users of a traffic cop. @scruffymann dished this advice: “If you see a speed cop, flash your lights to warn your fellow South Africans.” Others agreed and several Reddit users advised the same thing.

Joining groups

I am sure we have all been in a position where we join a group of people, but we feel too awkward to say hi (my life hack is to join with someone, try it sometime). Well, it’s considered rude to not say hello. DoubleDot7: “If you join a group of people who are talking, it's considered rude if you don't interrupt them with a greeting.” Another user, spicysnakelover, recounted a story abouttheir art teacher, saying they were reprimanded for “being rude and ignoring everyone and not saying hello” when they sat down in a group’s company.

Oom and Tannie/Uncle and Aunty

In South Africa, we have many ooms and tannies and uncles and aunties – but they aren’t our relatives. We call people these names as a sign of respect.

crabbypoopiepants said: “Your oom and tannie might not be your relatives. Everyone 10 years older than you is an ’oom’ or ’tannie’. It’s a show of respect.

But @zeedinstein0 warned to be careful who you say it to, adding: “I know people in Cape Town don’t like to be called oom or tannie if they are mostly English-speaking people.”

Don’t be a ...

The last and most important unspoken is to not be a*******. While this is not exclusive to South Africa, it’s important that we all just be kind to whomever, whenever we can.

IOL

Reaction Unit SA officers rescued a peacock in Verulam yesterday after being tipped-off about two men trying to sell the bird in Todd Street.

In a media release, the security company said it had received the call “after a passerby noticed the two men selling a peacock to the occupants of a white Golf GTI”.

“Reaction officers responded to the call and on arrival, located the peacock on the back seat of the vehicle.

“Its legs were bound. According to the driver of the car, he had paid the two individuals R300. The suspects had removed the feathers from the bird which they intended selling separately.

“They (suspects) informed Reaction Officers that the proceeds of the sale were to be used to purchase heroin,” said the statement.

Peacocks have been kept as pets for thousands of years and regarded as a status symbol by the rich and famous. They are known for their colourful iridescent plumage and wide tail, which when fanned out, make up more than 60% of the bird’s body and which have colourful “eye markings”.

The tails are used in mating or courtship rituals and it is believed females choose their mate based in the size, colour and quality of the tail “train”.

Technically males are peacocks, the females are peahens and together, they are known as peafowl.

Their lifespan is about 20 years and the male tail can grow up to 1.5m, which, along with its wingspan, makes it one of the largest flying birds.

The Independent on Saturday

For some people, going to prison can feel like escaping to freedom.

A man under house arrest in Italy showed up at a police barracks asking to be put behind bars because life with his wife at home was unbearable, police said Sunday.

The 30-year-old Albanian citizen living in Guidonia Montecelio, outside Rome, "was no longer able to cope with the forced cohabitation with his wife," Carabinieri police from nearby Tivoli said in a statement.

"Exasperated by the situation, he preferred to escape, spontaneously presenting himself to the Carabinieri to ask to serve his sentence behind bars," they wrote.

The man had been under house arrest for drug crimes for several months and had a few years left to serve, Captain Francesco Giacomo Ferrante of the Tivoli Carabinieri told AFP.

"He lived at home with his wife and family. It wasn't going well anymore," Ferrante said.

"He said, 'Listen, my domestic life has become hell, I can't do it anymore, I want to go to jail."

The man was promptly arrested for violating his house arrest and judicial authorities ordered his transfer to prison.

AFP

Cape Town – We might have been using the microwave wrong our whole lives. This is according to a viral TikTok video, showing the “right“ way to reheat food in a microwave.

TikTok user Isabella Avida, who goes by @onlyjayus on the video sharing platform, revealed the most efficient way to use the microwave is to position the food on the edge of the glass microwave plate rather than in the centre. This will ensure that the meal is cooked evenly as it rotates around inside the microwave. It also reduces the likelihood of that “dreaded” frozen centre (you know what I am talking about).

@onlyjayus

Microwave Hacks 🧑![CDATA[]]>🏼‍🍳 #fyp #microwavehacks #microwave #cookinghacks #cooking #chef #lifehacks #lifeadvice #onlyjayus

♬ STAY - The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber

We list four more life hacks we found on TikTok that will make your life a bit easier.

Slow laptop? Here is how to fix it.

A slow laptop is the bane of anyone’s existence, especially since most of us are working from home. If we are not working from home, we are bingeing our favourite shows. This TikTok video shows you how to make your laptop run faster.

@keyboardshortcuts

Love this one 😳 Link in bio for more 👍![CDATA[]]>🏼 ##laptophacks ##learnontiktok ##tutorials ##lifehacks ##mac ##macbook

♬ Background Music - Avatar

Slow sink drain? We got you.

A slow laptop is annoying, but so is a slow sink drain. TikTok user @carolina.mccauley shows us how to fix that with a few kitchen ingredients and a few easy steps. (It is advised that you don’t overuse this hack).

@carolina.mccauley

Try this hack to fix a slow drain ##homehacks ##cleaninghacks ##homehackswithcarolina

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod

Cleaning plastic containers

Hands up if you hate washing plastic containers. Lift those hands up, no need to lie to yourself. Luckily, TikTok user @tanyahomeinspo comes to our rescue with this super helpful video.

@tanyahomeinspo

Amazing Hack ##cleantok ##wow ##unbelievable ##cleaninghacks ##homehacks ##tanyahomeinspo ##satisfyingcleans ##learnontiktok ##cleaningtips ##cleaningtiktok

♬ Kolom - BukBak

Getting pesky stickers off products

While it is not exactly life-changing, it is useful to know how to remove those pesky stickers from the products after buying them. TikTok user @lexie_byers shows us a quick and simple way to remove them.

@lexie_byers

HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?! Did anyone else know?? ##lifehack ##lifehacks ##mindblown ##lifehackvideo ##tiktoklifehack ##lifetips ##tiktoklifehacks

♬ original sound - lexie byers

IOL

Money is always a tricky thing to navigate in any relationship - whether it is with a family member or your partner. This woman learnt that the hard way when she pointed out that she earns more money than her boyfriend.

In a Reddit AITA (Am I The A-hole) post, a 26-year-old woman braved the internet and asked if she was in the wrong for pointing out to her boyfriend that she earns more than him.

She said that while they are on the same page with regard to marriage and children, he always makes “jokes” that she only wants to marry him for money.

“Recently he always jokes around about me only wanting to marry him to take half of his assets when we get divorced,” she posted, adding that his friends went through a similar situation so she understands his concerns.

She said she often replies that she won’t get married to get a divorce but also doesn’t want this to become a bigger issue. She had suggesting prenups but “he doesn’t believe in prenups.”

“And now it happens more often and sometimes he just said it with a straight face, afraid that he will be left with nothing if we don’t work out. Today he did it again and that was the last straw. I immediately snapped at him by saying ’Well, if that’s the case, it should be me who should be worried since I make three times more than you.”

She said this reply immediately silenced him.

Most people answered that she was not wrong for pointing it out and many encouraged her to get a prenup to protect herself. Some even suggested that she should not marry him.

IOL

Have you ever looked at something and thought “What is the point of this?”. Did you know why margins were invented or why doors are made of brass? Do you know what the story is behind those bristles on the escalators (hint: they are not for your shoes.)

We have compiled a list hidden features of everyday things that you probably did not know about.

Why do notebooks have margins?

Believe it or not, margins weren’t invented as a guide for writing and note-taking. Margins were invented to protect your work - from rats. Yes, rats. Rats were a common resident (and pest) in many people’s homes and loved to eat paper and anything else they can get their tiny mouths on. So applying wide margins to paper ensure that the rats chew through the margins first thus protecting the writing.

Why are doorknobs made of brass?

Have you ever wondered why a lot of doorknobs are made out of brass? Brass destroys bacteria and is highly resistant to corrosion and rust. Brass doorknobs are basically germ-proof - making the material perfect for a pandemic era. Studies show that surfaces made of copper kill bacteria and viruses almost immediately on contact.

What is up with the ridges on edges of coins?

Ridge patterns on coins are a relic of the past but are still used today. It goes back to when people would shave off the edges of coins and use that metal to mint new coins. The ridges were later added so it would be obvious when somebody had tried to shave off parts of a coin.

Why do we have extra eyelets on shoes?

Here is a useful tip: if you loop your laces through the extra eyelets on shoes, you can tighten the shoe around your ankle and prevent the shoe from moving around.

This can increase the stability of the shoe, decrease impact loading rates, and prevent your foot from moving about if you are climbing or going down a tricky trail during a hike.

What’s up with the brushes on the sides of escalators?

The brushes on the sides of escalators are not for polishing your shoes. I repeat, they are not for feet. The bristles on the side is a safety feature and is designed to keep you away from standing too close to the sides and the escalator’s skirt panels.

Why do pens caps have holes?

Some of us have a nasty habit to chew the caps of pens. This is a potential health hazard because you might swallow it and choke, so it’s highly advisable to stop and find something else to chew - we recommend bubblegum.

The holes in the pen caps allow people to breathe in case you accidentally swallow and choke on the cap.

What is the purpose of the drawer under the oven?

That drawer under your oven is not for your pots, pans and other kitchen utensils. I know that is hard to believe but it wasn’t designed for that. Manufacturers originally made that drawer for keeping food warm until you were ready to serve it. But we have microwaves now so I guess there is no harm in leaving the pots and pans there.

’I have an eraser that rubs out pen!’

Back in school, you were one of the cool kids if you had an eraser that had different-coloured sides. Contrary to popular belief, they were not designed to erase pen marks but were made to erase different pencils on different types of paper.

The “erasing pen” thing came later when it was promoted as such because many didn't understand what it was meant for.

What is the slot at the end of the measuring tape for?

Most measuring tapes have a metal stub with a small slot on the end. This is useful for a number of reasons. You can hang the slot on a nail for measurement, if your hands are full and you can also try using the stub to mark the points without a pencil.

Why is there a tiny hole in your airplane window?

If you have travelled by plane and you opted for a window seat, you might have noticed the tiny hole in your airplane window. This hole allows airflow through to keep from too much pressure building in the plane and busting the window as it rises in altitude. It also keeps the windows from fogging up with all the warm breath of the passengers.

IOL

London - Hospital staff in Britain acted swiftly after a man arrived at their emergency ward with a World War II-era munition in his rectum.

Police and army experts were called in but medics had removed the object safely before they arrived, police in Gloucestershire, western England, said.

"Police attended Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Wednesday morning (December 1) after a report that a patient had presented with a munition in his rectum," police said in a statement.

"The item had been removed prior to police arrival and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were contacted.

"They attended and confirmed it was not live and therefore not a danger to the public."

An Army spokesperson added: "We can confirm an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called out to Gloucestershire at the request of local police."

WATCH: Craziest ER episodes you can never unsee

The Sun newspaper, which first reported the incident, said the unnamed patient told doctors he "slipped and fell" on the device.

The man had been clearing out his private arsenal of military collectables when the accident unfolded, it added.

The tabloid said the munition was later identified as from that era and typically fired from anti-tank guns.

A defence source told The Sun the 57mm shell - measuring 17cm by 6cm - was "a chunky, pointed lump of lead designed to rip through a tank's armour".

"It was basically an inert lump of metal, so there was no risk to life - at least not to anyone else's," the source said.

The patient is understood to have been released from the hospital and is set to make a full recovery, the tabloid reported.

Durban - Social media users think South Africa should not get involved in the Russia, Ukraine crisis. Many have commented on how SA failed to protect its own during last year's riots.

And now that Russian forces have invaded Ukraine, locals think we are better off minding our own business.

Early on Thursday morning, the world woke up to news that Russian armed forces had invaded Ukraine.

So far, hundreds have left their homes out of fear. Others have resorted to lining up outside shops to buy essentials and withdraw cash.

The South African government is calling for Russia to withdraw its troops.

Social media commentator and funny woman, Tums - The Narrator "humbly" called on Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Naledi Pandor to go it alone and leave SA out of it.

"Granny Pandor, I come to you humble and contrite. Stay out of this one and keep us out of it too. Did you listen to boetie?" she asks and goes on to play a video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We don't have the manpower for this. We are not prepared for such. Gogo Naledi please, and I speak for most South Africans, please go by yourself as an individual and leave us out of it," she said.

Others have also shared their views:

I don't get why💁🏽‍♂️ SA somehow Wana get involved in this RUSSIA-PUTIN war, coz if that tank turns to us, we're DEAD.🔥😂#RussiaUkraine

— Blatantly Lebogang (@Lee_theGent) February 24, 2022

Which South Africa Naledi is talking about, we being defeated by Russian Bear at tarven now you want their army here

— #EFFvsAfriForum (@MakhanyaPBR) February 24, 2022

Which South Africa Is This? Next Time you report these news just name the person, don't involve the rest of us pic.twitter.com/A6GNxcr6UZ

— Cartii The Retard (@playboycartii2x) February 25, 2022

Which South Africa

You guys looked at King Mswati your neighbor jiki jiki ya'll want to catch cross fire with the big boys
Come on just sit down pic.twitter.com/b8Xt7BjltO

— #LONGTOM🗼🗼🗼🗼 (@GamrojiNkonyane) February 25, 2022

Dear Naledi Pandor . Which south Africa? pic.twitter.com/e5IQWxBQ8N

— Vha Hang (@HangBoysa) February 25, 2022

IOL

London - A British man said he was left open-mouthed after Spanish authorities returned the false teeth he lost on a boozy night out in Benidorm 11 years ago, the BBC reported on Thursday.

Paul Bishop, 63, misplaced his teeth in the popular resort in 2011, when he fell ill while drinking cider and had to vomit into a bin.

"When we headed to the next bar, my friend then turned round to me and asked where my teeth were," he told the broadcaster.

A search proved fruitless but he said he was "gobsmacked and stunned" when the long-lost dentures turned up at his home in Stalybridge, near Manchester, northwest England.

He ended up paying £600 (about R12 300) on a new set, certain that he would never see them again, according to Sky News.

Despite attempts to find them, he had to spend the rest of the holiday without gnashers, even performing as a toothless Elvis for his friend's 50th birthday, the broadcaster reported.

They had been found in a Spanish landfill.

"Next thing you know, they have found my DNA and address from British records, and popped it in the post," he added.

Bishop, who was pictured with the errant gnashers in a plastic bag, described the return as "unbelievable".

Frankfurt - Car-mad Germany may be known for its speed limit-less Autobahns, but a Czech businessman's suspected 414km/h drag down a stretch of motorway has run into trouble with local law enforcement.

The prosecutor's office in Stendal in the northern state of Saxony-Anhalt said it had launched a probe into a potential illegal race over the incident.

The wealthy sports car owner from the Czech Republic posted videos of the drive in a Bugatti Chiron on YouTube, bringing attention to the incident.

"We thank God for the safety and good circumstances", Radim Passer wrote in the video description on his channel.

Some of the videos display a virtual speedometer which reaches 414km/h on a stretch of motorway between Berlin and Magdeburg, to the west of the capital.

While the recordings were made in the middle of last year, the videos were only recently posted online but have since been viewed millions of times.

In response to comments that said the drive was irresponsible and dangerous, Passer said he had had "good visibility" and highlighted his Bugatti's braking power.

Highway police initiated an investigation after the feat was reported widely across different media.

The results were handed over to the prosecutor's office, which began a legal assessment of the incident.

According to the criminal code, a solo drive can still be classed as a prohibited race if the driver "advances at an inappropriate speed and in a manner that grossly violates the traffic code and is reckless."

Germany's Transport Minister Volker Wissing condemned the driver's attitude, noting that while there is no speed limit, the car should always be "under control".

Others have used the incident to make the case for introducing a legal limit, including the premier of Lower Saxony state, Stephan Weil, who told Spiegel magazine there were "many good reasons" to cap speed on motorways, including the environment and safety.

AFP

By Philip Blenkinsop

Maredret Abbey, Belgium - When the nuns of Maredret Abbey in Belgium were struggling to scrape together the funds for badly needed renovation works, they turned to an occupation that for hundreds of years had been the preserve of monks: beer-brewing.

The 20-strong Benedictine community, founded in 1893, decided about five years ago it was time to team up with a brewer with the aim of to producing beer infused with some of their history and values while helping repair their convent's leaking roofs and cracked walls.

After nearly three years of collaboration with brewer and importer John Martin, Maredret Altus, a 6.8% amber beer using cloves and juniper berries, and Maredret Triplus, an 8% blond incorporating coriander and sage, went on sale in summer.

"It's good for one's health. It aids digestion. All the sisters like the beer, we are in Belgium after all," said Sister Gertrude, adding the nuns allowed themselves one bottle each on Sundays.

The beers are based on spelt, a grain mentioned in texts by Saint Hildegard, a German Benedictine abbess from the 11th century who has inspired the Belgian order, along with plants commonly grown in the nuns' garden.

Edward Martin, head distiller and great-grandson of the brewer's founder, said production was currently 300 000 bottles per year, which would rise to around 3 million within a couple of years. Outside Belgium, it is already being sold in Italy and Spain.

Abbey beers, which involve a brewer paying royalties in exchange for using the abbey name, are common in Belgium, but until now they have only been with abbeys housing monks.

Maredret Abbey is just a kilometre from male counterpart Maredsous Abbey, whose beer, made by Duvel, is widely available.

Sister Gertrude stressed they did not see each other as rivals.

"They were aware, informed and they gave us the green light. It's not a competition, more a complementarity," she said.

Reuters

Durban - South Africans have klapped back with a typical “jou ma se p**s” after reports that those wanting to travel to and from the UK were subjected to a general knowledge test in Afrikaans.

Low cost airline Ryanair, which claims to be the biggest airline group in Europe, subjected several South Africans to general knowledge questions in Afrikaans to prove that their passports were legitimate.

Over the past two weeks several accounts have surfaced on social media about travellers who complained that they were forced to write a test to prove they were South African.

Apparently not knowing the country’s official colour, the side of the road that we drive on or the capital city could mark you as a security risk and leave you stranded in a foreign country.

Capetonian Dinesh Joseph, who has lived in London since 2016, spent five fabulous days soaking up the sun in Lanzarote in the Spanish Canary Islands.

However, he said the good times were forgotten even before he left the island when a Ryanair official told him to take his boarding pass to their customer services desk to be stamped.

Joseph, a leadership and management trainer in the UK, said what happened next left him fuming.

“They took my passport and my boarding pass and handed me two photocopied pages with questions in Afrikaans that were printed skew. There was no letterhead, no logo or stamp, nothing to prove it was an official document.”

He was told he didn't have a choice in the matter because it was a “Ryanair rule” that South African travellers had to follow even though he told them he could not speak Afrikaans and would have to Google the answers.

“Luckily my primary school memories kicked in,” he said.

Joseph said he was mad as hell that they treated him as if he was “a monkey”, while his girlfriend, who is from the UK, was left gobsmacked.

The officials warned him that he would not be able to fly to the UK if he did not complete the form.

Afterwards a Ryanair employee pulled out a marking sheet to see if he had passed the test and Joseph said he became emotional at the indignity.

“The form is in Afrikaans, I filled it out in English and she spoke Spanish,” he said.

Joseph asked yesterday how this process would aid security at airports and “why the hell” Ryanair and not a government agency was doing the vetting.

“It seems as if it’s happening just indiscriminately against South Africans.”

He said the general theory doing the rounds was that South Africa had a reputation for high levels of fraud and corruption and that people were faking South African passports to enter different countries.

However, he said it was “ridiculous on every level” that an airline and not a government was doing a vetting process. In addition, no one could fake biometrics.

Joseph tried to lodge an official complaint with Ryanair after the ordeal but could not reach the airline.

“You can’t actually call them. I lodged a complaint on their portal and I haven’t heard from them in two weeks. They are like snakes in the grass, you can't catch them,” he said.

The Independent on Saturday made several attempts to contact Ryanair by email through their chat bot and via their call centre.

Eventually a call centre agent said they were only carrying out instructions that were listed on the UK government’s website and slammed down the phone.

No such requirement is listed on the website.

Isabel Potgieter, head of communication at the British High Commission in Pretoria, said: “We are aware of these reports. This is not a UK government requirement however.”

Potgieter said all information related to requirements for South African passport holders to enter the UK was available on their website.

The Embassy of Ireland in Pretoria said it was aware of the reports. “We are happy to clarify that the Irish immigration authorities do not under any circumstances require or administer such tests to passengers travelling to Ireland,” it said in a statement.

The Embassy said holders of valid South African Passports do not need an entry visa to come to Ireland for stays of shorter than 90 days. However, other standard immigration procedures do apply and all travellers (regardless of their country of citizenship) must be able to satisfy the Immigration Officer at the Port of Entry that they have a valid reason for entering Ireland.

The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) is also aware of the issue.

Media liaison officer Lunga Ngqengelele said: “Home Affairs are responsible for immigration, however we are also investigating the matter from Dirco’s side.”

After expressing his anger, Joseph saw the funny side of things and said he got the first three questions wrong because he could only list one of South Africa’s capitals: Pretoria.

He said he also listed all the colours of the flag as the answer to what was South Africa’s official colour, but eventually settled on black, which Ryanair accepted as correct and he was then given his documents to board the flight.

Responses ranging from outraged to hilarious could be seen on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit as people commented on the test.

Amanda Muller said it was unbelievable: “You are NOT serious? Did one of the staff’s kids have a project on SA that needed completing? Totally unfathomable… what if you don't understand Afrikaans (like me)?”

A few people said the only response to all the questions was “Jou ma se p***!”

A few others vowed never to fly Ryanair again.

In February “The Times” newspaper in the UK wrote that Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary had called for Muslim men to be profiled at airports because they were a threat, unlike families with young children who had virtually no chance of being terrorists.

O’Leary was quoted as saying: “Who are the bombers? They are going to be single males travelling on their own. If you are travelling with a family of kids, on you go, the chances you are going to blow them all up is zero.

“You can’t say stuff, because it’s racism, but it will generally be males of a Muslim persuasion. Thirty years ago it was the Irish. If that is where the threat is coming from, deal with the threat.”

The Independent on Saturday

A four-year-old boy in the Netherlands took his mother's car for a drive before crashing into two parked cars, police said Sunday.

Police in the central city of Utrecht were alerted on Saturday when residents spotted a youngster walking in the street dressed only in pyjamas and bare feet.

"We immediately responded, as bystanders were worried that the boy was suffering from hypothermia," police wrote on Instagram.

As they arrived, officers received a second report of a car accident close-by involving three cars. The driver suspected of causing the accident was missing.

That car was registered to the boy's mother, they said.

Police phoned the mum "and when she spoke to her son, he made noises resembling a car and used gestures showing turning a steering wheel," police said.

"We then realised that the child may have been the driver."

After a hot chocolate at the police station and some comfort from a teddy bear, the boy was reunited with his mum, police said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Politie Basisteam Utrecht Nrd (@politie_utrechtnoord)

They went with police to the crash scene together, where the boy took the keys, got inside and started the vehicle - "and pressed down on the gas pedal" police said.

The boy had woken up when his dad went to work and taken his mum's car keys "to go for a drive," police said.

The mother told police she had "quite a resourceful child", while police warned the parents to hide their car keys in future.

"New Max Verstappen found in (the Utrecht suburb of) Overvecht," police wrote on social media when reporting the incident, referring to the popular and current Dutch world champion Formula One driver.

"Fortunately, this mini driver's adventure has come to an end with a sizzle," the police wrote in their report.

AFP

Reykjavik, Iceland - The Icelandic Phallological Museum has unveiled a plaster cast of the erect penis of legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix after it was donated by its creator, dubbed Cynthia "Plaster Caster".

The museum is already home to almost 400 artefacts, ranging from the sex organs of whales in plexiglass tubes to a raccoon's penis in formaldehyde.

The collection even features bronzes of the genitalia of the entire Icelandic handball team that won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Curious visitors lean in to examine the latest addition, displayed in a glass case.

The cast of Hendrix' phallus was made by US artist Cynthia Albritton, dubbed Cynthia "Plaster Caster", who made casts of the penises of some 50 rock stars.

She agreed to donate the item before her death earlier this year, sending it along with a certificate of authenticity that describes the object as a close replica of an original 1968 version.

Albritton used a latex mould to produce eight replicas of Hendrix's phallus two years before his death.

Hendrix, whose repertoire included "Foxy Lady" and "Hey Joe," died of a drug overdose in 1970, aged 27.

"This is definitely one of our most valuable pieces," said Thordur Olafur Thordarson, the museum's assistant curator.

Some of the museum's whale exhibits are so rare they are considered priceless.

"We are extremely lucky to have it," Thordarson told AFP.

The artist was persuaded to donate the piece after an American couple, who happened to be her neighbours, visited the museum in Reykjavik during their travels.

"They thought this would be a really great opportunity for her to leave a permanent legacy," Thordarson said.

The plaster cast was unveiled at a ceremony in early June.

"It's fun," Steven Warren, a first-time visitor to Iceland from the UK, told AFP.

French tourist Pascal Podwojewski said he did not "think history will remember the size of his penis, his music will be remembered more".

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks. Like alcohol, it's been around for centuries. It’s still enjoyed by various cultures across the world.

For those who love coffee, there’s Robusta, Arabica, Liberica and Excelsa.

Coffee lovers know how to tell them apart and for the mere mortals like us, it's just a filter coffee or a cappuccino. I’m keeping things very simple because for the gods, this is more like coffee 101 or coffee for dummies.

There are numerous coffee brands such as Starbucks, Seattle Coffee, Jacobs, Nescafe, Douwe Egberts, Antigua, Frisco and Ricoffy. I’m not a connoisseur. However, I will admit, they are different, and they do not taste the same.

Brazil is the world’s top coffee producer, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Don’t worry, South Africa is not on this list, although we can grow coffee in provinces like Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (just putting it out there).

So let me get straight to the point because I’m actually excited to share what the world’s most expensive coffee is derived from. But wait, let’s first name the top five most expensive coffees. Well, there’s Molokai Coffee, Saint Helena, Finca El Injerto, Black Ivory and Kopi Luwak.

Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for:

The top two world’s most expensive coffees are Black Ivory and Kopi Luwak. Black Ivory, which costs $1,500 (R23 900) per pound, is made to go through the digestive tracts (stomachs) of elephants, whereby the coffee is activated by a particular family of enzymes that make the beans incredibly smooth and flavourful.

On the other hand, Kopi Luwak is created through a process whereby civets eat coffee cherries and pass them through their faeces. Yes, the world’s most expensive brews are made from animal faecal matter.

Related video:

St. Louis, Missouri - A US woman who contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her partner during romantic encounters in his car has been awarded $5.2 million (R83.6 million) in damages from his vehicle insurance company.

The woman in the state of Missouri successfully claimed her partner had negligently infected her with HPV, and that his policy covered her for "injuries and losses."

Referred to in court documents only as M.O., the woman had requested an award of $9.9 million (R160m), before an arbitrator determined a sum of $5.2 million would cover her "damages and injuries."

"Insured should have disclosed his diagnosis to M.O. prior to the sexual activity that occurred, but he did not," found the arbitrator.

GEICO, the insurer, had rejected the woman's initial settlement offer, and last year contested the award, but it was upheld by the Missouri Court of Appeals this week.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States, and high-risk strains can cause cancer. There is a vaccine against it.

In her initial settlement offer, the woman said she had contracted HPV during unprotected sexual encounters in her partner's vehicle in late 2017 despite him "having knowledge of his condition."

The arbitrator found that her partner had "been told that his throat cancer tumor was diagnosed as HPV positive."

The woman requested compensation for "past and future medical expenses," as well as "past and future mental and physical pain and suffering."

Reports of the ruling quickly went viral on social media, prompting humour as well as outrage.

"Crazy damages claims like this are a big part of why car insurance costs so much," tweeted Elon Musk. "It should be possible to sue law firms for pursuing insane damages claims."

AFP

by Martine PAUWELS

The UK's new king will travel without a passport and drive without a licence, own all the mute swans in England and may continue a tradition of celebrating his birthday twice a year.

Here is a list of unusual facts about Britain's new monarch:

No licence or passport

King Charles III will travel overseas without a passport because, unlike other members of the royal family, he will not need one as the document will be issued in his name.

The preamble in every document will now state: "His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary."

For the same reason, the king will be the only person in Britain who can drive without a licence.

Two birthdays

Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had two birthdays -- her actual birthday on April 21, which was held in private, and an official public celebration on the second Tuesday in June, when the summery weather tends to be better for outdoor parades.

As Charles' birthday is at the start of winter on November 14, it is likely he will also have an "official birthday" in a warmer month.

The public celebration - the Trooping the Colour - dates back more than 250 years and involves more than 1 400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians in a display of military precision.

The Royal Air Force concludes proceedings with a fly-past while members of the royal family watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London.

No voting

The British monarch does not vote and cannot stand for election. As head of state, he or she must remain strictly neutral in political affairs.

They are involved in the formal opening of parliamentary sessions, approve legislation from parliament and hold weekly meetings with the prime minister.

Swans, dolphins and sturgeon

The British monarch does not just reign over people.

Since the 12th century, unmarked mute swans in open waters across England and Wales are considered the property of the monarch.

Every year, royal rights are exercised on stretches of the River Thames, where the swans are counted in a tradition that has now become a conservation measure.

The royal prerogative also applies to sturgeon, dolphins and whales in British waters.

Official poet

Every 10 years, Britain appoints a poet laureate who composes verses for the monarch.

The honorary post includes a butt of sherry - equivalent to 720 bottles.

The tradition goes back to the 17th century.

Carol Ann Duffy became the first woman nominated as poet laureate when she was appointed in 2009.

She composed poems for Prince William's wedding in 2011, the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 2013 and the marriage of Prince Harry in 2018.

Royal warrant

Issued to those who regularly supply the monarch with goods and services, the warrant is a great honour and a boost for sales.

Companies awarded the warrant are authorised to use the royal arms on their goods.

Burberry, Cadbury, Jaguar Cars, Land Rover, Samsung and Waitrose supermarkets are among the companies with a royal warrant.

AFP

Cape Town has proved why it has been named Africa's Leading City Destination 2022 at the World Travel Awards after residents showed some TLC and the spirit of ubuntu towards a lost Cape fur seal wandering alone in Athlone.

Video 📸. Not my video. Er pic.twitter.com/o0ibvEALWt

— Queen Mafia 💎 (@TemarahTayla) December 21, 2022

According to reports, the female cape fur seal was spotted galumphing about on the busy intersection Jakes Gerwel Drive opposite the Vangate Mall near Bonteheuwel on Wednesday, December 21.

Cape fur seals are endemic to Southern Africa with large colonies spread out throughout the west coast from the southern tip of Angola, Namibia and all the way up to Algoa Bay near Port Elizabeth.

Seal Island off the coast of of False Bay, near Cape Town has a population of 64 000 Cape fur seals, however, this female Cape fur seal stunned everyone on how it had made it’s way inland as it was close to 17km from the nearest bay.

“IOL News” reported that motorists exercised caution on the busy intersection, which came to a halt, and they allowed “Santa the seal” to cross safely whilst residents promptly alerted animal welfare authorities.

Athlone: Seal Rescued from Busy Intersection!

It seems not even Cape Town’s wildlife is immune to the Christmas spirit!

Click here to view the full story with photos and videos of this happy ending:- https://t.co/6KwQByTan6#SPCA #Seal #CapeTown #Rescue @CityofCT pic.twitter.com/w7Mkd4cew4

— Cape of Good Hope SPCA (@capespca) December 21, 2022

According to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s Facebook page, it’s Wildlife Department, received a call which cut the seal’s expedition short.

“Arriving at the scene, SPCA Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse and Inspector Lwazi Ntungele found a large adult female Cape Fur Seal wandering about into traffic, while attracting a crowd of bemused onlookers. The City of Cape Town Metro Police were also on scene and controlling the traffic to keep the animal safe,” said Cape of Good Hope SPCA.

It’s this act of kindness that allowed the seal to be rescued and safely released at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton so she could find her way home.

Now we know it may not be ‘normal’ from where she is from, but we don’t do BBQ’s over here, we have braais, and it is actually a tradition in South Africa.

It’s what brings people together.

‘Stiek uit by die braai,’ as the saying goes. ‘Karen’ didn’t get the memo.

My throat hurts just by listening to her. The woman seems to point at the fire and asks: "what is that?"

As they try to explain, she loses her sh*t even more, "I don’t care, go to f**cking McDonalds.’’ Sorry ma’am, but we enjoy real meat, there is no comparison.

‘’Are you guys nuts!’’ she continues yelling. And of course, she threatened to call the police, which would get her nowhere because nothing illegal is happening.

‘’That is ridiculous people, get real!’’ she says before storming off in a car. Mayhaps it’s time for people to do research on what’s acceptable in our country before visiting?

Either she woke up on the wrong side of the bed or she is just a nut case.

@onlywithstephen Someone call the US embassy🥴 #karen ♬ original sound - STEVE

As per usual, the comments had no business making a joke out of it. One user wrote: ''SA police ain't US Police. I can just imagine her going on a tirade and the Police saying...... And then.’’

Another wrote: ‘’the mere sound of her screeching would’ve made me move out😭😭 we don’t communicate that way in this country lovey😭’’

With another user saying, ‘’Yhoo how is she going to cope in December 😂😳😂 My drunk uncle braais until 2am and then at 3am like clockwork starts playing Judy Boucher songs 😂’’

I would simply have quoted the famous line, ‘’We are here for a good time, not a long time.’’

She would wake up an entire neighbourhood with her screeching, I can’t imagine the fire being the worst part. I hope she apologises, she was out of line.

Read the latest issue of IOL Travel digital magazine here.

Johannesburg - Competitive advertising is not something we see very often in South Africa, but every once in a while we get a marketing ploy that has Mzansi in stitches. We’re looking at you, Nando’s.

In the automotive space, Suzuki Auto SA is no stranger to witty social media posts, and in fact one of their Tweets from 2019 has been blowing up again on the social channels.

“Unlike other vrr phas, the Swift Sport is driven by people who actually have furniture in their apartments,” the Tweet read, followed by “*sips tea*”.

We heard our hot hatch is turning heads again. 😉 https://t.co/2WQ3crcChq pic.twitter.com/0gJI9TmJQG

— Suzuki SA (@Suzuki_ZA) March 24, 2023

It takes a dig at young Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R drivers, and their apparent reputation for prioritising the purchase of their dream car over everything else in life.

As you’d expect, there were some amusing responses, with Dr Senzo Mahlangu tweeting “Camp chair is also a furniture”, and uNjomane saying “Midrand folks won’t like this”, which was not the only shade thrown at this part of Gauteng, which is also known for its generic architecture.

Hatfield VW Melrose also got in on the action by quipping “We actually sell cars not furniture. In actual fact … We’ll let Joshua Doore or Bakos Brothers handle this one”.

Competitive advertising is generally not allowed in South Africa, largely due to laws surrounding trademark infringement, says Rademeyer Attorneys. But that hasn’t stopped South African companies from doing it by implication rather than outright naming.

Remember the BMW that “Beat the Bends”? Or the Opel Kadett that tore its way around a golf course to prove it’s “More fun than...”?

And, strictly speaking, the Suzuki Swift Sport is not a direct rival to the Golf GTI, and at R392 900 it’s almost half the price, but it certainly represents a temptation for those seeking a performance hatchback at a lower price point, which is what Suzuki is ultimately getting at here.

The Swift Sport is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that makes 103kW and 230Nm, versus the VW’s 2.0-litre turbo that churns out 180kW and 370Nm, but its lighter kerb weight means the performance deficit is not quite as big as you might imagine, with claimed 0-100 times of 8.0 seconds versus 6.4 seconds for the GTI.

Unless every second counts, then clearly it’s vrr pha for you all the way, whether you have change for furniture or not.

IOL Motoring