Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.
Mountain lion wanders into California city center, is
killed
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A mountain lion ventured into the
center of a crowded Southern California city on Tuesday, and
was shot and killed when authorities had trouble corralling the
animal in the courtyard of a building, police said. It was not
immediately clear how the 3-year-old mountain lion weighing
about 75 pounds (34 kg) ended up in the middle of the beachside
city of Santa Monica, which lies just west of Los Angeles.
Phony ”dying bride” ordered to repay victims
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York bride who faked having
terminal cancer to swindle well-wishers into funding her dream
wedding and honeymoon to the Caribbean on Wednesday was ordered
to repay more than $13,000 to her victims, prosecutors said.
Jessica Vega, 25, pleaded guilty last month to fraud and
forgery charges for deceiving people in the Hudson Valley area
of New York into thinking she had only a few months to live,
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said. Moved by
her tale, individuals and businesses donated thousands of
dollars to pay for her wedding in May 2010 and her honeymoon in
Aruba.
South Africa painting debate exposes racial rifts
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s ruling ANC went to
court on Thursday seeking to remove from public display a
painting of President Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed,
saying the work is symbolic of the lingering racial oppression
of apartheid. Proceedings were halted after a bizzare scene
where Gcina Malindi, lawyer for the ANC, broke down in tears
when a judge asked him how the court can halt viewing of an
image widely distributed on the Internet.
