Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.
Olympics, elections and horsing around in odd 2012
LONDON (Reuters) – Presidential preening, golden Olympic
gaffes, a royal windfall for a skydiving British queen on her
diamond jubilee and the endless end of days marked the odd
stories in 2012 which pranced across the news in Gangnam Style.
The year opened with a tale that flocks of magpies and bears
had been spotted in mourning for North Korea’s “Dear Leader”,
Kim Jong-il who died in December 2011 and was succeeded by his
20-something son Kim Jong-un.
10 days later, man who escaped high-rise Chicago prison
missing
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The FBI is still searching for one of
two convicted bank robbers who escaped last week from a
high-rise jail in downtown Chicago by lowering themselves on a
makeshift rope nearly 20 stories to the street. Kenneth Conley,
38, and his cellmate, Joseph Jose Banks, 37, escaped from the
Metropolitan Correctional Center early on the morning of
December 18. The pair apparently broke a window in the cell
they shared, squeezed through the opening and lowered
themselves to the street.
So you find certain words annoying? Whatever
NEW YORK (Reuters) – “You know,” “whatever” is a really
annoying term — “like” “you know.” We’re “just sayin’.” When
it comes to the most annoying words or phrases used in
conversation, those four top the list in 2012, according to the
annual Marist Poll.
Ukraine reminds Santas about tax
KIEV (Reuters) – Cash-strapped Ukraine on Wednesday
reminded entertainers making money by posing as Did Moroz – the
local version of Santa Claus – and his helpers to pay income
tax. The former Soviet republic’s government faces $9 billion
in foreign debt repayments next year and its budget deficit
almost tripled in January-October this year to more than $4
billion.
Moutai shares lead alcohol tumble after China bans spirits
from army feasts
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese distiller Kweichow Moutai Co
Ltd led a tumble in the country’s alcohol sector
on Monday after Beijing banned its top brass from hosting boozy
banquets while working, Communist Party chief Xi Jinping’s
latest anti-corruption move. Shares in Moutai ,
whose premium white spirits are much favored by the Chinese
military, were down 5.8 percent in Shanghai at 9.07 p.m. ET,
unwinding modest December gains.
Canada’s “Ikea monkey” to spend Christmas at sanctuary
OSHAWA (Reuters) – Canada’s most famous monkey will not be
donning his tiny Santa suit with his adoptive family this year,
after a judge ruled on Friday that the primate should stay at
an animal sanctuary until at least mid-January. The animal’s
owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, tearfully navigated through a throng of
reporters and cameras after being told she would not be allowed
to take the 7-month-old monkey home for the holidays. Another
hearing is set for January.
Dead passenger found riding in Berlin underground
BERLIN (Reuters) – A 65-year-old man thought to be sleeping
while sitting upright on a Berlin underground train as it
cross-crossed the German capital was actually dead, police said
on Sunday. “It’s tragic,” a Berlin police spokeswoman said. “We
don’t know how long he was sitting dead on the train nor do we
know the exact cause of death yet. There are no indications of
foul play. He seems to have died of natural causes.”
Georgian village reinstates Stalin monument to mark
anniversary
ZEMO ALVANI, Georgia (Reuters) – Residents of a mountainous
village in the former Soviet republic of Georgia reinstated a
monument to dictator Josef Stalin on Friday to mark the 133rd
birthday anniversary of their famous compatriot. Some 30
residents of the village of Zemo Alvani, 200 kilometers (124
miles) north-east of the capital Tbilisi, gathered to witness
the unveiling of the three-meter-high stone statue of Stalin.
God’s gender divides German government
BERLIN (Reuters) – A minister in Angela Merkel’s government
has sparked a pre-Christmas row among Germany’s ruling parties
by suggesting God be referred to with the neutral article “das”
instead of the masculine “der”. Family Minister Kristina
Schroeder made the comments when asked in an interview with
German weekly Die Zeit how she explained to her young daughter
the use of the masculine form for God.
