Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.
The Kraken wakes: first images of giant squid filmed in
deep ocean
TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese-led team of scientists has
captured on film the world’s first live images of a giant
squid, journeying to the depths of the ocean in search of the
mysterious creature thought to have inspired the myth of the
“kraken”, a tentacled monster. The images of the silvery,
three-meter (10 feet) long cephalopod, looming out of the
darkness nearly 1 km below the surface, were taken last July
near the Ogasawara islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) south of
Tokyo.
Cameroon acquits two men sentenced for “looking gay”
YAOUNDE (Reuters) – A Cameroon appeal court on Monday
overturned the convictions of two men found guilty of
homosexuality and sentenced to five years in jail for
cross-dressing and wearing make-up. Homosexuality is illegal in
Cameroon but recent incidents have highlighted growing tension
between a largely conservative society and a younger generation
less concerned by the issue.
Man avoids jail time in $10 million caviar smuggling caper
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A man who evaded authorities for 23
years on charges he unlawfully imported more than $10 million
worth of caviar into the United States was spared jail time at
his sentencing on Monday. Instead, a judge in U.S. District
Court in Manhattan imposed a punishment of time already served
on Isidoro “Mario” Garbarino, 69, who has been in custody since
September 10.
Bobcat attacks Massachusetts man in garage
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – A Massachusetts man
and his nephew were attacked by a bobcat that had slipped into
the man’s garage before they captured and shot the 30-pound
animal. Roger Mundell Jr. said the bobcat hissed then leaped
about eight feet and pounced on him after he entered the garage
in Brookfield, a town about an hour outside of Boston where
bobcats are occasionally spotted but rarely attack people.
Welcome to Macca’s as McDonald’s goes Aussie
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Looking for a McDonald’s in Australia
this month? You may bump into a “Macca’s” instead. The
international fast food giant will temporarily change signs at
selected stores across the country to “Macca’s,” the
affectionate Australian nickname for the chain, in celebration
of Australia Day, which falls on January 26 – a move that is
its first such globally.
