Law Of The Jungle |
The Queensland Police Ethical Standards
Command is investigating allegations that a naked policeman rode a horse
down the main street of tropical Coen early this month after a complaint
from the Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation to Police Minister Tom Barton
and the Criminal Justice Commission. Corporation works manager Bob Walford
said the community wasn't angry about the Godiva-like ride. "That officer
who rode naked is quite supportive and well liked here," he told reporters.
"He apparently lost a bet and that's the basis of it. No. What we are angry
about is that four police cars with flashing lights were escorting him. Our
town is crying out for a police presence. Everyone - black and white - has
really lost faith in the police force up here."
(Source: The Courier-Mail,
Brisbane) |
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Los Angeles: An animal rights
group has demanded that criminal charges be laid against the promoter of
a wrestling match between a man and a grizzly bear, saying that it was cruel
to the beast even though it won. But wrestler Dominic Menaldi, 131kg, who
lost to Dakota, 363kg, said people shouldn't feel sorry for the grizzly.
"Dakota beat the crap out of me and loved every minute of it," he said. "I
had an 800-pound bear pounding on me and - what's worse - everybody was rooting
for it. It wasn't a good day, I'll tell you. Ouch."
(Source: The LA Times)
Canberra: In what may be bad
news for schizophrenics but slightly happier news for taxpayers everywhere,
Australia's secret service agency ASIO has announced that it will no longer
investigate people who claim the intelligence service is monitoring their
thoughts. Inspector-General Bill Blick, issuing his annual report last month,
drew attention to the matter and said that "usually such people believe -
without any evidence - that an agency has them under surveillance or is trying
to influence their thought patterns by the use of technology. Invariably
these people are of no interest to security and there is no basis for conducting
even a preliminary enquiry." In future, ASIO will tell complainants that
the matter has been repeatedly investigated over the years and found to be
baseless. "I see no reason not be explicit in such cases," Mr Blick said.
(Source: The Australian)
London: Britain's Ministry of
Defence announced this month that in future the British Army will recruit
young convicts in an attempt to address falling civilian enlistments. A Ministry
spokesman said that the army was already having exploratory talks with young
offenders' institutions across the country. Military chiefs hope to sign
up inmates who have "paid the price" for their crimes, and intend to restrict
the scheme - initially, anyway - to those who've been sentenced to two years
or less. In an effort to raise standards, inmates who've been convicted of
race, sex and drug offences will be excluded from the scheme, the Ministry
said.
(Source: Agence France-Presse)
Mundubbera: The joys of country
life (not a crime, but perhaps it should be): Alluring Anastasia (David Kirdy)
was crowned 1999 Miss Mock Mundubbera by 1986 winner Cuddly Corabelle (Murray
Lister) at the Mundubbera RSL and Auxiliary night at the Bowls Club on October
30th in a night acclaimed by organiser Phyllis McGilvery as a "social and
financial success". Three Gayndah judges said that they'd found it difficult
to reach a decision in the western Queensland event, and had to put all seven
contestants through a gruelling set of questions before picking the three
ultimate winners, giving Sizzling Sal (Leo Brown) the runner-up prize and
Carlotta (Kevin Eastcott) a highly commended. Deputy Mayor Cr Bill Young
was on hand to congratulate the winners. Anastasia received a camping weekend
for one at Auburn River National Park as first prize. Accepting the award,
he told the assembled crowd four times that he was "never going to do this
again", but thanked Salon Maison La Shic for getting the contestants ready
all the same.
(Source: The Central and North Burnett Times)
Walk - Don't Fly - In
Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe: "Our flight from Kariba
airport to Hwange was delayed and it took about three hours before Air Zimbabwe
finally told us the plane was ready to board. It was dirty and ancient, but
90 of us eventually settled into the seats, where we waited some more. Finally
the pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker telling us that the delay had
been caused because they were waiting for the co-pilot to appear. But since
he hadn't turned up, it was a clear day and the captain had travelled the
route hundreds of times before, he told us they intended to make the journey
without him. We then took off, and once the aircraft had reached cruising
altitude the pilot came on the loudspeaker again and told us he was going
to go to the bathroom and intended to put the plane on auto-pilot. He then
came out of the cockpit, fastened the door open with a rubber band attached
to a hook in the wall, and moved to the back of the plane. While he was gone,
though, we hit a patch of air turbulence and the band snapped. This shut
the door and locked the pilot out of the cockpit. When the captain returned
and saw what had happened, he immediately hurried to the rear of the plane
and returned a few moments later with a very large axe, then began attacking
the door like a wild man while horrified passengers and stewardesses looked
on. He kept this up until he'd smashed a large enough hole to reach in and
unlatch the door again. After this - when he'd resumed control - he came
on the loudspeaker a third time to assure us that Air Zimbabwe had plans
for every contingency, that nothing was amiss and that we should enjoy the
complimentary nuts he'd asked the cabin crew to hand out. Honestly, I feel
like suing them - but what's the point?"
(Source: Chicago Tribune) |
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