msnbc.com: Weird news

Man arrested in Salvation Army kettle theft

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:19:41 GMT

Police in Toledo, Ohio, have arrested a man accused of stealing a red kettle full of donations for the Salvation Army while saying, "I hate Christmas."

Salvation Army - Christmas - Ohio - United States - Holidays

10,000 African albinos fearful after killings

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:55:24 GMT

The mistaken belief that albino body parts have magical powers has displaced or driven thousands of albinos in East Africa into hiding, the Red Cross says.

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement - Africa - East Africa - Red Cross and Red Crescent - Organizations

Moose a suspect in woman's death

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:25:23 GMT

Swedish police say they've cleared a man who was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife after deciding the culprit was most likely a moose.

Police - Law Enforcement - Law - Crime and Justice - Police Misconduct

Australia town to shoot invading camels

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:58:33 GMT

Australian authorities plan to corral and kill about 6,000 wild camels after they overran an Outback town in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.

Australia - Water - Oceania - Society and Culture - Business

S. Africa's baboon gangs get more aggressive

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:54:29 GMT

Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday destination who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of felon: baboons.

South Africa - Africa - Crime statistics - Government - Society and Culture

Kangaroo slashes man in dog-rescue attempt

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:48:11 GMT

An Australian man was in stable condition Monday after being slashed across the abdomen and face by a kangaroo that was holding his dog underwater.

Australia - Dog - Recreation - Pets - United States

Woman loses benefits over Facebook pics

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:28:15 GMT

A Canadian woman on sick leave for depression said she would fight an insurance company's decision to cut her benefits after her agent found photos on Facebook of her vacationing, at a bar and at a party.

Facebook - Sick leave - Insurance - Business - Financial Services

Life in prison for scaring woman to death

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:56:19 GMT

A man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty in what prosecutors said was a case of scaring a 79-year-old North Carolina grandmother to death.

North Carolina - Life imprisonment - United States - Prison - Crime and Justice

Strange ancient crocodiles swam the Sahara

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:34:02 GMT

From a crocodile sporting a boar-like snout to a peculiar pal with buckteeth for digging up grub, an odd-looking bunch of such reptiles dashed and swam across what is now the Sahara Desert some 100 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled.

Sahara - Crocodile - Dinosaur - Reptile - Africa

Mad science? Growing meat without animals

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:42:57 GMT

Winston Churchill once predicted that it would be possible to grow chicken breasts and wings more efficiently without having to keep an actual chicken.

Chicken - Meat - Cook - Poultry - Home

Utah teen to fight citation for McDonald's rap

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:55:07 GMT

One of four teens who were cited after rapping their order at a McDonald's in Utah says he will fight the disorderly conduct citation in court.

Utah - United States - McDonald - Society and Culture - Business and Economy

'Geezer Bandit' sought in Calif. bank heists

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:01:01 GMT

FBI officials say an elderly, thin, gray-haired man nicknamed the "Geezer Bandit" is responsible for holding up five San Diego-area banks since summer.

San Diego - California - Federal Bureau of Investigation - United States - Counties

$40,000 left at holy site — for safekeeping

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:34 GMT

Operators of a Catholic shrine in Maryland thought they had been blessed with a big donation this month when a worker found $40,000 worth of rare coins on the grounds.

Maryland - Shopping - Catholic - United States - Auction

Lawmaker apologizes for insulting rival on Twitter

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:52:18 GMT

A Canadian member of Parliament learned the hard way on Tuesday that insulting a rival legislator by Twitter is not a good idea, especially if you're sitting around the same table at the time.

Twitter - Member of Parliament - Online Communities - social network - Government

Police: Would-be Seattle ninja impaled on fence

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:03:49 GMT

Seattle police say a man who thought he was ninja was impaled on a metal fence when he tried to leap over it. An officer who was looking for an assault victim nearby Monday night heard the man screaming for help. Police supported him to prevent further injuries until medics arrived and took him to a hospital, where he was in serious condition in intensive care on Tuesday.

Police - Seattle - Hospital - Intensive-care medicine - Law Enforcement

Rotting deer carcasses in yard raise stink

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:38 GMT

Hundreds of rotting deer carcasses in a southwestern Pennsylvania yard are causing a stink among the neighbors.

Deer - Hunting - Recreation - Outdoors - Game

Recession means smaller Christmas tree for SC

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:14:02 GMT

The recession is downsizing everything — even South Carolina's Statehouse Christmas tree.

Christmas - Holidays - South Carolina - Business and Economy - Shopping

Cosmic Log: The scent of a dead celeb?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:02 GMT

Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: If you think wearing a fragrance mixed up using a formula based on Marilyn Monroe's DNA will make you smell like her, you don't have a nose for science.

Alan Boyle - Marilyn Monroe - Educational Resources - Shopping - Health

Trapped thief drops pants in bungled burglary

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:26:50 GMT

He wiggled, jiggled and even dropped his trousers, but a thief trying to break into a supermarket in Portugal stayed stuck fast in a tiny window until he was rescued by police and the fire brigade.

Burglary - Portugal - Police - Travel and Tourism - United States

Drillers seek Scotch lost in Antarctica in 1909

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:02:32 GMT

“On the rocks” has a whole new meaning: A beverage company has asked a team to drill through Antarctica's ice for two crates of Scotch whiskey that were shipped there by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton as part of his abandoned 1909 expedition.

Ernest Shackleton - Antarctica - Exploration - Polar Regions - Antarctic

Police: Body parts sold to kebab stand

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:57:16 GMT

Russian police have arrested three homeless people suspected of eating a 25-year-old man they had butchered and selling other bits of the corpse to a local kebab house.

Homelessness - Police - Homeless - Society and Culture - Organisations

Overdue books returned — 51 years later

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:08:00 GMT

A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.

High school - Phoenix-Arizona - United States - Phoenix - Books

Urn with veteran’s ashes stolen

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:21:47 GMT

An urn containing the ashes of a decorated Korean War veteran has been stolen from a van the soldier's family rented to attend his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Korean War - Arlington National Cemetery - Veteran - History - Twentieth Century