Offbeat
Headlines that will make you smile, laugh or just scratch your head.
Doctor performs SMS amputation after hippo attack
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A British surgeon volunteering in the Democratic Republic of Congo has used text message instructions to perform a life-saving arm amputation, he said.
Cane toad 'hitches ride from Brisbane to Perth'
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A man says a cane toad hitched a ride in his golf shoe on a flight from Brisbane to Perth, surviving for six days before it was discovered on an Albany golf course.
Joe Hockey sans jockeys if Sydney airport built
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Joe Hockey says he will parade naked through Sydney if the Government builds a second airport for the city.
Fish sex change - it's in the ears
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Australian researchers have discovered a new way to determine when a fish has changed sex, by looking at its ears.
Kangaroo shirts land Singaporeans in jail
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Three Singaporeans have been jailed after being charged with contempt of court for showing up at Singapore's Supreme Court wearing T-shirts depicting kangaroos in judges robes.
Cash-strapped Brits choose sex over shopping
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As Britons tighten their belts to cope with the credit crunch, a new poll showed their favourite leisure activity is whipping off their pants for a quick roll in the hay.
Colossal squid stops traffic in Wellington
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A giant squid has brought traffic to a standstill in the New Zealand capital of Wellington.
Italian truffle fetches $305k at auction
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Defying the economic downturn, an Italian white truffle weighing just over one kilogram has sold at an international auction for $US200,000 ($305,000).
French need biggest condoms: study
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The French say they need the largest condoms in Europe while Greeks get by on smaller ones, according to a Europe-wide study by a German consultancy that provides advice on condoms.
World's oldest person dies at 115
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An American woman who held the record for being the world's oldest person for over a year has died at the ripe old age of 115 years, 220 days.
Coast Guard resuscitates drowning koala
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Victoria's Port of Portland Coast Guard had a rescue of a different nature last night, with volunteers giving CPR to a drowning koala.
Man busted smuggling menagerie into Poland
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Polish border guards said they had foiled an attempt to smuggle kangaroos, miniature ponies and 11 pheasants in a passenger bus across Poland's border with Ukraine.
Teens charged over $55k sex shop theft
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Two Alice Springs teenagers have been charged for stealing $55,000 worth of property from an adult store.
Premier pledges to donate 'archive of leaks'
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Premier Mike Rann pledges to donate an archive of 'leaks' he received when SA opposition leader.
Bequeathed skull stars in Tennant's Hamlet
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Dr Who realises pianist's dying wish by using his skull as a prop in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Barry Manilow music used as punishment
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A US judge has hailed as a success a new form of punishment for people who go to court for being too noisy - an hour of listening to Barry Manilow or the theme tune from the children's TV show Barney And Friends.
Court unzips fake penis drugs scam
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Two men who sold prosthetic penises enabling drug cheats to give fake urine samples have pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the United States, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Panda attacks man who wanted a cuddle
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A panda at a zoo in southern China has attacked a student who snuck into its pen hoping for a cuddle with the endangered bear, state media have said.
Billboards used to catch repairman thief
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A New Zealand businessman has gone to great lengths to track down a person who stole electrical equipment from him.
Cattle rounded up after freeway accident
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Police have rounded up the cattle which were running loose on Melbourne's Tullamarine freeway, after the truck they were in tipped over.
Performance artist ends gruelling display
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A controversial artist has emerged from a gruelling performance in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
A wee problem for ISS crew
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NASA says it is having problems with a new system on the International Space Station that is designed to convert urine into drinking water.
'Tribute to women' breast implant raffle axed
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A Spanish nightclub has scrapped plans to stage a raffle for breast enlargement surgery after an uproar over the event.
Dog crashes car through cafe
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A dog has crashed a car through a cafe window in the United States.
Mt Isa Mayor picks up 'sexist' Ernie
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The Mayor of Mount Isa has won the Golden Ernie Award for the most sexist public comment of the year.
