Corpus Christi

Hillary Clinton posts parody Kennedy letter mocking Trump

Hillary Clinton on Sunday posted a joke letter on Twitter supposedly sent by John F. Kennedy during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, written in the excitable style of US President Donald Trump's recent letter to Turkey. The parody letter, originally from ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" TV show, is written on mocked-up White House letterhead and addressed to Russia's then leader Nikita Khrushchev. Get your missiles out of Cuba," starts the letter pretending to be from president Kennedy.

Spanish shepherds guide hundreds of sheep across Madrid

Shepherds guided a flock of around 2,000 sheep through the streets of Madrid on Sunday in defence of ancient grazing and migration rights increasingly threatened by urban sprawl. Shepherds halted at the town hall so the chief herdsman could hand local authorities 50 "maravedies" -- copper coins first minted in the 11th century -- as payment for the crossing. The parade started in the Casa de Campo, a former royal hunting ground that is now Madrid's largest park, then made its way through the Puerta del Sol -- the main square -- and past the Bank of Spain's headquarters before ending up at the town hall.

Hair's the news: moustache off, mullet stays for All Blacks' Goodhue

New Zealand centre Jack Goodhue has shaved off his moustache for the "biggest game" of his life this weekend but insists his famous blond mullet is not going anywhere. Asked about Goodhue's preparations for the crunch quarter-final match against Ireland, assistant coach Ian Foster quipped: "He's taken that stupid moustache off. A bashful Goodhue replied: "I've had a bit of a hard time for that.

'Cultist' detained in Dutch farm family case

A Dutch judge on Thursday ordered the detention of an Austrian suspected of holding a family captive in a farmhouse, as reports emerged that both the suspect and the family had been in religious organisations. The 58-year-old, identified by media as Josef B., was arrested on Tuesday after police freed a father and six adult children who had been kept in a secret room in the village of Ruinerwold. Investigators are still unravelling the mystery of the family, who reportedly spent years locked away from the outside world "waiting for the end of time" as part of a doomsday cult.

Meet 'le blob' Paris zoo's new star attraction

The Paris zoo's latest attraction is a brainless, eyeless, single-celled organism with no limbs or stomach but more than 700 genders. From Saturday, members of the public can become better acquainted with "le blob", which has taken up residence in a large tank at the zoo in Paris' Bois de Vincennes park. Named after the 1958 sci-fi horror movie "The Blob" about an alien creature that crashes to Earth and devours residents of Pennsylvania, the real-life blob consists of a single cell, sometimes with many nuclei that can replicate their DNA and divide.

Air New Zealand offers 'safety tips' to Irish rugby fans

Air New Zealand has offered Irish rugby fans some tongue-in-cheek "safety tips" before the countries face off in the quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup in Japan on Saturday. The highly tipped All Blacks are straining not to seem cocky ahead of the match in Tokyo, but the national flag carrier has no such qualms, urging Ireland fans to brace for impact. In a made-to-go-viral online ad, "flight attendants" give a safety briefing in a house occupied by an increasingly forlorn trio of Irish supporters, telling them "to lean forward into the crouch position with your head in your hands" in the event of an early New Zealand try.

The ghosts of abandoned Paris police HQ, Quai des Orfevres

A chair sits in the middle of the interrogation room, as if waiting for the next suspect and the doors of the cells swing wide open. The former Paris headquarters of the judicial police (PJ), France's top criminal investigators, looks like it is ready for another day of work. In 2017, the PJ was moved along with other legal institutions out of central Paris to a shiny modern complex on the northwest of the city.

Erdogan says can no longer 'keep track' of Trump's tweets

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could no longer "keep track" of the tweets by his US counterpart Donald Trump as tensions mount over Ankara's operation against Kurdish militants in Syria, in comments published Wednesday. "When we take a look at Mr Trump's Twitter posts, we can no longer follow them. Turkey last week began an operation to drive back Syrian Kurdish militants from northern Syria, after the US pulled 1,000 troops out of the area.

'SOS' picked up on CCTV saves Aussie woman lost in bush

Deborah Pilgrim went missing on Sunday while camping with friends about 100 kilometres from the South Australian state capital of Adelaide. Late Tuesday a man remotely monitoring CCTV footage of his property near the South Australian search area, noticed an SOS sign etched into a dirt driveway near his unoccupied home. "It was so overwhelming," an exhausted Pilgrim told Nine News Wednesday.

Dutch family found in cellar 'waiting for end of time'

Dutch police found a father and six adult children hidden in the basement of a remote farmhouse where they had reportedly spent years "waiting for the end of time", officials said Tuesday. Local media said the family were found after one of the sons went to a nearby pub in a confused state, drank five beers and then asked for help, saying he had not been outside for nine years. "I have never come across anything like this before," local mayor Roger de Groot told a press conference.

Dutch family found in cellar 'waiting for end of time'

Dutch police found a family of seven people hidden in the basement of a remote farmhouse where they had reportedly spent years "waiting for the end of time", officials said Tuesday. "I have never come across anything like this before," local mayor Roger de Groot told a press conference.

Tulips from Amsterdam? Not so much says new probe

Tourists are being ripped off at Amsterdam's famous flower market, with just one percent of all bulbs sold at the floating bazaar ever producing a blossom, investigators said Tuesday. "The probe showed that there is chronic deception of consumers," at the sale of tulip bulbs at the flower market, the Royal General Bulb Growers' Association (KAVB) said. "Millions of tourists and day-trippers are being duped," KAVB chairman Rene le Clercq said in a statement.

The chips are down: EU takes Colombia to WTO

The European Union launched a case at the WTO against Colombia on Monday, after a furious outcry from Belgium, the self-proclaimed inventor of the French fry or chip. The EU's top trade official said efforts to reason with Colombia had failed, with Bogota insisting on imposing tariffs on fry exports from Belgian, Dutch and German businesses. "I have given instructions (...) to initiate as soon as possible a dispute in the framework of the WTO against Colombia," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters.

Hoop troupe: Croquet an unlikely hit for Vietnam retirees

Best known as a historic pastime among Europe's upper crust, croquet has found an unlikely fan base among Vietnamese retirees eager to fill their diaries and move their limbs. "We don't have to move a lot when playing croquet... and it also exercises our brains," Nguyen Van Tuu told AFP from the dirt pitch in the capital's Soc Son district. While little-known in Vietnam today, croquet was transported to Soc Son in 1996 by a local official who wanted to give the retirees something to do.

Polish city declares free transport for readers of Nobel laureate

Public transport will be free through the weekend for anyone carrying a book by Poland's newly minted Nobel literature laureate Olga Tokarczuk in her western city of Wroclaw, local officials said Friday. "As soon as we heard the news Thursday that Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel, we wanted to share our joy with all the residents of our city which recently made the writer an honorary citizen," city hall spokesman Przemyslaw Galecki told AFP. "Through Sunday, every passenger carrying a book or e-book by Olga Tokarczuk can ride public transit free in our city" of 650,000 people.

New Caledonia to hold new independence poll from France in 2020

France's Pacific island territory of New Caledonia will hold a second referendum on independence next year, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Friday. Voters in a November 2018 poll chose to remain part of France by 57 percent to 43 percent, a result hailed by President Emmanuel Macron as "historic". French since 1853, New Caledonia is a remote island territory in the southwestern Pacific and has around 270,000 inhabitants.

Belgrade's naked 'Victor' statue to be restored

Symbol of Belgrade, the "Pobednik" (Victor) statue, which has overlooked the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers since 1928, was taken down from the city's Kalemegdan fortress Thursday to be restored. Initially, Belgrade commissioned the statue from sculptor Ivan Mestrovic to mark the defeat of the Ottoman empire during the First Balkans War in 1912-13. An alliance of the region's Slavs ended the five-century Ottoman domination, but Serbs and Bulgarians then fought each other over the spoils -- in the Second Balkans War.

Ukraine's Zelensky 'breaks record' for world's longest press conference

Volodymyr Zelensky, a popular comedian before he was elected president of Ukraine this spring, promised to bring a fresh kind of politics to the ex-Soviet nation. Around eight hours into the marathon event, Zelensky's first major press conference since coming to power in May, a representative of the agency stood up to deliver the news. The previous record was held by Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko, with a press conference that lasted over seven hours, Ukrainian media reported.

'One small nibble for man': 3D printer makes meat in space

The prospect of astronauts tucking into a roast dinner has grown slightly closer after a successful experiment used a 3D printer to create meat on the International Space Station. The bioprinter produced beef, rabbit and fish tissue using magnetic fields in microgravity, a Russian medical technology company involved in the experiment said Wednesday. The experiment -- an international collaboration involving US, Russian and Israeli companies -- was carried out in September by cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka in the station's Russian segment using a 3D printer developed in Moscow.

South Korean judge turned MP sparks row with personal insult

A prominent South Korean judge turned senior lawmaker sparked a political row by personally insulting a rival MP during a live-streamed meeting. Yeo Sang-kyoo, of the opposition Liberty Korea party, was chairing a parliamentary committee meeting when a ruling Democratic party politician objected to his handling of the proceedings.

Putin puts on birthday show gathering mushrooms

Russian President Vladimir Putin is renowned for posing for high-octane photo opportunities like tiger-tracking or deepwater diving. Putin, who has turned 67, spent a mini-break in mountains above the Yenisei River in Siberia at the weekend foraging for wild mushrooms with his defence minister Sergei Shoigu. In video footage released by the Kremlin, Putin and Shoigu were shown picking and sniffing mushrooms.

Mexican church blesses furry friends for World Animal Day

Chihuahuas, parakeets and turtles joined their human companions for services at a Catholic church Friday in the Mexican city of Zapopan, where they got a special blessing for World Animal Day. Pets joined their owners in the pews of the city's Saint Francis of Assisi church, named for the patron saint of animals, whose feast day is October 4. Lucia Rincon, who attended the mass with her German shepherd, said she and her brother try to bring him every year.

Spanish police saved from sea by smugglers they were chasing

Three Spanish police officers who were thrown into the sea when their boat crashed early Friday during a high-speed chase were pulled to safety by the drug-smugglers they were chasing, police said. The unexpected rescue happened after a police vessel began pursuing a speedboat "with four people on board that was suspected of transporting drugs" in waters off the southern coast of Spain, a police statement said. During the chase, the two vessels collided, causing three police officers to fall into the sea as their boat "span out of control".

Turkey rules Rebel Girls children's book be treated as porn

Turkey has ruled that the million-selling book "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls" book should be partially banned and treated like pornography because it could have a "detrimental influence" on young people. The book, which has been published in 47 languages, offers a series of inspiring stories about women from history for young children, from British nurse Florence Nightingale to French designer Coco Chanel to singer Beyonce. Speaking to AFP on Friday, one of the authors, US-based Francesca Cavallo, said she was saddened by the decision.

New EU president to sleep in her office

The EU's incoming president Ursula von der Leyen plans to live in a tiny flat attached to her Brussels office rather than rent an apartment, her staff told AFP on Thursday. The president of the European Commission has no official residence -- a fact that irked von der Leyen's predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker, who complained to a German newspaper that he was forced to live in a hotel suite at a cost of 3,250 euros ($3,560) a month. Instead von der Leyen is having a 25-square-metre (270-square-foot) room next to her office on the 13th floor of the commission's Berlaymont building converted so she can sleep there during the week.

Russian man sues Apple for 'turning him gay'

A Russian man has filed a lawsuit against Apple for moral harm claiming that an iPhone app had turned him gay, according to a copy of the complaint seen by AFP. The man filed suit in a Moscow court asking for one million rubles ($15,000) after an incident this summer in which a cryptocurrency called "GayCoin" was delivered via a smartphone app, rather than the Bitcoin he had ordered. "Apple pushed me towards homosexuality through manipulation.

French police detain man over stolen panther

French authorities have detained for questioning a man suspected of keeping a wild panther in an apartment from where it was rescued, only to be stolen from a zoo, legal sources said. The ink-black feline was tranquilised with a dart and taken to a zoo in Maubeuge near the Belgian border, awaiting a transfer to a centre that rehabilitates domesticated wild animals. On Tuesday, the man from whose apartment the cat had escaped presented himself to police for questioning, according to the prosecutor's office in the city of Lille.

Hidden for 21 years, Ethiopian crown set to return home

A priceless 18th-century Ethiopian crown is set to be returned from the Netherlands to Addis Ababa after a one-time refugee found it in a suitcase and hid it in his apartment for two decades. The ornate gilded copper headgear, featuring images of Christ and the Twelve Apostles, was unearthed after refugee-turned-Dutch-citizen Sirak Asfaw contacted Dutch 'art detective' Arthur Brand. Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the art world" for his discoveries of missing works, said the crown, which is currently being held in a secure location, would soon be handed to the Ethiopian authorities.

Robots, deliverymen and 'Xi Thought' at China's 70th anniversary

Delivery men, the world cup-winning women's volleyball team and a special float hailing "Xi Jinping Thought" were part of a colourful 70th anniversary celebration of Communist China's 70th anniversary Tuesday -- a stark contrast with unrest in Hong Kong. A huge fireworks show in the evening capped a day of festivities that included a pageant of more than 100,000 civilians and a massive military parade showcasing China's emergence as a global superpower. The daytime event included giant portraits of the top leaders of the People's Republic of China, including its founder Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, the economic reformer who opened the country's doors to the world.

Polish daredevil abandons attempt to ski down Everest

A hanging chunk of ice the size of an apartment block has forced Polish daredevil Andrzej Bargiel to abandon his bid to ski down Mount Everest, he announced on his Facebook on Monday. The 31-year-old -- who last year skied down K2 -- was making a rare attempt to summit the world's tallest mountain and then ski down without supplemental oxygen. Bargiel and other teams were waiting at the base camp hoping the serac -- which he said is around 50 metres (165 feet) by 30 metres (98 feet)-- would break off so they could pass.

Elvis lookalike steals fake vagina from NZ sex shop

A man bearing a strong resemblance to Elvis Presley has been accused of stealing a fake vagina from a New Zealand sex shop, prompting a police investigation. The Elvis lookalike allegedly stole the prosthesis from the Peaches and Cream sex store in suburban Auckland after a failed attempt to purchase it. "He was very energetic and erratic, going around the shop, talking a lot... he brought a sex toy called 'Like a Virgin' up to the counter but his card declined," staff member Kat Maher told stuff.co.nz.

NZ sports store apologises over porn played on big screens

The New Zealand arm of Japanese sports brand Asics has apologised after pornography was broadcast on large television screens above its central Auckland store for several hours, startling Sunday morning shoppers. Pornography played on the retailer's outdoor screens for up to nine hours -- until staff arrived at the shop around 10am on Sunday and switched them off, the New Zealand Herald reported. "Some people were shocked, but others just stopped and watched," security guard Dwayne Hinango told the newspaper.

Artist-scientist breathes new life into ancient fossils

It measures up to 10 metres (32.5 feet) from snout to tail, has four stumpy legs and -- most noticeable of all -- boasts a jaw lined with scary, jagged teeth. It is the work of Viktor Radermacher, a South African who is half scientist and half artist.

Silent protest against Bangladesh's loud horns sparks noisy support

Bangladeshi Mominur Rahman Royal is stopping traffic -- literally. The 36-year-old is on a one-man crusade to reduce unnecessary honking in one of the world's noisiest cities, where the cacophony of vehicle horns in heavy traffic is as loud as a rock concert. "This is my silent protest against the nuisance.

No kidding: Japan airlines offer seat maps to avoid tots

Fed up with finding yourself next to a screaming child on a long-haul flight? On some Japanese airlines a seat map will warn you where potentially bawling babies are sitting. The facility, offered as part of Japan Airlines' "Smile Support" travel service for those with infants, is not new, but lit up the internet after a Twitter user praised it.

South Korea mayor dumps tonne of trash on beach for clean-up day

A South Korean mayor who dumped a tonne of trash on a clean beach to give environmental campaigners something to pick up has said sorry for his deception. The following day hundreds of volunteers scoured the shores and bagged up the garbage as part of an event to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, a global event aimed at countering the scourge of sea-borne waste. "We brought in waste styrofoam and other coastal trash gathered from nearby areas so the 600 participants could carry out clean-up activities," said Lee Dong-jin, Jindo county mayor, in a statement.

Top of the mops: wacky hair all the rage at Rugby World Cup

With the Rugby World Cup in full flow, players have been lighting up the tournament with their power and skill -- but many are catching the eye with their outlandish hairstyles. Football's preening stars have long used their sport's biggest stage to make some dubious fashion statements, from David Beckham's mohican to Roberto Baggio's ponytail. Now as rugby's titans unveil some of the wackiest hairdos ever seen at a World Cup, expect the odd bad hair day in Japan -- or in many cases crimes against hairdressing.

Slip slidin' away: Record-breaking Malaysian water chute unveiled

One of the world's longest water slides was unveiled in Malaysia Wednesday, a kilometre-long chute that starts on a hilltop before twisting and turning through dense jungle and splashing into a pool. The blue and yellow chute at the ESCAPE theme park runs for 1,111 metres (3,645 feet) and has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest water slide where riders use an inflatable tube. "The idea of this water slide came about over frustration that most fun rides and water slides last merely a few seconds, and having the water slide start on a hilltop at a 70 metre elevation would make this ride last a good few minutes," said Sim Choo Kheng, boss of park operator Sim Leisure Group.

Limbless chickens, killer robots: UK's Johnson bemuses in UN speech

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered an unconventional speech at the UN General Assembly Tuesday that referenced "terrifying limbless chickens" and "pink-eyed terminators" but only mentioned Brexit once. The shock ruling plunged his plans to exit the European Union by October 31 into crisis and sparked calls by opposition MPs that he resign immediately. "Helpful robots washing and caring for an ageing population or pink-eyed terminators sent back from the future to cull the human race?" Johnson pondered.

Panther stolen from zoo after rescue from French rooftops

It appears to be France's most coveted cat: A black panther rescued from rooftops near the northern city of Lille last week has been stolen from the zoo where it was taken after capture, officials said. The feline was seized overnight from the zoo in Maubeuge near the Belgian border, the city's mayor, Arnaud Decagny, told AFP on Tuesday. Firefighters caught the cat last Wednesday as it roamed rooftops in Armentieres after escaping through the window of a private apartment believed to have been its home.

A tangled web: UK judge's #spiderbrooch goes viral

Her words had huge implications, but for many social media users watching the president of Britain's Supreme Court rule Tuesday on the suspension of parliament, it was all about her spider brooch. Judge Brenda Hale delivered the court's damning verdict against Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a huge glittery spider pinned to her right shoulder. "I really hope that spider doesn't get Lady Hale before she announces it," commented comedian Tiernan Douieb as the court president began her ruling.

Wedding misery for man named Thomas Cook as travel firm collapses

A British man named Thomas Cook said Monday he feared his dream wedding in Greece was ruined after the collapse of the holiday firm with the same name. Cook, 29, is on the island of Rhodes with his partner Amelia Binch, 27, and their two children ahead of their planned wedding on Friday. "Thomas Cook promised us a surprise on our wedding because of my name but this was not the surprise we were expecting," he told the paper.

German court rules hangovers are 'illness'

Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - A German court said in a ruling published Monday that hangovers are an "illness", in a timely judgement days after the annual Oktoberfest beer festival began in Munich.

Jones ready for '15 Donald Trumps' when England face USA

England coach Eddie Jones has told his side to prepare for "15 Donald Trumps" when they face the United States at the Rugby World Cup. Jones's men have just a four-day turnaround from their opening 35-3 win over Tonga on Sunday until Thursday's match in Kobe, which sees the United States launch their Pool C campaign. "It's going to be like 15 Donald Trumps out there, so we'll have to be on our job, because we know they're going to give it everything they've got, just like Tonga did.

Runaway bear cub returns to the wild in French Pyrenees

A runaway bear cub that tunneled its way out of an enclosure in southern France but was eventually recaptured after a chase through the countryside has been returned to the wild, local authorities said at the weekend. The bear, named Douillous, was first spotted on June 10 wandering alone, malnourished, near the village of Couflens in the French Pyrenees. About 50 brown bears live on the French side of the Pyrenees mountains that straddle the border with Spain.

Seven to stand trial over French fake politician scam

French judges have ordered a trial for seven people accused of orchestrating an audacious scam to trick rich targets out of millions of euros by impersonating of one of France's top politicians. Armed with a silicone mask and plenty of nerve, the suspects sought to convince business chiefs, heads of state and other high-profile prey that they were speaking to Jean-Yves Le Drian, currently the foreign minister. Two Franco-Israeli suspects, Gilbert Chikli and Anthony Lasarevitsch, are thought to be the masterminds of the group facing trial for fraud, under a ruling by investigative magistrates seen by AFP.

Black panther found roaming French rooftops

A black panther found roaming the rooftops near the northern French city of Lille like a stray cat on Wednesday evening was captured after being cornered inside a home, local authorities said. The regional fire department tweeted pictures of the big cat, one of which showed it peering in the top-floor window of a three-storey red-brick building. "Called out... for a dangerous animal, the northern fire service was confronted with a big feline roaming the gutters," the fire service tweeted.

Thieves nab 2-mn-euro haul from vaunted French chateau

The owners of a 17th-century French palace said to be the model for Versailles were tied up as their opulent home was ransacked Thursday by robbers who fled with a haul worth two million euros ($2.2 million), police said. A police source said six hooded but unarmed robbers found neckties belonging to Patrice de Vogue, 90, to tie up him and his wife Cristina, 78, in their lodging on the grounds of the palace. Patrice de Vogue opened the estate to the public in 1968, and it is now run by the couple's three sons.