Around the Weird: Bizarre News Briefs

Around the Weird: Bizarre News Briefs

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Wireless Flash) – Dead men tell no tales – but in Bloomington, Illinois, they can be cited for traffic violations. Case in point: Police have just issued several tickets for a man who was killed last January when he got drunk and crashed his car.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi National Theatre is staging a play based on an epic romance novel many think was authored by Saddam Hussein. Zabibah and the King was published last year anonymously and the stage adaptation – written by a Palestinian poet – will open this week.

TOKYO – A mechanical seal may soon be as popular in old folks homes as bedpans. The Mainichi Daily News reports that Paro is the first robot designed to be hugged and emits a warm feeling whenever it is cuddled. Researchers who tested the synthetic seal on oldsters say it changes compounds in their urine, a sure sign of relaxation.

HONG KONG – A Hong Kong socialite is helping Asian fashionistas with a pronunciation guide for European designer labels. Author Eunice Lam says most English instructional books don’t teach Asians how to properly pronounce “Versace,” “Louis Vuitton,” or “Hermes.”