 | Perspective Volume XII 
Sunday Oct 27, 2002
Perspective is a weekly features of unorthodox news reports from around the globe. Some of the reports serve to prove the point that we Nigerians are not as unique as we may be thinking. To put any news report in Perspective please send a note to
perpective@ekiti.com
|
| 
Headlines
Index Finger Length Can Predict Penis Size: Study Back To TopNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - On the heels of a previous report that debunked the notion that a man's shoe size could be used to estimate the length of his penis, a new study now claims that those with inquiring minds need merely take a gander at a man's forefinger.According to Greek scientists, the length of a man's index finger can accurately predict the length of his penis. The findings are published in the September issue of the journal Urology. Dr. Evangelos Spyropoulos and colleagues from the Naval and Veterans Hospital of Athens, Greece say they conducted their investigation to gather more information on the relationship between body measurements and male genitalia size. They argue that such information--as well as a clearer definition of "normal penile size"--will help doctors counsel and treat the many men who are concerned about perceived inadequacies relating to their genitals. The "lack of standardized metric data and the absence of widely acceptable criteria on the proper size of the external genitalia poses major difficulties in the counseling and/or treatment of young adult men with worries of sexual inadequacy," the authors write. In their study, Spyropoulos and colleagues measured penile length and testicular volume in 52 healthy young males between the ages of 19 and 38 and compared them with other body measurements including height, weight, body mass index, index finger length and waist/hip ratio. In lieu of measuring a man's erect penis, the team measured the flaccid, gently stretched penis, which they note is statistically correlated to erect penis length. "Age and (body measurements) were not associated with the size of the genitalia, excluding the index finger length, which correlated significantly with the dimensions of the flaccid, maximally stretched, penis," the report indicates. "We realize that the study population was relatively inadequate and suggest that a greater scale study with a significantly larger number of subjects is needed to confirm the observations, particularly the demonstrated trend of penile length with index finger length," Spyropoulos and colleagues conclude. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=healthnews&StoryID=1600445
Norway's King Caught Speeding, but Escapes Fine Back To TopOSLO (Reuters) - Norway's King Harald was caught speeding in his car but will escape a fine due to royal immunity, a Norwegian daily said on Saturday.Verdens Gang said that King Harald was stopped while driving his private car 10 kph over the speed limit. He will not pay a fine because Norway's 1814 constitution grants the monarch blanket immunity from prosecution for any crime or misdemeanor. An ordinary citizen would be fined about 1,000 crowns ($130) for the infringement. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1606085
Passenger got £13,000 (US$20,289) for being squashed by an obese person Back To TopVirgin Atlantic has paid a woman passenger £13,000 (US$20,289) compensation, after she was squashed by an obese person who sat next to her on a transatlantic flight. Barbara Hewson, from Swansea, south Wales, suffered injuries including a blood clot in her chest, torn leg muscles and acute sciatica and remains in pain two years on.The obese passenger had only been able to fit into her seat by raising the arm rest, which meant her body parts weighed down on Mrs Hewson. The injured woman had to be admitted to hospital in Los Angeles when the flight touched down and was bedridden for a month, according to a report in The Sunday Times newspaper. Two years later, and after pressure on the airline to take her complaint seriously, Virgin agreed to pay her compensation. Before taking off, the freelance writer had complained in the first instance to the cabin crew about sitting next to the overweight woman, who had booked two seats on her outward bound flight to London, but not on the return leg. Attendants told Mrs Hewson the flight was full, with no other seats available. She told the Sunday newspaper that her experience of the 11-hour flight in economy class had been "horrific". Mrs Hewson added that she was now forced to walk with a stick and is still in pain. It is reported Virgin officials initially offered "a small basket of goods" worth £15 as compensation, but Mrs Hewson took forward her complaint. And after 18 months of pursuing her claim and undergoing medical examinations by Virgin's own doctors to prove the extent of her injuries, the airline agreed to a proper settlement. A statement by Virgin said Mrs Hewson's injuries arose from "an unprecedented set of extremely unfortunate circumstances". "We have apologised to Mrs Hewson and have offered her compensation, which she has accepted, and we are pleased that this has now reached a conclusion." In the United States, budget US carrier Southwest Airlines now charge larger passengers for two seats. But the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance has taken on airlines over discrimination against overweight people. The level of obesity in the US is now of major concern, but also in the UK, National Audit Office figures show one in five people are clinically obese. Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith has fought a campaign against cramped economy class conditions, following a series of deaths from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which have been linked to long haul flights Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2346319.stm
US Navy's 600 computers Stolen with Classified Data Back To TopAnother grand scandal broke out in the US Army. It has become a tradition that such scandals are connected with computers, to be more precise, with the way computers are used and stored.The US Navy Auditing Service decided to audit the US Pacific Fleet. Results of the auditing shocked the Navy auditors and inspectors. Following them, Reuters news agency became shocked as well. As the agency reports, the auditing revealed that about 600 PCs were mising. Some of them had been used in work with classified information (it’s interesting, but are there any other kinds of materials that Navy officers might use on PCs?) Right after the unhappy discovery, suspicion arose that the classified information kept in the stolen PCs could be used against the USA. What is more important is that US security will suffer seriously in both cases, no matter if the classified information falls into the hands of terrorists or of the intelligence service of another country. As news agencies report, the US Pacific Fleet command didn’t want to publish the results of the auditing. It is clear that the Navy admirals didn’t want to look idiots in the eyes of the public, as the auditing wasn’t conducted of the whole of the US armed forces or the Navy, but only of the Pacific Fleet. However, one question arises: what if computers with classified information disappear not only in the US Pacific Fleet, but in the whole of the US military as well? If this is so, it is going to develop into an even bigger scandal. In any case, it is too early for military commanders to fear losing their jobs. Let’s remember that 3-4 months ago, two computers with classified information disappeared from the US Military Intelligence; however, they were later found. One of the PCs was at the home of an Intelligence officer. Isn’t it possible that seamen also took a few PCs home and now don’t dare to confess? Source:http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/10/21/38470.html
Romanian Teenagers Caught Having Sex in Front of a Police Station Back To TopThe Romanian court released two teenagers who were arrested for having sex in a car that was parked right opposite a police station. The judge ruled that the testimony of only one witness, a local police officer, was not enough.A police officer detained the young lovers in the town of Livitsi. The teenagers rejected the charges. However, the police officer, who arrested them, believes that there was enough evidence to prove their guilt. He said that he had to wait for them to get dressed before he could take them to a police station. The officer added that the guy had some clothes on, whereas a girl was naked. The officer also said that he saw everything with his own eyes. He saw the young couple getting into their car after a dance party, and then they started making love right in front of a police station. The officer stated that he was standing there and watching the break lights flash on and off as they touched the break pedal of their car. As a result, the court ruled to cancel the fine of 200 pounds sterling that was issued to a young couple for disturbing the public order. Source:http://funreports.com/2002/10/21/38465.html
Charles Taylor Says First Lady's Duties Include Searching For Other Women for the First Man Back To TopLiberia's President Charles Taylor has said that, as a traditional leader, he is entitled to up to four wives.He was speaking at a news conference carried live on his Kiss-FM radio station, following rumours that either he has taken a new wife in recent days or is on the verge of doing so. I have no intention of insulting my people, I will fulfil my traditional requirement in this country He said the only person who should be concerned about his extra-marital affairs is his wife Jewel Howard, who, he said, was not complaining. He lashed out at people who, he said, are trying to introduce western culture in Liberia. Dispelling recent rumours that all was not well between him and his wife, President Taylor told journalists that he did not have any difficulties with his wife. According to Liberian tradition, Mr Taylor said it was his wife's responsibility to "fish for a woman and bring her over to him". "If she does not understand the tradition, we can get people here to teach her," he said of the First Lady who did not attend the news conference. Officials attending the conference burst into laughter when the president declared that it would be an insult to the traditional women of Liberia if he did not accept a wife. "I have no intention of insulting my people, I will fulfil my traditional requirement in this country," he vowed, arguing that past leaders did the same. Referring to the former president who was killed in a military coup in 1980, President Taylor said: "Pastor William R Tolbert dowried women in this country. "In fact, some of his women are in town now asking me for assistance." President Taylor's long explanation fell short, however, of saying how many wives he really has at the moment, and whether the first lady has been involved in looking for prospective new brides Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2346021.stm
Prostitutes Steal Secret Software from US Army Back To TopProstitutes stole a portable computer with secret software from US Army soldiers currently conducting military exercises in Poland. The computer disappeared when three programmers of the US Army invited prostitutes to dinner and to drink. The men fell asleep rather quickly. However, when they woke up in the morning, they discovered that their computer disappeared; in addition to the computer, the girls also stole a digital camera and a pair of speakers.The US Army HQ estimated the loss to be 120,000 dollars, about 100,000 of the sum is the cost of the secret software. It is the theft of the software that actually worries army officers very much, as the computer contained secret information concerning the US Army. Military exercises are regularly held on Europe's largest training area, which is located in Poland. The unlucky programmers serve in the US Army Fifth Corps and are stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany. Since Poland became a NATO member, military exercises of the fifth corps have been regularly held in Poland. Source:http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/10/22/38519.html
Surgeons Deliver 46-Year-Old Fetus Back To TopRABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan surgeons have relieved a 75-year-old woman of what she thought was a long-standing tumor but turned out to be the remains of a 46-year-old fetus, Moroccan newspapers said Thursday.The woman had complained of abdominal pains, so she underwent surgery in July by a team led by Professor Taibi Ouazzani in Rabat's Avicennes hospital, the newspapers Al Ahdath al-Maghribia and L'Opinion said. How the team determined how long the woman had carried the fetus was not disclosed, and officials at Avicennes were not immediately available for comment. Ouazzani's team plans to show a video about the surgery at a news conference Friday Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1627795
Man caught in church chimney Back To TopSANTA ANA, California (AP) -- A man who became caught in a chimney on church property told officers he was trying to get in to worship.The 22-year-old, whose name was withheld by police, was found Tuesday night with his feet touching the fireplace floor but his torso stuck in the flue. "He said he had been attending the church for the last couple of weeks and just wanted to get back to church," police Lt. Ken Hall said Wednesday. The man was in a house at the back of St. Peter's Lutheran Church. Fire Capt. Russell Garcia said the man was given oxygen and firefighters extracted him through the top of the chimney. He was taken to Western Medical Center for mental evaluation. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/West/10/24/offbeat.church.chimney.ap/index.html
Woman gets $10 billion child-welfare check Back To TopSTOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- When Gun-Britt Marklund checked her bank account to see whether her monthly child allowance check had arrived from the Swedish government, she knew that what she saw was too good to be true.Her account showed a balance of more than 93 billion kronor, or $10 billion, on Sunday. "You never see amounts like this," said the 40-year-old teacher and mother of three children, ages 10, 13 and 15. "I thought, 'This money doesn't belong to me. Something must be wrong.'" Marklund's hunch was correct. On Monday she informed her bank of the inflated child allowance payment -- twice the size of Sweden's defense budget -- and the bank acted swiftly. An employee had punched in a few too many zeros when funneling payments from the social insurance office into Marklund's account, ICA Bank spokesman Bo Lagergren said. The transaction was canceled and gone were the 93 billion kronor along with 15 million kronor ($1.6 million) of interest accrued over the three days before the error was detected. Lagergren said the bank had sent Marklund a bouquet of flowers along with apologies. "We hope she'll be happy with that," Lagergren said. "But it's of course very difficult to find compensation on this level." Marklund, who lives in Haernoesand, 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, said her child allowance is normally 3,000 kronor, or $322, per month. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/23/offbeat.sweden.welfare.ap/index.html
Israeli bank robbed by own guard Back To TopJERUSALEM (Reuters) -- An Israeli bank was robbed at gunpoint on Sunday by its own security guard, who made off with 100,000 shekels ($21,000), police said.A police spokesman said he expected police to catch the guard, who fled on foot, soon because "we know everything about him." The guard was employed by a security company that has a contract with Bank Leumi, Israel's second largest bank, bank spokeswoman Ricki Carmi said. She said the guard went into the Leumi branch in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petah Tikva after the bank closed to customers but bank employees were still working and told a teller to give him the money. Carmi said the bank was investigating the incident with the security company, whose guards are licensed to carry weapons. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/10/20/offbeat.crime.israel.reut/index.html
In battle of the soaps, plain wins say scientists Back To TopWASHINGTON (Reuters) -- It may be virtually impossible to buy soap in the United States that is not "antibacterial," but such products are a waste of time, experts said on Thursday.Not only that, but their heavy use could contribute to a whole new breed of hard-to-kill superbugs, the researchers told a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "It makes you wonder why they call it antibacterial, because according to our research, it isn't any more so than plain soaps," Elaine Larson, associate dean for research at the Columbia University School of Nursing in New York, said in a statement. "We found antimicrobial or antibacterial soaps provide no added value over plain soap." Soap and water works by literally washing away germs, although soap itself can kill bacteria and viruses. Larson noted that several studies suggest that alcohol-based gels are better ways to kill germs instead of washing them away and may be a good alternative for health care workers whose hands are damaged by repeated washings. "If you've got a newborn or a preschooler with a cold, you might consider using an alcohol-based waterless product for a little extra protection against germs," she said. "But for daily hygiene, hand-washing with regular soap is fine. Just be sure to wash all of the surfaces on your hands, the backs, between the fingers, and so on. It's not the amount of time that's important, but covering all the surfaces, as well as applying friction." For their study Larson's team followed primary caretakers in 222 New York City households. Half got an antimicrobial soap for daily hand washing and half were given plain soap. Neither was labeled. The two groups were tested after washing one time and after one year of regular use of the assigned soap. After a year, both groups had fewer germs on their hands, with no differences between the antibacterial soap group and the plain soap group, Larson said. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/10/24/antibacterial.soap.reut/index.html
Testing times for condom maker Back To TopGerman condom manufacturer Condomi is planning to recruit British and Irish students to road test its products.The company aims to recruit about 100 testers, each of whom will be paid £100 a term over the next academic year. The testers will be asked to assess "the comfort, pleasure and all round performance of each type of condom," and their feedback will be used by the company's research department to fine-tune its products. "Using the feedback from eager consumers seems an ideal opportunity of testing every aspect of our performance," said Condomi marketing manager Victoria Wells. The company stressed that all of its condoms have already been tested for quality. Advertisements for testers are due to appear in university newspapers and on student radio stations in the UK and Ireland from Friday. Applicants will also be able to fill out an application form available on the company's website. In order to qualify, testers must already be in a relationship. "I don't think we will have to look far for our new employees," said Ms Wells. An estimated 10bn condoms are used worldwide every year. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2359457.stm
Princess held over co-wife's murder Back To TopPolice investigating the murder of the wife of a Malaysian prince have detained another wife in connection with the crime.Raja Nor Mahani was remanded in custody during a preliminary court appearance but was not charged. She is the older first wife of Raja Jaafar Muda Musa, who is second in line to become Sultan of the Malaysian state of Perak. His second wife, Hazleza Ishak - a 26-year-old former model and actress, known as Princess Leza - was abducted from her car early this month. Her bound and gagged body was found days later beneath a bridge in the state of Perak, north of Kuala Lumpur. Under Islamic law, men in Malaysia can take up to four wives, though the practice is rare among ordinary people. Raja Nor Mahani, 60, was detained on Thursday afternoon at her palace in Ipoh, 170 kilometres (100 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur. Her lawyer, Muhammad Shafee, told reporters she was "very upset with the whole thing". Five men appeared in another court on Thursday charged with murder, or with aiding and abetting the crime. Princess Leza appeared in a local movie, "Putera", several years ago. She was said to be a divorcee and is variously reported as having one or two children from her previous marriage. Palace sources say she married Raja Jaafar in January this year. Nine of Malaysia's states have royal families and the nine rulers take it in turns to be head of state with the title passing to a new king or yang di-pertuan agong every five years. The current king, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, was sworn in last December after the death of Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. Malaysian royals are treated with considerable deference and lead privileged lives. Although the rulers wield very little political power they play a prominent ceremonial role. It is widely considered taboo to criticise them. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2360021.stm
German minister on the run in a 36 army tanks for £1m bribe Case Back To TopA former German minister wanted for allegedly selling 36 army tanks for a bribe of more than £1m is thought to be living in the UK, police have said.Dr Ludwig-Holger Pfahls, 59, is one of six fugitives accused of serious crimes abroad, who detectives believe are living in Britain and want to trace. Dr Pfahls was said to have sold the tanks for about 3.8m deutschmarks in 1990. Dr Pfahls, who was under-secretary of state in the German ministry of defence at the time, is wanted by German police. Authorities believe he could be living anywhere in the UK and possibly using a false name. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2359535.stm
Double Gender-Swap for Hungarian Couple Back To TopA team of surgeons has helped a Hungarian couple find their marital bliss by performing sex change operations on a husband and wife. Everything went well until the post-operation phase, when the ex-man was put in a female ward to recover from his operation.The women rioted, refusing to be in the same ward as a “pervert” and so the ex-man was transferred to the male ward, to be together with his wife. Source:http://funreports.com/2002/10/18/38304.html
Convict Escapes To Secure a Meeting with Head of Prison Back To TopNAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan convict escaped jail just months before the end of his 21-year term to make a complaint about conditions to the head of prisons, a newspaper reported Friday.Convicted robber John Ndirangu Njuguna told astonished Commissioner of Prisons Abraham Kamakil that officers and some inmates in Embu jail were endangering prisoners' lives by selling their food rations, the Daily Nation newspaper reported. "People are going hungry and may die when they well know that the government is sending enough food," the 40-year-old Njuguna was reported as having told the commissioner. Kenyan prisons are notoriously overcrowded and inmates complain of low food rations. Njuguna, who escaped five months before he was due for release, walked away from a prison detail herding cattle in the grounds of a jail in Embu town, around 120 km (72 miles) east of Nairobi Thursday. After his escape Njuguna changed into a shirt and trousers that had been left for him under a tree and headed to the capital Nairobi using money his fellow convicts had raised to get their message to Kamakil. The commissioner served the escapee cold drinks as he told his tale. Kamakil promised to investigate the allegations and act on any mistreatment by prison warders. He said Njuguna's sentence would not be extended and the whistleblowing jailbird would be moved to another prison to complete his term. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1635044
Dog shoots owner Back To TopBROOKLYN PARK, Minnesota (AP) -- Pheasant season took an ugly turn for Michael Murray when he was shot by Sonny, his year-old English setter pup.The puppy knew something was very wrong when Murray dropped to the ground with blood spurting from his ankle. "Sonny just laid by my side," Murray said. "He knew something was bad." Murray, 42, was hunting in western South Dakota on the first day of the season last Saturday. He said he was lining up a photo of the seven birds his hunting party shot in the first hour. A loaded 12-gauge shotgun lay on the ground near the frisky dog. "He stepped on the gun and it went off," Murray said. "At first I didn't know what happened. I got that blinding flash of pain and I sat down. Blood was pumping out of my ankle." His brother-in-law, Chuck Knutson of Woodbury, quickly tied a tourniquet above Murray's right boot. The third member of the hunting party was Murray's father, also Michael, of New Richmond, Wisconsin. "My dad's 75," Murray said, "He was white as a ghost." The three men climbed into their truck and drove to a relative's house. A half-hour later, an ambulance took Murray to a nearby hospital. After 15 stitches and a night in the hospital, Murray is on course for a complete recovery. "It was the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me," he said. Murray admits there is a certain amount of notoriety that goes along with getting shot by your dog. "That's the hard part, talking to people, because you feel like such a fool," he said. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Midwest/10/25/offbeat.dog.shot.man.ap/index.html
A Bank Robber Returns in same clothes Back To TopMIAMI — In a case of déjà vu all over again, a man attempted to rob the same bank twice — within the same month and while wearing the same exact clothes.John Papacosta entered Pan Am Horizon Federal Credit Union in Kendall on Oct. 3 and got on line. While he waited, Papacosta was recognized by a teller as the same person who had robbed the bank a few weeks earlier. After all, he was wearing the same sport coat and sunglasses. The teller pushed a silent alarm button and police arrived moments later to detain Papacosta who had not yet gotten to the counter, said Judy Orihuela of the FBI's Miami office. Inside his pocket, authorities found a toy plastic revolver and a note that reportedly read "This is a robbery. I am armed. Give me the cash now." Papacosta was charged with two counts of robbery, stemming from that incident and the alleged robbery at the same bank on Sept. 5 when authorities say he escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash. Source:http://www.courttv.com/people/scm/scm_102402.html#2
Fast-food worker accidentally served Marijuana to customer Back To TopMILL VALLEY, Calif. — Would you like marijuana with that?A fast-food restaurant employee was arrested Sept. 21 after a customer drove up to a Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-in window and received the wrong side order with his chicken dinner: two bags of marijuana. The customer had ordered biscuits. The patron politely returned the pot to the worker, received his biscuits, and then called police. Carlos Ayala, 26, was arrested moments later at the restaurant. Officers found Ayala with a small amount of marijuana, a handgun and about $500 in his possession, according to police. Authorities believe Ayala was selling marijuana to customers who used a secret word as a code, said a Marin County sheriff's spokesman. No court dates have been set as of yet. Source:http://www.courttv.com/people/scm/scm_101002.html#1
Bank robbery suspect flees after shooting himself Back To TopNORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Authorities are searching for a bumbling bank robber who they believe accidentally shot himself during a heist last week and then was struck by a van as he fled with his bag of cash.The bank robber, who has not been identified, approached a teller at Wachovia Bank on Sept. 30, pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and demanded money, according to a FBI spokeswoman. After the teller put an undisclosed amount of cash into a bag, the nervous suspect fiddled with his gun and attempted to put it away in his pocket. That's when witnesses say they heard a gunshot. Though no blood was found in the bank, authorities believe the suspect shot himself. Then, as the man ran outside and attempted to cross a street, a van ran him over. A passer-by helped him from under the vehicle, at which time the suspect jumped into a red Mitsubishi. Both he and the car's driver, a woman, escaped. http://www.courttv.com/people/scm/scm_101002.html#2 Editorial Note:When no one will shoot him he shot himself, he obviously found his escape going too well, he made sure he is ran over by a car. Are you wondering what this guy has to do to get caught?
Man showing off his .22-Caliber Pistol to girlfriend lands himself in hospital and in jail Back To TopERIE COUNTY, NY — A man showing off for his girlfriend last week thrust a .22-caliber pistol into his trousers and accidentally shot himself in the groin.But his troubles were only beginning. The gun that he was using apparently was stolen in 1989 in Buffalo, Erie County authorities said. When help arrived shortly after midnight on October 3, the man reportedly gave police and medical personnel four different names and dates of birth. He was eventually booked as a John Doe on charges of possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property. He was taken to the emergency room of Erie County Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1597822
| ||||||