Too much for wives

All three wives of a 67-year-old Iranian man have taken overdoses in an unsuccessful triple suicide attempt after the youngest wife bought an expensive pair of boots, it has been reported.
"My two other wives were very jealous after my 27-year-old wife bought a pair of boots for $450," the husband was quoted as saying.
"After they had an argument about the price, they all attempted suicide together," he added.
All three women, now in stable condition in hospital, have separate apartments and cars.

 

Wedding snaps

A furious Saudi bride has beaten up a woman who photographed her with a mobile phone camera at her wedding party, it has been reported.
The bride "beat up the woman, completely destroyed her phone and pulled her by the hair in front of a big crowd of guests" for taking pictures in the women-only section of the wedding at Taif, in western Saudi Arabia.
The bride was applauded by guests for her "vigilance".
Saudi Arabia has officially banned mobile phones with cameras but they are widely used in the Gulf state and several ministries have appealed to the government to repeal the ban.
 
Road rage

An incensed Iranian motorist doused his car in gasoline and set it ablaze with a match after picking up a parking ticket, media reported.
A news agency posted photographs of the charred shell of the car and quoted witnesses describing the driver's frantic but fruitless pleas to the parking attendant not to issue a ticket. "Extremely angry, he took a can of gas out of the trunk and set fire to his car," a witness said.
Fines have increased heavily since March in an attempt to bring Iran's reckless drivers into line. Road rage is common on the gridlocked streets of Tehran.		 Bee exports

Trade negotiators have gained approval for New Zealand bee exports to United States, resolving a 26-year old trade dispute. Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton has welcomed public notification in the US Federal Register that New Zealand honey bees and honey bee semen may now be exported to the United States. "The decision by the United States to allow New Zealand access for both honey bees and honey bee semen is good news.
It allows our exporters access into a niche market," Sutton said.
Origami next

Struggling to end 10 months of unrest and bloodshed in Thailand's Muslim south, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has turned to origami to shore up support for his security policies ahead of a 2005 general election.
The unconventional peace initiative, in which 63 million Thais are being urged to make paper birds to stop the violence which has claimed nearly 500 lives, has become an overnight national sensation with everyone from children to soldiers.
Electronic road signs in Bangkok are urging Thais to get folding, so the Air Force can "bomb" the south with a hoped for 63 million symbols of goodwill to mark the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.		  
Beating justification

More than a third of Turkish women believe they deserve being beaten if they argue with their husbands, deny them sex or burn the meal, according to a Turksih survey.
The survey found that 39 per cent of women in Turkey believe their husbands are right to beat them for at least one of the following reasons: burning the meal, disputing the opinion of their husbands, spending money unnecessarily, neglecting the children or refusing to have sex.
In rural areas, 57 per cent of women said their spouses had a right to batter them in at least one of the above circumstances. Arguing with the husband topped the list of justified reasons for domestic violence, followed by too much spending and the negligence of children. The poll was conducted among 8,075 married women.
 

Restaurant stick-up

Bemused diners watched as three hapless thieves unsuccessfully tried to kick open a sliding door in a botched attempt to rob an Australian seafood restaurant, police said.
The men, wearing balaclavas, ran off empty-handed but left their bootprints on the industrial-strength glass door in a robbery bid that Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio said could have been mistaken as "a rehearsal for a slapstick comedy".
Police said about 20 diners watched as the men, one of whom was carrying a knife, tried to push open the door of the restaurant in the coastal village of Gerringong, 140 km south of Sydney, and then began kicking the glass.
"They're probably more dangerous because they're dumb," police investigator Jamie Williams said.
Restaurant owner Greg Moore said diners remained calm as they watched events unfold while enjoying dessert and coffee.
"The door's open, the sign says 'Slide' but obviously with their balaclavas they couldn't read too well," Moore said.

Tailpiece

There is a girl walking up the stairs in a church one day. As the priest is walking by, he looks up and notices that this girl is not wearing any panties. He then calls the girl and gives her $50 and says "Little girl, take this money and buy yourself some panties as it is not good to walk around without any panties on."
The girl then goes home and gives the money to her mother and asks her mother to buy panties for her. When the mother asks where the girl got the money from, the girl explained what happened. Upon hearing how the girl got the money, the mother rushes to her room, whips off her panties, and puts on one of her shortest dresses and runs out to the church. As soon as the mother sees the priest coming, she begins to walk up the stairs. The priest then notices the lady and calls her down.
The woman not wanting to show that she is expecting anything walks back to the priest very calmly. The priest then gives the lady $1 and says, "Take this money and for God's Sakes, buy yourself a razor!"