Snakes in parliament

Snake charmers in the Indian state of Orissa have threatened to release snakes in the state assembly to protest against restrictions being imposed on them.
The snake charmers say that pressure from animal rights activists is driving them from the streets.
Several of the performers have recently been arrested under wildlife protection laws and had their snakes confiscated.
But the snake charmers say nearly 20,000 people work in the industry and it is them, not the snakes, who are facing extinction.

 

Poisonous snack!

Saudi locust hunters, who believe the insects hold a cure for diabetes, have been warned they could be crunching on a poisonous snack.
Ghazi Hawari, head of the desert kingdom's anti-locust centre, said any swarm that crossed its borders would be sprayed with insecticide.
Hawari "warned against catching locusts and eating them in the belief that they are a cure for diabetes and stressed the danger of eating them after spraying operations".
 

A Norwegian court has acquitted a man accused of raping a sleeping woman after he said he was also asleep at the time.
The 18-year old woman, who had gone to sleep dressed in trousers and a sweater on a sofa after a party with friends, awoke to find the 34-year-old man having sex with her. The man said he was woken by her screams for help.
"He said that he was asleep and the majority of the judges found that they could not rule out the possibility," defence lawyer Christian Riig said.
The three-judge panel in the court in Inderoy, west Norway, acquitted him by a 2-1 margin because of doubts about whether he had been conscious.
 

A landmark bridge in Indonesia's Sumatra island may collapse because too many people are fond of urinating on one of its steel pillars, a report says.
Public works officials have found that the Ampera bridge, the landmark of Palembang city, has begun to lean on an angle and rocks slightly when traffic is heavy.
An official at the public works department in Palembang, Azmi Lakoni, says the bridge has deteriorated because people often took a leak on one of its piers, corroding the structure.
"We are concerned that one of its main support piers has been weakened by urine, as it is a popular spot for locals to relieve themselves," Mr Lakoni said.

India, home to the world's second-largest HIV population, may have found a perfect cocktail for safe sex -- a free condom with every bottle of alcohol sold at liquor shops.
The southern state of Andhra Pradesh has made it mandatory for liquor shops to hand out a free condom with every bottle of alcohol they sell from December 1, the World AIDS Day.
"The new measure is part of an awareness campaign among those who drink about the dangers of unsafe sex," said K. Damayanti, head of the state-run AIDS Control Society.
The state government would supply the condoms free to shops and distribution would be monitored, she said. 
 

Unusual transport!

A German couple was shocked after a 275-mile car journey to discover a surprise stowaway cowering next to the engine of their car -- a 6-week-old kitten.
The meows of the tiny animal only became audible after Elisabeth and Dieter Gesehl had parked their car.
"First of all we called the police as we feared for a moment that we must have run over and seriously injured a cat," the 64-year-old woman from Eggenfelden said.
After checking under the hood, however, they discovered the unharmed kitten. The animal, which the couple have since adopted and named "Pussy," was soon back to normal after a few minutes of petting.
 

Tailpiece

A chicken and egg are lying in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette, a satisfied smile on his face. The egg is frowning and looking a little ticked. After a moment, the egg turns to the chicken and mutters, 'Well, I guess we finally answered that question.