Odd

HARARE (Reuters) - A Zimbabwean soccer player drowned in a crocodile infested river during a ritual to cleanse his team of bad spirits before a match, a state newspaper said on Tuesday.

Japanese police say they have apprehended a man who went skinny dipping in the moat around the Imperial Palace, attracting a huge crowd watching the rare showdown. (Oct. 7)

JUBA, Khartoum (Reuters) - More than 35 young women wearing tight trousers have been arrested for "disturbing the peace" in south Sudan, police said on Tuesday.

TOKYO (Reuters) - A bald, naked man who said he was a British tourist went swimming in the moat of Japan's Imperial Palace on Tuesday, climbing the palace wall, throwing rocks and splashing water at police before being taken into custody.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan legislators wearing surgical masks and displaying skull-and-crossbones banners took over parliament's floor on Tuesday after the island's security chief accused China of starting the global SARS epidemic six years ago as part of a biological warfare campaign.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan legislators wearing surgical masks and displaying banners with a skull and crossbones took over parliament's floor on Tuesday after the island's security chief accused China of starting the global SARS epidemic six years ago as part of a biological warfare campaign.

East Texas man is constructing a dwelling out of straw bales and mud plaster.

New York senator Charles Schumer says the credit crunch has forced as many as 50 banks to stop lending money to students for college. Now he's calling on all U-S colleges to accept direct government loans to help fill the void.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Almost half of U.S. workers do not respect their boss and only half believe they are competent, according to an online survey released on Friday.

PARIS (Reuters) - A dropped 'h' landed English-speaking French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in trouble on Sunday after he was mistakenly quoted as saying Israel could gobble up Iran if it wanted to.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have found a way to make efficient silicon-based solar cells that are flexible enough to be rolled around a pencil and transparent enough to be used to tint windows on buildings or cars.

YELD FARM (Reuters) - There hasn't been a glacier in England since the Ice Age so Antarctic scientists flock to a muddy field here to learn how to survive on the world's coldest continent.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Reptiles, monkeys, rodents and other exotic pets are growing in popularity but should be discouraged in homes with small children or people with immune system problems, according to a report published on Monday.

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Three skydivers made the first ever parachute jump over Mount Everest on Sunday, organisers and participants said, culminating years of preparation.