Writer given seven years over poem
A dissident Chinese writer has been sentenced to seven years in prison for publishing a poem.
A court in Hangzhou city imposed the sentence on Zhu Yufu after he wrote a poem urging his countrymen to gather at a public square. Part of it reads: "It's time, Chinese people! The square belongs to every one. Your feet are your own. It's time to use your feet to go to the square and make a choice."
'Baywatch' beach gets frisbee ban
Throwing a frisbee on the beaches of LA County, where the iconic TV series 'Baywatch' was filmed, will now see you slapped with a $100 (€76) penalty.
Under the new laws all balls, except volleyballs, are also forbidden on pain of the same penalty, and children digging a hole anything deeper than 18 inches could also land their parents in trouble.
Dress electrifies the fashion world
A dress made from 500 metres of cable lying around the home has been unveiled in London.
The frock is the brainchild of young designer Craig Lawrence, who has dressed the likes of pop star Lady Gaga and model Daisy Lowe, after he was commissioned by Currys and PC World.
US street crime fighter shot dead
A man who took to the streets in the US to try to fight crime has become a victim of it. The St Louis man was shot dead while trying to circulate a petition promoting a ballot initiative called 'A Safer Missouri'. Witnesses said they saw Darryl Winston (55) arguing with a man before he was killed.
Necklace return not a pipe dream
A California woman has got her gold necklace back months after she accidentally flushed it down her toilet.
Sanitation workers were cleaning a pipeline when they found Ann Aulakh's necklace. Her friend had left a message with officials after the chain was lost. Workers remembered the message and traced it back to her.
City fakes it for snow sculpting
The usually freezing Canadian city of Winnipeg -- often nicknamed Winterpeg -- has been so mild and dry this winter that a popular annual snow-sculpting competition has been forced to truck in 200 loads of fake flakes.
Winnipeg has enjoyed its third-mildest January in more than a century with an average temperature a relatively balmy -10.8C.
Irish Independent
