Camel burger newest ‘healthy’ option on Dubai menu
DUBAI: A traditional Emirati restaurant in Dubai has added a new entry to its menu billed as a fat-free choice for carnivorous but health-conscious diners: the Camel Burger. For 20 UAE dirhams ($5.45), the Local House restaurant offers a quarter pound camel burger, loaded with cheese and smothered in burger sauce, the Xpress weekly newspaper reported on Thursday. Ali Ahmad Esmail, Local House assistant manager, said the burger patties were fat- and cholesterol-free. But he declined to say how the outlet tenderized the tough camel meat. The burger is served with fries or potato wedges, and it could be washed down with a soft drink or a camel milkshake.
Indonesian president bans buffaloes at protests
JAKARTA: Enraged by protesters likening him to a “big and stupid” water buffalo, Indonesia’s president has ordered the beasts and other animals banned at street rallies, a decision some Indonesians said shows their leader can’t handle criticism. The ban, issued Wednesday by Jakarta police, follows a demonstration last week in which protesters — who accused President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of failing to fight rampant corruption — tried to parade a water buffalo with Yudhoyono’s name spray-painted on it through the city’s main traffic circle. The ban applies to all animals at rallies.
German speeds up Empire State Building in vertical race
NEW YORK: German runner Thomas Dold on Tuesday bolted up 86 flights of stairs to win a race up New York’s landmark Empire State Building in just over 10 minutes. It was a fifth straight win in the oddball contest for the Stuttgart native, 25, who clocked a 10-minute, 16-second time in scaling the skyscraper’s 1,576 steps. In the women’s competition, New Zealander Melissa Moon, 40, was first up the Art Deco tower famously climbed by King Kong on the silver screen. This year, more than 200 people competed including two 18-year-olds and a 70-something American woman who made it to the top in 22 minutes 35 seconds.
Pet owner killed by dogs after saving them from death
LJUBLJANA: A Slovenian who saved his three dogs from being put down for attacking humans was himself mauled to death by them, police said Wednesday. Four years ago, the three bullmastiffs attacked and seriously injured a passer-by outside their owner’s house. They spent years in custody pending legal hearings, but when one of them attacked a dog handler, authorities ordered them to be put down. Their owner, a doctor, succeeded last June in his legal appeals to get the dogs back, sparking a national controversy. After his death, there were calls for the agriculture minister to resign for failing to stop the dogs from being released. All three dogs were put down following the attack.
Dog rescued from sea starts life with new master
WARSAW: Baltic, the spunky dog who floated at least 120 kilometers on an ice floe, has a new owner: Adam Buczynski, the seaman who rescued him. The decision was made after the dog rejected six people who had claimed to be his original owner. He said Thursday the would-be owners were probably trying to be part of the media attention surrounding the dog’s dramatic rescue. Pelczarski, whose institute co-owns the research ship “Baltica” that rescued the dog and nicknamed him, says Baltic is sociable, affectionate and was getting his first bath since his icy ordeal because his fur was still salty.
— Compiled from agencies