Human ‘bed-warmers’ at Holiday Inn
LONDON: International hotel chain Holiday Inn is offering a trial human bed-warming service at three hotels in Britain this month. If requested, a willing staff-member at two of the chain’s London hotels and one in the northern English city of Manchester will dress in an all-in-one fleece sleeper suit before slipping between the sheets. The bed-warmer is equipped with a thermometer to measure the bed’s required temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). Holiday Inn said the warmer would be fully dressed and leave the bed before the guest occupied it. Florence Eavis, Holiday Inn spokeswoman said that the “innovative” bed-warming method was a response to Britain’s recent cold weather and marked the launch of 3,200 new Holiday Inns worldwide. She could not explain why the beds were not being warmed by hot water bottles or electric-blankets, but admitted the method was quirky.
Missing lawyer ‘is where he should be’
BEIJING: A Chinese human rights lawyer missing for almost a year has been judged by legal authorities and “is where he should be,” a Foreign Ministry official said in China’s first public comment on the case. Gao Zhisheng, one of China’s most daring lawyers, has drawn international attention for the unusual length of his disappearance and for his earlier reports of the torture he said he faced from security forces. His brother said earlier this month that a police officer who took Gao away in February 2009 told him he “went missing” in September, leading to fears for his safety. But on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu indicated that Gao was in custody, after he was asked whether he knew where Gao was. “The relevant judicial authorities have decided this case, and we should say this person, according to Chinese law, is where he should be,” Ma said. “As far as what exactly he’s doing, I don’t know. You can ask relevant authorities,” he said.
Kremlin guards stop would-be suitor
MOSCOW: An unemployed construction worker alarmed Kremlin guards when he tried to barge past them for what he said was a meeting with the Russian president to become his son-in-law, a popular daily reported on Thursday. He was promptly informed that Dmitry Medvedev only has a single teenage son and was then taken to a psychiatric hospital on Wednesday evening, Komsomolskaya Pravda said. The native of Russia’s volatile Dagestan region, 35, whose name was only given as Bakhtiyar, was seeking to improve his fortunes by marrying into Medvedev’s family after he lost his construction job during financial crisis, the paper said.
Senior class photo prank spells trouble
HOUSTON: A spelling prank in a class photo for more than 600 seniors in the Houston area led to suspension of three students. Some students wore T-shirts spelling out “CLASS” as part of “Class of 2010” in a formal shot. But KHOU-TV reported in a later informal shot, students representing “C” and “L” moved from the front row, leaving behind an offensive three-letter word. Administrators at Cypress Ridge High School cited the school’s code of conduct and suspended the three students for three days. The penalty began Tuesday. Senior Austin Knight says “C and L ran off” and it’s not the fault of the three students, wearing A, S and S, who also were fined $135. The money will help pay the cost of retouching the photo. Senior Raymond Carrigan said the students were “ignorant and disrespectful.”
Bus-riding cat Casper run over
LONDON: A cat which became famous in Britain for riding on the buses around the southern English city of Plymouth has died after being run over, media reported. Casper, a 12-year-old black and white cat, used to wait with commuters at a bus stop outside his home and then hop on to the number 3 bus to find a seat to curl up on. The cat was so well-known on the service that drivers knew at which stop to let him off. The bus service, First Devon and Cornwall, said it was “devastated” by the cat’s death and a picture of the cat will continue to be used on one of the company’s buses. The website for local newspaper The Herald said it had received tributes from around the world. “Casper was a special cat and he had a wonderful life. He will be missed in the Netherlands too,” Jelle from Holland wrote.
Woman just out of prison steals car
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.: A 49-year-old woman has been jailed in Pasco County, accused of stealing a car on her first day out of prison. Theresa Jones faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, cocaine possession and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. She was being held on $7,300 bond. Jones was released from Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala on Wednesday at the end of a two-year, eight-month sentence. Authorities said she met a pen pal and they drove to a New Port Richey hotel. Jones took the man’s car Wednesday night, saying she was going to buy beer. She was located Thursday morning. Jones told authorities that she stole the car so she could get drugs.
Man in $3,000 cab ride gets 35 days
MEMPHIS, Tenn.: A Memphis man who last month got a $3,000 taxi ride from Miami and then refused to pay the bill was sentenced to 35 days in jail. The Commercial Appeal reported 53-year-old Lucilo Perez told the cab driver his wife would pay for the 1,600-mile ride when they arrived. The trip took 20 hours, including rest and meal stops. When his wife didn’t have the money, Perez was taken to jail. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to a reduced charge of theft of property under $500. Under a plea agreement he was sentenced to time served. The newspaper reported there is no word on how he got home from jail.
— Compiled from agencies
