World Briefs

A treasured piece of moon rock showcased in a key Amsterdam museum is nothing but petrified wood, museum authorities said of a gift made to a former Dutch prime minister by a US envoy.

The exhibit at the Rijksmuseum was originally gifted to Willem Drees in 1969 by then US ambassador William Middendorf as a souvenir of a trip by three US astronauts on July 20, 1969.

"When we received it, we insured it for 100,000 florins or €50,000 in today's money," said Xandra van Gelder, the editor-in-chief of the museum's internal magazine. But she said that it was "hardly worth €50", adding that museum authorities had been alerted by space and other experts.

The US space agency Nasa gifted pieces of the alleged moon rock to several countries. (AFP)

Minced meat world record

The small town of Ehden in north Lebanon gained an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records on Saturday for producing the largest ever kebbe - a dish of minced meat and cracked wheat.

A representative of Guinness World Records was on hand to certify that the giant meal prepared in a festive atmosphere by 25 women in the town square measured up before presenting the official paperwork. To create the giant circular 20-square-metre kebbe they had to mix 120 kilos of mince, 80 litres of olive oil, 80 kilos of cracked wheat, five kilos of salt and a mere kilo of pepper.

After the huge dish was cooked the certificate was officially handed over to Rima Franjieh, wife of MP Sleiman Franjieh. (AFP)

Naked at Trafalgar Square

A 24-year-old man startled passers-by yesterday when he posed naked for an hour on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square.

Justin Holwell let it all hang out as part of the long running Antony Gormley One & Other Exhibition in which people take it in turns to spend an hour on the plinth.

Mr Holwell, who makes double glazing panels, from Loughborough, Leicestershire, received a favourable reception and was applauded as he put his clothes back on to come down.

He said afterwards: "I was chatting to my mates about it, they see me as a bit of an exhibitionist, this seemed the natural way to go. I like to show off and pose a bit - this is my first public exhibition."

Asked what he would say to anyone who disapproved of it, he said: "It's the human form, every one's the same, it's not like I'm showing off something that no one else has got."

Mr Meagher's wife, Priscilla Brunning, 34, a program manager, said: "At first I thought he should do a few muscle man poses, but in the end we respected him for standing there and doing nothing. You've got to admire him to do that for an hour." (PA)

Sheep sold for £231,000

A sheep has sold for a world record £231,000 at a Scottish livestock auction, a British sheep society said.

Deveronvale Perfection, a Texel breed admired by his new owner for his "great body and strong loin", will be used for breeding.

Experts are predicting the sheep will prove a bargain over the long term for his new owner.

"It comes down to genetics," said British Texel Sheep Society chief executive officer, John Yates. "Breeders are looking at the decades of sheep that this blood line can produce."

Graham Morrison, who owned Perfection, said the price surpassed his wildest dreams. Farmer Jimmy Douglas, from Cairness, Scotland, who forked out the record amount, was quoted as saying Perfection was the best lamb he had ever seen, with great strength and an "incredibly chunky stature".

The price achieved at the Scottish National Texel Sale at Lanark market on Thursday surprised onlookers, "but when breeders see the 'Perfect' Ram, they will stop at nothing", Mr Yates said. (Reuters)

'Beer bikes' allowed to ride on

The beer bike will ride on in Amsterdam. The outsized bikes, seating groups of people around a central bar, are something of a fixture in the city's centre. But two accidents within two months prompted the city councillor responsible for transport to launch an investigation in June.

Following that review the city has decided to allow the bikes to carry on riding, a city spokesman said on Saturday. They will, however, need permits from the various city boroughs, and those permits are likely to come with restrictions on hours of operation and requirements for a sober driver.

While non-drinkers already typically steer the bikes, their size has also been an issue in some cases on the city centre's narrow streets. One of the better-known operators, PartyFiets.nl, offers two-hour tours on bikes that seat up to 22 people and carry 30 litres (7.9 gallons) of beer. (Reuters)