World news

Iraqi soldiers arrested three smugglers who were trying to sell artefacts from the Sumerian era, the earliest known human civilisation that existed in southern Mesopotamia from about 8,000 years ago.

Undercover agents posed as buyers for the artefacts last Saturday, the army chief of Kirkuk province Major-General Abdul Ameer al-Zaidi told a news conference.

The eight artefacts included a clay bust of what is believed to be a Sumerian king, a small jar and stamps from the royal Sumerian court. The smugglers had asked $160,000 for all eight.

Six and a half years after the US-led invasion to remove Saddam Hussein sparked a massive looting spree in Baghdad, Iraq is struggling to recover numerous ancient treasures. The early weeks of the invasion saw 15,000 items disappear from the National Museum, only 6,000 of which are back where they belong.

Iraq's ancient sites are poorly guarded. Thieves often snatch pieces from Sumerian, Babylonian or Assyrian times.

The Sumerian period is known for its clay tablets that bear one of the world's earliest systems of writing. (Reuters)

Odd ball

A Californian man is to face a magistrate accused of throwing thousands of golf balls into the Joshua Tree National Park for more than a year. Douglas Jones, 57, deposited 3,000 golf balls and also left cans of fruit and vegetables along the side of park roads.

When eventually confronted about his behaviour Mr Jones told rangers he threw the golf balls because he wanted to leave his mark and also to honour dead golfers. He left the food for stranded hikers. (PA)

Taiwan prison rejects 96-year-old convict

A Taiwan prison has refused to take in a 96-year-old convict, saying that he could not look after himself behind bars. Sun Hsin-ming, a retired worker at Taiwan Railway Administration, became the island's oldest convict when he received a three-month jail term for illegally occupying the agency's dormitory, the Apple Daily reported.

Mr Sun could have paid a fine to stay out of prison but he insisted on serving the full term in a protest against what he called "unfair justice," the report said.

However, his protest plan fell through when the Taipei prison immediately sent him back to the prosecutor's office saying he is too old to take care of himself in jail.

Prosecutors were planning to send Mr Sun to a prison hospital ward in central Taichung city to serve the sentence, it added. (AFP)

Alligator baiter

A 16-year-old cheerleader in the US spent part of her weekend on a boat hunting alligators - and she came back with a big one.

Cammie Colin, 16, helped catch one that was 10 feet, 5 inches long.

The teenager from Pelion in South Carolina was on a boat with family and friends when she shot the creature with a crossbow. (PA)

Christian nurse in 'necklace ban'

A Christian nurse has been taken off frontline duties after she refused to take off a necklace bearing a cross in Exeter, UK.

Shirley Chaplin said she believed The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust Hospital was trying to prevent her from expressing religious beliefs.

But the trust said the policy had nothing to do with the crucifix specifically, and was motivated by health and safety concerns about patients grabbing necklaces.

Mrs Chaplin, 54, from Exeter, said: "For about 30 years I have worked in the NHS and nursed patients day and night and on no occasion has my cross caused me or anyone else any injury - and to my knowledge, no patient has ever complained about me wearing it.

Mrs Chaplin, who is due to retire in eight months, added: "Everyone I have ever worked with has clearly known I am a Christian: it is what motivates me to care for others." (PA)

Baffled by a brendice?

Feeling crambazzled? Perhaps you took too many brendices with shot-clogs and drove turkeys to the market on the way home.

If this is rather baffling, a new book of ostrobogulous (bizarre and interesting) words, produced by a self-confessed bowerbird (person who collects useless objects) might help.

The Wonder of Whiffling hits bookstores this week and hopes to save readers from onomatomania (vexation at not being able to find the right word) and help readers tell their grinagogs (people who always grin) from their screevers or writers of begging letters. (PA)