World Briefs

Ministers in the Maldives have taken diving lessons ahead of an underwater Cabinet meeting that will highlight the threat of global warming and rising sea levels pose to the low-lying atoll nation.

President Mohamed Nasheed will chair the meeting on October 17 ahead of the world climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. He said the 14-member Cabinet were taught scuba-diving basics over the weekend. Mr Nasheed was not present as he is already a certified diver.

"The Cabinet will don wet suits and scuba equipment and dive to a depth of six metres, where a special meeting of the Cabinet will be convened," the spokesman said, adding that they will then ratify a pledge calling on other nations to slash greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the Copenhagen meeting.

Cabinet members will communicate using whiteboards and hand signals.

The Maldivian archipelago, south west of Sri Lanka, is on the front line of climate change and has become a vocal campaigner in the battle to halt rising sea levels.

The picture shows the country's Cabinet ministers with their SCUBA diving instructors during a session at an islet near the capital, Male. (AFP)

'Drunk' pastor

A Swedish family has asked for damages of nearly €30,000 after a Protestant pastor performed a funeral service apparently "drunk", the influential Church of Sweden has said.

The pastor also raised eyebrows when he kissed the hand of the deceased's daughter and gave an exaggerated hug to the 20-year-old granddaughter, the family said in a letter to the former state church.

"Everything seemed to go perfectly well until this pastor came in mumbling for 30 minutes," the family said, complaining that he had alcohol on his breath. "Nobody, among his servers or in the audience, understood what he was saying."

"The first thing we will now remember thinking about our loved one is the drunk pastor," they added.

Apart from the 300,000 kronor (€29,250) the family also asked for a refund of the funeral expenses. (AFP)

Smelly samples

Police apologised after bottles of urine taken from a house during a search by officers were left in the street.

Officers found the bottles in a house in Waingroves, Derbyshire, but police said due to a breakdown in communication the bottles were left outside the home.

The force apologised "unreservedly" to residents who had to put up with the sight and smell of the gruesome discovery. (PA)

Plumpkin

A new world plumpkin record has been set by a competitor at a growing contest in Ohio.

It weighed 1,725lbs (123 stones) and beat the previous record that was set in 2007.

A tourist at the event said: "We're extremely impressed. I have never seen pumpkins this big before." (PA)

Birthday reflections

A maze of mirrors has been unveiled to mark a university's 100th birthday celebrations. The public sculpture by Danish artist Jeppe Hein entitled Follow Me was revealed as part of the University of Bristol's centenary celebrations.

The work will be permanently sited in the Royal Fort Gardens, which form part of the University's estate but which are open to the public. (PA)

Last orders

Late-night drinkers could be offered free taxi rides home to cut crime in a market town.

Officers said a high proportion of anti-social behaviour occurs after pub closing times in Watton, Norfolk, and the initiative could reduce it substantially.

Norfolk Police said the scheme, which they hope to launch on a trial basis, will offer free pre-paid taxis at certain times on Friday and Saturday nights to take people short distances home. (PA)

Vicious pet

A woman in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was killed by her pet black bear as she cleaned its cage.

Kelly Ann Walz was mauled by the 350lb bear she kept inside a steel and concrete cage.

Her usual tactic had been to throw dog food to one side of the cage to distract the bear while she cleaned but this time the trick did not seem to have worked. (PA)

Shell shock

A man caused chaos when he arrived at a Philadelphia police station to hand in a live tank shell he had been keeping for almost 20 years.

The building had to be evacuated while military bomb disposal experts were called in. Police say the 53-year-old man got the shell in 1977 from a friend who was a Marine.