World Briefs

Cape penguins wearing Christmas-style scarves walk together at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, yesterday. A Christmas show will be held daily to attract visitors until Christmas Day. (AFP)

Happy Christmas honey, here's a divorce voucher

Stuck for Christmas gift ideas? Is your marriage or a friend's going through a rocky patch? How about a divorce voucher?

In an unusual take on the season of giving, a London law firm is offering Christmas gift vouchers for divorce advice.

The firm, Lloyd Platt & Company, which normally charges £325 an hour, said it had been swamped with enquiries since it launched the vouchers early last week. So far, more than 60 have been sold - a snip at £125 for a half hour session with a divorce lawyer. (Reuters)

Japanese gamer 'marries' Nintendo character

A 27-year-old Tokyo man has married the pixellated love of his life - tying the knot with his favourite Nintendo character.

While many people would say they love video games, few would go so far as saying "I do" to a computer creation, except a few Lara Croft nuts perhaps.

But gamer Sal9000 fell head over heels for the sexy skirts, doe eyes and wit of Nene Anegasaki, the star of dating simulation game Love Plus.

The online community has seen relationships and marriages to avatars, but typically both characters are within the confines of the virtual world. (AFP)

BA wins ban on strike

British Airways has won its bid for a High Court injunction to prevent a series of crippling Christmas strikes by thousands of cabin crew.

Mrs Justice Cox, sitting in London, granted the order to BA, which challenged the union Unite's ballot of its 12,500 cabin crew members.

During the proceedings, which began on Wednesday afternoon, Bruce Carr QC, for BA, told the judge that the balloting process contained "serious and substantial irregularities". The strike, due to start next Tuesday, would deprive "literally millions of people of a happy Christmas", he said. (PA)

50 needles found in boy

Doctors in Bahia, Brazil made a shocking discovery after they found 50 sewing needles inside a two-year-old boy.

The doctors think the needles were inserted one by one and the boy was a victim of blackmagic.

The boy's family took the child to hospital after he was suffering from severe stomach pains. The mother was quoted as saying: "I have no idea what was causing my son's pain."

It has been alleged that the stepfather might have inserted the pins with the help of two other women. (Reuters)

'Super-gym' for wounded soldiers

The Tidworth Garrison Super-Gym and Regional Rehabilitation Centre, at Tidworth camp in Wiltshire, UK, was officially opened by Sergeant Gavin Harvey, 26, who lost both legs while on Operation Panther's Claw in in August.

Sgt Harvey, of 6 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was on patrol in Helmand province when his vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED).

The new facility will offer soldiers a hi-tech gym for physical training and fitness as well as a specialist for soldiers to recover from injuries sustained on operations, accidents or playing sport. (PA)

Philippinos stage naked run

Students from the University of the Philippines stage their annual naked run, calling for candidates in next year's elections to bring about change in the country's governance.

Dubbed as the "Oblation Run" after the university's iconic statue of a naked man who symbolised freedom and patriotism, the event draws thousands of university students to a campus building to catch a glimpse of the masked runners.(Reuters)