Arsonists are believed to have destroyed a 16-metre tall dinosaur built for a touring art project, police said.
The steel and polyester model was erected on Southsea Common in Portsmouth, Hampshire, this summer.
The statue, called Luna Park, recreated the discovery in the 1970s of dinosaur bones, wrongly presumed to be that of the largest dinosaur, Ultrasauros. The bones were later identified as having come from two different species. (PA)
Last rites
A 64-year-old man survived six days without food or water in the desolate Joshua Tree National Park in California by staying still and writing messages to his family on his hat, telling them what kind of funeral he wanted and how much he loved them, his wife said.
Edward Rosenthal was on a day hike when he made a wrong turn trying to get back to his car on September 24. He then strayed 13 miles before stopping and waiting for help. He was rescued by a sheriff’s helicopter crew. On the hat, he said he wanted Persian food served if they had a wake or party to celebrate his life. He was later stable in a hospital intensive care unit suffering from dehydration. (PA)
Safari balloon crash
An American and a Dane died when a hot air balloon carrying tourists over Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park crashed, officials said yesterday.
Eight others were injured.
Aviation experts are investigating Wednesday’s crash, but officials said that there were indications that strong winds played a role.
National parks in Tanzania and Kenya offer hot air balloon rides at sunrise as a way to view wildlife.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris said it was the first fatal crash in 20 years of operation in the Serengeti. The company noted that two licensed pilots were on board and that the balloon had a new and fully stocked first-aid kit. (AP)
Trapped miners told to pack bags
The 33 miners trapped deep underground for nearly two months in a Chilean mine must prepare for their move back up to the surface and clean up their underground shelter, psychiatrists have said. The men, trapped 700 metres below the surface since an August 5 cave-in have received “many things” sent down narrow shafts and will need to tidy up the mess before they are pulled out some time after early November, said Alberto Iturra, who heads a team of psychiatrists evaluating them.
“They have lots of stuff down there. They will have to tidy up and see what they can bring with them, put it aside ahead of time in order to avoid stress in the final days,” Mr Iturra said. (AFP)
BMW may recall another 150,000 cars
BMW’s recall of nearly 200,000 luxury vehicles in the US to fix a power braking problem may extend to another 150,000 cars of the same series around the globe, a spokesman said yesterday.
Globally, some 345,000 BMWs of the 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series vehicles powered by V8 and V12 engines and almost 6,000 Rolls Royce Phantom models could be affected by the problem, BMW AG spokesman Frank Strebe said.
The German car maker said earlier a leak could develop in the power braking system, leading to a vacuum loss and the reduction of power braking assistance. (PA)
‘Torture’ leader honoured
The kingdom of Swaziland says its Prime Minister is receiving an award for “contributions to humankind”.
The decision to recognise Prime Minister Barnabas Dlamini with a “World Citizen Award” has prompted outrage from human rights groups who have criticised the poor records on human rights and resistance to democratic reform in sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy.
The PM, who has recently gained attention for comments in the Swazi media that anti-government protesters should be tortured, has flown to the Bahamas to pick up the award, his office said. (PA)
Tongue-in-cheek
The mysteries of bat sex and an unusual way to deal with human pain were the focus last Thursday of the annual tongue-in-cheek Ig Nobel Prizes held in Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre.
A Dutch pair of scientists won medicine honours for their discovery that a roller coaster ride can treat asthma symptoms while British researchers at Keele University were the surprise peace prize laureates for proving that swearing relieves pain.
Meanwhile a Chinese-British team of researchers walked off with the biology prize for revealing to the world documentary evidence of fellatio in fruit bats. The Igs are Harvard’s humorous take on the more famous – and deadly serious – Nobel Prizes. (AFP)