World Briefs

A 23-year-old college dropout from Quebec became the first Canadian champion of the World Series of Poker, taking home $8.9 million.

Jonathan Duhamel of Montreal beat out Florida native John Racener, 24, after 90 minutes of play on the last day, emitting primal screams as he gripped mounds of cash he won in poker’s richest and most prestigious crown.

He entered Monday night’s play with a commanding six-to-one chip advantage in the No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, and Racener never recovered.

The duo were the final two remaining in an event that began in July with 7,319 entrants, who put up $10,000 dollars each or won entry in smaller tournaments. (AFP)

Goldfish join security team for G20 summit

In addition to thousands of heavily-armed police and troops, six goldfish will put their lives on the line to safeguard world leaders at this week’s G20 summit in the South Korean capital.

The Convention and Exhibition Centre in southern Seoul which is hosting the event will use the fish to check the purity of the water supply to restrooms, an official said yesterday.

“The fish also symbolise an eco-friendly water policy, which recycles used water for the restrooms,” Oh Su-Young, PR manager at the centre, told AFP, adding that they were just part of the inspection process.

The centre, which shares its water supply with a neighbouring shopping mall and trade centre, recycles nearly 150,000 tons of water a year at an annual saving of 360 million won (€232,700). (AFP)

Maths-loving squirrel

A sum-loving squirrel introduced himself as the latest inhabitant in Northern Ireland’s very own take on Sesame Street.

Sesame Tree, the Belfast branch of the popular US children’s TV show, unveiled the new resident as it launched its second series following a successful first outing.

Teaming up with the Muppet stars of series one – Hilda and Potto – is Archie, a three-year-old squirrel who loves maths. (PA)

$1m calendar

Department store Harrods has unveiled an advent calendar billed as the most exclusive in the world and featuring a kitchen and a speedboat.

The one million US dollar (€722,000) calendar was created by Porsche Design and is one of five available worldwide, one for each continent.

Harrods is displaying one in its flagship Knightsbridge store, although the designers have had to show an image of some of the larger items on illuminated plates. Three highlights include a Porsche Design Indicator Chronograph watch in rose gold, a designer kitchen and an 8.5m speedboat. (PA)

Giant wave

Brave surfers who rode a giant wave off the west coast of Ireland are refusing to give away its location.

One of the six-man team, Briton Andrew Cotton, first spotted it several years ago while on board an Irish Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from a surf accident off Mullaghmore, Co Sligo.

The terrifying-looking wave, dubbed “Prowlers”, was reportedly up to 50-foot high yesterday when the Irish, British, Australian and South African surfers ventured out. (PA)

Re-election

Memories of hanging, dimpled and pregnant chads are being revived in Florida 10 years after helping make George W. Bush President.

Chads, the little fragments voters punched out of paper cards – or left hanging, dimpled or pregnant – are the enduring symbols of Florida’s 2000 presidential election recount.

And they form just one part of the historic recount being recalled by judges, lawyers and other participants at a reunion in Tallahassee. (PA)

Surreal or fake?

A Colorado charity shop is auctioning a supposed lithograph of a Salvador Dali work that it received from a mystery donor.

But it does not plan to verify the authenticity of The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

A spokesman said it will instead let people bid for the piece and determine its value on their own. (PA)

Snappy customer

A man who caught an alligator so big it pulled his boat around a lake before being landed has set the record for the longest taken, exceeding 14 feet.

The animal caught by Robert Ammerman in Florida, weighed almost 297kg.

The previous record was slightly shorter and was trapped in 1997. (PA)

Chef reveals culinary ‘secrets’

Someone has been giving away secrets from within the residence of France’s ambassador to Israel – culinary secrets.

The ambassador’s personal chef, Thibault Bera, 22, has produced a series of videos demonstrating French cuisine as the embassy searches for new ways to reach out to Israelis.

“Thibault, the talented chef from the French ambassador’s residence, is revealing the secrets of his cooking in a series of videos produced by the French embassy,” the embassy’s website said, introducing the first video.

In the 10-minute video, shot in French with Hebrew subtitles, Mr Bera demonstrates how to cook sardines in a pepper and cilantro sauce. The aim of the videos is to demonstrate to Israel how to prepare French food with ingredients that are readily available in Israel, the website said. (AFP)