World Briefs

An airline passenger carried a bag filled with snakes and other animals on an eight-hour flight from Indonesia to the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi police said.

The menagerie, including four snakes, two parrots and a squirrel inside a box, was found in the transit area at Abu Dhabi’s airport last week.

Police declined to give the suspect’s name or final destination.

Media reports yesterday said it was unclear how the animals bypassed authorities in Indonesia, but there was no real-life replay of the 2006 thriller film Snakes On A Plane during the flight. (AP)

Nabbed for pot Advent calendar

A German sniffer dog called Lucky turned out to be anything but for a 21-year-old drug addict in Munich arrested with a homemade Advent calendar with cannabis behind each little door instead of chocolate.

Police knocked on his door to check the man’s driving licence, but after noticing a small piece of cannabis on the kitchen table, they set Lucky to work to see if there was any more of the drug.

“Behind every little door (on the calendar) was a small amount of cannabis in a matchbox, wrapped up in a colourful bow,” police said in a statement yesterday.

The young man was released but now faces charges of possessing drugs. (AFP)

Reward for dead jackals

A Serbian town has decided to offer a financial boost to hunters chasing jackals whose number has increased to a problematic level, Beta news agency reported yesterday.

Local authorities of the town of Zrenjanin, 70 north from the capital Belgrade, promised to pay 5,000 dinars (€50) for each killed jackal in order to curb the growing problem of numerous canines in the region.

The jackals, a European variety of this canine, arrived in the northeastern Serbia some five years ago from the eastern part of the Balkans country where they live in a wild and sparsely populated area. (AFP)

World’s greenest state

The tiny Vatican City is now by far the world’s most environmentally friendly state following the installation of giant solar power panels, the Vatican’s official daily said yesterday.

“The Vatican has reached a small record in solar energy power production per capita: 200 watts at peak times... per inhabitant, compared to 80 in Germany, the world leader in this field,” Osservatore Romano said.

The Vatican City is the least populated sovereign state in the world, with a population of only around 800 people.

Italy produces just four watts per capita from solar energy. Pope Benedict XVI has been dubbed the “green Pope” by the Italian media for his strong emphasis on defence of the environment. (AFP)

Unhappy landing

A dog travelling with its owner on a US flight bit two people, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

The 89-year-old woman was travelling with her Manchester terrier, Mandy, on Flight 522 from Newark, New Jersey to Phoenix, Arizona, when the animal became agitated.

A passenger tried to calm the dog, but it bit the passenger and broke out of its cage. The 12lb animal then ran and bit a flight attendant.

The bites were not severe, but the pilot landed the plane in Pittsburgh as a precaution. The US Airways flight, carrying 122 passengers and five crew, resumed without the woman and her dog. The woman boarded a different flight to Phoenix. Officials said she would not face charges. (AP)

Pagan prisoners

Pagan prisoners in Britain will be allowed four days off work next year for festivals which celebrate lactating sheep and promiscuity.

The Prison Service will allow inmates who follow the religion to choose four days from the eight recognised Pagan holidays when they must be excused from work.

Arrangements could also be made for inmates to be served traditional food, which includes roast boar and non-alcoholic honey mead. The prison instruction, Religious Festival Dates for 2011, includes similar provisions for those who follow other religions, including Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. (PA)

Road rage

Police in Ohio chased a stolen dumper truck for 50 miles, dodging bricks hurled from it and then the truck when it suddenly went into reverse.

The truck wrote off two police cars and hit several civilian vehicles during the chase.

A 17-year-old has been charged with using it as a deadly weapon. (AP)

Boat-sledge challenge

A boat-cum-sledge designed to navigate the icy waters of the Arctic has been unveiled.

British explorer Jock Wishart will skipper the frost-proof vessel on his forthcoming Row To The Pole challenge.

He and his six-man crew hope to make history when they set off on the 724-kilometre journey next summer. (PA)

Home run

Four teenagers were arrested after a US city council member’s home was burgled while she was at a crime prevention meeting.

Cleta Winslow went home in Atlanta to find the house ransacked and her her plasma TV missing.

Police said two 14-year-olds and two 15-year-olds were arrested and some of her belongings were recovered. (PA)