World Briefs

A peer has asked to keep a controversial graffiti mural on the walls of his family’s 13th-century castle.

The Earl of Glasgow has written to Historic Scotland seeking guidance on whether the exhibit, which features a psychedelic series of interwoven cartoons depicting surreal urban culture, might be allowed to remain as a permanent feature of Kelburn Castle, in Largs, Ayrshire.

The mural was permitted by North Ayrshire Council on the understanding that it was temporary and pending the start of work on the building. But the Earl said he now regards it as “part and parcel of the place” and that his family would “hate to see it go”. (PA)

Raiders of fake horns

Two rhinoceros horns were stolen from a British museum on Saturday – only the horns were fake and worthless. The horns were removed from a stuffed Indian rhino and a White rhino specimen at the Natural History Museum’s site in Tring, northwest of London. However, due to a recent spate of such thefts across Europe, the museum had replaced the horns with replicas. Rhinos are often poached for their horns, made of keratin and sold on the black market for ornamental or medicinal purposes, particularly in Asia. Horns fetch around £60,000 ($100,000, €70,000) per kilogramme.

A rising number of science museums in Europe are being targeted for the horns. Europol, the European Union’s criminal intelligence agency, suspects an Irish organised crime group is behind the spate of robberies that has also hit zoos, auction houses, antique dealers and private collectors across Europe. (AFP)

115th birthday

Bess Cooper celebrated her 115th birthday as the world’s oldest person in Monroe, Georgia, on Friday, though there was no Elvis impersonator at the party like there was last year, reported local media.

A researcher from Guinness Book of World Records was on hand at Ms Cooper’s birthday party to deliver the Tennessee native her second plaque that certifies her as the oldest person on the planet. Born in Tennessee in 1896, Besse Cooper moved to Georgia during World War I in search of work as a teacher. She married her husband Luther in 1924, and they had four children. In the same year Ms Cooper was born, the first Dow Jones Industrial Average was published, the first modern Olympic games were held and the first Ford vehicle was built. Local media reported that Besse Cooper adds her secret to longevity lies in two key tenets: “I mind my own business,” she said. “And I don’t eat junk food.” (AFP)

3D Olympics

The BBC plans to show some of the London 2012 Olympics in 3D. But the corporation’s director for the games, Roger Mosey, said it would not be “a 24-7 experience”.

The corporation plans to run 24 live video streams on its website covering different events. It is also planning to set up three big screens in Bradford, Glasgow and London which will show recorded events and live action in Super Hi Vision – a more advanced version of normal high-definition television. (PA)

Holiday packing

When it comes to holiday packing, Britons must take a leaf out of their Spanish counterparts’ book, a survey has shown. Only 14 per cent of Britons pack teabags to take on trips, as many as 82 per cent of Spanish travellers take tea away with them, the poll by travel organisation Easyvoyage found. And while other nationalities concentrated on basic items such as toothbrushes and swimwear, the Spanish named a Swiss army knife as a vital item to be packed. The survey involved 4,542 people from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. (PA)

Panda-monium

It was panda-monium for early-morning commuters in Flagstaff, Arizona, when a prankster posted a street sign warning of a “Rogue Panda on Rampage.” Red-faced transport officials needed hours to erase the electronic message.

Drivers caused long traffic delays trying to get a rare glimpse of a bamboo-loving, black-and-white panda. (PA)

Stunned activist

An activist who was angry that police weren’t handing out enough parking tickets in Shelton, Connecticut, parked in a handicapped space and called officers on himself. He made a dozen calls before officers turned up.

When police did arrive, they had to shock him with a stun gun before arresting him. (PA)

Kidnap tale

A Mexican woman was so embarrassed about failing to graduate from college she made up a kidnapping tale to explain to her family why she failed to appear at the graduation ceremony.

Lucina Gayosso, 23, of Juárez, even told the phoney story to police after her family called the authorities. Surprisingly she had been studying social work. (PA)