The wayward emperor penguin dubbed Happy Feet is free at last and back in the ocean south of New Zealand.

The penguin was released from the research vessel Tangaroa about 50 miles north of remote Campbell Island in water about 935ft deep. Wellington Zoo vet Lisa Argilla said he needed “gentle encouragement” to leave the purpose-built crate that had been his home on the boat for six days, then slid down a makeshift ramp backwards and took off.

The bird was discovered on June 20 on a New Zealand beach far from his Antarctic feeding grounds. He became sick from eating sand and was transferred to the zoo. (PA)

Shoots daughter

A Jordanian man was charged yesterday with killing his 24-year-old widowed daughter in hospital after she gave birth to twins, a judicial official said.

“Amman’s criminal court prosecutor charged the man with premeditated murder after he confessed to shooting dead his daughter on Saturday,” in Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley, the official said.

The official quoted the suspect as saying “I was shocked that she was pregnant. I was enraged and shot her dead because she did something shameful.”

The woman has been a widow for four years.

“The man claimed he wanted to check on the condition of his daughter ... then he shot her in the head,” said Ahmad Hwarat, head of the hospital where the killing took place. (AFP)

Bush’s brother

The brother of former US President George W. Bush has opened an account with the most popular microblogging service in China, where his musings on his daughter’s wedding have attracted tens of thousands of followers.

Neil Bush, who runs an oil company in Texas and is nine years younger than his better-known sibling, only opened his account with Sina’s Weibo – China’s answer to Twitter – on Tuesday, with the help of a Chinese-speaking assistant.

But by Friday morning, 41,418 people were following his posts on subjects ranging from China’s rapid development to the impending marriage of his daughter Lauren, a former model.

“I have been to China 80 times and am in awe of its development,” read one posting.

“I hope all Americans see China’s development has come a long way and can gain a better understanding of how China is growing into a global force.” (AFP)

Car sex cop

A decorated New Mexico police officer has been sacked after security cameras caught him having sex with a woman on the bonnet of a car.

Surveillance photos of Officer Bert Lopez and the woman were taken from a motion-triggered security camera at the front gate of the county-owned La Bajada Ranch south of Santa Fe. Two photos were forwarded to Santa Fe Sheriff Robert Garcia, who forwarded the images to state police chief Robert Shilling.

Mr Lopez was named state police office of the year in 2009 and was awarded a Challenge Coin in July, an honour given to officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. (PA)

Piracy crackdown

China says it has seized about 13 million illegal video, music and print products over the past year in a campaign to tackle fakes and copyright theft. The official Xinhua News Agency said 663 shops producing pirated products, including movies, music CDs, software and books, were shut down from late last year to June. China has struggled to deal with rampant piracy and the widespread production of bogus goods. Cracking down on such violations has long been a key demand from foreign businesses in the country. (PA)

Fountain vandalised

A historical fountain on Rome’s Piazza Navona was damaged by a vandal in the early hours of Saturday, said Italian police who have launched a search with the aid of security camera footage.

Fragments broken off the Fontaine du Maure (Moor Fountain) have been recovered and may be re-attachable, said the municipality’s cultural heritage boss, Umberto Broccoli, adding the damage was limited.

In a basin of pink marble on the south end of the square, the fountain holds statues of a Moor doing battle with a dolphin, surrounded by four Tritons. (AFP)

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.