An Athens stray dog who has become an unofficial mascot of city protests and an online sensation has reaped another accolade by featuring in Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ award.
Loukanikos – ‘sausage’ in Greek –was granted his own photo gallery in the magazine’s annual honours which this year were dedicated to protesters in the Arab world, the crisis-hit EU, the US and Russia. Known on the internet as the Greek capital’s “riot dog,” the canine has his own Facebook page with over 24,000 approval hits. Protesters say Loukanikos actively participates, displaying fearlessness and an apparent dislike of riot police.
Freelance photographer Alkis Konstantinidis says, “He is always on the side of protesters. He also recognises photographers and greets them during demonstrations. He stands in front of riot police and barks at them, and when they fire tear gas, he runs after the gas cannisters and bites them”.
Basement bear
A cable TV repairman got quite a surprise when he walked into the basement of a New Jersey home – a 500lb bear was sound asleep on the floor.
The bear had been spotted wandering in the neighbourhood earlier. It ambled out of the house before state Fish and Game officials arrived.
Officials fired a tranquilliser dart at the animal, which walked a few blocks to the Missouri Trail before it was knocked out. No one was injured.
Deep fried butter balls
Chefs have created a calorific treat to rival the deep fried Mars Bar - deep fried butter balls. The snack, already popular in the US, has been given a Scottish twist as it is cooked in Irn Bru batter.
Edinburgh bar The Fiddler’s Elbow is serving the pudding for what is thought to be the first time in Scotland. The sticky dessert, called Braveheart Butter Bombs, is served with an Irn Bru ice cream. While critics have dubbed deep-fried butter a “coronary on a plate”, the chefs said it should be all right in moderation.
The dessert is made by freezing balls of butter before dipping them in batter soaked with Irn Bru. These are then submerged in bubbling hot oil until browned.
Nuclear plant ‘shutdown’
Japan’s Prime Minister has announced that the tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has reached a “cold shutdown” and is no longer leaking substantial amounts of radiation.
Yoshihiko Noda’s announcement marks a milestone nine months after the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors at the plant into meltdowns in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
But experts noted that the plant remains vulnerable to more problems and will take decades to decommission. The crisis displaced some 100,000 people. Officials are to start discussing allowing some residents to return to less contaminated areas.
A 20-kilometre zone around the plant is expected to remain mostly off-limits for years.