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A 12-foot-tall sculpture of a polar bear named Boris was unveiled yesterday to raise awareness of the plight of the under-threat species.
The life-size work of art was unveiled by London mayor Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, an author and environmental campaigner.
It will stay in place in Sloane Square for the next four weeks to mark a 28-day campaign that is calling on UK leaders to support a ban on international polar bear trade at the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The animals’ skin, teeth, claws and skulls can fetch thousands of pounds, with hunting sending their numbers plummeting along with the effects of climate change and habitat loss. (AP)
Tunnel robbers raid bank
Robbers dug a 100-foot tunnel into the safe deposit room of a Berlin bank and escaped with their haul, starting a fire as they left to cover their tracks.
Berlin police said the tunnel led from an underground garage into the bank’s safe deposit room. They said it was “very professional” and must have taken weeks or even months to complete.
It was elaborately constructed and even had ceiling supports.
Police were alerted to the break-in when a security guard noticed smoke coming from the deposit room.
Officers are still trying to discover what was stolen from the deposit boxes. (AP)
Franciscan friars go digital
The largest group of Franciscan friars in the United States is offering the faithful a new way to pray in the digital age by accepting prayer requests via text messages. The Friars of Holy Name Province, who staff 40 parishes and have colleges, soup kitchens and food centres along the eastern seaboard, as well as groups in Peru and Tokyo, are among a few religious groups offering this type of digital service. (Reuters)
Naked man stuck in chimney
German firemen rescued a mysteriously naked man trapped in a narrow chimney in central Berlin, a spokesman has said.
The fire brigade was alerted to the emergency after police failed to help the 39-year-old man who was wedged 10 metres down the shoulder-width chimney. (Reuters)
Prostitutes learning the lingo
Prostitutes in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte are signing up in droves for free language classes in order to be ready for a barrage of foreign visitors to the tropical country during the 2014 soccer World Cup.
The women join many others in Brazilian society, from politicians to construction workers, who are racing the clock to prepare 12 host cities throughout the nation for the international soccer championship. (Reuters)