Religious authorities in Kano, in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, married 1,111 couples at a mass wedding aimed at combating rising rates of divorce and births out of wedlock, and the number of impoverished widows and divorcees forced to make a living on the streets.
The wedding comes as the Hisbah Board responsible for Shariah law has been clamping down. Thousands have been arrested for improper dress, prostitution and indecent mixing of the sexes. At one recent ceremony, a bulldozer crushed 240,000 bottles of beer.
Hisbah officials say the mass weddings help promote a stable family life. Kano government paid a dowry of £40 for each bride. Grooms are not allowed to divorce without permission.
Children get the expensive gifts
People tend to spend more money on their spouse at Christmas than on both of their parents combined, a study has found.
And people spend a similar amount on their aunt or uncle’s Christmas gift as they do on the family pet’s festive treat, according to the UK-wide survey for Nationwide Building Society.
Children account for the most money spent at Christmas, with an average of £136 paid out, it found. Meanwhile, consumers said they spend around £93 on their partner, £35 on their mother or stepmother and £28 on their father or stepfather. People said they spend around £10 buying gifts for aunts and – and a similar amount on their pet.
Fantasy wishlist of 101 things to do
A police officer who twice defeated cancer has compiled an alternative “bucket list”, hoping it will inspire others to beat the disease.
Greig Trout, 34, a former crime scene investigator with the Metropolitan Police, said he wanted to travel the world and follow his dreams after being given the all-clear a second time.
His list of “101 things to do when you survive” is a take on the 21st century phenomenon of the bucket list – a fantasy wishlist of things to do and see, set up for those battling terminal illness before they “kick the bucket”.
Mr Trout, originally from Dumfries in Scotland, is one of the survivors behind Cancer Research UK’s Every Moment Counts campaign, which highlights the special moments of those who have encountered the disease.
Cat wins pet survivor of the year
Robbie the cat has been named PDSA Pet Survivor of the Year after recovering from life-threatening injuries that left him with severe burns to his face, head and paws.
After six months of skin grafts and surgery, the one-year-old former stray from Croydon, south London, is enjoying the attention of his new owner, retired police officer Gill Smith, who nominated him for the award. Judges included Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon, vet and TV presenter Steve Leonard, and PDSA vets.
Robbie was six months old and thought to be a stray when he took shelter in an abandoned sofa in Ash, Kent, in May this year. But it was somehow set alight and consumed by flames, with Robbie inside. He was treated at nearby Broadway Vets with severe burns to his face, head, legs and paws. PDSA vet Elaine Pendlebury said: “Robbie is a truly inspiring story for us all. He really is a true survivor.”
Elves threatening roads project
Elf advocates in Iceland have joined forces with environmentalists to urge authorities to abandon a roads project building a direct route from the Alftanes peninsula to the Reykjavik suburb of Gardabaer.
The project has been halted until the Supreme Court of Iceland rules on the case by a campaign group which cites the environmental and the cultural impact – as they fear disturbing what they say is elf habitat and claim the area is particularly important because it contains an elf church.
A survey conducted by the University of Iceland in 2007 found that 62 per cent of the 1,000 respondents thought it was at least possible that elves, or Huldufolk (hidden folk), exist.