Early one evening Helena van Gelder heard bricks falling. Minutes later, she and her three young sons were standing outside their 17th-century home, watching it sink 20 centimetres within hours.
The family living on Amsterdam's Vijzelgracht thoroughfare was merely the latest casualty of a tunnel that has been the city's €3 billion headache for seven years.
Years behind schedule and so over-budget officials have abandoned hope it can recoup the cost of construction, the new metro project is wrecking historic buildings as it cuts through spongy sand and water more than 30 metres below sea-level.
Built to house a rapid transit system aimed at connecting business in the north and south of the city and relieving overcrowding, for now the subway is a gash through the city and risks joining history's great construction fiascos.
Former Amsterdam city alderman Tjeerd Herrema resigned earlier this year in frustration at the project. (Reuters)
No fear of reptiles
A man was caught by Norwegian customs carrying a tarantula in his bag, and a further 14 royal pythons and 10 albino leopard geckos taped to his body, media reported yesterday.
The 22-year-old Norwegian was stopped in a routine check by Kristiansand customs after arriving on a ferry from Denmark. Customs found the tarantula, before deciding to give him a full body search that revealed 14 stockings - one for each snake - taped around his torso.
Office manager Helge Breilid at Kristiansand customs was quoted as saying customs officers had been "horrified" by Sunday's catch.
"Customs officers quickly realised the man was smuggling animals, because his whole body was in constant motion," Mr Breilid said.
When the man dropped his pants, the officers found 10 cans taped to his legs, each containing a lizard, he said. (Reuters)
Parents kill Chinese bookseller
Parents of pupils at a school in eastern China yesterday killed a book salesman and injured four of his colleagues after hearing rumours they were human traffickers.
The five booksellers were attacked at a primary school in Yuhuan county, in Zhejiang province, where they were distributing pamphlets, state news agency Xinhua said.
"Some parents had heard rumours saying that a group of criminals were beguiling their children at the school and attempting to take them away," Xinhua quoted a spokesman as saying.
The five salesmen were later rescued by police officers and sent to a local hospital. One of them died at the hospital, and the other four were still being treated.
The trafficking of women and children remains common in China. (AFP)
Past 'best before' date
A draft of a play intended to be performed for King James I on New Year's Day 1618, which never materialised, has been discovered in an old trunk, auctioneers said.
The heavily crossed out manuscript for The Amazon, a hitherto unknown play by Lord Edward Herbert of Cherbury, was found stored in an attic in Powis Castle, mid Wales.
Felix Pryor, of Bonhams auctioneers' book department, said he made the discovery when he was shown the trunk by the castle's owner, Lord Powis. (PA)
Nine-year-olds to receive career advice
Children in primary schools as young as nine are to receive advice via internet sites on their future career paths under a new scheme, the UK government said yesterday.
Under the programme, students will be given mentors, have the chance to visit universities, and be given counselling on what subjects to study via social networking sites like Facebook.
"It is often too late for children to start thinking about this at 14 when they are influenced from when they are seven, eight and nine," Ed Balls, UK schools secretary, said in a statement. (Reuters)
Royal breakfast!
Tea and toast in bed is a simple affair for the Queen with virtually none of the trappings usually associated with the head of state, it has emerged.
The Monarch is served her morning snack on a chipped white tray with an assortment of mismatched china plates, pots and cups, a picture has revealed.
The first meal of the day for the Monarch reportedly includes toasted white bread spread with butter and jam or on other occasions an oat biscuit, according to the Daily Mail. (PA)