A woman tried to rob a bank in Columbus, Ohio, with a note demanding money but attempted to eat it when she saw a police officer in the queue behind her.
She handed the teller the note and, although the off-duty officer was not aware of what was going on, she saw him and fled.
Bank workers saw her trying to swallow it as she left and the soggy remains were found outside. (PA)
Swiss yodellers up in arms
Swiss yodellers are up in arms over the planned use of "playback" recordings to back their voices at the 100th anniversary of Switzerland's national yodelling association being held today.
"This is taking the mickey out of the public, unfortunately you can't put it any other way," Hannes Fuhrer, composer and singer of the traditional high pitched Swiss Alpine chants said.
The organisers argued that the extra recorded voices were necessary to back up the 600 yodellers and Alphorn players on stage in a one-off gala performance in the cavernous main ice hockey stadium in Bern.
Yodelling, a type of folk singing with a high pitched oscillating chants, is traditionally sung outdoors. It was originally a form of communication between isolated Alpine valleys.
"We'll never sing over pre-recorded tapes. In singing we express our feelings," Philippe Rosat, former head of the yodellers club, said. (AFP)
Military unveils new high-tech socks
The Swiss Defence Ministry yesterday unveiled new high-tech sweat-absorbing socks that were tested by dozens of soldiers roaming the countryside with a different sock on each foot.
Sixty recruits equipped with a pair of boots and 10 socks each of three different types were sent off on a five-day test mission, with orders to wear odd socks.
Feet were tested every day after a six-kilometre march to check for humidity, irritation and blisters, while the soldiers themselves were quizzed about the experience.
The novel wool and synthetic socks should pamper recruits by warding off blisters, the military procurement agency concluded.
"The prototype socks made with different fibres reduce rubbing on the heel and toes, absorb sweat and are particularly pleasant to wear," it noted. (AFP)
5,000-year-old skeletons discovered
Archaeologists in Morocco uncovered an ancient burial ground in a cave east of the capital Rabat, digging up human skeletons dating back 5,000 years, they said yesterday.
It is the first time that human skeletons dating from the end of the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age have been discovered in Morocco, Youssef Bokbot said, leading the team carrying out the digs in a cave near Khemisset, 80 kilometres from Rabat. (AFP)
Murderer's 'victim' comes back
Police in China are re-examining the case of a man convicted of murdering his neighbour 11 years ago after the "victim" suddenly reappeared in good health.
Zhao Zuohai was convicted and sentenced to death on charges of killing his neighbour Zhao Zhenxiang in a 1999 dispute over a woman they both were seeing. His sentence was commuted to life in prison and later reduced to 20 years.
He confessed to the killing after a headless body was found in a local well in Zhecheng county, where he lived. However, his "victim" suddenly returned to the area this week after an 11-year absence, stunning police.
Police are looking into whether the "killer" should be freed - and also trying to ascertain the identity of the headless corpse. It remains unclear why Zhao Zuohai had pleaded guilty to the murder in the first place but there are suspicions police had tortured the confession out of him. (AFP)
Flower power
Britain's rarest wild flower will receive police protection from thieves when it blooms.
The Lady's Slipper orchid at Silverdale Golf Course in Carnforth, Lancashire, is the last remaining flowering plant of its kind in the wild in Britain.
It is protected by law but wildlife officers are so concerned about it that they are setting up extra patrols and considering installing hidden CCTV cameras. (PA)
Zimbabwe health threat
In Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, upmarket Avenues have become informal dumpsites as residents are resorting to emptying bins in open spaces as the municipal authorities fail to collect refuse.
The ubiquitous heaps are breeding grounds for rats and mice, posing a health threat as the rodents sometimes find their way into homes.
Combined Harare Residents' Association said, "In areas such as Mabvuku, residents say refuse was last collected in February 2009," referring to a township in eastern Harare where five people died in a typhoid outbreak in February which affected scores of residents. (AFP)
'Giant drinks party' worries police
Plans hatched on the internet to hold France's biggest impromptu drinks party in Paris later this month has drawn a formal warning from the police who said the event could prove dangerous.
More than 13,000 people have already confirmed online that they will be turning up under the Eiffel Tower on May 23 for the "giant drinks party", or "aperitif" in French, and organisers hope to draw in more than 50,000.
"We are aware of the festive and friendly motivation of the participants, but there are serious risks associated with crowd management involving several thousand people," the Paris police said in a statement. (AFP)