The French Atlantic island of Ouessant has created a distinctive Celtic tartan and registered it with the overseers of the traditional motif in Scotland.
A tartan is a chequered pattern invented in Scotland to distinguish between highland clans when worn as a kilt or sash. Its use has begun to spread to other Celtic communities in northwest Europe and the Americas.
“A few of us wear kilts on Ouessant, to cock a snook at outsiders as a joke. So, after a trip to Scotland, we thought ‘Why not design a tartan in our island’s colours?’,” Serge Cariou said in Brest, on mainland Brittany.
Ouessant, known as Enez Eusa in Breton, lies around 30 kilometres off the Breton peninsula, making it the most westerly inhabited territory in France, and shares Brittany’s Celtic culture and traditions. (AFP)
Wannabe fireman starts fires
A would-be fireman was brought before justice on the Greek island of Corfu yesterday after being caught starting fires to boost his job chances.
The 38-year-old confessed to having started nine brush fires in the last fortnight after unsuccessfully lobbying local officials for a municipal firefighter’s job. All the fires were put out before causing damage.
Scores of fires break out in Greece every summer, aided by high temperatures and strong winds and frequently attributed to arson, though perpetrators are rarely caught. (AFP)
Health warning... for black leggings
The Thai government has warned that a South Korean-inspired fashion craze for black leggings could be putting teenagers at risk of catching potentially deadly dengue fever.
Deputy Public Health Minister Phansiri Kulanartsiri noted that the mosquitoes which transmit the disease are attracted by dark colours.
“The mosquitoes can bite through the leggings’ thin fabric, so those who wear them are at greater risk of being infected with dengue. It’s better to wear light colours and wear pants that can protect against mosquitoes, such as jeans,” she said.
Thailand has seen a spike in dengue cases, with 43 deaths and more than 45,000 infections in the first seven months of this year. (AFP)
Pull and bear
Keepers were given the task of weighing the UK’s only polar bear to help experts determine how healthy she is.
Staff at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie managed to entice Mercedes, the female bear, on to mechanical scales in her enclosure.
Knowing her correct weight means workers can monitor her health better and ensure she is given the appropriate doses of medicines if needed. (PA)
Bird strike
An eagle was sucked into an Alaska Airlines jet’s engine as the aircraft was taking off, causing the flight to be aborted.
Seattle-bound Flight 68 was approaching take-off speed when the eagle went into the left engine in Sitka, Alaska, airline spokesman Paul McElroy said.
None of the 134 passengers or five crew members was hurt. The bird collision automatically shut off the plane’s engine. (PA)
Bullet proof
A gunman survived being hit by at least 21 police bullets after a shoot-out in New York.
Angel Alvarez, 23, shot another man before being hit by a hail of fire from officers.
Forensic experts said he had probably set some kind of record. (PA)
Irreligious protest
The owner of an Ohio strip club and some of his dancers have staged protests at a church that has done the same to them for four years.
Women in bikinis sat in deck chairs outside the New Beginnings Ministries church in Warsaw.
But pastor Bill Dunfee called the owner a “parasite” and said seeing the protesters outside the church has strengthened the resolve of his flock. (PA)
Watermelon festival
A father and son have been crowned kings of the watermelon at a festival dedicated to the fruit in a small Hungarian town.
Tens of thousands of people descended on Medgyesegyhaza near the Romanian border for a three-day watermelon festival featuring concerts, contests and markets.
The highlight of the event is a competition to crown the Watermelon Knight, in which contestants compete at eating, juggling, packing and guessing the weight of watermelons.
This year’s winner was Jozsef Kraller, whose son also won the junior contest. (AFP)