An Australian plant fed via Facebook has given proof to the adage “killing with kindness”, with its fans on the site literally loving it to death.
A real plant called Meet Eater is watered when Facebook users become fans and post on its wall, in an interactive project at Queensland state library that aims to explore the emotions involved in using social media.
Creator Bashkim Isai said he had wanted to see whether people could care enough about a plant seen on Facebook to keep it alive, and had been overwhelmed by the response. Since its unveiling two months ago, Mr Isai said Meet Eater had attracted more than 5,000 fans from across the world literally drowning it with love. (AFP)
Murderous maths quiz
A Japanese primary school teacher has been reprimanded for giving his pupils a maths problem in which he asked how long it would take to kill 18 children at a rate of three murders a day.
The 45-year-old male teacher has apologised for giving the quiz to his pupils, aged seven and eight, at his school in Okazaki, Japan.
“I did it carelessly. I deeply reflect on my conduct,” he was quoted as saying by the officials over the incident in May.
The teacher reportedly asked the children: “There are 18 kids. If we kill three per day, how many days it will take? (AFP)
Migraine gives woman French accent
A serious migraine can lead to nausea, sensitivity to light and even temporary paralysis of limbs, but for one woman it resulted in a foreign accent.
Kay Russell, 49, went to bed with a severe migraine and when she woke up found she was speaking with a French twang.
The grandmother, from Chelten-ham, UK, is thought to be one of only 60 people in the world known to suffer from foreign accent syndrome, a condition which damages the part of the brain that controls speech and word formation.
They believe it is triggered when tiny areas of the brain linked with language, pitch and speech patterns are damaged. Foreign accent syndrome can last for days, weeks, months, years or forever, and there is no known cure. (PA)
Suspicious powder
Envelopes containing a suspicious white powder were discovered at the American, Spanish and Swedish embassies in Tel Aviv, Israeli police have said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosen-feld said workers at the three embassies alerted police after opening the envelopes.
It is unclear what the substance was, but police said it was not poisonous as no-one was hurt.
Police impersonator
A New York man is facing an impersonation charge after police said he pulled over a driver who turned out to be a detective.
Suffolk County Police said officer William Zambito was driving home from work at about 4.30 a.m. local time when an unmarked car with flashing lights and sirens stopped him. Mr Zambito told Victor Alfaro-Marquez that he was an off-duty officer and Alfaro-Marquez fled.
Police said they arrested 35-year-old Alfaro-Marquez at his home, where they found two badges, handcuffs, a pellet pistol in a holster and a Drug Enforcement Agency baseball hat and shirt. He was released on bail on a charge of criminal impersonation. (PA)
Survives 25,000 volts electric train shock
A football fan who climbed on top of a stationary train to retrieve a shoe was lucky to survive being hit by 25,000 volts and thrown onto the track, British Transport Police said yesterday.
The 23-year-old was in a critical but stable condition in hospital after being seriously burned at Durham railway station on Saturday evening. His shoe, for reasons yet to be established, became lodged on top of the train, police said. He climbed up from the platform and was given a huge shock from the live overhead power lines.
A police sergeant said, “The man is currently in a critical but stable condition in hospital and is being treated for 40 per cent burns.” (PA)
Exploding coffee
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has switched off all its coffee machines of the type which blew up in one of its stores.
Seven people suffered minor injuries when the Elektra machine exploded at the shop in Kingsmead Shopping Centre, Farnborough, Hampshire. The casualties included customers and staff.
The company said a ruptured pipe in the machine caused the blast. About 158 of the chain’s shops have the machine, a spokesman said. (PA)