The phrase “everyone has got a cross to bear” could not be more true for former drug addict turned family man Clive Cornish.
The 48-year-old has been carrying a heavy one-wheeled three-metre crucifix across Wales’s hilly countryside for almost a fortnight.
He will have totted up more than 320 kilometres when he reaches his hometown of Cardiff this weekend.
Cornish is taking on the epic feat to raise awareness for the less fortunate in society and says he is living proof that people can turn their lives around. (PA)
Pentagon employees’ lifestyle
The Pentagon’s Inspector General is investigating whether US military personnel tried to get the US government to pay them back for bills they racked up at casinos and strip clubs, using official travel charge cards.
In May, the Pentagon watchdog reported that Defence Department employees spent $952,258 at casinos and another $96,576 at “adult entertainment establishments” using the cards during a year-long period.
The Inspector General’s office, in a September 21 memorandum released this week, said the Senate Armed Services Committee requested a follow-on investigation.
The memorandum also said that the investigation would look into whether disciplinary action was taken in cases of personal use. (Reuters)
Cheerleaders to wear leggings
An Idaho high school is requiring its cheerleaders to wear leggings or sweatpants under their uniforms after finding the short skirts were not suited for stairs or sitting without exposing the buttocks of teen girls, an administrator said.
The decision by the school district in the northern Idaho city of Post Falls to seek more modesty for cheerleaders came after teachers at the high school reported some girls’ bottoms were sometimes visible when uniforms were worn to class on the day of football games or other sports matches. (Reuters)
Pontiff wax figure creates havoc
A publicity stunt featuring a life-size wax figure of Pope Francis appearing to wave from the back of a convertible caused some confusion before the real pontiff showed up in New York.
Officials at Madame Tussauds New York revealed their wax pope on Thursday, showing the white-robed figure off around Manhattan in a popemobile-like car hours before Pope Francis’s plane arrived.
But spokeswoman Hillary Karsten said a surprised onlooker called police after mistakenly believing the figure was actually the Pope. She said police officials contacted Madame Tussauds to make sure their pope was in fact wax. (PA)
Woman scares off Scream thieves
A 65-year-old shopkeeper said “instinct took over” when she waved a wooden stick at two raiders wearing Scream masks and carrying knives who were demanding cash.
One of the men was carrying a 10-inch knife but the pair fled Shergill Stores, in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, empty handed after Rasham Gill reached behind the counter for the weapon.
A third man stood by the door while the attempted robbery took place on Wednesday at around 9.40pm.
Gill, who has run the shop for 25 years, said: “I just thought who are they to come in here and disrupt our livelihood? Instinct took over, I picked up the stick and hit one of them on the hand. Then they just ran out.” (PA)