Offbeat - AFP

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Sweden's own version of the Loch Ness monster, the Storsjoe or Great Lake monster, has been caught on film by surveillance videos, an association that installed the cameras said Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Americans have elected a poodle to the White House, the American Kennel Club (AKC) said Thursday.

SOFIA(AFP) - Bulgaria's campaign against cannabis has gone literally to the doorstep of power, after marijuana plants were found growing amongst the flowers outside government headquarters in Sofia.

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A condom lubricant designed for sex workers and gay men has become a popular acne cure among female Cambodians, women in the capital and local media said Thursday.

SYDNEY (AFP) - Eight years after it hosted an Olympics that were famously hailed as the "best games ever," Sydney has had to confess that it faked one of the key musical performances at the opening ceremony in 2000.

LONDON (AFP) - A solid gold sculpture of British supermodel Kate Moss worth 1.5 million pounds (2.8 million dollars, 1.9 million euros) was unveiled in London on Thursday

LONDON (AFP) - A piece of 27-year-old cake from the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana has been sold to an anonymous bidder at auction for 1,200 pounds.

PRAGUE (AFP) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus has blocked criminal proceedings against a man suspected of offering the head of state's hip for sale on the Internet, his office said Thursday.

ROME (AFP) - The religious feelings of devout Italians are being hurt by a deceased German artist's representation of a crucified frog, Culture Minister Sandro Bondi said Thursday.

SHANGHAI (AFP) - Shanghai jaywalkers face public humiliation as police plan to start broadcasting images of their offences on television to shame them into respecting traffic rules, local media said Thursday.

LONDON (AFP) - British towns and villages that want to keep the country's famous red phone boxes will be able to do so, even if the phones are removed because they are no longer used enough, BT announced Wednesday.

PARIS (AFP) - Men who enjoy warming their bottom on a heated car seat should beware, for they may also be frying their chances of fatherhood, New Scientist reports in its latest issue.

BUNOL, Spain (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people from around the world hurled tons of ripe tomatoes at each other Wednesday in an annual food fight that leaves the eastern Spanish town of Bunol covered in red juice.

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - An elderly woman misunderstood instructions while checking in at Sweden's main airport and was whisked down a baggage shoot after she placed herself instead of her luggage on the belt, media reported Wednesday.

ATHENS (AFP) - A group of Britons on Wednesday completed a 3,750-kilometre (2,330-mile) 'Grease to Greece' expedition in cars powered by vegetable oil in a bid to raise awareness about conserving fuel, organisers said.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - At least five "Barack Obamas" are vying to stand in October local elections in Brazil, the newspaper O Globo reported, as Brazilian candidates seek to ride on the popularity of the US presidential contender.

SHANGHAI (AFP) - A Chinese factory worker has become a celebrity after her smiling face was accidentally loaded onto an Apple iPhone and shipped to the other side of the world, her employer said Wednesday.

BEIJING (AFP) - Feelings of loss, worrying about work and generally feeling sluggish? Call it the Olympic Syndrome.

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysian robbers ran off with a bag of cakes instead of 1.9 million ringgit (560,000 dollars) in cash, in a botched heist that left a money changer shot and wounded, reports said Wednesday.

BEIJING (AFP) - China plans to auction off 20 million items related to the Beijing Olympics, including the bed that basketball star Yao Ming slept in while taking part in the Games, state media reported Wednesday.

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - An elderly woman misunderstood instructions while checking in at Sweden's main airport and was whisked down a baggage shoot after she placed herself instead of her luggage on the belt, media reported Wednesday.

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - An elderly woman misunderstood instructions while checking in at Sweden's main airport and was whisked down a baggage shoot after she placed herself instead of her luggage on the belt, media reported Wednesday.

GENEVA (AFP) - Spain triumphed while the hosts limped out after the first round but the real winners in Swiss households during June's Euro 2008 football championships were beer, crisps and other snacks, a study said Monday.

DENVER, Colorado (AFP) - Democrat "donkey poop," Barack Obama hot-sauce and t-shirts for dogs: Denver souvenir shops are doing a roaring trade in gifts and souvenirs during convention week.

WARSAW (AFP) - Campaigners in Poland, a staunch ally of Georgia, Tuesday urged their compatriots to glug down Georgian wine and mineral water to show their support for Tbilisi in its conflict with Russia.

TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese police have caught a serial handbag snatcher who was dubbed "the chameleon" after eluding arrest for years by stripping off as he fled the scenes of his crimes by bicycle.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Wondering which way is north? You might want to look at grazing cows. European scientists who studied satellite images of cows and deer around the world have discovered that these animals tend to align themselves with Earth's north-south magnetic fields while they graze or rest.

NEW DELHI (AFP) - An Indian filmgoer rented out an entire cinema to disprove a director's claim that his latest horror movie is so scary no one can watch it alone, a newspaper said Tuesday.