Odd News

Food to blame for Christmas fighting... Water pistol stick-up a washout... Conviction leaves madam penniless... Wealthy Baptist teen charged in bank heist... Watercooler stories from UPI.

Whale thanks divers who rescued it... Lonely male elephant goes on rampage... Few immigrants seek easy life in jail... Three kids charged with making fake money... The world as we know it from UPI.

HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Anti-globalization protestors frequently target McDonald's, but in Hong Kong, anti-WTO demonstrators chose to breakfast and plan the day's protests there.

UPI horoscopes for Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005.

Today is Thursday, Dec. 15, the 349th day of 2005 with 16 to follow.

TRONDHEIM, Norway, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A Norwegian heavy metal fan who chased his neighbor with a spear after she asked him to lower the volume on his music has been sentenced to 42 days in jail.

OLYMPIA, Wash., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The head of Washington State's Democratic Party apologized for a parody magnet version of the Christian fish symbol that was sold on the party's Web site.

BIRITIBA MIRIM, Brazil, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Kicking the bucket could become illegal in one Brazilian town, though officials said they wouldn't punish the dead for doing so, O Globo reported Wednesday.

ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Five women and two men were arrested in Athens for allegedly running a text message scam that sent sexy messages to both men and women on their mobile phones.

LONDON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Sixty percent of British families end up fighting on Christmas Day because of what they eat and drink, food scientists claim.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- South Africa's parliament is debating a legal ban on the centuries-old Zulu practice of giving girls under the age of 16 virginity tests.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Hollywood, Fla., may be the first town to protest new Atari videogame "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" for teaching players to become graffiti artists.

TORTILLA FLAT, Ariz., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The Arizona town of Tortilla Flat -- the last surviving stagecoach stop on the Apache Trail -- has been put on the eBay block for $5.5 million.

Few immigrants seek easy life in jail ... Cop arrested for theft, credit card fraud ... Lonely male elephant goes on rampage ... Wealthy Baptist teen charged in bank heist ... UPI Quirks in the News.

LEVITTOWN, N.Y., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- If convicted of armed robbery, a New York man may be nicknamed "Squirt" by fellow inmates for trying to hold up a restaurant with a leaky water pistol.