Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

British royal family turns to Twitter

LONDON, July 13 (UPI) -- News about the British royal family is now available through the social networking service Twitter, Buckingham Palace announced.

A palace spokeswoman said while the new @BritishMonarchy Twitter account will provide news about the royal family, no royal family members would be tweeting about their lives, the BBC reported.

"The intention," the spokeswoman said, "is that it is a news service rather than a personal voice."

Officials at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House will oversee the royal Twitter account, she added.

The Twitter account is the royal family's most recent technological step. The BBC said the royal family Web site, Royal.gov.uk, underwent an overhaul this year, while Queen Elizabeth II got her own YouTube channel in 2007.

Man uses twin to get out of prison

WINCHESTER, England, July 13 (UPI) -- A man charged with assault walked away from an English prison by pretending to be his twin brother, who was also held on a less serious charge, police said.

Simon Peter Mclellan, 27, was freed Friday after an appearance in magistrate's court, The Daily Telegraph reported. The magistrates believed him to be his brother, Mark, the report said.

Officers at Her Majesty's Prison in Winchester discovered a few hours later they were holding the wrong Mclellan.

Simon Peter, from Gosport near Portsmouth, was being held on a charge of grievous bodily harm, the British equivalent of aggravated assault.

Hampshire police said only that a 27-year-old man has been charged with aiding and abetting Simon Peter's escape. While the man was not named, it was presumably his twin.

Authorities say the Mclellans are fraternal, not identical, twins but they appear to have a strong family resemblance.

Big Ben turns 150

LONDON, July 13 (UPI) -- Big Ben, the world's most famous bell ringing out the hours on the world's most famous clock, celebrated its 150th anniversary Saturday in London.

A message was projected on the clock, The Daily Telegraph reported: "Happy Birthday, Big Ben, 150 years, 1859-2009."

Most people use the name Big Ben to refer to the clock on the Houses of Parliament clock tower or to the entire tower. But the name originally applied only to the bell, which weighs almost 14 tons.

"After 150 years, Big Ben still holds a special place in the hearts of Londoners and the world as a magnificent example of engineering and building genius," Mike McCann, Keeper of the Great Clock, said.

He might also be talking about the British talent for muddling through, since the bell cracked within weeks of its first sounding and was not rung again for about four years. Big Ben was heard again in 1863 after the bell was turned and a lighter hammer put in use.

The name is believed to honor Sir Benjamin Hall, the first commissioner of public works and buildings.

Offshore quake confuses squid

LA JOLLA, Calif., July 13 (UPI) -- An offshore earthquake that rattled the Southern California coastline early Saturday may have confused squid, sending them toward a beach.

The squid were first spotted at La Jolla Shores beach about 45 minutes after the 7:30 a.m. quake, San Diego 6 reported. The squid, most of them 3 feet to 4 feet long, not only turned up in shallow water, they moved up onto the beach.

Some swimmers and joggers launched an informal squid rescue, getting the invertebrates back in the water.

Scientists say the earthquake, which measured 4.0 on the Richter scale, may have disoriented the squid, sending them landward.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake was centered about 30 miles west of La Jolla and 37 miles off San Diego, the Los Angeles Times reported. While it was large enough to be felt in much of western San Diego County and to do some damage if it had been closer, no injuries or property damage was reported.