UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

• Tweet

Police recover missing teddy bear

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 6 (UPI) -- Police in Sweden said a Facebook plea for help in finding a little girl's lost teddy bear resulted in the girl being reunited with her beloved toy.

Stockholm police said a citizen saw the stuffed animal, which 1-year-old Tyra lost June 19, on a wall Thursday near the Kungsholm Church and recognized it as the teddy bear from a missing poster that was put on the Sodermalm police's official Facebook page, The Local.se reported Friday.

"The teddy bear is back!!!" police wrote on the Facebook page. "Tyra's beloved teddy was found by someone engaged in the search party. The bear was found on a wall near Kungsholm Church, not far from the where he disappeared, just like in many other cases."

Police said officers presented the bear to the toddler Thursday.

Python bites infant in Ill. apartment

MATTOON, Ill., July 6 (UPI) -- A sleeping infant was bitten by a 2-foot-long python that got into an Illinois apartment and wrapped itself around the baby's foot, police said.

Mattoon Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Taylor said investigators believe the python had escaped from another apartment in the building but have been unable to contact the occupant of that apartment, the Mattoon/Charleston (Ill.) Journal-Gazette & Times-Courier reported.

The baby's father, Devin Winans, told police he was awakened about 11 p.m. Monday when his son made noises and found the snake wrapped around the baby's foot.

Sam Lacey, the boy's mother, said Winans pulled the python off her son's foot while holding a blanket and took the baby to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon for treatment of a bite mark, a bruise and scratches.

"It was definitely something we never thought of happening. It was definitely really scary," Lacey said.

She said she hadn't seen the python before and pointed out the apartment building is supposed to be pet-free.

Taylor said the snake's owner could be charged with violating a city ordinance against having an animal at large.

The python was taken to the Coles County animal shelter, where manager Julie Deters said it is being kept in an aquarium tank.

Survey: Sunday the most boring for Brits

LONDON, July 6 (UPI) -- A British hotel said its survey indicates four in 10 adults in the country consider Sunday to be the most boring day of the week.

Premier Inn, which conducted the survey of 2,000 Britons to launch its $29 room promotion, said 40 percent of those surveyed cited Sunday as the most boring day of the week, and about the same percentage said they still get the same "Sunday night feeling" they experienced before going to school.

"The recent bank holidays have been a great time for us all to enjoy a bit of extra time off work and visit family or even take a short break away, so it's not surprising that our weekends now feel shorter," Premier spokeswoman Claire Haigh said.

"Sundays should be a day to relax and enjoy the last of the weekend break but the results show that people are instead spending their Sundays thinking about work for the week ahead, so they are the most dreaded day of the week. Getting the Sunday Blues is quite common so we would advise people to plan their weekends in advance so they can make the most of the Sunday and turn it into a day to look forward to."

Italian man busted for $3.69M tax evasion

BERGAMO, Italy, July 6 (UPI) -- Italian authorities said a racing boat driver who drives a Ferrari was arrested on allegations he evaded paying $3.69 million in taxes over four years.

The Finance Police said the Bergamo man, whose name was not released, did not declare any income when filing his taxes for several years, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Friday.

"The investigation led to the discovery that the man was the administrator and legal representative of various businesses that, for the tax years of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, declared high costs and little revenue to evade about three million euros ($3.69 million)," Finance Police said in a statement. "And it emerged that he, despite the heady lifestyle he conducted in the period, did not declare any income to the tax authorities."

Investigators said the probe began when authorities noticed a Ferrari F131 driving around Bergamo and traced it to an owner who had not declared any income, despite also having leasing agreements for a Hummer and a luxury Dodge.