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Woman gets worker's comp for sex injury

CANBERRA, Australia, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- An Australian federal worker was awarded worker's compensation for an injury she sustained while having motel room sex on a work trip.

The woman, who works for a federal agency, suffered injuries to her nose and mouth when a glass light fitting above the motel room bed fell while she was having sexual intercourse in New South Wales in November 2007, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday.

Workplace health insurer Comcare had appealed the woman's worker's comp claim, saying the injury had nothing to do with the woman's job, but the Federal Court sided with the woman, who argued the her employer was responsible for her for the duration of the trip.

"If the applicant had been injured while playing a game of cards in her motel room she would be entitled to compensation even though it could not be said that her employer induced or encouraged her to engage in such an activity," the judges said.

A Comcare spokesman said the company is deciding whether to appeal to the High Court.

"The issue is a significant one. Workers need to be clear about their entitlements and employers should have an understanding of their responsibilities and how to support their staff," he said.

Dodge's yacht listed for $50 million

TUNIS, Tunisia, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The Belgian owners of a steam-powered yacht once belonging to Detroit automaker Horace Dodge are listing the vessel in Tunisia for $50 million.

The Delphine, built for Horace Dodge in 1920 by the Great Lakes Engineering Co. and named for his daughter, measures 258 feet long and contains accommodations for 20 guests and a crew of 55, the Detroit Free Press reported Monday,

The vessel caught fire and sank during a trip to New York in the 1920s and was raised and restored. It was sold to the U.S. Navy during World War II and returned to the Dodge family after the war.

The Belgian family purchased the Delphine in 1997 and operated it as a charter vessel out of Monaco for a price of $1.5 million per month.

The boat is currently docked in Tunisia and is listed for sale with an asking price of about $50 million.

Stranded elephants rejoin circus

OMSK, Russia, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The director of a Polish circus said two elephants stranded in the Russian cold when a truck caught fire are back and rehearsing for their next show.

The Asian elephants, ages 45 and 48, were stranded at the side of a Siberian highway while traveling from Novokuznetsk to Omsk when the diesel engine heating the cargo section of the truck carrying the elephants caused some hay in the vehicle to catch fire, RIA Novosti reported Monday.

The elephants, which were made to jog at the side of the road to keep from freezing and were later given vodka in a heated garage, suffered minor frostbite to their ears in the minus 40 degree weather. Minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit equals minus 40 degrees Celsius.

The animals have now rejoined the circus in Omsk and are preparing for their next show.

"The elephants have arrived and started rehearsing. Their first performance is scheduled for Dec. 22," circus director Yelena Agafonova said.

Parade features mobile outhouse, Grinches

BOYKIN, S.C., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Floats at a lighthearted South Carolina Christmas parade included a jail cell float, two Grinches, a mobile outhouse and a cross-dresser named Fatback Queen.

The 19th annual Boykin Parade, in the unincorporated Boykin community in rural Kershaw County, drew a crowd of thousands to view the animals, tractors, marching bands and unusual floats, The State, Columbia, S.C., reported Monday.

"The only thing organized about this parade is disorganization," joked Rowland Alston, a dignitary on the reviewing stand in downtown Boykin.

The parade included a contingent of blue-clad Civil War re-enactors, a 55-piece marching band from Thomas Sumter Academy, a dog-themed float with the slogan "Bark the Herald Angels Sing" and representatives of local law enforcement agencies.

Bruce Jackson, unofficial mayor of Boykin, said this year's event was unusually free from vehicular breakdowns.

"We didn't need any jumper cables today," Jackson said. "We had lots of children and lots of dogs. The military. And dogs and children on a lot of the floats."