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Gorilla, no longer homesick, rope dances

KREFELD, Germany, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Officials at a German zoo said a gorilla that initially had difficulty adjusting to his new home is rope dancing for the zoo's 75th anniversary Jubilee.

A spokeswoman for the zoo in Krefeld said Kidogo was homesick when he came to the facility from Denmark in April, but he is now back to performing his signature rope dance and is showing off his trick for the zoo's anniversary, Die Welt reported Tuesday.

The 12-year-old silverback gorilla lives with a pair of females, Muna and Oya, in the zoo's Gorilla Garden.

Stephen Hawking conjures black hole in ad

LONDON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Famed physicist Stephen Hawking appears on a commercial for a British website, conjuring a black hole to swallow the website's intentionally annoying mascot.

Hawking, 70, said he is a fan of insurance website Go Compare's humorous advertisements and was glad to be able to film a commercial where he conjures a black hole to swallow fictitious opera singer Gio Compario, The Guardian reported Tuesday.

"I confess I am a fan of the Go Compare adverts," Hawking said. "I am also an opera fan so I was delighted to be given the opportunity to help save the nation and silence Gio."

Kevin Hughes, marketing officer for Go Compare, said he was happy to have Hawking appear in the company's commercial.

"We were thrilled to hear (Hawking) was a fan of the ads and believe his appearance will really take viewers by surprise," he said.

'Oompa Loompas' involved in assault

NORWICH, England, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Police in Britain said a gang of attackers who assaulted a man included two men dressed as Oompa Loompas.

Investigators in Norwich, England, said the three men and one woman who attacked a 28-year-old man after he left a kebab house around 3:20 a.m. Thursday included two men with their skin painted orange and their hair colored green in the style of the characters from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the Norwich Evening News reported Tuesday.

The victim suffered a cut to his right eye, two black eyes, a small cut to the nose and a cut lip, police said.

Investigators did not reveal the motive for the attack.

Swedes still frustrated by 'Ivanhoe' end

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Many Swedes watching the annual New Year's Day broadcast of 1982 film "Ivanhoe" posted online they feel the protagonist chooses the wrong bride.

Film fans including writers for the Dagens Nyheter newspaper and Aftonbladet sports reporter Robert Laul said they are frustrated by the film's ending, when the titular knight chooses the blonde Rowena, played by Lysette Anthony, over Jewish brunette Rebecca, played by Olivia Hussey, The Local.se reported Tuesday.

"Come on, Ivanhoe, it's 2013. Bloody well choose Rebecca!" Laul posted on Twitter.

The sentiment was echoed by other Twitter users.

"It's equally annoying every year when he chooses the wrong chick!" Johanna Lindell tweeted.

The Local said it was unable to find any tweets from Swedes supporting the Ivanhoe-Rowena pairing in the film, which is based on the book by Sir Walter Scott.