Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Maryland rules phone wedding valid ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A Maryland court ruled a man who teleconferenced into his own wedding in the Democratic Republic of Congo was legally married. Advertisement The Maryland Court of Special Appeals ruled the wedding was valid in upholding the divorce and the ensuing nearly $6,000 a month in alimony, child support and other financial payments Noel Tshiani was ordered to pay, The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday. Tshiani, a World Bank employee, had argued his 1993 wedding was never valid because he was in another country at the time. Tshiani called into the ceremony while his cousin stood in for him. The ruling said Maryland's state marriage law doesn't bar the state of Maryland "from recognizing a ceremony where one party participates by proxy -- or in the manner that occurred here -- and the ceremony is valid in another jurisdiction." Advertisement "The opinion by the court makes it clear that the public policy of Maryland is very much to be in support of marriage, regardless of how it's done," said Judith Wolfer, an attorney representing Tshiani's ex-wife, Marie-Louise Tshiani. Tshiani's attorney could not be reached for comment. Scorpion injures Spanish plane passenger MADRID, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Spanish airline Iberia said a plane had to be cordoned off at Madrid's Barajas airport after a passenger was injured by a scorpion. Airline officials said the Airbus 340 arrived from San Jose, Costa Rica, and a passenger was taken to a hospital due to an injury from the scorpion, ThinkSpain reported Wednesday. The passenger, a Swiss woman, was hospitalized overnight and released. A representative for the airline said the scorpion, which is believed to have boarded the plane in Costa Rica, was captured and the plane was disinfected. Emu captured in police patrol car BARNSTAPLE, England, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Police in Barnstaple, England, said they apprehended a loose emu and held it in the back of a patrol car for a half hour until animal authorities arrived. Police said the large flightless bird, a native of Australia, was seen running from house to house in rush hour traffic Wednesday morning and was quickly corralled into the back of a patrol car, where it became angry, The Guardian reported. Advertisement "There was a lot of wee-ing and poo-ing and flying feathers in the back of the car," acting Sgt. Zoe Parnell said. "It's going to have to be specially cleaned." The emu was turned over to North Devon Animal Ambulance, which is searching for the bird's owner. Man accused of drunken duck shooting DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said a man is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly drunkenly shooting ducks from atop an apartment complex roof. Delray Beach police said Scott Jensen, 48, maintenance supervisor at Delray Lake Apartments, used a high-powered pellet gun to shoot the ducks from atop a roof at the complex Nov. 19 because he was tired of cleaning up their messes, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Wednesday. Police said Jensen killed at least two ducks. "The defendant confessed to shooting Muscovy ducks from the roof and showed no remorse in doing so," the police report said. "The defendant, who appeared intoxicated, stated that he would continue to shoot the ducks to rid the property of them." Jensen was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
