It's against the law

Today's General News - Wednesday December 12, 2007

ODDS AND ENDS

It's against the law

A ban on dying in London's Houses of Parliament has been voted Britain's most ridiculous law.

The ban is because Parliament is a royal palace.

Nigel Cawthorne, author of The Strange Laws of Old England, said: "Anyone who dies there is technically entitled to a state funeral. If they see you looking a bit sick they carry you out quickly".

Other laws on the list include Oliver Cromwell's decree from around 1644 to combat gluttony by banning people from eating mince pies on Christmas Day and the old London bye-law allowing pregnant women to relieve themselves in a policeman's helmet.

The survey also asked people to comment on some of the more absurd international laws. Top of that list was a bye-law in Ohio banning residents from getting a fish drunk.

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Won't be long dear

British men spend a mind-numbing three months of their lives waiting for their wives or partners to get ready, a study claims.

Women take on average an hour and 12 minutes preparing for a night out or a total of 10 months of their lives.

Shopping trips provide more pain as men spend over an hour each time waiting outside changing rooms.

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Karate Kid

Teenager Rebecca Kelly saved the day when her parents were attacked by a Taser-wielding junkie as they picked her up from a karate lesson in Horsforth, West Yorks.

The 13-year-old put her martial arts skills to the test after a thug lunged at her mother, Diane, 53, with the weapon, which temporarily paralyses people with a huge electric shock, as she waited in the car for her daughter.

Rebecca, who was still in her karate suit, jumped onto the assailant as he was trying to drag her mother from their car. "I was really scared but in my head I was working out all the moves I could do to protect us," she said.

Rebecca then ran back to the gym and returned with three black-belt instructors who overpowered the culprit.

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Pop stars outdated

Footballers have beaten pop stars in the battle for the best-selling 2008 calendar in Britain.

Four football clubs make the top ten but Sir Cliff Richard is the only singer on the list, at No 10.

Last year's best-sellers Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Girls Aloud, Take That and Westlife miss out, says calendar firm Danilo.

The top-selling calendar is Disney's High School Musical, followed by: 2) Liverpool; 3) Man Utd; 4) Dr Who; 5) World Wrestling Entertainment; 6) Arsenal; 7) Chelsea; 8) Hollyoaks; 9) Simpsons; 10) Sir Cliff.

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Those costly phone calls

The British government is making 1million (about 64 million baht) a month from motorists who are fined for using mobile phones at the wheel.

According to The Mail on Sunday the number caught rose by almost 40% last year to nearly 200,000.

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