QUIRKY WORLD ... A daily look at some of the world’s stranger stories
The Vatican officially declared its intention to defeat the Church of England — not in a theological rematch nearly 500 years after they split, but on the cricket pitch.
The challenge was launched at the baptism of the St Peter’s Cricket Club.
Vatican officials said the league will compose teams of priests and seminarians from Catholic colleges and seminaries in Rome. They will play each other in a Twenty20 tournament, where games last about three hours.
After that, the best players will form a Vatican team, to be called the Vatican XI, and challenge the Church of England to form its own team of Anglican priests and seminarians to play in London at Lord’s, the home of cricket.
“The Vatican team will be able to play anybody in the world. We hope to see a Vatican team playing at Lord’s,” said Alfonso Jayarajah, a Sri Lankan who was the first captain of the Italian national team and a board member of St Peter’s Cricket Club.
“We hope to have ecumenical dialogue through cricket and play a Church of England side by September,” said Fr Theodore Mascarenhas, an Indian official at the Vatican’s Council for Culture, who once played as an off-spin bowler.
Meanwhile, in other breaking news, the Vatican have launched St Peter's Cricket Club, and will take on the CofE in a T20 tournament
— Tim Peach (@TimPeachBBC) October 22, 2013
A Halloween bus advertisement which features a zombie covered in blood has been criticised for being too scary.
The Advertising Standards Authority is assessing complaints made about the Tulleys Farm Shocktober Fest banner, which is on the side of more than 100 buses operating across Sussex and south London, to see if any rules have been broken.
Stuart Beare, organiser of Tulleys Farm Shocktober Fest, said they had not intended to offend anyone with the advert, and that his Halloween events were “extremely popular”.
Sportsmen who wear bright trainers are signalling that they are masculine, cocky, and excellent at their sport, a study has claimed.
Those who wear all-white trainers can be aggressive, according to research at the University of Brighton.
Dr Christopher Morriss-Roberts, senior lecturer in the school of health professions in Eastbourne, said the choice of shoes that people wear often speak volumes about the kind of person they are.
He said his research had introduced him to the concept of “podolinguistics” — the ability to communicate feelings or attitudes through the foot and shoe.
The study was published in Podiatry Now, the journal for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.
Scientists are rated as more trustworthy than the clergy, according to a public opinion survey.
Almost two thirds (62%) of those questioned said they believed politicians were the least likely profession to tell the truth, with journalists in second place at 30%.
The online poll of 425 UK people showed scientists were thought to be the most honest, with 0.25% believing they are least likely to tell the truth, followed by artists at 2% and members of the clergy at 5.75%.
The survey was conducted to mark the launch of the Westminster Abbey Institute, a body examining religious, ethical, and public policy issues.
A university professor has knitted his way into the record books while running the Kansas City Marathon.
David Babcock finished in 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 27 seconds while creating a 12ft (3.6m) scarf along the route.
The Guinness record was previously held by Susie Hewer with a 6ft 9in scarf at the London Marathon in April.
A worker called police after his lunch was stolen from the office fridge.
The man complained “that an unknown person stole his Jell-O snack from the break room refrigerator”.
Police say the 39-year-old victim was angry because it was not the first time someone had stolen his food. So far the thief has remained undetected.
Police didn’t need Batman to help them arrest the Joker in central Maine over the weekend.
A man returning from a Halloween party and wearing make-up like the Joker was charged with drunken driving after crashing his car in Pittsfield early on Sunday.
Police say 64-year-old Dennis Lalime lost control of his car at about 2am then struck multiple trees and rocks before coming to a rest. Lalime wasn’t injured.
The Morning Sentinel reports that a nearby homeowner heard the crash and called police, who arrested Lalime on an operating under the influence charge.
In his booking photo, Lalime’s face is painted white, with dark circles around his eyes, and his hair is dyed bright green, just like the villain in the Batman series.
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