QUIRKY WORLD ... Audiences flock to farm to see pigs fly

CHINA: A farmer has been teaching his pigs to dive in a bid to alleviate their boredom.

Huang Demin, 32, of Ningxiang county, Hunan province, found that giving the pigs a reason to exercise made them happier — and tastier.

Now his idea for improving the lives of his pigs has been turned into visitor attractions at several places around China, such as this recreational park in Donglu near Wenchang City.

The larger pigs dive from heights of up to 5m, while the smaller animals jump from a 1m or 3m board.

Visitors seem to love the daily spectacle on the purpose-built pig diving boards, he said, and he can sell the meat for three times the price of a normal pig.

USA: Law enforcement negotiators in one US state are getting training in the art of texting in case they need it to help defuse violent and unpredictable situations

A New York state police spokeswoman said texting is not ideal in a crisis, but if it is all they have troopers will use the option. She said situations have arisen enough times in the last five years to warrant the special training.

It presents challenges. Negotiators said hints they take from a person’s tone of voice are lost and they worry their messages can be misinterpreted or delayed as they fumble to type.

BRITAIN: Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat has said that handsome actors do not fit the bill when it comes to playing the Time Lord.

Moffat said that Matt Smith, the former Doctor who became something of a sex symbol, and new incumbent Peter Capaldi were attractive, but only in an “odd way”.

He told the Radio Times that one of the reasons he picked Capaldi was that the The Thick Of It star was odd-looking, while Smith is the “strangest looking man” from a certain angle.

“There is something about Peter’s demeanour, his eyes, his attitude — he’s tremendously bright and that comes out on screen,” said Moffat.

“When you choose a Doctor, you want somebody who is utterly compelling, attractive in a very odd way.

“None of the Doctors are conventionally attractive, but they’re all arresting. Handsome men don’t quite suit.

“Matt Smith’s a young, good-looking bloke from one angle but is actually the strangest looking man from another.

“You need that oddity; you need somebody who is carved out of solid star...”

USA: Wildlife officials believe a bear is to blame for a series of recent car break-ins.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says several cars have been broken into over the last few weeks in the same North Conway neighbourhood. Officials say the likely culprit is a bear looking for food.

Terry Leavitt said the radio was pulled out of her dashboard. The interior was ripped apart and a window was smashed. Other residents also reported similar damage.

Conway police Sgt George Walker says it’s a common occurrence this time of year as bears stop hibernating and search for food. And the suspect description is always the same — “black and furry”.

CHINA: A naked woman climbed on to an air conditioning unit outside the 11th floor of a hotel and started dancing, attracting a huge crowd of onlookers.

Police and firemen gathered at the scene after reports that the woman had climbed out of her room at the hotel in Liuzhou City, Guangxi Zhuang.

Police spokesman Shi Wan said she showed no interest in negotiators but “didn’t seem particularly suicidal”.

In the end, he said, it was an elderly cleaner who came into the room who appeared to calm the woman, and rescuers took the opportunity to pull her to safety.