QUIRKY WORLD ... Fragrant thief is heaven-scent for cops

USA:Officers in western Oregon say a suspect they tried to collar at a traffic stop drove too fast for pursuing officers, but eventually he proved just too fragrant for freedom.

The Albany Democrat-Herald reports that the driver gave officers in Linn County the slip in a high-speed chase before dawn on Sunday, doing more than 160kph in a red Honda Prelude whose bonnet flew off.

However, Lebanon police later saw the car parked and launched a search.

That’s when officers caught a “strong scent of cologne” in the darkness and soon found their suspect hiding in shrubbery.

Charles V Agosto, 35, was jailed on charges, including probation violation and trying to elude officers. Officers said he told them he regretted using the cologne.

MUST-HAVE INTERNET

ENGLAND: Six Londoners unwittingly agreed to give up their eldest child as part of an experiment into public internet services, according to a report.

Researchers said they set up a wi-fi hotspot in the capital, accompanied by a detailed terms-and-conditions page. This contained a “deliberately ridiculous” term which stated that, in return for free wi-fi, the individual using the service was prepared to “render up their eldest child for the duration of eternity”.

A report, entitled ‘Tainted Love: How Wi-Fi Betrays Us’, by security and privacy company F-Secure, concluded: “Our results illustrate the very real problem of the modern world, which is that — while massively dependent on the technology — the population is unaware of its capabilities for surveillance and intrusion into their lives.”

HOGWARTS HEAVEN

MEXICO: A Mexico City man is in Hogwarts heaven after his collection of Harry Potter paraphernalia was named the world’s largest.

Menahem Asher Silva Vargas has spent nearly 15 years hoarding memorabilia related to British author JK Rowling’s young-adult wizard-fantasy series, which spawned eight blockbuster films. His collection fills two rooms and counts everything from wands and toys to Gryffindor scarves and replica Quidditch brooms.

Guinness World Records has now officially recognised it as the world number one, at 3,097 pieces. The old mark was 807. Silva Vargas said he began collecting without any intention of amassing a huge collection. But soon it was like being under a spell. He laughingly called his obsession both a blessing and a curse: “My salary, my bonuses... it all ended up here.”

GORILLA GOODBYE

ENGLAND: Gorillas at a zoo have thrown a goodbye party for one of their troop, who is off to start a new family.

Namoki was born at Bristol Zoo Gardens nine years ago and is now mature enough to have babies of her own. The western lowland gorilla is related to the males at the zoo, so must be introduced to another family.

Her departure was celebrated with a party, with the gorillas given boxes of their favourite foods. Namoki will leave for Northern Ireland on October 14, joined by Lynsey Bugg, assistant curator of mammals at the zoo, who will help the gorilla settle into her new home at Belfast Zoo.

CAFFEINE UNDERWEAR LACKS BUZZ

USA: Bras, girdles, and leggings infused with caffeine and sold as weight-loss aids were more decaf than espresso, and the companies that sold them have agreed to refund money to customers and pull their ads, US regulators said.

The Federal Trade Commission said Wacoal America and Norm Thompson Outfitters, which owns Sahalie and others, were accused of deceptive advertising that claimed their caffeine-impregnated clothing would cause the wearer to lose weight and have less cellulite. “If someone says you can lose weight by wearing the clothes they are selling, steer clear. The best approach is tried and true: Diet and exercise,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

In the case of Oregon-based Norm Thompson, the company sold clothing made with Lytess brand fabric infused with caffeine which, the company said, would break down fat.

“Slimming and firming results are visible in under a month,” the company said in one advertisement the commission quoted in its complaint.

Wacoal America, based in New Jersey, also advertised that its clothing had microcapsules with caffeine, vitamin E, and other chemicals that it said led to weight loss. In one ad, it cited the “revolutionary iPant new shapewear that works with your body to eliminate cellulite”, the FTC said.

In both cases, the companies did not have evidence to back up their claims that the clothing would lead to substantial weight loss, the FTC said in the complaints.

BANKSY DRAW

ENGLAND: Art lovers are descending on a seaside town after a mural by street artist Banksy appeared on a wall.

The piece, called ‘Art Buff’, depicts an older woman staring at an empty plinth while wearing headphones, with her hands clasped behind her back.

Visitors to Banksy’s website can see pictures of the wall before and after the artwork appeared at Payers Park in Folkestone, Kent. Clear plastic sheeting has been placed over the artwork, and the local authority, Shepway District Council, said it was working with the owner of the building to ensure it remains undamaged.