QUIRKY WORLD ... Girl, 10, flies across Russia without ticket or ID
The incident raises questions about security at Russian airports.
The girl, whose identity was not revealed, left home for school on Tuesday and did not return.
Alexander Rzhanenkov of the St Petersburg city hall told Russian news agencies the girl went to Moscow’s Vnukovo airport where she mingled with a crowd boarding a flight to St Petersburg.
The official said she boarded the plane together with a large family with children. Police picked her up at St Petersburg’s airport, where she was wandering unaccompanied.
Children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said the girl’s trip sends “a serious alert sign” about airport security.
Midair wee
A Kentucky man has been arrested in North Carolina after witnesses say he urinated on the floor of an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to Charlotte.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report states that 28-year-old Jordan Gardner was arrested when the flight arrived.
Multiple media outlets reported that witnesses said Gardner pulled down his pants, arched his back and urinated on the floor. A flight attendant was notified and sent him to the bathroom.
The flight attendant used club soda to clean the mess. Gardner returned to his seat about 15 minutes later.
Charlotte police and the FBI met the flight.
WBTV reported the Ludlow, Kentucky, man faces a criminal complaint of destruction of aircraft.
He’s to appear in federal court today.
Proud of their peacocks
Villagers have spoken out in support of a pride of peacocks accused of ruining village life with their antics.
More than 100 people in Ushaw Moor, near Durham, have backed a petition demanding something is done about the noise, mess and damage caused by the birds, which they claim screech at night, foul pavements and attack vehicles after seeing their reflection in the paintwork.
But an online poll, publicised on the Deerness Valley Facebook page, has 95% backing for the peacocks to stay, with more than 160 people voting.
13 reasons not to marry
The number of people getting married fell in 2013 as some couples postponed their nuptials fearing the unlucky number 13 could jinx them.
There were 240,854 marriages in England and Wales, a drop of some 8.6% compared with 2012 and the first fall since 2009, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
While the number of marriages has been in long-term decline since the 1970s, it had started to rise again in 2009.
Snap-chatting
Fearing Snapchat could take an ugly turn towards “snap chomp”, police are warning people not to take selfies with an alligator in suburban Atlanta.
Peachtree City police also advise residents not to feed the 6ft animal known as Flat Creek Floyd as he soaks in the sun on Flat Creek, about 50km south-west of Atlanta. Police Lieutenant Mark Brown said the alligator’s presence has “gone a little crazy” on social media.
Police said that when Floyd was spotted earlier this month, it was the first alligator sighting in the area in five years. Alligators are common in parts of south Georgia, but are not usually seen in Atlanta.
Strange switch
A male Tibetan character from the Doctor Strange comic books presented such a political minefield to Marvel that they have cast a Caucasian woman in the film.
The move was intended in part to avoid offending China’s government and filmgoers, reflecting the pressures Hollywood film-makers perceive when trying to appeal to the Chinese market. One of the screenwriters suggested that the casting of actress Tilda Swinton provided a partial solution, although some online commentators criticised the casting of a white woman in the role of comic book sorcerer The Ancient One.
No show
Jordan has banned a performance by a popular Lebanese band on religious grounds, leading to criticism of the kingdom which portrays itself as an island of tolerance in a turbulent region.
Mashrou’ Leila (Leila’s Project) is known internationally for violin-laced pop music with catchy Arabic lyrics. Songs often tackle controversial subjects such as corruption, censorship, state violence and sexual freedom.
Jordan’s Antiquities Department initially said it would not permit a planned show at the Roman Theatre in the capital Amman later this week because it would contradict the “authenticity” of the ancient venue.
However, Amman district governor Khalid Abu Zeid said that the band’s material “contradicts” the beliefs of the three Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
