Police seek ‘Bad Santa’ in Mercedes theft case
Police in Australia released security camera footage of a “Bad Santa” stealing a Mercedes car while dressed as St Nick. The New South Wales Police said a woman had parked her luxury 2009 Mercedes C63 sedan overnight at an underground parking structure in Zetland, and she returned the following day to find it missing. Police released CCTV footage from the structure showing a man, who appears to be
in his 30s, walking into the parking area while wearing a Santa Claus costume and a fake white beard. The “Bad Santa” is believed to have been involved in the December 8 theft. Police released CCTV footage Wednesday in the hopes of identifying the jolly old elf.
(UPI)
Brexit survival kit helps Britons face the worst
With just nine weeks to go until Britain is due to leave the European Union, a company is selling worried Britons a survival kit to help them prepare for the worst.
The “Brexit Box”, retailing at 295 pounds ($380), provides food rations to last 30 days, according to its producer, businessman James Blake who says he has already sold hundreds of them.
With still no deal on how Britain will trade with the EU once it leaves, retailers and manufacturers have warned a “no-deal” Brexit could cause food and medicine shortages due to expected chaos at ports that could paralyse supply lines.
The Brexit Box includes 60 portions of freeze-dried British favorites: Chicken Tikka, Chilli Con Carne, Macaroni Cheese and Chicken Fajitas, 48 portions of dried mince and chicken, firelighter liquid and an emergency water filter. “Right now we are in a Brexit process that nobody has control over, we have no idea what is happening. Our Government has no idea what is happening, but you can control what happens to you by taking control yourself,” said Blake. “One of those things is to be a little bit ahead, have some food in place,” he added.
Customer Lynda Mayall, 61, who ignored Government assurances that there is no need to stockpile food for Brexit, said: “I thought: let’s make sure I’m covered in the event of things going awry. In addition to her Brexit Box, Mayall, a counsellor and therapist, has stocked up on household products such as washing liquid, which she thinks may become scarce. The Brexit Box’s long shelf life — the canned food will last up to 25 years — is appealing. “In the event I don’t need it for Brexit, it is not going to go to waste,” Mayall said.
(Reuters)
Man accused of letting an11-year-old drive to school
An arrest warrant has been issued for a northern Illinois man who police say allowed an 11-year-old relative to drive herself to school in a stolen rental car while he rode along. The Lake County News-Sun reports that employees at a Round Lake Park elementary school saw the girl pull up to the school’s drop-off point on January 9. She and a nine-year-old girl who was in the back seat exited the car. Police say 31-year-old Khafilu Oshodi of Round Lake then moved into the driver’s seat and drove away. He’s wanted on two counts of child endangerment and driving with a suspended license. Police Chief George Filenko says the drop-off area is very busy and the incident could’ve “resulted in any number of tragic scenarios” if the child lost control.
(AP)
Papal Swiss Guards keep a cool head with 3-D helmets
The Vatican’s Swiss Guard, the colorfully dressed mini-army that helps protect the pope, will have cooler heads now they have swapped their ancient metal helmets for ones made by 3-D printers. The new helmets, made of a thermoplastic, were distributed to the corps on Tuesday, the 513th anniversary of their foundation as a mercenary force in 1506, the Vatican said. They are nearly identical in appearance to the previous version but bear the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, who first used the corps for his personal protection.
One of the main advantages of the new helmets is that they will not heat up like the metal ones, meaning the guards will sweat less, said spokesman Urs Breitenmoser. News site Swissinfo.ch said the old helmets, made in Austria, weighed two kilograms, while the new ones, made in Switzerland, weigh 570 grams. The Swiss Guard wear the ceremonial uniforms of yellow, red and blue stripes at official papal services such as Masses and visits by heads of state. The force, which numbers about 110 men, normally dress in plain clothes and more simple blue caped uniforms with berets.
(Reuters)
Police seek volunteers to get drunk for them
A Pennsylvania police department’s request for volunteers to get drunk for law and order purposes generated a predictably enthusiastic response. The Kutztown Police Department sought three volunteers to drink hard liquor to the point of inebriation so officers could be trained how to administer field sobriety tests during traffic stops. A call for volunteers on Facebook accumulated hundreds of responses and over 1,000 shares in less than a day. The post was soon updated with the news that the department had its volunteers for the April 4 training session. Volunteers were required to have a clean criminal history and have a responsible party to take care of them after the training.
(AP)
