The Register, as usual, has the most biting take on this amazing turn of events.

Next up: George Bush admits Iraq invasion "was probably a mistake kind of thing."

IT'S one of the unfortunate consequences of being a mammal - flatulence.

And, more unfortunately for a group of whale researchers, nature took its course right under their noses - literally.

In Reno Nevada police pulled over a man on a barstool after a slow speed pursuit on one of Reno's busier streets.
It started Monday when an officer saw a man riding the motorized stool at 35 mph. He was being followed closely by a woman in a Mustang.
The woman told police she had been on the phone with a dispatcher reporting the bar stool stolen.
The owner of the bar stool confirmed that the stool,powered by a small engine,had been taken three weeks earlier.
The man caught on the stool, said that he had bought it a little over a week ago, thinking it was a toy and added that he had driven it between Reno and nearby Sparks several times. Police estimate its value at over $1,000.
The man caught on the stool faces Reno charges of possession of stolen property,possession of drug paraphernalia and numerous traffic violations.

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Tasmanian conservationists are urging people to tolerate the often aggressive behaviour of masked lapwings during their short breeding season.

The birds, commonly known as plovers, nest on the ground and might attack if their eggs or chicks are approached.

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust says the breeding season lasts from late winter to early spring.

Plovers are a protected native species and fines of up to $10,000 can be enforced if they are harmed deliberately.

The legislation provides the legal basis for the largest foreign deployment for Japan's armed forces since World War II, which has angered some critics.

Opposition parties objected to the plan on the grounds that it would breach the Japanese constitution, which prohibits military forces from being used for purposes other than defense.