WhiteBoard News for Wednesday, August 29, 2001

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Reuters):

A Malaysian judge ordered a man to sing the national anthem to prove his claim he was a citizen who had simply lost his identity card. The laborer's rendition of the "Negara Ku" anthem on Monday was so good the magistrate let him stop after just four lines.

"He sang very well. Loud and clear...I think that was sufficient to prove he was Malaysian," magistrate Naziah Mokhtar told Reuters on Tuesday.

Fauzi Hamid was arrested on August 20 for not having his identity card when he was questioned during a police raid on a market in the northern state of Kedah.

He told police he had lost his card but Naziah said she doubted the story because Fauzi, 21, had no papers and looked like an Indonesian.

Malaysia is a haven for illegal immigrants -- mostly from Indonesia -- and police routinely comb public places checking for people without identity papers.

Despite his singing talent, the Kedah native will serve three days in a state jail after he failed to pay the 30 ringgit ($7.89) fine for not producing his ID. 
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Clarksburg, West Virginia (Ananova):

An American has taken a whirlwind tour of the world which lasted 61 hours and 23 minutes.

Bill Dorsey saw the Great Wall of China, the Himalayas and the rice fields of Taiwan from the window of a plane.

He changed planes in six cities, including Amsterdam and Singapore, and travelled 25,000 miles, sleeping for only seven hours.

Mr Dorsey, from Clarksburg, West Virginia, started his adventure at Pittsburgh International Airport.

"I just wanted to go around the world one time," said Mr Dorsey, who also saw the Empire State Building in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"I didn't see as much as you would if you went sightseeing in each of the places, but my goal was to see the world."

But the bit enjoyed best was taking off and landing. "It's a thrill," he said. "It's better than any amusement park."
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Mariehamn, Finland (Ananova):

A millionaire will have to pay $23,840 for driving at 18 miles per hour over the limit because fines are means tested in Finland.

The 54-year-old has admitted breaking the speed limit.

But he says he had no idea the fine would be so big.

Anders Wiklof was driving home from his summerhouse near Mariehamn when he was stopped for doing 49mph in his new Mercedes.

That was 18mph over the 50kmph (31mph) limit.

He told Swedish newspaper Expressen: "I knew it was going to be a big fine, but not this big.

"When the police showed me the figure they had worked out on their calculator, I thought they had done something wrong."

According to Finnish law, fines are based on income and can therefore be steep for someone like Mr Wiklof, who is one of Finland's wealthiest men.

Mr Winklof says he will pay the fine of 155,000 Finnish marks ($23,840) but wants the authorities to see the absurdity of the situation.

"The rest of the world must be laughing at us Finns and it's really not going to promote tourism, is it?" he says.

"I must hold the world record. Maybe I'll be in the Guinness Book of Records next year."
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Saint-Malo, France (Ananova):

A French sculptor and six rowers have managed to travel one marine mile on a boat made of granite.

Jean-Yves Menez and his crew propelled the 3.8-ton boat he cut out of a 35 ton block of stone. They travelled safely from Dinard to Saint-Malo on the River Rance in a 54-minute journey.

The boat, called Maen Vag, or 'Vase Made of Stone' in Breton, emerged from the water by 20cm, reports French website www.tf1.fr.

It was closely followed on its journey by a marine rescue patrol.
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Christchurch, New Zealand (The Stuff):

Give dad the finger for Father's Day and help save a life. 

That's the message from the Prostate Awareness And Support Society, which is suggesting that the kindest gift for Father's Day is a digital rectal examination and a prostate specific antigen blood test.

PASS vice-president Barry Young said about 600 New Zealand men died of prostate cancer every year despite the fact that, if caught early, most cases could be successfully treated.

"The problem for New Zealand men is that too few of them know anything about prostate cancer. Access to information is often only made available when a prostate problem becomes obvious. For many this is too late. There is no need for this. A simple blood test and a physical examination can indicate if the prostate is abnormal and can lead doctors down the track of accurate diagnosis.

"Luckily, something like 90 per cent of men who are diagnosed with a prostate problem do not have cancer."

Mr Young said men should have an annual check from the age of 50, of from the age of 40 if there is a family history of prostate cancer.
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Rome, Italy (Reuters):

Potential champions are training for the most uncomfortable, irritating sporting event of the Italian summer -- the annual mosquito killing championships.

Brave contestants clad in swimsuits and long socks will gather in the Lomellina valley south of Milan Saturday to kill as many mosquitoes as they can with their bare hands.

Each contestant will be let loose on the scourge of many a warm summer's evening for a five-minute frenzy, but must also collect each squashed insect to prove the kill.

Entries for the evening championships, which drew a hardy crowd from across Europe last year, are open until the last minute and the organizer, barber Simone Accardo, has arranged prizes for the most successful killing sprees.

Winner of the gold medal will take home six piglets, second place picks up two ostriches and third on the podium will be honored with 500 eggs. 
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Dudley, England (The Express and Star):

A 14-year-old karate champion saw off a gang of robbers when they unwittingly picked on him in the West Midlands.

Gareth Kelly was approached by the gang of five in Brierley Hill, near Dudley, as he made his way home from training in nearby Stourbridge.

But the European karate gold medalist scared them way when they threatened him with violence unless he handed over money and his mobile phone.

Police say Gareth refused to hand over the phone and his money. When he was attacked he knocked one of the gang to the ground, sending the others running.

Superintendent Keith Baldwin said: "I would applaud his courage in taking them all on. He used his karate skills to fight them off. They all ran off and he was not injured."

The Express and Star says Gareth, a member of Dudley Shukokai Karate Club, won the European gold medal for his age group in May.
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Morro Bay, California (The Tribune):

A terrified man was taken on a hair-raising ride after a truck hooked up and drove away a portaloo he was using.

The prison inmate had been using the loo while on a chain-gang in Morro Bay, California.

He was released after police stopped the truck when a pedestrian spotted the man shouting 'Hey, Help' out of the opened loo door as the truck and toilet sped along the road.

Businessman Rick Grantham was outside checking his postbox when he spotted the truck towing a Port-a-potty on a trailer tilting sharply to one side. He then saw a man opening the door trying to get out, reports The Tribune, San Luis.

Mr Grantham, who called police, said: "He's yelling, 'Hey! Hey!' And trying to get the driver's attention. The first thing I told them was 'This is not a joke.'"
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