POLITICALLY CORRECT German education officials have ordered a character called Bruno in a new children’s book to be renamed Aydan.
Officials in Hamburg were reportedly unhappy at having a character with the same name as Sacha Baron Cohen’s Nazi-praising Austrian journalist, Brüno.
They also wanted something that would not offend the Muslim community, and so chose the Turkish name Aydan. In addition, they have demanded that more Muslim characters be included in the book, that women have equal character status as men, and that people with disabilities also feature. The book, The Adventures of Aydan, is described as “an attempt to bring dull topics such as politics and democracy closer to kids”.
*****
A MAN who survived one of Britain’s worst avalanches has won a share of an £8 million (€9.3 million) UK National Lottery jackpot.
Stephen Newton was on a winter climbing course with scouts when he was buried alive under a huge snowfall in 1998.
The 34-year-old, from Kent, was part of a group of seven caught in the disaster on Aonach Mor, Scotland. Four of his friends were killed, while Newton and his then girlfriend survived in sub-zero temperatures for 16 hours with their instructor.
Newton says he plans to donate a “significant sum” to mountain rescue charities.
*****
A CHINESE trucker has been fined for having a shower while driving. A police patrol car spotted water leaking from the driver’s cab as it sped along a motorway. “We worried the driver may not have known about a mechanical problem so we signalled him to pull over at a service station,” said a spokesman.
The officers were shocked to see the driver was wet through and had been enjoying a shower via a sprinkler kettle system rigged up above his head.
His wife, who was in the passenger seat, had been holding up a sheet of plastic to protect the instruments from the water.
She told police officers they were rushing to deliver goods in another city and she had rigged up the shower to keep her husband cool after the air-conditioning broke down.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in China, a motorcyclist received a caution from police officers for riding with no arms. Officers in Jimo, Shandong province, stopped the motorcycle for being overloaded – but were shocked when they saw the driver.
Liu (27) had lost both arms at the age of seven after an electric shock. When he was 10, his parents sent him to a circus to learn skills and he trained himself to ride a motorbike without arms.
Police officer Xhang Jie said: “I spotted from a distance that the motorbike had three adults on but we were all stunned by what we saw when we got closer.”
Liu admitted he had been riding his adapted motorcycle for 10 years – and he didn’t even have a licence. Police decided against fining him because he did not have any money but issued him with a warning. Liu promised he would not ride motorbikes again.
*****
A WOMAN was shot on a hotel toilet in Florida – by a bullet fired when the woman in the next cubicle dropped her gun.
Janifer Bliss (53) was hit in the lower leg and taken to hospital with minor injuries. Police said the woman in the next stall accidentally let her handgun slip out of its holster and it discharged on hitting the ground.
*****
AND FINALLY, a Berlin brothel is leading the way in these recessionary times and doing its bit for the environment – by offering discounts to customers who arrive on bicycles.
“The recession has hit our industry hard,”said Thomas Goetz, owner of the Maison d’envie.
“Obviously we hope that the discount will attract more people. It’s good for business, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for the girls.”
Customers who arrive on a bicycle or can prove they used public transport get a €5 discount from the usual €70 fee for a 45-minute session.