The unimportant news thread

[Pohjolas Daughter]

"Camel escapes Nativity scene and leads police on day-long chase" :

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-12-09/camel-escapes-nativity-scene-and-leads-police-on-day-long-chase

Oh, no! lol  Glad that it wasn't hurt nor the officers!

PD

[MusicTurner]

Oh, no! lol  Glad that it wasn't hurt nor the officers!

PD

The whole Nativity thing didn't make much sense to it, apparently 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Love this story!  Love the fox! 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/artist-uses-frozen-finland-lake-massive-canvas-rcna8690

PD

[MusicTurner]

Love this story!  Love the fox! 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/artist-uses-frozen-finland-lake-massive-canvas-rcna8690

PD

Impressive, and beautiful.

[greg]

So I was wondering if there was a rapper called Lil ADHD.
After a search, yeah, someone has that name on soundcloud.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I found this story quite surprising:  Kosovo agrees to rent prison cells to Denmark to ease overcrowding

On the BBC website:

"In total, Kosovo is due to receive a total of €210m over the next 10 years for renting the prison in Gjilan, some 50km (30 miles) from the capital, Pristina, from 2023. Danish ministers were due to visit the jail on Tuesday.
"[The agreement] will create space in our prisons and ease the pressure on our prison officers at the same time as it also sends a clear signal to third-country nationals sentenced to deportation: Your future does not lie in Denmark, and you must therefore not serve time here," Danish Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said in a statement."

There's more to it here:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59740324

I wonder how this is being viewed in Denmark?

PD

[MusicTurner]

It sounds rather absurd, obviously. Overall, the Danish prison sector has been too strained by various governments since about 2005. Now it lacks space, staff and ressources, and this is an attempt at an easy solution, supported also by right-wingers because of the generally harsher conditions on  the Balkans, as a preventive measure to avoid future 'travellers in crime'  here etc. Allegedly, it would take 10 years to establish suitable, new prison facilities in DK, and officially, the new Kosovo prisons will be run according to Danish rules and with Danish leadership. Apparently, Kosovo finds this attractive due to the funds given, and the implied modernization/education measures, with a payment of about 150 mio Euros.

Most of the Danish political parties voted for, but there's obviously also critique; the prison clientele, sentenced to expulsion and having double or non-Danish citizenship, isn't just touring criminals. Some have family/children raised in DK, and even though you can get support for visits, this probably means only skype contact for them onwards. You could also see this as an attempt of outsourcing or even privatizing the prison sector - as a 'cosmetic' repair of an essentially failed policy. Prisons are run by the state here. And the sentencing authorities should also run the punishment part, by principle and as their responsibility. Norway tried the same thing in the Netherlands, but had to give up, due to conflicts that could rise between the two law systems, for example when crimes took place in the prisons etc. I find it hard to believe that new facilities can't be established relatively quickly at home in DK, maybe via some re-organizing between sectors and prison groups. But it's a part of the very hard-line immigration signalling, that has been by far the most regrettable aspect of our otherwise quite good, current government.

[Karl Henning]

A dinosaur embryo, exceptionally preserved in an egg about to hatch, reveals links to birds

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A dinosaur embryo, exceptionally preserved in an egg about to hatch, reveals links to birds

Cool!

PD

[T. D.]

https://apnews.com/article/oddities-florida-10e4d1f9a3ac418578b7cd38341c70e4

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Florida authorities said they found cocaine and methamphetamine wrapped around a man's penis during a traffic stop, but the man denied the drugs were his.

[Karl Henning]

https://apnews.com/article/oddities-florida-10e4d1f9a3ac418578b7cd38341c70e4

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Florida authorities said they found cocaine and methamphetamine wrapped around a man's penis during a traffic stop, but the man denied the drugs were his.

Mercy, but I chuckled!

[T. D.]

If one needed any more reasons not to use illicit drugs...

[LKB]

Mercy, but I chuckled!

Fodder for late night comedians, no doubt.

Don't let them steal from you, TD...

[Karl Henning]

If one needed any more reasons not to use illicit drugs...

Hey, I'm just the mule!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

This story warmed my heart:  Nurse goes beyond duty and rescues a hospitalized patient's dog from the shelter

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/25/us/nurse-rescue-dog-patient-hospital-rome-new-york/index.html

PD

[Karl Henning]

This story warmed my heart:  Nurse goes beyond duty and rescues a hospitalized patient's dog from the shelter

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/25/us/nurse-rescue-dog-patient-hospital-rome-new-york/index.html

PD

Nice!

[Karl Henning]

11 epic mysteries scientists totally can't solve

[T. D.]

Dreaming about becoming an Olympic hero?

https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/swimming/emily-seebohm-reveals-shockingly-low-pay-for-aussie-elite-swim-stars/news-story/d38c09557dba3111bf169abdf7fa1bd9

Top 8 Australian national team swimmers (presumably women's team? article is not clear) have a contract for A$30,000 (about US$21,500) per year.
But they get bonuses for Olympic medals! A$20,000 (about US$14,360) for gold, if they don't retire.

[Karl Henning]

Maya Angelou to become the first Black woman to appear on U.S. quarter as Treasury rollout begins

[Spotted Horses]

The last two times I dropped by a Starbucks the bakery case was basically empty. The supply chain crisis, omicron, Joe Biden's war on bacon? Impossible to tell, buy my diet has improved.