Raccoon gets drunk at Ashland ABC store and passes out in bathroom

• A 32-year-old man in Auckland is accused of swallowing a rare, limited-edition Fabergé pendant inspired by the Octopussy film, reportedly worth about NZ$33,000 (US$19,000), in an attempt to smuggle it out of the store.
• The item, sold at Partridge Jewelers, is a highly ornate piece: gold with enamel, studded with dozens of diamonds and sapphires, and hiding a miniature gold octopus inside, a nod to the film’s “Octopussy” jewel-smuggling plot.
• He was arrested inside the store just minutes after allegedly swallowing the pendant on November 28. As of now, the pendant has not been recovered, so police and medical staff are monitoring him round-the-clock while waiting to see if nature will return the evidence.
• The man appeared in court on November 29 with a theft charge. He has not entered a plea and is expected back in court on December 8.

Original Source: AP

• A Florida man with a “Come back with a warrant” doormat was arrested in a large mortgage fraud investigation.
• Deputies say he forged documents to claim ownership of commercial properties and took out mortgages he never intended to repay.
• Investigators executed a warrant at his home, discovering he had multiple prior convictions and outstanding warrants.
• He now faces charges including grand theft, forgery, and an organized scheme to defraud.

Original Source: AOL

• A town in Italy, Pesaro, accidentally encased a life-size statue of Luciano Pavarotti inside a Christmas ice rink, leaving the bronze tenor knee-deep in ice and boxed in by plexiglass walls.
• Pavarotti’s widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, said she was “angry and upset,” calling the setup disrespectful and a “ridicule” of her late husband’s legacy.
• Mayor Andrea Biancani apologized, admitting the council “made a mistake” and saying no offense was intended.
• The statue, unveiled in April 2024, honors Pavarotti’s close connection to Pesaro, where he had a villa and honorary citizenship.

Original Source: BBC

• Scientists have identified a strain of black fungus, originally found in the irradiated ruins of Chernobyl, that appears to feed on ionizing radiation, rather than just tolerate it.
• This radiation-feeding behaviour is thought to be enabled by a high-melanin pigment in the fungus’s cell walls, which absorbs radiation and may convert it into chemical energy in a process described as “radiosynthesis.”
• In experiments aboard the International Space Station, the fungus (specifically Cladosporium sphaerospermum) was able to survive microgravity and exposure to cosmic radiation and, under certain conditions, reduced radiation levels by a measurable amount.
• Because of this, researchers now regard the fungus as a promising candidate for “bio-shields” in space for long-term missions.

Original Source: Metro

• A cloth-made infant Jesus figure was stolen overnight from a controversial nativity scene in Brussels’ Grand Place.
• The nativity display, created with faceless, cloth-wrapped figures meant to symbolize inclusivity, had already sparked backlash and online ridicule.
• Authorities confirmed the baby Jesus wasn’t damaged, just taken, and quickly installed a replacement while increasing monitoring at the scene.
• Public sentiment seems to have shifted after the theft, with some critics softening, and more people expressing support for the artist and condemning the vandalism/theft.

Original Source: AOL