A Tennessee woman has been arrested for "poking" someone on Facebook. Police felt that 36-year-old Shannon Jackson violated a protection order by using the site's feature to attract the attention of another user. The order, previously obtained by the woman who received the poke, banned Jackson from "telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with her". Police obtained screen grabs of the victim's Facebook page showing evidence of the poke. (Source: Telegraph.co.uk)
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A reader writes: "While at the post office I noticed a gentleman filling a large box with food, destined for Samoa. Obviously a kind gesture to help people in the tsunami devastated island, but unfortunately I think his gesture will do more harm than good. Into the box, along with non-perishables foods, went at least six "reduced to clear" cheeses from which he dutifully removed the "reduced to clear labels". The unrefrigerated box was going standard post, which takes 3-10 days, so the cheeses should arrive well past their best."
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A Miss Homeless contest held in Belgium - which gave homeless women the chance to win a rent-free flat for a year - has been criticised by women's rights groups. The 58-year-old winner beat nine other finalists who will now all go back on the streets. A contest organiser told how she hoped the competition would draw attention to the plight of the homeless. She said "It was about the contestants' inner strength and determination to get themselves out of their old life and on a new path." One activist said: "I am outraged. These girls turned into puppets parodying their own life. Absolutely pathetic." (Source: The Sun)
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A German boss been forced to apologise after sacking his PA for eating a single meatball from his plate. Magdalene Happ, who'd worked for the manager for 34 years, couldn't resist a single mouthful from the delicacy she'd prepared for her civil servant boss. But colleagues reported the 59-year-old secretary for theft and she was sacked on the spot, an employment tribunal heard. Now boss Hermann Schulte-Hiltrop, 51, has been forced to swallow his pride and apologise to Magdalene after pleading for an out of court settlement.
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View today's Herald cartoon
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<i>Sideswipe</i>: An easy mistake to make
Roger Wadham thought whitebait were the fishy equivalent of an ounce of gold, so what are they doing in cat food?
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