Cheeky owl steals show at wedding

A cheeky owl almost stole the show on a couple's wedding day.
The injured bird popped up into the front of an official wedding photo, and was picked out by the camera's autofocus, leaving happy couple Libby Higgins and Jim Pearn blurred. But luckily the newlyweds didn't get in a flap when 'Sam Adams' made his appearance - and the snap has become a favorite in their wedding album.
They were all smiles to see the resident of the John J Audubon Centre bird sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Libby, 26, said: "He was hit by a car right near the Audubon Society and the bones under his eye were severed so badly that his tear ducts no longer work.
"They need to give him artificial tears. Poor little guy. We loved the little fellow and were only too happy to have our picture taken with him - even if he turned out to be the star."
Sam Adams was being shown around accompanied by a handler after the wedding ceremony when the photo was taken.
Libby added: "You better believe that the owl tried to steal the show!"


Girl, 5, survives 100ft fall from window

A five-year-old girl had an amazing escape after she fell from the window of a 10th floor flat, hit a ground floor awning and survived. Ye Zixu suffered only scratches and bruises in the 100ft fall from her family's flat in the Chinese city of Chongqing.
Yan, a street vendor who saw what he initially thought was a red doll falling, said she made a loud bang when she hit the awning.
"I only realised it was actually a kid when somebody shouted that a child had fallen from a high window," he said. "We thought she couldn't possibly have survived - and then we heard crying from the top of the awning."
A young man grabbed a ladder to check on the girl and was amazed to see that she was already sitting up. Ye Zixu crawled to the edge of the awning to be helped down - but slipped and fell.
Luckily, she was caught by another witness, dentist Jiang Yuansheng, who ran with the girl to a nearby hospital. She was later transferred to the city's South West Hospital where doctors pronounced her fit and well, but for a slight myocardial contusion.


Underwater card game breaks records

A group of German scuba divers are claiming a new world record after playing the same card game underwater for 36 hours. The 16 divers - who worked in shifts so they could change oxygen tanks - sat on the bottom of a pool in Geiselhoering, playing a traditional Bavarian card game called 'Sheep's head'.
Organiser Eric Schlegelmilch said: "We gave up counting who owed what after an hour. We didn't want anyone going belly up."
Now the group plan to contact Guinness World Records officials with a video record of their stunt.


Norman the scooter-riding dog

A pet dog has become on online star after his owners taught him to ride a scooter. Norman, a 20-month-old Briard, balances on the toy with his front paws on the handlebars while pushing himself along with his hind leg.
Owner Karen Cobb, of Canton, Georgia, said: "He began playing with the kids' scooter in the backyard and we thought it would be fun to give him a ride on it.
"Then we decided to teach him to push it and now he loves riding his scooter."
Videos of his tricks have been viewed more than 300,000 times on YouTube and earned him a television appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Norman also competes in obedience competitions and received his Companion Dog Title at just 15 months of age after four first place finishes.