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Fox lived in the Shard skyscraper at London Bridge

A fox has been discovered living at the top of the UK's tallest skyscraper. The Shard overtook Canary Wharf as the UK's highest tower block last year.

The animal, named Romeo by staff, is thought to have entered the 288m (945ft) Shard building at London Bridge through the central stairwell.

It survived by eating scraps of food left by builders working on the incomplete structure.

The fox was captured and taken to Riverside Animal Centre in london where it was fed and given a check-up.

Ted Burden, the centre's founder, said: "We explained to him that if foxes were meant to be 72 storeys off the ground, they would have evolved wings.

"We think he got the message and, as we released him back on to the streets of Bermondsey shortly after midnight on Sunday, he glanced at the Shard and then trotted off in the other direction."

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Crop car: Police Tractor

Daily Telegraph / BBC

UK police  unveiled a police tractor yesterday, it was not paid for by public money,    Lincolnshire’s $75,000  tractor has been lent by manufacturer John Deere and modified by the National Farmers’ Union. The police tractor will be displayed at shows to highlight police work but could also be used in the event of severe flooding or an environmental disaster. It is decked out in police livery and, despite a top speed of 25mph, has a flashing blue light. Lincolnshire police will display it at farming shows to highlight the fight against agricultural crime. Photo: MASONS

Grand slam wham bam! Moment spectator brawl interrupted play at U.S. Open Tennis

By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 6:35 PM on 3rd September 2010

There might be the occasional flare-up on court - but it was on the genteel stands of the Arthur Ashe Stadium that the real action took place yesterday.

Police were forced to escort three fans out of the U.S. Open after a fight broke out during Novak Djokovic's match against Philipp Petzschner.

The second round match was halted in the eighth game of the first set after the brawl kicked off - apparently when a female spectator and her father took exception to another fan's swearing.

Third-seed Djokovic and Petzschner stopped playing and looked up into the stands while New York police handcuffed the fans and led them out of the stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens.

IRS Warns About Phishing E-mails

ST LOUIS – The Internal Revenue Service today warned about a fraudulent scheme targeting taxpayers who use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to pay federal taxes electronically via the Internet or phone.

The scheme uses an e-mail that claims your tax payment was rejected and directs you to a website for additional information. The website contains malware that will attempt to infect your computer.

“Because so many people prepare and file their taxes electronically, they may wrongly assume the IRS will contact them online about their taxes,” said IRS spokesman Michael Devine.  "The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mails about your taxes.” 

 The IRS says if you receive a suspicious e-mail or an e-mail from someone claiming to be from the IRS directing you to website for additional information, do not reply to the sender, access links on the site or submit any information to them.  Please forward the e-mail or URL information to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Devine said usually the first contact from the IRS for most taxpayers will be a letter or notice that arrives through the mail that explains the situation and provides contact information. 

More information about phishing is available on the IRS.gov web site.  To verify the IRS is trying to contact you, call the IRS toll-free number, 800-829-1040.

 

BA Crash Scare Error 'Terrifies' Passengers

Ed Merrison, Sky News Online

A planeload of British Airways passengers feared for their lives when they were told they were going to crash - only to learn the warning message went out in error. Travelers flying from Heathrow to Hong Kong heard the message: "This is an emergency. We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on water." Cabin crew on the Boeing 747 had to quickly reassure passengers their worst nightmare was not about to come true, telling them the warning was a mistake and there was no emergency. BA, which said the incident took place within the last seven days, apologized for the scare. The airline explained that the message was an automatic one triggered by a computer.

Grankini: Helen Mirren sparks boom in bikini sales for over 50s

By Liz Thomas Daily Mail

Age defying: Helen Mirren, 65, left, Jerry Hall, 54, and Kim Catrall, 54, have been showing off their bikini bodies

They have wider straps, gauge wires and built-in mesh to support and shape the bust in the same way that lingerie does, while the bikini bottoms have higher waistlines. Sales of the 'grankinis' have risen 118 per cent in two years at Debenhams  -  driven by those in their fifties and sixties. Sasha Nagalingham, the store's swimwear buyer, said: 'A full costume on an older lady instantly says "granny"; but a supportive, well-proportioned bikini is less ageing and accentuates rather than hides natural shape.' A survey showed 71 per cent of customers aged 50 to 65 had replaced their one-piece with a bikini in the past few years. Dame Helen caused a stir in 2008 when pictures showed her looking remarkably toned and youthful while posing in a red bikini on holiday in Italy. She has since insisted it was simply a flattering picture.      

Canadian bears aren't very good watchdogs for weed

August 19, 2010  8:02 pm BBC The idea was simple: grow marijuana in the woods, and use wild bears to keep away law enforcement (and poachers). Keep the bears happy by feeding them dog food. Let Mother Nature do her thing, and later profit! Sure enough, the Mounties arrived and on cue the dozen-or-so bears greeted the visitors. But instead of chasing away the law, the bears just played around with the cop car and wandered off. "They were tame, they just sat around watching. At one point one of the bears climbed onto the hood of a police car, sat there for a bit and then jumped off," Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Fred Mansveld told the BBC. Although the photos of the smiling mounties next to the tame bears are cute, because the pot-growers had been feeding the animals (an illegal act in Canada), officials say the bears may have to be put down. The fear is that because the bears are now comfortable around humans, they are more likely to attempt to interact with people again -- something that is safe for neither people nor bears. Another theory is that the bears were being kept as pets, which is also probably a funny idea to those under the influence, but a bad one for any clear-headed thinker. RELATED STRANGE ANIMAL NEWS: Drunk Australian man is injured while trying to pet 16-foot saltwater crocodile Russian diver attempts to teach his dachshund to scuba dive

Egg Recall in Effect Due to Salmonella Contamination Fears

By ThirdAge News Staff  ThirdAge.com Posted August 18, 2010 12:52 PM An egg recall is taking place upon recognition of a potential salmonella contamination. Along with Minnesota, the recall affects Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado and California. There have been seven confirmed cases of salmonella in Minnesota linked to the multistate recall One of the seven people sickened was hospitalized for a short time but has recovered. The recalled eggs were packaged under the following brand names: Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph's, Boomsma's, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund and Dutch Farms and Kemps. The eggs, packed in 6-, 12- and 18-egg cartons, have date codes and plant codes on the end of the cartons. Date codes range from 136 (May 16) to 225 (last Saturday). The affected plants' codes are 1026, 1413 and 1946. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.Today is day number 233 out of 365. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis. Anyone who bought the affected eggs should not eat them but return them to the point of purchase for a refund. Read more: http://www.thirdage.com/news/egg-recall-effect-due-salmonella-contamination-fears_8-17-2010#ixzz0xB1nsYKb

Body of French Chef Found Stuffed in

AOL News /Daily Mail

The former girlfriend of a famous French chef has confessed to punching him to death and then hiding his body in a freezer for the past two years, prosecutors say. The police raided the apartment the two used to share in Lyon, southwest France The daughter told police. When they arrived at the apartment, Collober collapsed in tears saying, "I think you'll find what you're looking for." The body of French chef Jean-Francois Poinard was found stuffed in freezer. Police say it may have been there as long as two years. The restaurateur who was regarded as one of the country's best chefs in the 1970s and 1980s, was found wrapped in plastic bags The superintendent at the building where the two began sharing an apartment six years ago said she heard frequent arguments between the two, The Daily Mail reported, but didn't pay attention when the fights stopped.