The Lighter Side

by Mike

To the lighter side we go again with more stories to help take your mind off the more serious stories of the week.

Firstly we are off to Tokyo, where Sir Bob Geldof believes he is more powerful than Condoleezza Rice.

Geldof was in Japan to press for action for the poverty stricken in Africa and more than two dozen journalists showed up for the event. Before meeting Geldof, the Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, quipped he was unsure if so much media would turn up for his meeting Wednesday with Rice, the US secretary of state.

“Obviously, I am more beautiful and glamorous than her … and five times more powerful,” Geldof responded with a grin.

Moving on to Finland with the announcement that men should do more housework, help with the children and spend more time at home.

Stefan Wallin, Finland’s minister for culture and sports, stated that the “more the fathers take responsibility for things at home, the less divorces you have. There’s a direct correlation. It is, of course, also about respecting each other and trying to make life easier for each other.”

Wallin is seeking for his “six plus six plus six” plan to go through which would see both the father and mother having six months maternity leave each with an additional six months divided between the two.

And finally we go to Germany, where an elderly man’s shoplifting attempt was stopped, because he forgot to take the suit off the hanger.

A female sales assistant spotted the hanger bulging out just as the man told her that he was not interested in purchasing anything.

“Only a sign saying ’stop me, I’m a thief!’ would have made the thief look more unprofessional,” police said in a statement.

Friday, February 29th, 2008 and is filed under Views on News.