Friday, July 11, 2008

Love candles set hotel ablaze

A Taiwanese man's show of love for his girlfriend backfired, well, literally, after an arrangement of candles reading I Love You started a blaze in a hotel.

The couple found their room aflame when they walked in 40 minutes after the man called Lin had set the candles alight, according to local media reports.

"Lin was arrested later and brought to trial," the China Post newspaper said. He was charged with endangering public safety.

Lin, a frozen-food deliveryman, agreed to pay the suburban Taipei hotel T$120,000 ($35,400) for damage caused by the blaze on May 31, media reported.

A county prosecutor later suspended the indictment in exchange for an apology letter and a donation of T$30,000 to a family and children fund, media and a county spokesman said.

Japanese woman wins over thief with tea

A Japanese woman and her six-month-old baby escaped unhurt from a knife-wielding thief this week after the mother calmed him down with a cup of tea and a chat.

The 30-year-old Tokyo woman was walking along a corridor in her apartment building with her daughter on Monday when a man brandishing a knife demanded money, a newspaper report said.

When the housewife told him she had none, the man barged into her apartment.

Hoping to calm him, the woman made the thief a cup of tea, whereupon he put his knife away and began a 20-minute monologue about his life.

The woman then gave the man 10,000 yen ($93.34) and ran outside to call the police from a pay phone, the report said.

Police rushed to the scene, but the thief had fled and is still being sought.

Woman passes driving test after 27 years and 450 lessons

A 62-year-old woman has finally passed her driving test - 27 years after her first lesson.

Teresa Clarke, of Wroxham, Norfolk, UK, spent 15,000 pound in fees, had 450 hours of tuition from 20 instructors and failed 12 previous tests and cancelled a further 35 and had 50 mock exams.

She had her first lesson in 1981 shortly before American president Ronald Reagan was shot and Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer.

However, Clarke was lucky for the 13th time, thanks to the help of her stepson, who runs a driving school, she finally was allowed to ditch her L-plates last month.

"It took a long time for it to sink in when I was told I had passed. I was so happy I kissed the woman instructor," the Telegraph quoted her, as saying.

Clarke, a former shop assistant who is 5ft tall and has to sit on a cushion to reach the steering wheel, has admitted that she was a hopeless learner because she found it very difficult to concentrate for long period of time.

She was such a disaster that many instructors refused to carry on teaching her after a few lessons - either too scared or too frustrated to continue.

However, then Richard Minkler, her stepson from her first marriage, stepped in and offered her his best instructor.

She was given 56 hours instruction in a two week intensive course and told to give up coffee and tea to aid her concentration.

"I was little upset after I failed my first couple of tests - but I never really got disheartened," she said.

"I was very persistent and I always knew I would pass one day. Now my dream has come true and I am just delighted.

"I used to fail my tests on all sorts of different things although my main problem was my lack of concentration.

"I used to have at least three cups of strong Italian coffee every day and when I stopped it really improved my driving by helping me to concentrate."

"My previous one three years ago ended up refusing to teach me anymore after I failed my test with him.

"He just said, 'I am awfully sorry, but you are no good. You will never pass'. His comments upset me and I am delighted to have proved him wrong," she added.