Tuition protests turn violent in the UK
Police in London have made 57 arrests so far in association with a tuition protest last Wednesday that turned violent. The incident in question saw 30 students climb onto the roof of a building in central London that acts as the headquarters for the Conservatives, the country’s ruling party. They also smashed windows, lit fires within the building and threw various items at police, while a reported 50,000 people protested in the streets. At least 14 people were injured in the event, and many student groups have since condemned the violence. None have condemned the protest itself, however, as it was in response to a recent proposal by the UK government to triple university tuition costs.
Kentucky man forced to eat beard at gunpoint
You know how awful it is when you find a hair in your meal? Well, what if hair was the entire meal? Two men in Kentucky are to be sentenced today for forcing a third man to cut off and consume his own beard. The guilty parties, who were intoxicated at the time, were negotiating the price of a used lawnmower with Harvey Westmoreland last May when they became agitated. They pulled a knife and gun on the victim and his brother, and then forced the former to shave off and eat his entire beard. Both men pleaded guilty in the incident.
Cuba not a Call of Duty fan
Only days after its release, Cuba’s state-run media has come out against the new Call of Duty game, Black Ops. In the game, players take on the role of U.S. Special Forces during the Cold War, including a mission which involves attempting to kill Fidel Castro. The media source, Cubadebate, says this is an attempt to legitimize murder and assassination. If the player manages to kill Fidel, they also receive the “Death to Dictator” achievement. Cuban media claims this allows people to fictionally achieve what the U.S. was unable to in 600 alleged assasination attempts. One thing’s for sure, these accusations haven’t affected sales, as the game is expected to surpass the $550 million mark in its first five days on the market. This mark was set by Black Ops’ predecessor, Modern Warfare 2.
Sex sells, but does it elect?
The municipal elections in Warsaw, Poland just got a little steamier as one pop singer-turned-politician is using her curvy figure to attract support. Katarzyna Szczolek, better known under stage name Sara May, released a campaign poster last week in which she is laid out on a beach in just her bikini. The poster reads “Beautiful, independent, and competent.” Known for making out with girlfriends on stage, Szczolek has come under some ridicule from other candidates for her reputation and campaign posters, another of which shows her cuddling a puppy. But at least she hasn’t gone as far as a Czech politician who announced this week that she would be posing in the buff for Playboy to get back at party leaders who criticized her for showing up at a conference in a mini-dress.