Friday, November 20, 2009

Cafe stolen

A roadside cafe weighing two and a half tonnes has been stolen from a lay-by in West Yorkshire, England.

Michelle Palmers had been running the Tip Top Tasters cafe on Halifax Road in Keighley for a year, when it disappeared overnight on Tuesday.

The cafe contained catering equipment worth thousands of pounds and Ms Palmers has offered a reward for its safe return.

West Yorkshire Police said its officers were investigating the theft.

Ms Palmers discovered the portable building had gone when she arrived for work at 0630 BST on Wednesday.

She said: "For the size of it you wouldn't think it would go so easily. No one seems to have seen anything."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Woman passes 950th driving test

A South Korean woman is celebrating after passing the written exam for a driving licence - on her 950th attempt. After four years of trying, 68-year-old Cha Sa-soon finally managed to secure the 60 out of 100 points needed to pass the test.

The grandmother has spent more than 5m won ($4,200, £2,600) on application fees for the test. Now Mrs Cha, who lives in Jeonju, 130 miles (210km) south of Seoul, must pass the practical test to get on the road.

According to the Korean Driver's Licence Agency, the 50-minute written test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on road regulations and car maintenance. Mrs Cha had been trying to pass it since 13 April 2005, the Korea Times reported.

She wanted a licence so that she could use a vehicle to sell vegetables and other goods, the newspaper said. And her determination to pass the test has made her well-known at the Jeonju centre.

"She is really famous here. Not only agency employees but even some test-takers know her. Her challenging spirit is really amazing," one official was quoted as saying.

Speaking in February - after her 775th failure - Mrs Cha had appeared undaunted.

"I believe you can achieve your goal if you persistently pursue it," she told Reuters news agency. So don't give up your dream, like me. Be strong and do your best."

1,000 suitcases recovered

An Arizona couple are accused of stealing at least 1,000 pieces of luggage from the Phoenix airport and stashing — or at times, selling — the suitcases.

Keith King, 61, and Stacy King, 38, were arrested at their home in Waddell Friday for allegedly stealing the luggage from Sky Harbor Airport, MyFoxPhoenix.com reported. They were charged with burglary and tampering with evidence.

Police say the Kings are suspected in an alleged scam involving at least 1,000 stolen suitcases and maybe even thousands of pieces of luggage.

A Sky Harbor Airport officer grew suspicious when he witnessed Keith King allegedly walking out with a bag a few weeks ago. Investigators say King visited the airport more than 60 times recently without ever boarding a plane, MyFoxPhoenix.com reported.

Neighbors say they noticed strange activity at the Kings' house.

"They'd take their trailer out at sunset, come home at 4 o'clock in the morning," said one neighbor, Eugene Huneycutt. "It was a horse trailer. They don't have horses over there, so it was very suspicious what was happening."

Another neighbor said the couple sold luggage at frequently-held yard sales.