A Cambodian couple hoping to avoid the country's convoluted divorce process have separated by sawing their house in half, local authorities said Thursday.

Barack Obama, Bin Laden, Zidane and Father Christmas all failed in bids to win local elections held in Brazil on the weekend, officials here said.

An Australian man known around the world for giving free hugs to anyone who asks has said he plans to go one step further by donating one of his kidneys to a stranger, a report said Sunday.

When an Iraqi lieutenant ordered him off the bus, Saddam Hussein thought his time was up. Limbs quaking, he obediently trailed after the Shiite soldier - who then stood sharply to attention and saluted him.

A 93-year-old debut novelist has used the proceeds from her book to move her friends out of nursing homes and into her new country house, she said in British newspaper reports on Monday.

An Athens court on Tuesday rejected a complaint by inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos who had wanted gay women to stop monopolising the term 'lesbian', a justice source said.

It is supposed to be the happiest day of any woman's life but an Indian air force official decided on Sunday he could upstage his future wife - by dropping in to his wedding ceremony from 2,100 metres.

A bizarre ritual dating back to the 12th century in which the couple who can prove to a mock-court that they have the happiest marriage wins half a pig takes place in Britain Saturday.

While hymns will ring out in Sydney as the pope celebrates Catholic World Youth Day this month, Australians are increasingly choosing irreverent songs for their funerals, undertakers say.

A man in Australia who was selling his "life" over the Internet - including his home, job and the chance to meet his friends - said Sunday he had sold the lot for AU$399,000.