A couple in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand are suing their only son and his wife for not giving them a grandchild after six years of marriage. Sanjeev and Sadhana Prasad, 61 and 57, say they used up their savings raising their son, paying for his pilot’s training as well as a lavish wedding. They are demanding compensation worth nearly $650,000 (£525,000) if no grandchild is born within a year. The highly unusual lawsuit was filed on grounds of “mental harassment”. Mr Prasad said he had spent all his savings on his son, sending him to the US in … Continue reading Couple in India sue son for not giving them a grandchild

Thomas Heller A DIY fan has given a new meaning to the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ after he found £130,000 in old kitchen cabinets. Thomas Heller, from Germany, bought them from an elderly couple’s estate on eBay and was chuffed when he even negotiated the original price down to £203, saving £50. Inside one of the cupboards, the 50-year-old discovered tens of thousands of euros stashed in two secret boxes. Instead of succumbing to temptation and pocketing the cash, the social housing managing director handed it in to a police station. Mr Heller said: ‘One [envelope] was … Continue reading Man finds £130,000 cash inside kitchen cupboards he bought off eBay

A Kentucky man has been awarded $450,000 (£345,314) after his company threw him a surprise birthday party despite his warnings that it would trigger stress and anxiety. The plaintiff, Kevin Berling, claims that the unwanted 2019 birthday party at Gravity Diagnostics caused him a series of panic attacks. Mr Berling’s lawsuit alleged that the company discriminated against him based on a disability. According to the lawsuit filed in Kentucky’s Kenton County, Mr Berling – who suffers from anxiety disorders – had asked his manager to not celebrate his birthday at work as it normally does for its employees, as it … Continue reading US man wins $450k lawsuit after unwanted office birthday party

A villa in the Italian capital Rome housing the only mural by Caravaggio has failed to sell at auction. Villa Aurora is at the centre of a legal battle between its current occupier, Texas-born Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, and her stepsons. The villa, which had a starting price of €471m (£394m), was expected to become the most expensive property ever sold but attracted no bids. Another attempt to sell it is expected in April, with the price cut by 20%. The highlight of the six-storey villa’s many treasures is the wall painting by the 16th and 17th Century artist Michelangelo … Continue reading Famous Italian villa fails to sell for at auction

An Australian national living in Israel has said he is subject to an 8,000-year travel ban unless he pays an outstanding £1.8m in child support payments. Noam Huppert, a 44-year-old analytical chemist working for a pharmaceutical company, is not allowed to leave Israel until 31 December 9999 owing to a 2013 “stay of exit” order handed down after a family court case was brought by his ex-wife, according to news.com.au. The court ruled Huppert must pay 5,000 shekels (£1,200) a month for each of his two children until they turn 18. It was not immediately clear whether Huppert has made any … Continue reading Really?: Australian man ‘cannot leave Israel for 8,000 years’ over unpaid child support

The head of Israel’s Holocaust memorial has criticised plans by a Jerusalem auctioneer to sell tools used to tattoo inmates at the Auschwitz death camp. The set of stamps made from needles is “the most shocking Holocaust item”, Tzolsman auction house says on its online auction page. The Nazis branded prisoners with numbers and letters on their arms, and survivors still bear them decades on. The auctioneer, Meir Tzolman, said the sale was meant to “increase awareness”. “I am the last to underestimate or diminish the value of the Holocaust,” the Times of Israel quoted him as telling Army Radio. “I … Continue reading Auschwitz tattoo stamp auction in Jerusalem sparks fury

On Monday, a 37-year-old woman was shot while looking through the peephole of her Manhattan apartment. Miraculously, officials said she is expected to recover. While certainly a rare instance, the disturbing case is not the only time that New York City has seen this particular crime. According to NBC New York, the victim told police that she heard a knock at her door around 8 p.m. When the woman looked in the peephole to check who was there, she reportedly heard a gunshot. Then, she felt a painful sensation around her eye. Medical personnel transported the woman to a nearby hospital, while … Continue reading How a woman was shot in eye while looking through apartment peephole

A Canadian woman was fast asleep when a “space rock” believed to be a meteorite crashed through her roof and landed on her pillow, reported Castlegar News. She said the terrifying experience has provided her with a new outlook on life. The event happened on October 4 in Golden, British Columbia, said the newspaper. Ruth Hamilton was asleep when she awoke suddenly to the sound of a loud crash and the feeling of debris on her face. “I just jumped up and turned on the light, I couldn’t figure out what the heck had happened,” she told Castlegar News. Thankfully, Hamilton was … Continue reading How ‘Meteorite’ crashed through roof, landed on sleeping woman’s pillow

Four friends from Minnesota spent a night out together at a bar in St. Paul on Saturday. On Sunday, the group was found dead 70 miles away in Dunn County, Wisconsin, officials said. Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday that a farmer found the bodies around 2:18 p.m. in a black SUV that had been driven into a cornfield off a rural road and abandoned, about one hour from St. Paul. Preliminary results from the autopsies showed the victims died of gunshot wounds, Bygd said. The victims have been identified as Nitosha Lee Flug-Presley, 30, of … Continue reading 4 friends found dead in an SUV after a night out at a bar

German authorities believe a massive blackout that temporarily paralyzed a large city Monday was caused by a metal foil balloon. The small balloon apparently floated onto an electricity substation in the eastern city of Dresden around 2 p.m., causing an outage that left hospitals, factories, trams and some 300,000 homes without power. The abrupt blackout also trapped dozens of people in elevators until electricity was restored about an hour later. Police are now trying to find the person who released the balloon to determine whether there was any criminal intent. “We are currently working on the assumption that at best … Continue reading Balloon suspected of causing massive blackout that nearly paralyzed German city

Japanese police officers in the southern city of Beppu have arrested a man after he allegedly stole 730 pieces of women’s underwear from coin laundromats across the area. Police arrested Tetsuo Urata, 56, on Aug. 24 after a 21-year-old female college student said the suspect stole six pairs of her undergarments. Investigators made the arrest at Urata’s apartment and went on to find the giant stash of underwear. He has since admitted to his crimes, according to Yahoo Japan News. “We haven’t confiscated such a large number of panties in years,” a Beppu city police department spokesman said to Japanese news … Continue reading Japanese police arrest man who stole over 700 pieces of women’s underwear

One South Carolina man had a very lucky July, winning two massive lottery prizes in the span of just two weeks. According to CNN, the unnamed man won his first lotto prize July 16, collecting an impressive $40,000. The ticket, which was bought at a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Murphy Gas Station, was reportedly a Mega Millions Quick Pick. A mere 11 days later, he did it again and yielded even better results. Upon buying a ticket for the same lottery from the same gas station on July 27, the man won a whopping $3 million prize. As reported in … Continue reading Man becomes millionaire after winning lottery twice in less than 2 weeks