'Creepy gnome' terrorises town

A TOWN in South America is living in fear after several sightings of a 'creepy gnome' that locals claim stalks the streets at night.
The midget - which wears a pointy hat and has a distinctive sideways walk - was caught on video last week by a terrified group of youngsters.
Teenager Jose Alvarez - who filmed the gnome - yesterday told national newspaper El Tribuno that they caught the creature while larking about in their hometown of General Guemes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.
He said: “We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning.

smoking TORTOISE

A TORTOISE whose owner claims it is addicted to smoking can apparently finish a cigarette in four minutes.
Owner Li Yun from the town of Kouqian in Yongji county, said his pet was addicted to cigarettes after it started smoking smouldering butts he left lying around his garden.
He said the animal is now addicted and he has timed it smoking a cigarette in four minutes, and gets upset if he can’t smoke half a pack a day.
He said: “Whenever I smoke the tortoise lifts its head out of the water and stares at the cigarette. If I don’t let it smoke, it swims around crazily in its little pond, scratching the sides.
“The tortoise won’t stop until I give it a cigarette and it bites the butt, and you can see the tip glowing. Within four minutes the cigarette is gone.”
Tang Jingwen, deputy secretary-general of the Jilin City Animal Protection Association, said they wanted to contact Yun over his claims.
He said: “If the tortoise smokes voluntarily there is little we can do, but we wan

"Samy call for the release of the Hindraf 5"-YA RITE!!!!!!!

S Samy Vellu’s call for the release of the Hindraf 5 from Internal Security Act (ISA) detention is a political ploy by the MIC president, alleged the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) today.
"The demand made by the former works minister is dishonest and is apparently politically motivated," said GMI president, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (right) in a statement.
He said the timing of Samy’s call for the release of the five was suspect as the MIC boss had never made such calls prior to the general election on March 8.
In a dramatic move, Samy, at an event at the party’s headquarters yesterday, publicly called for the release of the Hindraf ISA detainees as he said ‘there were no longer reason to detain them’.
The veteran politician said he would meet Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi soon to discuss this matter.
He also urged Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy - who is currently in London in self-exile - to return to Malaysia, saying he latter was not a political refugee.
Samy’s call came in as a shock to many as he was among the government and BN leaders who had vociferously criticised the Hindraf movement prior to the arrests of its key leaders on Dec 13.
Meanwhile the wife of ISA detainee and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan today denied she had sought help from Samy Vellu for the release of her husband.
"I didn't go and see Samy Vellu," S Pushpaneela was reported by Star Online as saying.
Samy Vellu had on Sunday claimed that Pushpaneela had met him to discuss the matter.
Release all detainees
Hindraf has been credited for being partly responsible for the worst ever performance by the MIC in a general election following the March 8 polls.
Samy Vellu lost at his parliamentary constituency in Sungai Siput while the rest of the party’s top leadership fared no better, losing in all their respective constituencies they had contested.
Syed Ibrahim said Samy’s call for the release of the Hindraf 5 was a move necessary for him to regain the trust of the Indian community which saw Hindraf as a voice for their struggle against increasing marginalisation by the government.
"If he is really sincere about justice, why does he not call for the release of all 70 ISA detainees, all of which have been denied their basic right to a fair trial," questioned Syed Ibrahim.
He said GMI would continue to insist that the government release all the 70 ISA detainees being held and not just the Hindraf 5 as the detention of all the 70 was unjust and a violation of their human rights.