Groom, 112, marries bride, 17

GURICEEL, Somalia: A man old enough to be his bride’s great-great-grandfather was married in the region of Galguduud, Somalia. Hundreds of people came out for the historic event, the first marriage of a centenarian to an adolescent in the Horn of Africa for over a century. Ahmed Muhamed Dore said he used experience to convince his bride, Safia Abdulleh, of his love, BBC reported. He waited for his bride to grow up before he asked for her hand in marriage. Dore, previously married to five wives, already has 18 children and said he would like to have more with Abdulleh.

Toilet patrol in the name of soccer

WARSAW, Poland: Toilet inspections are currently taking place around the city in preparation for the 2012 EURO soccer championships. Patrols of two are examining public washrooms across Poland to ensure toilets will meet the requirements of thousands of soccer fans who will attend the championship. Reuters reports the majority of the toilets inspected have passed the test; however, toilets originating before the fall of communism in 1989 are getting poor grades.

Three-party pact for polar-bears

KANGERLUSSUAQ, Greenland: Greenland, Nunavut and Canada signed a polar bear conservation agreement last Friday in an effort to better define polar bear hunting in the three regions. Hunting the vulnerable species has caused international controversy because scientists have said the numbers are not sustainable. CBC News reports the three regions have been working on terms for their shared hunting zone for several months. The accord is expected to not only define the hunting zone but help determine the size of the hunt as well.

Motorists playing road Russian roulette

SOFIA, Bulgaria: A road version of Russian roulette is being investigated by Bulgarian prosecutors as a gambling ring. Drivers are risking lives by speeding through intersections after the light has turned red, attempting to avoid pedestrians and other vehicles while people place bets as high as €5,000 on their attempts. The game started in the summer and two bystanders were killed in June when a motorcyclist crashed into them. Reuters reports police patrols have curbed the events, but it has been difficult due to the method of race communication: text messaging. Participants are informed of roulette locations via messages, and locations are chosen to avoid police.

Beyonce’s body too bootylicious for Egypt

PORT GHALIB, Egypt: Singer Beyoncé Knowles will hold her first concert in Egypt, but her appearance is already producing controversy. An Islamist member of Parliament, Hamdi Hassan, criticized the government for allowing Beyoncé to perform even though her attire and dancing appears to violate Sharia law. Last year, a cleric denounced the performance of Columbian singer Shakira, comparing her to a prostitute. According to CNN, Hassan condemned the administration for allowing Beyoncé to perform despite her offences to religious laws but not allowing an Islamic band that performs religious songs for children to play publicly.

Published in Volume 64, Number 10 of The Uniter (November 5, 2009)