Lafayette

Tests confirm mystery animal shot in Montana was a wolf

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The mystery is over: Wildlife officials have confirmed that an unusual-looking animal shot in central Montana was a gray wolf.

Vows in the air: German couple married in tightrope wedding

BERLIN (AP) — A couple in eastern Germany have gotten married in a swing dangling from a motorcycle atop a tightrope, 14 meters (46 feet) above the ground.

Australian supermarket giant says 'yes' to mass nude photograph

More than 11,000 Australians who rushed for the chance to strip for American photographer Spencer Tunick will soon wear only smiles after a national supermarket chain changed its mind about allowing the shoot to go ahead on a suburban rooftop carpark. "We're over the moon," John Lotton, director of the Provocare Festival of the Arts, told Reuters on Saturday. After festival organizers agreed to move the event from busy weekend trading hours to a quiet Monday morning, Woolworths shed its inhibitions to allow the event to go ahead on July 9.

Research on dogs might shed light on human responses to food: study

Researchers in Hungary who found that normal and overweight dogs behaved differently in tasks involving food say the dogs’ responses were similar to what might be expected in normal and overweight humans. The study suggested dogs could be used as models for future research into the causes and psychological impacts of human obesity, the authors of the paper from Budapest's ELTE University said. Researchers put two bowls - one of them holding a good meal, the other empty or containing less attractive food - in front of a series of dogs.

Montana man rescues tired fawn from bed of sewer sludge

FORT BENTON, Mont. (AP) — A north-central Montana man rescued a tired fawn from a bed of drying sewer sludge while others helped reunite the baby deer with its mother nearby.

Airplane-towed banner falls in NJ, smashes car window

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — An airplane-towed banner broke loose and came down near New Jersey's statehouse, fluttering to the ground and shattering the rear windshield of a parked car.

Minnesota online sensation raccoon captured atop skyscraper

By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - A raccoon that climbed to the top of a 25-story St. Paul, Minnesota, skyscraper early on Wednesday was captured after becoming a star on the web, where it won the hearts of followers across the United States and around the globe. "After a delicious meal of soft cat food, #mprraccoon has been caught and will be picked up by Wildlife Management.

Big hurdles for bold push to split California into 3 states

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Californians will face a choice this November of whether to divide the nation's most populous state into three, an effort that would radically shake up not only the West Coast, but the entire nation.

St. Paul raccoon set free after scaling 25-story tower

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A raccoon that became an internet sensation by scaling a 25-story office tower in downtown St. Paul was safely trapped Wednesday and released back into the wild.

Russia's psychic cat Achilles picks home team for World Cup opener

Want to know who will win the first match of the World Cup? At least that's the prediction of Achilles, a cat in St Petersburg reputed to have psychic powers. Achilles, who lives in St Petersburg's Hermitage museum, is deaf, something his minders say means he will not be easily distracted by onlookers while making his prediction.

Minnesota online sensation raccoon captured atop skyscraper

(Reuters) - A raccoon that climbed to the top of a 25-story St. Paul, Minnesota, skyscraper early on Wednesday was captured after becoming a star on the web, where it won the hearts of followers across the United States and around the globe.

Her life saved, Bulgarian cow Penka waits to rejoin herd

KOPILOVTSI, Bulgaria (AP) — Swatting away the flies with her long tail, Penka the cow happily munches on hay, unaware of the international stir she has caused.

'Roof, roof!' Dog rescued from overhang roof at his home

SPRING LAKE PARK, Minn. (AP) — "Roof! Roof!" He was practically begging to be rescued.

14 boys, no regrets: Michigan family happy the way they are

LAKEVIEW, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan couple has 14 boys and no regrets, regardless of what online opinion-givers have to say about it.

Kim Jong Un impersonator questioned on arrival in Singapore

SINGAPORE (AP) — A Kim Jong Un lookalike was detained and questioned upon his arrival in Singapore on Friday, days before a summit between the North Korean leader and President Donald Trump.

Astronauts give pope personalized space suit, add white cape

Astronauts from the International Space Station gave Pope Francis his own blue jump suit on Friday but to distinguish him from ordinary planetary pilgrims like themselves they added a white cape. "Since clothes make the man, we thought we'd have a flight suit like ours made for you," Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli told the pope at a meeting in the Vatican also attended by four other Space Station veterans - three Americans and one Russian. Nespoli said the suit was identical to theirs and made of the same material.