Justice thwarted as judges flout the law

Biting a defendant, urinating on a carpet and throwing a firecracker into a jurist's office were some of the antics played by judges last year in the United States.

The actions were recorded in a 'Top 10 list of the most amazing antics by judges' reported by a legal magazine.

Among those cited was a judge who at the end of a lengthy argument with the defendant left the bench, took off his robes and bit the defendant on the nose.

Another judge was signing court orders with fictitious names like Snow White. Both judges were penalised.

The cash reward in the Wild West city of Tucson in Arizona is US$50,000 (HK$387,000) - dead or alive. But not too squashed.

Those are the rules drawn up by a pest-control company that is offering prizes for anyone who captures one of 100 cockroaches it spread around town in an advertising stunt.

One of the roaches, which carry bar-codes on their bellies, will win US$50,000 in a draw at the end of June.

A black South African farm labourer said he was beaten up by a white farmer for driving a cart pulled by two donkeys - one black and one white.

At the back of his cart he had a sign which read: 'The new South Africa'.

Thomas Lebepe, 41-year- old father of three, was on his way home when he was attacked.

'I was assaulted for nothing. I will continue to use the donkeys. There's nothing wrong with that,' he said.

Armed robbers in Italy stole gold worth 2.5 billion lire (HK$10.8 million) from a bank, just 50 metres from the police station.

The four, wearing ski masks, tied up staff at Banca di Roma in Vicenza, and grabbed 130 kg in gold ingots and 150 million lire in cash before making off by car.