Artiste hopes gold toilet taken by ‘Robin Hood’ types
London: The artiste whose solid gold toilet was stolen from Britain’s Blenheim Palace said he hoped it had been taken in a “Robin Hood-inspired action”, as police scrambled on Sunday to locate it. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan told the New York Times that when he first heard news of Saturday’s pre-dawn theft of his fully-functioning work “America”, he thought it was a prank. “Who’s so stupid to steal a toilet? I had forgotten for a second that it was made out of gold,” he said, adding: “I wish it was a prank.” Cattelan has described the 18-carat gold work, famously once offered on loan to US President Donald Trump, as “one-per cent art for the 99 per cent”. “I hope it still is. I want to be positive and think the robbery is a kind of Robin Hood-inspired action,” he said, referring to the character of English folklore who stole from the rich to give to the poor. Blenheim Palace chief executive Dominic Hare meanwhile revealed that the toilet, which was only put on display at the English stately home on Thursday, had been valued at around USD 5 to USD 6 million. He told the BBC that the palace, the birthplace of wartime leader Winston Churchill and a UNESCO World Heritage site, had a sophisticated security system. But he added: “Clearly we need to challenge ourselves on that.” He also said it was “not out of the question [that it] would be melted down” by the thieves. The gang, who had at least two vehicles, left behind flooding that damaged the building. Police arrested a 66-year-old man who remains in custody, and said they were still following a number of lines of enquiry. The toilet was one of the star attractions in an exhibition of Cattelan’s works, with visitors able to book three-minute time slots to use it. When the work was on display at New York’s Guggenheim museum, more than 100,000 people lined up to use the loo during the course of a year. (AFP)
US woman accidentally swallows wedding ring in sleep
Washington: A US woman has undergone a surgery after removing and swallowing her engagement ring in her sleep due to a nightmare in which she and her fiancé were on a speeding train and she was forced to swallow the ring to protect it from “bad guys”. Jenna Evans, 29, woke at her home in California to realize the episode had been a dream, but saw her diamond ring was missing. The woman said she woke up her fiancé to explain, and the couple went to a hospital. The incident took place late last week. Evans said she struggled to recall the situation to medics “because I was laughing/crying so hard”. An X-ray scan identified the 2.4-carat ring in her stomach and doctors agreed it would be unwise “to let nature take its course”, media reports said. Evans later had a procedure to remove the ring but said she was asked to sign release forms in case of her death. “Then I cried a lot because I would be so mad if I died. I waited a long time for that damn engagement ring.” The surgery was a success and Evans said she woke up “hysterically crying”. (IANS)
Australian dies while fleeing swooping bird
Canberra: A 76-year-old Australian cyclist has died in a bicycle crash while trying to escape from a swooping magpie. The man was riding his bike in Nicholson Park in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Sunday when he veered off the path and crashed into a park fence . He was thrown to the ground and suffered serious head injuries. Despite paramedics’ efforts to save him, the man later died in hospital, the police said. Swooping magpies are a common threat in Australia during spring and often cause injuries to cyclists and pedestrians, but fatal incidents are rare. Police officials said they would prepare a report for a coroner. According to local media reports, several other magpie attacks had previously taken place in the park. The Australian magpie is a different species to the European bird with which it shares its name. During mating season, the bird can become aggressive and attack humans crossing its territory. Earlier in September, a local Sydney council sparked controversy when rangers shot dead a “monster” magpie which had intimidated residents for years. (IANS)