SAUDI TEXTBOOK RECAllED DUE TO PHOTO OF YODA NEXT TO KING
A social studies textbook in Saudi Arabia was recalled for including a photo depicting a Star Wars character next to a king. The black and white photo, by Saudi artist Abdullah Al Shehri, features the small, green Jedi Yoda seated next to King Faisal as he signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco in 1945.
Saudi education minister Ahmed al-Eissa apologised for the mistake and said measures were being taken to correct the error. “The Education Ministry regrets unintentional error that appeared in the picture of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations Commission on social studies and national decision,” he wrote. “The ministry has begun printing a corrected copy of the curriculum and withdrawing the previous copy and formed a legal committee to determine the source of the error and to take the proper measures.”
Shehri, a 26-year-old artist who goes by the nickname Shaweesh, created the image as part of a series that inserts pop culture characters into historical photos and learned it had turned up in a textbook through a text from his mother. “I am the one who designed it, but I am not the one who put it in the book,” he told the New York Times.
Shehri said he decided to insert Yoda into the photo because he reminded him of King Faisal and is the same colour as the Saudi flag. “He was wise and was always strong in his speeches,” he said. “So I found that Yoda was the closest character to the king. And also Yoda and his light saber — it’s all green.”
(UPI)
66 MIllION YEARS ON, CREATURE WINS STATE DINOSAUR HONOUR
It took about 66 million years, but a duck-billed creature has finally won recognition as California’s State dinosaur. Gov Jerry Brown announced last Saturday the signing of a Bill making Augustynolophus (Aw-gus-tin-o-lo-fus) morrisi the official dinosaur of the Golden State. Fossilised remains of the duck-billed creature that lived anywhere from 100 million to 66 million years ago have been found only in California.
Several other States and Washington DC also have official dinosaurs. California has more than 30 State insignia, including a state lichen — lace lichen — and a state fabric, denim.
(AP)
WORlD’S OlDEST CAT, NUTMEG, DIES AT 32
Nutmeg, believed to be the world’s oldest cat, died in England at the age of 32 earlier this month, his owners said. Westway Veterinary Group in Newcastle upon Tyne announced Nutmeg died on September 14 as a result of heart failure.
“Westway Vets is sad to announce the passing of Nutmeg, a cat thought to be the world’s oldest moggy,” the vet group said. “After an incredibly long life, Nutmeg, who was 32, suffered heart failure after coming to us with breathing difficulties.”
liz and Ian Finlay cared for Nutmeg for 27 years after taking him in as a stray when he was 5 years old. “We both feel like our hearts have been ripped out. He was our little boy. He went downhill so quickly it was unbelievable,’” Ian Finlay said. “He suffered from a bad tooth and he had rasping breath. We knew that when we went to the vets that he wouldn’t be coming home. It was an unspoken solace.”
Finlay and his wife said their other cat Spice, who died in the early 2000s, constantly brought Nutmeg into their home before they decided to adopt him. “We won’t be getting another cat because we don’t think that we will be able to go through this heartbreak again,” he said.
Finlay attributed Nutmeg’s long life to healthy portions of treats such as tuna, cream and hot roast chicken. “Obviously he had such a long and good life — we spoilt him rotten. I would have loved a little more time with him, but that is just being selfish,” he said.
(UPI)
GERMAN RIFlE ETCHING REMOVED FROM MONUMENT
Just days after a monument honouring AK-47 designer Mikhail Kalashnikov was unveiled in Moscow, workers have removed a part of it that showed a German weapon that many believe inspired the renowned assault rifle.
The monument features a towering statue of Kalashnikov and an adjacent sculpture of St George fighting a dragon with an AK-47-tipped spear. Metalwork on the plinth of that statue bore etchings of guns, one of which was discovered to be of the StG44 rifle used by Nazi Germany.
News reports said the gun images were ground off last Friday. State news agency
Tass quoted Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky as saying: “There’s one big plus in this — now everyone will exactly know that in their designs the
AK and the German assault rifle are absolutely different firearms.”
(AP)