'I am dead' - the shortest obituary message

It was the most queer and shortest obituary notice. It had the dead man's name, address and the date of his death. And the message was "I am dead".

92-year-old Stig Kernell, from Trans, southern Sweden had requested his local funeral home to publish the advertisement in the newspapers with the above message.

His son Lars-Ake Kernell said that his father felt he had wanted only that.

The aerospace historian and transport technician died on April 6. The modest message did not pass unnoticed however and several newspapers carried the story of the obituary over the weekend, The Local reported.

Kernell had a pilot's licence and had previously featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for his expansive collection of aviation literature.

Kernell's two sons then posted a lengthier obituary to tell the story of their father's life in a more traditional form.

Pet dog takes the stand to identify the killer

His master was killed during a fight in Tours in the Loire valley, Franceand Tango the nine-year-old Labrador was an eye witness to the crime.

As there was no other witness Tango was called to take the stand to identify the alleged murderer.

The idea was that Tango would start barking, or show some other sign that he recognised the killer.

In a preliminary hearing earlier this month, a second dog of the same breed and age called Norman also summoned to undergo the same test.

It led to protests from the suspect's lawyer, Gregoire Lafarge, who said: "So if Tango lifted his right paw, moved his mouth or his tail, is he recognising my client or not.

"I find it very troubling for the French legal system. If a judge ignores the demands of reason and surrounds himself with experts who are unreasonable, well the system becomes very dangerous."

However, the entire episode turned out to be a total failure, with neither Tango nor Norman showing any interest in the man with the bat, or in the rest of the court proceedings. Despite this, French judge Thomas Cassuto praised the animal for his "exemplary behaviour and invaluable assistance."

Giant river rats threaten German town

It has a terrifying look which is mainly due to its size and the massive fangs around its weird face.

Has the devil taken the shape of an animal?

You might think so, but you'll be surprised when you discover that this creature is only a rat.

According to media reports the town of Halle in central Germany is under siege from hordes of rodents that have taken over in recent days.

It began when large numbers of the giant water rats emerged from the River Saale and started infesting the local community.

Residents fear their home town could soon be 'overrun' said one. This may not be so far-fetched because coypu - the unwelcome creature in Halle, is infamous for breeding in high numbers quickly. One female coypu can become pregnant three times per year, giving birth to up to 13 offspring at a time.

They also are capable of demolishing large swathes of vegetation with their ravenous appetites, while their burrowing behaviour is also a cause for concern.

One concerned resident said: "We just couldn't believe it when the creatures turned up in the river.

"A few people thought they were cute but as soon as we discovered they were rats many people became frightened.

"At the minute their numbers seem to be under control but many of us are worried they'll end up multiplying like ordinary brown rats, so the town will be overrun."

Meanwhile, fears run high in Ireland, as the locals presume that giant rats that invaded the town of Halle can easily reach Ireland, which is just 700 miles away.

A similar invasion happened in Britain back in 1945 when the critters invaded Norfolk. Their population notoriously persisted until the 1970s, when the last was killed.