A lecture was interrupted in Oxford University’s Mathematical Institute when a student’s iPad exploded. It was reported that the device “blew up”, causing “intense fizzing of smoke” and an evacuation from the building. The incident took place during a maths lecture on probability.
Cherwell (Hassan Akram)
What a load of rubbish
A public-spirited pensioner who cleans up rubbish for free has been fined for leaving his walking stick on a roadside…while out picking up litter. Alan Davies, 85, goes out every day to collect and bin garbage left on the streets of Walsall, West Midlands, by litterbugs. But after forgetting to pick up his walking stick on one foray, he was “shocked, angry and upset” to be sent a £150 fine for littering. The letter warns the grandad he could be fined up to £2,500 for the offence if he does not pay promptly.
Express (Amanda Welles)
History in the baking
A “very rare” slice of wedding cake from the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has sold at auction for £2,200. The fruit cake was found under a bed in a suitcase, 77 years after the 9ft cake was dished out to 2,000 guests. “It’s a real little find, a little time capsule of glorious cake,” said James Grinter, of Colchester-based auction house Reeman Dansie. Mr Grinter said the slice was no longer in the best condition, adding: “I don’t think I’d particularly want to eat it, I must admit.”
BBC News (Steve Morley)
[See also: Hanif Kureishi’s interrupted life]
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This article appears in the 13 Nov 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Trump World