Welcome to Macca's as McDonald's goes Aussie

Looking for a McDonald's in Australia this month? You may bump into a "Macca's" instead. The international fast food giant will temporarily change signs at selected stores across the country to "Macca's," the affectionate Australian nickname for the chain, in celebration of Australia Day, which falls on January 26 - a move that is its first such globally.

Cameroon acquits two men sentenced for "looking gay"

A Cameroon appeal court yesterday overturned the convictions of two men found guilty of homosexuality and sentenced to five years in jail for cross-dressing and wearing make-up. Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon but recent incidents have highlighted growing tension between a largely conservative society and a younger generation less concerned by the issue.

Man avoids jail time in $10 million caviar smuggling caper

A man who evaded authorities for 23 years on charges he unlawfully imported more than $10 million worth of caviar into the United States was spared jail time at his sentencing yesterday. Instead, a judge in U.S. District Court in Manhattan imposed a punishment of time already served on Isidoro "Mario" Garbarino, 69, who has been in custody since September 10.

Bobcat attacks Massachusetts man in garage

A Massachusetts man and his nephew were attacked by a bobcat that had slipped into the man's garage before they captured and shot the 30-pound animal. Roger Mundell Jr. said the bobcat hissed then leaped about eight feet and pounced on him after he entered the garage in Brookfield, a town about an hour outside of Boston where bobcats are occasionally spotted but rarely attack people.