News of the weird

Bloodstains at Dodge City: Following DNA tests requested by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, the Analytic Genetic Testing Center in Denver has announced that the chances that the blood supposedly being wept from a plaque of the Virgin Mary is from someone other than the owner of the plaque are about 1 in 795 million. About 10,000 people have come to witness the miracle.

Short sharp shock: Australian fishing boat skipper Graham Griffin, 48, was convicted of seven counts of assault and sentenced to nine months jail after he threw a young crewman into shark-infested water because he had not caught enough fish. The crewman escaped injury and scrambled back on board, but says he still has nightmares over the incident.

China clean-up: The Public Security Minister in China has ordered the police to cut out abuses that have damaged their image, including beatings, bribe-taking, illegal fees, "hitting and cursing the masses" and involvement in saunas and massage.