A stray cat had his head stuck in a jar after he tried to pull a mouse out of a jam jar in Peterborough, England. A motorist sought police assistance after finding the cat wandering beside a road, with the jar on its head and the mouse a few millimeters from its mouth.

School officials at Oak Ridge Preschool suspect that mouse remains were found in cooked green beans served during lunch. Although no one got ill, around half of the school's 206 students were given the meal. Spokeswoman Karen Cutler said that Aramark Corp. , which provides food service management to Oak Ridge and more than 420 other public and private school systems around the country, was investigating the incident. "The object has not been identified. There is no confirmation of what the object is until it is tested," Cutler said. Principal Marian Phillips said the children were oblivious to the problem "because they didn't see anything. The teacher handled it in a way a professional should. " Assistant Superintendent Ken Green said all of the cooked green beans and remaining cans were immediately pulled out and the parents informed. Officials believe whatever it was entered the green beans during the "prepackaging process," Green said. Health department official Dr. Paul Erwin assured that the health risk to students is "minimal if any. "

For some, an emergency goes beyond the usual call for help. A broken fingernail at a nightclub, a mouse that swallows medicine, and a woman who needs help getting her drunken boyfriend up to bed are all but a few of the thousands of calls made to the 999 emergency hotline in the U. K. A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service says demand rose by 15 percent in the past year due to the bizarre calls that are made almost on a daily basis.

A British high street store has ordered 100,000 souvenirs to mark a royal engagement. The merchandise company is preparing to mark the engagement of Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton, in case they decide to wed sometime soon. Executives at the supermarket chain Woolworths are so convinced the young couple - who have been dating for three years - will soon announce their engagement that they are producing 20 commemorative products including mugs, spoons, car flags, computer mouse pads and even a mobile phone. A Will and Kate pick 'n' mix selection of sweets is also in the pipeline.