Abuse of government-issued credit card privileges made the headlines in the U. S. and Canada this week. A few days after the U. S. General Accountability Office reported widespread charging of unauthorized items among federal employees, a Canadian bureaucrat made news by charging $230,000 to her state-issued credit card to buy souvenir coins which she deposited in her personal bank account. Veronica Topic, 24, later withdrew the money, purchased electronic gadgets and auctioned it on eBay. The Canada Border Services Agency employee even had the gumption to have the laptops, Palm Pilots and other gizmos delivered to her office, which caused raised eyebrows among her officemates.

After being chased by villagers and rescued atop a tree, a pregnant tigress was returned to the Sunderbans yesterday, a protected area along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, and one of the few remaining tiger habitats in India. Atanu Raha, West Bengal's chief conservator of forest, said although the tigress received some injuries while being tranquilized and caught, she was treated and found fit to be released in the reserve area.

Melbourne International Airport tower officials and Palm Bay, Florida police are investigating reports that a real air plane was buzzed by a model airplane. The incident reportedly occurred about noon Thursday above R. J. Coinlan Boulevard and U. S. Highway 1. According to reports, the incident hasn't been confirmed and officials are speculating that the pilot might have mistaken a buzzard for a model air plane.

Botanists are baffled with the discovery of a new species of giant self-destructing palm tree in Madagascar which is said to flower only once in its 100 year life. According to botanist from the Kew Gardens in London, the 60-foot palm which has 16-foot leaves, because the moment it does, it spends so much energy that it dies.

An artificial beach complete with palm trees, boardwalks and rentable fire-pits and barbecues along with the world's first outdoor artificial surfing machine will soon be rising on the Thames as Tower Hamlets sets to lure surfers. Beginning 2011, instead of driving to Devon and Cornwall, surfers will be treated to six-foot swells to a disused dock in east London.