A 40-year-old man is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of toy Lego sets. William Swanberg, who remains behind bars pending a $250,000 bail, allegedly stole Lego sets from Target stores in Oregon by switching the bar codes of the boxes, covering over the pricing labels of expensive sets with labels from inexpensive ones.

A Cuban woman ships herself to Miami in a wooden crate on a cargo plane. U. S. authorities are now allowing her to stay permanently. Sandra De los Santos has received political asylum. She says she's studying English and hopes to become an ultrasound technician.

Zimbabweans are spreading the laughter through technology, sending e-mails and short text messages once a day in order to relieve their minds from their everyday struggles. In a country that suffers from a crippling economy, and long lines to buy such basics as food and fuel, young Zimbabweans are drowning their sorrows through cell phone humor.

McDonald's is adding a new item to its menu in Japan: the shrimp burger. The sandwich was unveiled on Friday and will go on sale later this month for 270 yen ($2. 40). It's the latest effort by the Japan unit of the U. S. fast-food chain to win over Japanese customers and spark sales. In a move away from the Big Mac, McDonald's also said that other products were under development, including a grilled chicken sandwich, crispy and grilled chicken salads, and mixed berry yogurt. The shrimp burger developed especially for Japan is a bit similar to the Filet-O-Fish, except it's filled with shrimp.

The Hong Kong government has launched the "IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) Scout Badge" to promote respect of intellectual property among youngsters. The government announced Wednesday that Boy Scouts qualify for the badge by attending seminars and other activities on the topic. The program will initially target scouts between 11 and 16 years old.