Thieves in Germany decided to forgo robbing the train; they stole the tracks instead. Officials of the railroad operator Deutsche Bahn said Friday that thieves dismantled and stole three miles of unused rail tracks just outside of the town of Weimar. The tracks were noticed missing after the mayor of the town called the company to see if the dismantling of the tracks was planned.

The World Grilled Cheese Eating Championship crowned its winner Wednesday, a 100-pound woman who ate 26 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. Sonya Thomas won $8,000 for the contest at the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Times Square, saying, "I could have done better. " She was aiming for 30 sandwiches.

Sales of adult diapers in China are soaring as the lunar New Year holiday approaches. Long trips and traveling aboard trains are so crowded that even the toilets are inaccessible. In Foshan, a southern industrial city with a large migrant population, supermarkets report diaper sales have risen 50 percent since the main travel season began on Jan. 14, local media reports.

Eight pranksters who dropped their pants and showed off their underwear in a staged prank on the subway Sunday were taken into custody and cited for disorderly conduct. According to Improv Everywhere, the group that organized the stunt, all of the jokesters trying to elicit laughs and snickers were ultimately released. The group says more than 160 riders participated in the fifth annual No Pants Subway Ride before police stopped the No. 6 train they were on about 5 p. m. Charlie Todd, who founded Improv Everywhere in 2001, says it's not his group's intent to offend but to "create chaos and laughter" in places around the city.

After a six hour chase that included dodging cars, a game of chicken with a train, and a dip in the icy Missouri River, an escaped cow was recaptured with three tranquilizer darts. The black, 1,200-pound heifer jumped a gate at a slaughterhouse at around 5 a. m. Thursday.