WEIRD NEWS

COUPLE SHARES BED WITH PIG

A woman has claimed she and her boyfriend share the bed with their pet pig. Maddie Johnson and her partner, Stephen, adopted Pickles the rescue pig back in 2017 and he now joins the pair under the duvet in their San Francisco home.

She said that it was difficult for Pickles to settle in at the house at first, but he soon took to sharing a bed with the couple.

"He was quite nervous at first. He would stay in his own bed and not venture off very far.

"But by the end of the week he was less piglet and more puppy -- running all over the place, asking for belly scratches, and snuggles on the sofa.

"Within a month he was sleeping in our bed!"

--------------

MICKEY MOUSE ISSUES GOVERNMENT CHEQUES

The US state of Rhode Island accidentally issued tax cheques signed by Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.

The error was a result of a technical glitch on a cheque-printing system, according to revenue chief Jade Borgeson.

Some 176 people received cheques with the signatures of Mickey and Walt. The names of State Treasurer Seth Magaziner and State Controller Peter Keen had meant to have been on the cheques.

The tax cheques have since been voided and correct bills will be sent out to those affected in the coming days.

Borgeson said: "The division is continuing to proactively contact impacted taxpayers to remedy the error, and apologises for any inconvenience the error may have caused."

----------------

UNDERWATER MUSEUM SHOWCASES OLDEST SHIPWRECK

An underwater museum that allows visitors to swim among shipwrecks has opened in Greece.

Divers will be able to see a range of artefacts, including a shipwreck dating back to the fifth century, at the attraction of the Greek coast.

Visitors will see the "planet's oldest shipwreck that can be dived through by humans" at the museum.

The attraction does cater for those who are unable to swim by giving them a virtual reality tour of the wreckage. The ship is believed to have sunk around 425 BC due to bad weather, according to the curator of underwater antiques.

The unnamed woman told local TV: "This has been a big ship. We are offering to humanity the Parthenon of shipwrecks."

------------------

DOG SEES AGAIN AFTER FAT REMOVED FROM FACE

A dog had more than a kilo of skin removed to help him see again. Neapolitan mastiff Neo was struggling with his vision as a result of the excess skin surrounding his eyes, and so owner Mark Hutchins brought him to a vet in Swindon in a bid to help out the animal, with the medics soon performing the procedure.

Hutchins admits he can see the funny side of the operation, having initially been fearful about what might happen to Neo.

He said: "I know it sounds a bit mad when you talk about a dog having a facelift, but it was a very traumatic time for the family.

"Neo was having a lot of problems with his face and eyes because he had so much saggy skin hanging down, and he was in a lot of pain and discomfort."