New Jersey man flies to Florida to attack another player over online gaming dispute

FERNANDINA BEACH, Florida (AP): An online gaming dispute made its way to the real world when a New Jersey man flew to Florida to attack another player with a hammer, authorities said.

Edward Kang, 20, is charged with attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary with a mask, according to Nassau County court records. He was arrested last month.

"I just want to let you know, this is a weird one," Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said during a news conference. "Some things you just can't make up."

Kang and the victim, another young man around the same age as Kang, had never met in real life, but they both played ArcheAge, a medieval fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Leeper said.

The game's publisher announced in April that it would be shutting down servers in Europe and North America on June 27, citing a declining number of active players.

On June 20, Kang flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, after telling his mother that he was going to visit a friend that he had met while playing a video game, officials said.

Officials didn't say how Kang learnt where the victim lives. Upon arrival, Kang took an Uber to a hotel in Fernandina Beach, about 35 miles north of Jacksonville, and then bought a hammer at a local hardware store, deputies said.

Early in the morning, Kang went to the victim's Fernandina Beach home, which was unlocked, authorities said. The victim was walking out of his bedroom when he was confronted by Kang, who hit him on the head with the hammer, officials said.

The two struggled as the victim called for help. His stepfather responded and helped to restrain Kang until police arrived.

The victim suffered several head wounds that were not considered life-threatening, officials said. He received staples at the hospital.

Once in custody, Kang told investigators that the victim is a "bad person online", officials said. He also asked deputies how much jail time people got for breaking and entering and assault.

"I would say, Mr Kang, it's going to be a long time before you play video games again," Leeper said.

Online court records didn't list an attorney for Kang. He was being held without bond.

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How some animals can have babies without a mate

AP: A boa constrictor in the United Kingdom gave birth to 14 babies -- without a mate.

Is it a miracle? The result of a secret rendezvous? Probably not. Females of species have the ability to reproduce asexually, without sperm from a male. The process is called parthenogenesis, from the Greek words for "virgin" and "birth".

Some plants and insects can do it, as well as some amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish. A stingray named Charlotte that was thought to have become pregnant by this method died last week at an aquarium in North Carolina, though she never delivered and it is unclear if she was ever pregnant.

Some wasps, crustaceans and lizards reproduce only through parthenogenesis. But in other species it's rare and usually observed in captivity.

It tends to occur in situations where females are separated from males, said Demian Chapman, who directs the Sharks & Rays Conservation Research Program at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida.

The boa in the UK, a 6-foot, 13-year-old Brazilian Rainbow Boa named Ronaldo, gave birth recently after having no contact with any other snakes for at least nine years, according to the City of Portsmouth College, which kept the snake.

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Some subway trains now sporting googly eyes

BOSTON (AP): Subway riders in Boston are playing their own game of "Where's Waldo?" But instead of searching for a cartoon character with a red and white striped top, they're on the lookout for subway trains with googly eye decals attached to the front.

The head of transit service said the whimsical decals are attached to a handful of trains and meant to bring a smile to riders' faces.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said a small group of what he described as transit enthusiasts approached the agency with the unusual request to install the eyes on trains. The group even dropped off a package of plastic googly eyes at the MBTA's headquarters in Boston.

"When I saw it, it made me laugh," Eng said. "I thought we could do something like that to have some fun."

Instead of plastic googly eyes, which Eng feared could come loose and fly off, injuring riders, the MBTA went with decals, giving a jaunty facial expression to the trains.

The agency has affixed them to just five trains -- four on the MBTA's Green Line and one commuter rail line.

"When we chatted about it, it would be like finding Waldo," he said. "It gave us all a chance to have a laugh and for the people who use our service to have some fun."