Offbeat

Extreme ironing is a unique British-born sport that combines physical and mental challenges with humor. Participants engage in extreme activities like scuba diving, spelunking, and cliff climbing while ironing their clothes. Despite its seemingly absurd nature, extreme ironing has gained popularity and even has its own organization, the Extreme Ironing Bureau (EIB), which regulates the sport. The rise of extreme ironing led to the creation of world championships and inspired various forms of the activity, such as underwater ironing and ironing while kayaking.

Notable achievements in extreme ironing include ironing the Union Jack flag on Mount Everest and setting records for ironing underwater. Safety guidelines include wearing helmets, using harnesses, having a spotter present, and gaining experience in the related extreme activity. Extreme ironing championships feature different sections, such as urban, water, forest, Lauda, and freestyle. While extreme ironing is not an Olympic sport, it has gained international recognition and continues to attract enthusiasts.

• A new law in the Philippines requires mobile phone users to provide a photo and other personal details when buying a new SIM card. This was aimed at combating rampant text messaging scams.

• However, the telecom regulator has reported a "sharp increase" in scam text messages since the law took effect.

• To demonstrate how easy it is to get past the automated vetting systems, a police officer used an ID card with a photo of a monkey to successfully activate various SIM cards.

• This has left lawmakers and regulators red-faced, as it shows that the new law has not been effective in stopping scammers.

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An incredibly slippery 3D-printed toilet doesn't get dirty and requires less water to flush than a typical one, scientists say. Could cleaning toilets become a chore of the past?

Right now, the concept is just a prototype, but researchers are working on ways to eventually bring this clever chemistry to market. So far, the researchers have printed only a tiny model of the toilet that stands about one-fifth the height of a typical porcelain throne, and they tested its slickness by exposing its surface to yogurt, honey, starchy gel and fake poop, not the real stuff.

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They probably hired Jeremy Clarkson to design it.

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Fascinating read about a serial fraudster, and I honestly wish they could explain what the dead ferret has to do with all her criminal activities.

"The report states that witnesses inside the house saw Williams pour gasoline from a soda bottle onto clothes and the floor of the laundry room. Williams then lit Takis tortilla chips on fire and tossed them into the laundry room."

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Sorry to those like me who had their money on "Fell out an open window".