Small Bits of News

Fake phone call fooled UBC security in museum heist
An experienced jewelry thief may have hoodwinked the University of British Columbia's campus security by telling them to ignore security alarms on the night of last month's multi-million dollar heist at the Museum of Anthropology, CBC News has learned.
The prime suspect and possible mastermind of one of the biggest art heists in Canadian history is a Vancouver thief who specializes in hitting high-end jewelry stores by neutralizing their sophisticated security systems, police sources have told the CBC.
Four hours before the break-in on May 23, two or three key surveillance cameras at the Museum of Anthropology mysteriously went off-line.
Around the same time, a caller claiming to be from the alarm company phoned campus security, telling them there was a problem with the system and to ignore any alarms that might go off.
Campus security fell for the ruse and ignored an automated computer alert sent to them.
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Woman who cut forest trees gets 4-minute probation
At one point this year, Patricia Vincent faced up to 20 years in prison for hiring a company to chop down trees on national forest land next to her home to improve her view of Lake Tahoe. Instead, she ended up serving about 4 minutes of probation.
In fairness, Vincent, 57, of Incline Village, will performed more than 80 hours of community service and paid $100,000 in restitution as part of a deal in which she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully cutting trees on U.S. land.
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"Naked Kids" Photo Exhibit Non-Pornographic
SYDNEY, Australia — Photographs of nude teenagers that prompted police to close a gallery exhibit in Australia's biggest city and launch an obscenity investigation were cleared Friday by censors as non-pornographic.
The ruling on leading Australian photographer Bill Henson's portraits came two weeks after police shut his latest exhibit just before opening night and confiscated dozens of photographs of naked adolescent boys and girls to investigate whether they violated obscenity laws.
A spokeswoman for Australia's Classification Board, speaking on condition of anonymity under board policy, said six photos had been referred to them. The board gave five of them a G rating, and one a PG.
The PG photo of a naked 13-year-old girl — was used on the cover of the invitation to the exhibit. It was believed to have caused the initial complaints that led to the police shutdown of the exhibit and investigation into possible obscenity charges against Henson.
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Driver hung up fake police uniform
A Chinese motorist has been arrested for hanging up a fake police uniform in his car to deter thieves.
Police pulled up the car in Taiyan city after spotting the uniform hanging in a rear window, reports the Shanxi Evening Post.
"We were suspicious when we spotted a uniform hanging up in a civilian vehicle," said a police spokesman.
The 25-year-old driver admitted the uniform was fake, and said he hung it up to scare off thieves after his car was broken into previously.
Police released the driver after cautioning him and confiscating the uniform.
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