AN AMERICAN man who branded his children like cattle has been acquitted of assault charges.

The two teenage sons of 39-year-old Mark J Seamands testified that they had wanted to be branded, reports AP.

Seamands, of Washington State, was branded himself and told the court he wanted to bring the family closer together while he was going through a divorce.

Seamands’ ex-wife said she was horrified when she saw the scars.

Seamands’ 18-year-old daughter also was branded, but the dad wasn’t charged with assaulting her because she was old enough to give consent.

The children were branded with the letters "SK," which stands for "Seamands' kids."

Bribery best way

MORE than half of Russians think bribery will get you everywhere.

A poll found that 55 per cent of respondents said they believed that “bribes are given by everyone who comes across officials” in Russia, says Reuters.

The survey also found that Russians still pay bribes to obtain better medical services, prefer to “buy” their driving licences, bribe police when caught violating traffic rules, or pay to ensure that their child can dodge the draft or get a place at the right school.

Only one in ten of those polled believe that only “cheats and criminals” bribed officials and 30 percent said that those offering “cash in envelopes” are in fact “ordinary people who have no other way to solve their problems.”

Watchdog Transparency International last November rated Russia, a G8 country, joint 146th out of 180 nations in its Corruption Perception Index, along with Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, and five other developing nations.

Licence to chill

DRIVING schools in Japan are offering Hawaiian massage and manicures as well as lessons behind the wheel in an effort to boost business.

“It’s harder to get new customers compared with before,” Aki Takahashi, head of Tokyo’s Musashi Sakai Driving School, told Reuters.

“We think price competition can’t go any further so we’re enhancing our service line-up,” she added.

Students at Musashi Sakai, where over 5,000 graduate yearly, can choose from extra services including manicures, Hawaiian “lomilomi” with aromatherapy as well as other types of massage to relieve driving fatigue.

Not to be outdone, rival Koyama Driving School’s service range includes the use of BMWs for highway-driving lessons and Harley-Davidson motorcycles for bike classes.

Sick on slugs

A SLUG-eating dare almost cost the life of an Australian man who contracted a rare form of meningitis after the deed.

The Sydney-based man narrowly escaped death after eating two garden slugs as a party dare, reports ABC online.

The case is the first record of a human acquiring the disease from slugs in Sydney, although other mammals in the area have been known to become infected.

As well as developing meningitis – inflammation of the membrane that surrounds the spine and the brain – the man developed encephalitis, swelling of the brain and spinal cord.

Doctors said the man recovered after several months and was able to complete his university studies and resume sporting activities.

Back from the dead

A BRITISH man who had been declared dead after a fake suicide attempt has been found alive and well.

Leslie Andrews left a pile of clothes and a suicide note on a windswept beach almost eight years ago, while apparently plagued by debts and under investigation for a sex assault on a child.

But now it appears Mr Andrews did not kill himself but instead carried out a Reggie Perrin-style fake suicide to start a new life, reports The Mail.

Living under the name of Leslie Trent, his deception was eventually uncovered when he was arrested by police for a separate matter.

During his absence, his wife remarried – after waiting the seven years after the date when he went missing that is required under British law.

A police source said: “Obviously seven years has elapsed from the day he went missing on the beach and he had been legally declared dead under the law so it came as quite a shock to have him turning up at our police station and telling us who is was. We were speechless.”

Andrews appeared before magistrates in Blackpool where he denied the offences and the case is set to go to crown court.

Grain of truth

LINGERIE makers Triumph have given us an uplifting story with the launch of its rice bra.

Green-fingered Japanese women can now keep their hobby close to their heart with this specially designed bra that allows them to grow rice in the cups, reports Yahoo.

The bra – which will not be on sale – is the latest gimmick promoted by the company as a PR stunt.

Previous designs included one with a sushi set and another with solar panels.

The bra, made of recyclable plastic, can be tied together to create pots that also double as the cups.

These are then filled with soil, and rice seedlings, that are watered through a hose that also doubles as a belt that goes around the wearer’s waist.

The bra also comes with gardening gloves.

“The bra fits much better than it looks. Wearing it puts me in such a fun mood,” said model Reiko Aoyama in the lingerie.