Lafayette, CA -- A Northern California grandma was able to keep a robber from stealing her money by sitting the man on her sofa, feeding him a banana and saying prayers next to him until he fell asleep. When she was sure the man was unconscious, the 73-year-old hid in her bathroom and called her daughter, who promptly called the police to retrieve the sleeping intruder, reports sfgate.com.

BEIJING -- Health officials were called in to a Beijing man's home when neighbors discovered the lonely widower had bred more than 200,000 cockroaches and kept them as pets. Police were called in and the man was forced to clear out his home. According to the "Beijing Morning Post," it took two hours to kill all the bugs and clean up the house.

SYDNEY -- Australian surfers are testing out a new type of surfboard with built-in shark-repelling technology. SeaChange Technologies says the board emits an electronic field that surrounds the surfboard. When a shark swims near the field it will first feel discomfort in its snout, and if it draws closer to the field, it will get muscle spasms.

EAST WENATCHEE, Wash. -- A Washington-state woman is being nickel- and-dimed by the State Department of Employment Security. Sandi Bryant is being threatened with legal action if she doesn't repay the nickel she was overpaid in unemployment wages six years ago. She asked a state worker if she could tape a nickel to a piece of paper, but she was informed she had to send in a money order. Bryant told "The Wenatchee World," "Do you realize for this nickel, you paid an employee to type this...[spent] 37 cents for postage, and you want me to pay for a money order and the postage?"

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