Pillow for peace

Copenhagen, Oct. 14 (Reuters): A pillow that plays relaxing music has been sent by the Danish army to its soldiers posted in Iraq and Kosovo to help them combat stress and tension.

“In a first test, we have sent 10 pillows each to Iraq and Kosovo and they are now being used by the troops,” Henrik Lundstein, head of the leadership and psychology department at Denmark’s Royal Defence College, said.

The pillow has built-in speakers attached to an MP3-player piping soft instrumentals and sounds of nature like trickling water and chirping birds.

Toxic leeks

Brussels (Reuters): Belgian police warned thieves on Friday who made off with leeks from a vegetable farm: don’t eat them ? they could be toxic. The robbers stole 200 kg of leeks, a main ingredient of Vichyssoise soup, but police said the vegetables should have stayed in the ground another six weeks to be safe after treatment with pesticides. Consumers were told to beware of leeks with a strange smell.