Former Spanish soccer boss Rubiales egged by uncle

BARCELONA, Spain:

Luis Rubiales was pelted by eggs thrown by his own uncle when the former head of Spain's soccer federation was presenting a memoir late on Thursday relating his downfall after kissing a player at the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Rubiales was seated on a stool on a low stage when he jumped up and spun quickly trying to avoid three eggs hurled his way. One impacted on the back of his dark jacket, and another splattered against a screen behind him as he charged into the small audience.

"A man entered who I later saw was my uncle, who is a troubled man, and always has been," Rubiales told reporters. "He had some eggs and threw some at me, but I didn't know what he had in his hands, and when I first saw him I thought he might be carrying a weapon."

Spanish media reported that the uncle was Luis Ruben Rubiales, an actor who has appeared in several domestic television shows.

Spanish police told The Associated Press they arrested the egg thrower. No motive was immediately given for the incident. A video shows a group of men in the audience grabbing the uncle immediately after he launched the eggs and escorting him away.

Rubiales also had a falling out with another uncle, Juan Rubiales, several years ago when Juan was working for him at the federation.

His book "Matar a Rubiales" (Killing Rubiales) is a 500-page version of his professional demise after kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 Women's World Cup awards ceremony.

According to its publisher, Rubiales says he was the victim of a "conspiracy of different powers of Spanish public life" including the government and "the profitable world of feminism".

Rubiales has always denied he kissed Hermoso without her consent. After initially clinging to power amid a national uproar, he stepped down under immense pressure from the government, soccer officials, women players and fans.

Earlier this year he was found guilty of sexual assault for the unsolicited kiss by a Spanish court.

-AP

Make way for the flock!

BERLIN, Germany:

Pedestrians in the German city of Nuremberg made way for hundreds of bleating sheep yesterday as a flock of the animals was herded through downtown on its way to its winter quarters.

Curious bystanders, cellphones in hand to capture the sight, lined the streets as the roughly 600 animals in shepherd Thomas Gackstatter's flock hurried past on what has become a popular annual spectacle.

The sheep were on their way to winter pastures west of Nuremberg from the city, where Gackstatter's sheep and other herds are used in various meadows over the summer to keep the grass neat.

It's a trip of over 10 kilometres (just over six miles), which takes the flock through the central market square, the Hauptmarkt, German news agency dpa reported. Gackstatter says that, as far as he knows, Nuremberg is the only place in Germany where sheep cross the central square. The city has about 540,000 inhabitants.

Ahead of their passage, city authorities asked people to keep the route clear and keep dogs away from the sheep -- a mixture of various breeds. Drones weren't allowed.

Nuremberg isn't the only German city where sheep are used as lawnmowers. They also graze in at least some places in Berlin, Potsdam, Augsburg, Ulm and others. The sheep's slow munching makes for insect-friendly grass care, helping preserve biodiversity, and also saves city authorities the costs of mowing.

And for shepherds, the arrangement provides a place to put their sheep at a time when open spaces have become increasingly scarce.

-AP

Mysterious googly eyes go viral

PORTLAND, Oregon:

Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show.

On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called "Roundabout Art Route".

One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere. It's not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures.

"While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art," the city said in its posts.

The Facebook post received hundreds of comments, with many users saying they liked the googly eyes.

"My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh," one user said, using a nickname for the "Phoenix Rising" sculpture. "We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let's have fun!"

Another Facebook user wrote: "I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way."

Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes.

-AP