Drug could allow you to 'grow new teeth'
And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Scientists in Japan are developing a drug that would allow people to grow new teeth. Toregem Biopharma, a pharmaceutical start-up based in Kyoto, has reported successful results in laboratory experiments using mice, ferrets and dogs and plans to begin testing the drug on humans next year. The drug stimulates dormant "tooth buds", said The Times, which normally "dwindle and disappear in people who have grown a full set of healthy teeth".
Bear crashes birthday picnic
A family picnic in Mexico was interrupted by a hungry black bear who leapt onto their table and proceeded to "wolf down their tacos", said The Telegraph. Silvia Macias shielded her son Santiago's face after the bear discovered their birthday celebration at Chipinque Park near Monterrey. "The worst thing was that Santiago might get scared," Macías told The Associated Press. "Santiago is very afraid of animals, a cat or a dog, any animal scares him a lot."
BA pilot's 'air lines' scandal
A married British Airways pilot snorted cocaine off a woman's bare breasts before trying to fly a "packed jet" to the UK, said The Sun. Mike Beaton boasted of his behaviour to a stewardess friend, admitting: "I've been a very naughty boy." But the "appalled pal" reported him to managers who cancelled last month's flight, drug-tested and sacked him, the tabloid added. His wife declined to comment, saying: "You must speak to my husband about it."
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Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.