Judge orders man to turn: over plane sold on eBay

SYDNEY, Australia - An Australian court ordered a man to hand overa vintage plane worth about $215,000 after he tried to back out of aneBay auction, a newspaper reported today.

The New South Wales state Supreme Court ordered Vin Thomas tocomplete the deal after he changed his mind about selling the 1946World War II Wirraway plane he had placed on the Internet auctionsite last year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Peter Smythe, a Australian warplane enthusiast, was the onlyperson to bid on the item, matching the $128,640 reserve price justmoments before the auction ended in August last year.

Man faces cruelty charge

after dog dies in car

LOS ANGELES - A 56-year-old man was arrested this week onsuspicion of animal cruelty after his 2-year-old yellow LabradorRetriever apparently died of heat exhaustion inside the man's BMW,Los Angeles police said today.

Bennett Ira Goldberg of Simi Valley apparently left the dogunattended in the car in suburban Canoga Park for at least four hoursTuesday afternoon while temperatures continued to rise inside thevehicle, police said.

A neighbor heard the dog barking inside the car and called policeabout 1 p.m. By the time officers arrived, the dog had died,officials said.

Group tries, fails to form

largest kazoo band

NEW YORK - Members of a 1980s funk and disco group hit a sour notein their attempt to break the world record for the largest kazooensemble, falling short of the some 2,600 impromptu musicians needed.

Organizers were hoping to sign up 3,000 impromptu players for theattempt in Harlem, which was led by the female vocalists of Skyy.

Their 1980 song "Skyyzoo" featured the sound of kazoos beingplayed for some gentle backup.

That backup still managed to get louder on Thursday, with morethan 2,000 amateur musicians turning out for the concert.