ChapNews Vol. 7: Lip Balm Hijacking

It's been a while since there was anything balm-newsworthy, but we managed to find a doozy from yesterday's International Herald & Tribune. This moron actually makes me think twice about the lip balm on planes issue. Don't try this on your next flight.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: A man who threatened to blow up an Air Botswana plane turned out to be holding lip balm and an asthma inhaler, not a bomb, SABC radio news reported Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Cameroonian was overpowered shortly after the plane landed Monday evening in Johannesburg and was arrested Monday. He had threatened to detonate a bomb on the Johannesburg-bound flight from the Botswana capital, Gaborone.

Chris Hlakane, manager for the Airports Company South Africa, said the man claimed to be a member of al-Qaida but this was dismissed by police Tuesday.

He had tried to force his way into the cockpit and some media claim he was demanding asylum in South Africa.

No one was hurt.