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ODESSA, UKRAINE — A downtown monument to communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin has been replaced by a statue of Darth Vader.

A new national law bans all Soviet memorabilia and symbols, so the statue of Lenin had to go.

The sculptor of the Vader statue said it is not easy for artists to remove any work. “But it was also impossible to leave the monument at its place, considering the situation in the country,” he said.

Darth Vader is a popular figure in Ukraine. In the cities of Kiev and Odessa, a man who wears a full Vader costume, and often is escorted by stormtroopers, is a candidate for mayor.

The new statue of the Sith Lord has the added advantage of being a wi-fi router.

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA — An Abingdon man has laid claim to an unwanted patch of desert between Egypt and Sudan, named it North Sudan, and declared himself king.

Jeremiah Heaton planted a flag in June to claim the 800-square-mile Bir Tawil territory. Heaton said he found out about the land and claimed it on his daughter Emily’s 7th birthday to fulfill her dream of becoming a real princess.

Heaton said he plans to turn the parched desert land into an “agricultural area,” but his first task is to get diplomatic recognition from neighboring countries and the United Nations. The Egyptian and Sudanese embassies in Washington have not responded to requests for comment.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — While driving home after a night on the town, Guillermo Reyes came upon a DUI traffic stop. When police approached the vehicle, a voice from inside the vehicle shouted, “¡Está borracho! ¡Está borracho! (He’s drunk! He’s drunk!)”

The only other occupant of Reyes’ vehicle was his pet parrot in a cage in the back seat. Acting on the bird’s tip, the officers gave Reyes a Breathalyzer test and found that he was, in fact, driving while impaired.

Reyes and the parrot spent the night in the drunk tank.