NEWS MAIL

Bee-eating bear who's clearly got life licked

2012-01-19T12:37:00.001-08:00

At first glance, this bear looks like she has taken a shine to the bark of the tree she is lazing about in.

But the amusing image is in fact the creature's best attempt at stifling a yawn as she woke up from a snooze at Miami Zoo in Florida.

Photographer Adrian Tavano captured Kala, a 19-year-old Malayan sun bear, as she emerged from a nap and opened her mouth.

Sun bears usually employ their tongue, which can reach up to ten-inches, to eat termites hidden deep inside trees.

Mr Tavano, 39, from Miami, said: 'The bear exhibit is very nice and visitors have a clear view of the animals.

'Kala loves to sleep on top of this tree, which was about 20 metres from where I was.

'I think she had just woken up and had a yawn, so she is not licking the tree but it looks like it.'

Pet cat spends 24 hours on a road sign 50ft off the ground

2012-01-12T12:32:00.001-08:00

A curious cat used up all of its nine lives after getting stuck on a 50ft-high traffic sign above a busy motorway.

Police and animal lovers launched a major rescue operation after the puss spent 24 hours trapped on the sign alongside the M4.

Traffic officers set up a rolling roadblock as a crane was brought in to reach the frightened moggy.

Scaffolder Hugh Norville, 47, who went up in the crane lift, said: 'I was shocked when I saw him up there - you certainly don’t expect to see a cat perched above the M4.

'But we couldn’t have just left him up there. He was cold and scared, he could have died, I wasn’t going to let that happen.'

Brave Hugh climbed onto the concrete sign platform at Briton Ferry, near Swansea, armed with a tin of cat food to tempt the pet down.

He said: 'He was well-looked after - what made him climb onto the sign is a complete mystery.

'But whoever owns him should re-name him Lucky because he’s used all his nine lives up in one go.'

The cat was handed over to the RSPCA who returned him to his relieved owner today.

A spokeswoman said: 'The cat was well and truly stuck - but everyone pulled out all the stops to bring him down.

'It just just goes to show what a nation of animal lovers we are.'

Carving out a niche for himself, the artist uses chainsaw to create his masterpieces on TREES

2012-01-04T08:58:00.001-08:00

A master craftsman has carved out a unique niche for himself turning trees into works of art using a heavy duty chainsaw.

Andy O'Neill, 40, spends days at a time creating each of his remarkable tree treats by carving the sculptures from felled logs.

Once completed, each piece of his art can fetch anywhere between £300 to £5,000 a time.

Andy is currently working at the National Pinetum in Bedgebury Forest, Kent - where he is carving seven sculptures including an enormous adder, a roman shield and sword and some other intricate designs, all with his trusty chainsaw

Wood carver Andy hails from Bristol but is currently living in a caravan in Bedgebury Forest, said: 'I've been doing this for four years and it's really something I love.

'As a schoolboy I wanted to do woodwork for O Level, but they didn't have enough pupils to make up a class, so I did art instead.

'I became a graphic designer and then a tree surgeon after leaving school, but wanted to carve myself a different path and combined my art with my love of forestry.

'My tallest creation was a 25ft tall totem pole that I carved out of a condemned beech tree - that was a real labour of love.

'As an artist I am in my own bubble - I've created my own style as I go along.

'Using a chainsaw instead of a paint brush puts me apart from most other artists straight away.'

In the New Year, visitors to Bedgebury's National Pinetum will be able to see Andy's chainsaw masterpieces at the free to enter forest.

The Pinetum is a recreational and conservational arboretum and was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most complete collection of conifers on one site anywhere in the world.

The collection has over 10,000 trees growing across 320 acres (1.3 km2), including rare, endangered and historically important specimens of pines, conifers and firs.

Bedgebury National Pinetum conducts conservation work and is home to some 56 vulnerable or critically endangered species along with Andy's astonishing art work.

Cozy Coupe is the best selling car of all types in 2011

2011-12-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

It gives off zero emissions, costs nothing at the petrol pump and rarely breaks down.

So perhaps it’s little wonder the Cozy Coupe is something of a bestselling car.

Unfortunately though, it takes forever to do 0-60mph and only takes one passenger at a time.

But even that hasn’t stopped the 2011 model of Cozy Coupe outselling the Ford Focus and the Vauxhall Corsa in the UK.

HOW THE SALES COMPARE IN PAST 12 MONTHS

Total Cozy Couple sales: 133,535

1 Fiesta: 95,261

2 Focus: 81,616

3 Corsa: 77,230

4 Golf: 62,604

5 Astra: 63,096

6 Insignia: 46,417

7 Polo: 46,974

8 3 Series: 42,689

9 Qashqai: 39,667

10 MINI: 37,375

Totting up unit sales of over 130,000 in the past 12 months puts it way ahead of any other model in statistics compiled by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The £49.99 car is also the run-about of choice for the children of professional driver and former Top Gear star Ben Collins.

The design of the chassis has changed little since it was first produced in 1979, since when 21million Cozy Coupes have been around the world.

The car's design, described as a ‘cross between a Volkswagen Beetle and Fred Flintstone's vehicle’, was created by Jim Mariol, who had worked as a designer at Chrysler in the USA.

First sold in 1979 as one of the first molded-plastic toy cars sold in the United States, it was called the ‘world's best-selling car for much of this decade’ by The New York Times in 1998, outselling the Honda Accord and Ford Taurus.

Reacting to this year’s chart topping position, Andrew Laughton, of Little Tikes said: ‘We are not surprised that the Cozy Coupe has topped Britain’s best-selling vehicle sales.

‘It is a regular favourite with parents and kids alike and the Cozy Coupe never fails to delight children who love the feature of being able to get into and ‘drive away’ in their own car.

‘Parents love the fact this robust vehicle offers a good few years of quality play value and they’re also very reliable.

‘Plus many of today’s parents have their own fond memories of owning a Cozy Coupe as a child.’

UK sales of the toy were further boosted earlier this year with the introduction of the GB Coupe, a navy blue coloured model sporting a Union Jack on the roof.

Launched just in time for the Royal Wedding Celebrations, the special edition vehicle is sold through ToysRUs and other toy showrooms.

Sales have also been strong for the Pink coloured Princess Coupe, a police liveried Patrol Coupe, and a taxi range, which also includes a London Black Cab version.

The world's shortest firefighter at just 4ft 2in tall

2011-12-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Firemen are often admired for their large stature but one man is proving that size really doesn't matter.

Standing at just 4ft 2in tall, Vince Brasco, 19, has been a volunteer fireman in his area for four years.

Whilst he has yet to pass the necessary exams that allow him too enter burning buildings, Brasco is responsible for manning the water pipes when on call in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Vince can bench-press over three times his own 6st 3lb (87lb) weight, lifting 19 stone (265lb), and cites his upper body strength for his ability to handle the department's' heavy-duty equipment.

He said: 'I work out a lot - as much as I can down at my gym. It really helps on the job. You need to be strong.

'Because I can lift so much I'm handy at salvage jobs where we have to move heavy bits of metal debris - like after car accidents.

'And it means I can be part of the line of men using a hose. If you weren't strong enough that thing would fly out of control.'

Vince wears a custom-made fire suit. He said: 'We had to take a normal suit and have it reduced down to fit me. It was great when I put it on for the first time.'

The teenager works part time in an electronics store and is studying to become a nurse to help others with health needs. Whenever he can, he responds to calls for the volunteer fire service.

'If I am in the area then I just drop everything and run,' he said.

He was born with achondroplasia - a type of dwarfism that affects bone growth.

He said: 'I'll never let having achondroplasia stop me from doing anything.

'I just set my mind to something and I go out and do my best. I wanted to be a fireman as a child so as soon as I was old enough to volunteer at 16 I did it.'

Vince is now looking to complete his Firefighter Essentials exam which would allow him to enter burning buildings.

'Until then I'm happy to just fight fires from the outside, and attend other emergencies, but I know I've got what it takes.'

His greatest challenge was when a neighbour's house caught fire last year.

Vince, who lives with dad Bill, 50, who works for the local government, mum Lesa, 49, an executive assistant, and sister Adele, 15, said: 'It was near my home and I knew the family inside.

'I was part of the crew outside and was firing water in through a second-floor window.

'It was the first time there was an accident involving someone I knew and I was really worried.

'Sadly they lost their two German Shepherds in the fire but all the people got out safe and I knew we did everything we could. I felt proud to be part of the crew that saved them.'

Albino snail found in New Zealand shows his true colour

2011-12-05T08:49:00.001-08:00

As if there are not enough creatures down under to put off most travellers, now there are giant albino meat-eating snails to contend with.

It was spotted by a group of hikers in the wilderness of New Zealand.

Maria Brooks, who took this astonishing picture said: 'It is a rare albino giant Powelliphanta.

'It was seen by myself and some of the Waimea tramping club members.

'We were in the bush on the side of a walking track in Mt Arthur area of Kahurangi National Park in New Zealand.

'It is believed to be at least ten years old.

'The only times I have seen giant snails out during the day is when the bush is very moist from previous rain.

'Before I saw the white one I had seen a few ordinary ones. They generally have a brown/grey body.

Although it may be a good subject for a low budget horror movies, the Powelliphanta snail is not quite a man-eater - yet.

They can grow to around the size of a man's fist and lives for around 20 years.

They feed on worms and slugs and any other small creature that can't outrun a snail, not reputed to be the world's fastest creature.

They have few enemies, but remain endangered. They lay up to 10 eggs a year that are hard like a bird's

Daredevil performs nerve-shredding tightrope walk 3,000ft above Yosemite Park,without a safety harness

2011-11-30T02:09:00.001-08:00

This is the incredible moment an adrenaline junkie takes tightrope walking to new heights.Daredevil Mich Kemeter performs a delicate balancing act at a dizzying altitude of more than 3,000ft over Yosemite National Park in California.The 23-year-old inched across the 25metre-long wire, which was just one-inch wide, three times.

He then bravely - some would say, irresponsibly - abandoned his safety rope for one final walk across the steep gully.The stunt was part of the dangerous craze of high-lining - tightrope walking at some of the world's most terrifying locations.It was captured on camera by photographer Alexandre Buisse, from Chamonix in the French Alps.Mr Buisse admitted he was worried for Mr Kemeter as he watched the terrifying walk unfold.The 26-year-old said: 'I was worried for Mich's safety but I also knew that he has lots of experience with this sort of thing.'He was in control at all times and was ready to pull the plug at any moment if things didn't feel right.

'He made four crossings in total and chose to try one without the safety leash.'Even with the safety leash, a fall would probably mean breaking an ankle, knee or hip, so even with it the stakes are very high.'It was Mich's intention from the start to try it without any safety equipment but he needed to get to know the line and the conditions before committing to it.'The decision to do it was in the balance until the very last moment. He was also waiting for a small crowd of tourists to wander off so he could completely focus.'Mr Buisse added: 'As an adventure photographer it's not my job to judge what level of risk the athletes I shoot are willing to take. The only exception is if they are pushing themselves because of the presence of the camera but I didn't feel it was the case with Mich.'It was really important for me not to be in his way because I didn't want to disturb his focus. On his crossing without the safety rope I actually didn't move at all.'

Big foot! Teenager shows off his SIZE 21 feet and reveals they make him a hit with the ladies

2011-11-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

Teenager Carl Griffiths may have the biggest feet in Britain, but he's taking it in his stride.

The 19-year-old, who stands at 6ft 8in, has feet that are a staggering 14.5in long - or a size 21. The UK average men's shoe size is a nine.

Unsurprisingly, he regularly has to put up with people accidentally standing on them and struggles to find shoes that fit so has to order them from overseas.

Mr Griffiths, from Trimsaram in south Wales said: 'My feet have always been huge - ever since I can remember.

'They grew so fast when I was at school my mum kept having to buy me new shoes every few months. Each year I would go through two or three pairs. I just wore them out really quickly.

'At primary school my feet were always two sizes bigger than anyone else’s.
'By the time I was 12 years old they were size 14. Then in the space of two years they had gone up to size 17.

'I play rugby and had a huge struggle finding rugby boots - I had to get them special ordered from America.'

Mr Griffiths stands at 6ft8in tall, just two inches shorter than beanpole England footballer Peter Crouch. But his feet are nine sizes bigger than striker Crouch's size 12s.

This means that the unemployed welder's footwear options are limited - and expensive.
He said: 'They don’t make size 21 shoes anywhere in the UK. They cost about £50 to have made but because the boxes they come in are quite big it costs another £50 to have them mailed back here.

'I’ve got one pair of Nike trainers and a pair of steel-toe cap boots for work. I had some rugby boots made as well but they are already too small.

'I have to wear my trainers for everything so they end up looking grubby really quickly. I wish I could have a tidy pair.'

As he can only wear his trainers on nights out, Mr Griffiths is often turned away from clubs because his footwear doesn’t meet the dress code.

He said: 'It’s happened a few times that some places won’t let me in because I’m not wearing shoes, but usually the boys will come to another club with me.'

And the teenager reveals that women regularly chat him up on the dance floor with the line, 'Is it true what they say about men with big feet?'

Mr Griffiths' father Wayne, 39, a size 13, said: 'I don't know where Carl got his big feet from - he definitely didn't get them from me.'

Street fighter demolishes car with his bare hands

2011-11-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Car demolition typically requires tons of heavy machinery.

But one wannabe street fighter has literally taken the matter into his own bare hands in this viral video.

The man, dressed in a karate gi, unleashes fury on the four-door sedan, ripping it apart piece by piece.

The scene appears to be inspired by video game Super Street Fighter IV, in which character Ryu crushes an SUV with his martial arts moves in a bonus round called Car Crush.

Standing in a junkyard, the real-life video opens with a weak one-two punch.
But the determined street fighter eventually manages to impress with his seemingly super human strength as he channels his rage into the self-styled demolition

Viewers might wince as they see him turn to the car, trying and failing to punch out a headlight.

After several jabs, he gives up and rips it from the body, along with the front bumper.

He then gets a running start, but his punch to the hood leaves hardly a dent after he lands on his belly. Finally, he peels the entire hood up from the windshield, bending it back until it nearly snaps in two.

An in-car camera shows glass shattering as he punches out the windows and bends the doors backwards.

Several drop kicks and belly flops later, the car is crushed like a soda can.

It all goes up in flames though when he finishes the job, breathing a wall of fire onto the wreckage.

Passengers see plane's landing without a wheels

2011-11-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

As they gazed out of the plane window shortly after take-off, they were no doubt expecting to see little of note besides the scenic countryside below.

But passengers on the Flybe flight from Exeter to Newcastle were in fact faced with a terrifying sight – as one of the plane’s wheels dropped off in front of them.

After one of the travellers raised the alarm, the crew decided on a plan to land them safely back at the Devon airport.

They faced an agonising wait as the plane circled the runway for more than an hour to burn fuel, with some passengers sending goodbye messages to their family.

However, they needn’t have feared the worst, for the plane eventually touched down safely and all 39 passengers and four crew members escaped uninjured.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch later revealed that the incident, on March 3, was caused by the wheel’s outer bearing seizing, allowing it to detach.

The wheel, one of two on the right side of the plane, dropped off as the Bombardier Q400’s landing gear retracted after take-off.

Several passengers witnessed the wheel fall, the AAIB said, with some later reporting that they had seen ‘little sparks’ coming from it and a ‘large piece of metal’ protruding from the undercarriage.

Martin Brown, 30, of North Tyneside, was on board the plane and alerted cabin crew after seeing the wheel fall off.

He said: ‘I looked out of the window and saw one of the wheels fall so I said to my colleague next to me “I don’t want to worry you, but I think I might have just seen the wheel come off” and we called the cabin crew over.

‘Then there was an announcement from the pilot to say there was a problem with the aircraft.

‘Luckily there was an aircraft technician onboard and he had a look and told the pilot what was wrong.’

A mayday alert was sent to air traffic controllers, as it was decided the plane should return to Exeter Airport and the co-pilot contacted the airline’s chief pilot by radio.

It was agreed that the crew should use a ‘left-wing-down’ technique to land the plane safely. This meant ensuring the left main wheels touched down first, with the remaining right wheel then being lowered as gently as possible.

After more than an hour circling to burn fuel, the captain took the plane down for landing and, though it veered to the left, he was able to hold the aircraft steady and the passengers were able to disembark through the front left door.

Christine Jackman, 28, of Newcastle, was returning home on the Flybe service from a four-day business trip.

The mother-of-one said: ‘It was horrendous. I sent a text to my partner and son telling them how much I loved them because I thought it might be the last thing I would do.

‘It was just sheer shock...When we landed, [the crew] were shouting “keep your heads down” and that was the worst part.

‘That’s when I started crying. It was horrific.’
The AAIB said that the captain had inspected the right main landing gear before the flight and had not noticed any abnormalities.

The report said: ‘Given the nature of the bearing failure, it is unlikely that any (abnormalities) would have been visible.’

HGV driver dead after lorry tumbles off road on to motorway closing both carriageways

2011-11-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

An HGV driver has died this afternoon after his lorry plunged from a bridge on to a motorway in Cheshire.

Rescue teams said it was an 'absolute miracle' more people were not killed when the lorry, laden with household goods, left the busy A56 and tumbled on to the west-bound carriageway of the M56, at junction 11 near Preston Brook, in Runcorn near Warrington.

Cheshire Police said two passing motorists were treated for shock after witnessing the accident just before 3.30pm.

The tragedy comes just days after the M5 disaster where seven people died and 51 were injured on Friday night.

A spokeswoman for the North West Air Ambulance said: 'One male fatality has been confirmed - the lorry driver sadly died at the scene.

'The crew treated just two other people who suffered shock, which is an absolute miracle when you consider that the lorry fell directly on to the carriageway of the motorway.'

Cheshire Police said the motorway and the A56 were expected to remain closed in both directions for some time.

Traffic was being diverted away from the scene.

A spokeswoman said: 'There is one confirmed casualty who died at the scene.

'No other vehicles were involved in the incident.

'The M56 is now closed in both directions at the location and traffic is being diverted off the motorway at junction 11.

'Traffic is currently backed up to Lymm and Chester in either direction and motorists are advised not to take journeys that are not absolutely essential and to avoid the roads around Warrington.

'The motorway is expected to be closed for several hours whilst scene examination takes place and recovery of the HGV.

'The A56 above the motorway leading from Preston Brook to Warrington is also closed to traffic.'

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire Service said three crews from Warrington and Knutsford were at the scene making the lorry safe by extracting the battery and isolating the engine.

Two hose reels were placed on stand-by in case of a fire or explosion as the work was being carried out, he added.
Any witnesses to the accident are urged to contact Cheshire Police on 0845 458 0000.

Rare albino snake with two heads bred in Florida

2011-11-02T03:52:00.000-07:00

Here’s a snake with a split personality.

The odds of a two-headed, or bicephalic, snake being born are 10,000 to one, but nevertheless, this albino Honduran milk snake was recently hatched in the U.S.

Staff at conservation group Sunshine Serpents in Florida were incubating seven milk snake eggs, but got a huge shock when nine heads emerged, because as well as the two-headed snake, one egg contained twins.
Owner Daniel Parker, a University of Central Florida biologist, said: ‘I did a double take. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.’

Often, the term albino refers to white colouring, but for snakes, it simply means a lack of dark pigmentation.

Biologist Parker says two-headed snakes have been documented to live as long as 20 years in captivity.
With two brains giving commands to a single body, he says the snake, which isn’t venomous, would have a difficult time surviving in the wild.

Milk snakes are said by some to suck milk from cows’ udders, but this is a myth. They do however favour living in barns, as they like cool dark environments, which may be the source of the misconception.
Their diet consists of insects, lizards, birds and small mammals.
Another two-headed creature that hit the headlines this year was an African Spurred Tortoise born in Slovakia.
It was given two names Madga (left head) and Lenka – and even had five feet (see picture below).

The confused grasshopper scratching its head

2011-10-25T08:17:00.000-07:00

Raising a foreleg to its head as it sits atop a flower, this grasshopper appears somewhat confused about what to do next.
Looking like a human scratching its head, the humorous pose was captured by amateur photographer Matt Cole, 40, in Lount Nature Reserve, Leicestershire.
Matt, from Ashby de la Zouch, said: 'It's always great to photograph an animal or insect doing something slightly unusual.

'I was on the lookout for interesting insects when I spotted it and followed for a few minutes as it jumped from one perch to another.
'Eventually it settled on this Devil's-bit Scabious flower and allowed me to set up my tripod in front of it.
'As I was watching through my camera viewfinder it briefly lifted its front leg.
'It was starting to spit with rain so it could have been brushing a water drop off its head or eye.
'Either that or it is scratching its head in bemusement, wondering what on earth I'm doing there.'
He added: 'You can put a lot of effort into fieldcraft, technique and composition but sometimes you need a bit of luck to give an image that something extra.'

Meet The Real Spice Girl:Rochelle loves curry so much she's eaten it for the past 29,500 meals - including breakfast

2011-10-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? It's all good for Rochelle Peachey just as long as it is spicy.
The mother of one, 49, from Gants Hill, Essex, has just been crowned the country's curry queen - after eating the spicy food for her last 29,565 meals.
She is so addicted to curry she has to add hot spices to every meal - including breakfast.

Rochelle first developed the taste for eye-watering meals in her teens after eating her first ever curry in Brick Lane, London.
Since then she has been eating out at curry houses three times a week without fail

And she adds spice to virtually all her food - including salads and her eggs in the morning.
Rochelle is now so immune to the heat she can eat whole chillies - without having to take a sip of water.
Her talent even earned her a free meal from a curry-house owner who didn't believe she was capable of eating one.

She even carries a bottle of spicy sauce in her handbag to spice up her food when she's dining out.
Over the years she has spent thousands of pounds on curries and spicy ingredients.

And she has tasted thousands of dishes - but says her favourite will always be chilli chicken.

Her devotion has impressed curry brand Pataks so much they've named her Britain's biggest curry mad fan.

And, as part of National Curry Week, which runs from October 9 to 15, they've given her a year's supply of their pickles, pastes and sauces.

She said: 'I first had curry in my teenage years - I'd been taken to Brick Lane and I was hooked from then on.

'I must have done something to my taste buds because I can't eat a bland meal now - every dish I eat has to include a degree of heat.

'I add spice to most of my food now, including soups, salads, shepherd's pie and my eggs at breakfast.

'I go through a couple of bottles of spicy sauce a week - I sometimes put a bottle in my handbag if I'm going out so I can add it to food.'

She added: 'A lot of the curries I eat are far too spicy for most people, they can't believe I can eat them without even having a sip of water.

'One restaurant owner even challenged me to eat a whole chilli - he was so stunned when I did that I didn't have to pay for my meal.

'I eat three curries a week and if I've got left overs I'll eat it for breakfast the next day.'

Mrs Peachey runs transatlantic dating website 'I Love Your Accent' and divides her time between her homes in Essex and Orlando, America.

She says the Americans aren't as understanding of her taste in food as the Brits.

And she admits she's even had to pack hot sauces when she's travelled across the Atlantic in the past because she worried about not being able to find a curry house.

She added: 'Americans are not big on curry. A few years ago is wasn't really a big thing so I would sometimes have to bring curry sauces across in my luggage.

'Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant there, even the hot hot hot curry comes out mild enough to feed to a baby and it drives me crazy.

'I ask for extra chillies and spices every time. Waiters often look at me like I'm crazy, one even told me that the only people he knows who have their dishes that hot are Indian.'

Mrs Peachey admitted her bizarre taste in hot food has caused some arguments - particularly with her husband Phil, 46.

She said: 'It was difficult when my husband and I first got together, he couldn't understand my addiction to spicy food. It caused a lot of problems choosing restaurants.

'I eat curry or spicy food at every meal and I just couldn't cope when he wanted us to go to a French bistro or Italian pizzeria.

'There's just nothing on the menu at those type of places that really floats my boat.

'In the past it meant quite a few of my lovingly prepared spicy dinners were ending up in the bin, which caused rows because I hate wasted food.

'Sometimes, I didn't realise it, but he was sneaking off to pick up a takeaway burger and chips after secretly getting rid of whatever I'd cooked for him.

'I started sprinkling the tiniest bit of curry powder or pastes into his sandwiches because I wanted him to give it a chance.

'And it's really worked - he now likes hot food as much as I do and he's almost as in love with Indian food as me.

'His tolerance has definitely improved over the years.

'But he still can't quite handle it hot hot hot and shies away when I cook up super-spicy food - especially vindaloo.'

Old master holds his first painting exhibition - on his 100th birthday

2011-09-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

For most people lucky enough to reach 100, the milestone birthday is a time to reflect on your long life while celebrating your twilight years.
But centenarian and artist James Mills was instead celebrating a life first when he reached three figures, after unveiling his debut public watercolour exhibition on his 100th birthday.
The undiscovered artist was persuaded by family to show off his talents for the first time, despite enjoying art for over 80 years.

Mr Mills, from Neath, South Wales, first started sketching when he was 19 after taking inspiration from his artistic heroes Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael.
The sprightly centenarian, who turned 100 today, said: 'I love painting and it is nice when people admire my work.

'But until now I have painted for my own pleasure and have been happy for family and friends to enjoy my work.
'But I am thrilled to have my first solo exhibition - it is a lovely way to mark me reaching 100.'
Mr Mills spent nearly 40 years persisting with pencil drawing, before finally making the transition to acrylic, oils and watercolours aged 57.

It was around this time his skills caught the eye at amateur art societies, landing Mr Mills a number of prestigious painting competition victories.
Now the exhibition of the retired marine engineer's work in Neath is the first time his art has ever been displayed in a gallery.
Mr Mills added: 'This is a dream come true and something I have looked forward to for ages.
'The show features my life's work - the best pieces I have produced in the last 80 years.'
James' son Roger and his grand-daughter Nicola helped organise the show for the centenarian who they describe as 'very sprightly'.
But James said his only regret was that his wife Violet couldn't be there to see the exhibition after she passed away in 2002.
A family friend said: 'We hope that Violet will be watching over the show and know how proud we are of James.'

TV journalist reports on an assault and looks just like the police artist's sketch of the wanted man

2011-08-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Did you just do a double take?

A TV news report on an assault has sparked an internet sensation – because the journalist presenting it looks almost identical to the police artist’s sketch of the suspect.The CBS Baltimore broadcast by Mike Hellgren covers the breaking news that local police are hunting a man who punched a woman in a road rage attack.But now, despite the scary nature of the crime, Mr Hellgren has become part of the story, with several internet sites commenting on the uncanny resemblance.

Several remarks about the similarity in appearances also appeared on CBS Baltimore’s website, under a written version of the report.One reader says: ‘I KNOW WHO IT IS. It’s the reporter! Ma’am can you describe the man who did this to you yeah he looked like you. Case solved lol.’ Another writes: ‘This may sound awfully strange but does anyone else see something similiar about the sketch and the reporter? Just sayin’…’

Of course there is no suggestion the reporter is in anyway connected with the crime, which happened on the I-83 highway at around 10pm last Friday.The man the police are seeking allegedly attacked the woman after their cars were involved in an accident.CBS Baltimore reporter Mike Hellgren says that the attacker even offered the woman cash not to call police.But when she dialled 911, the attacker grabbed her phone and punched her before dragging her to the trees. Luckily she did manage to escape and flag down help from other motorists.Police said the man was driving a Jeep Wrangler with Pennsylvania plates and both Maryland and Pennsylvania state police are part of the manhunt to find him.

World's oldest female bodybuilder

2011-06-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

She may be a grandmother, but don't call her old.
Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.

She told the Washington Post: 'Age is nothing but a number'.
Ms Shepherd has impeccably toned 'six-pack' abs that are the marvel of her Baltimore fitness centre.
Her husband of 54 years, Collin Shepherd, says he 'has trouble keeping guys away from her'.

The Shepherds live in Baltimore with their son, 53, and grandson, 14.
Ms Shepherd does some modelling and teaches fitness classes, and told the Washington Post, 'If you are going to try to motivate people, you have to live that part'.
She also trains rigorously with Yohnnie Shambourger, 57,a former Mr Universe who won the gold medal in bodybuilding at the Pan American Games in 1995.

Mr Shambourger told the Post: 'The six-pack is her signature. When she walks in a room and you see her six-pack, you say, "Ohh! Okay!"
'You are a champion', he told Ms Shepherd during a gruelling session. 'I will train you like what you are'.

Ms Shepherd wakes up at 3 a.m. every day to meditate, then hits the trails in a local park to run 10 miles before lunch.

She eats only plain brown rice, bland chicken breast and vegetables, washed down with a glass of raw egg whites, three times a day.

She told the Post she has no 'desire' for sweets.
Ms Shepherd has appeared on 'Today' and 'The Mo’Nique Show' and has been featured in 'Essence' magazine.

On 'The Mo’Nique Show' she told the audience they can get fit, too: 'Because we are determined, dedicated and disciplined to be fit. You can. You can do it'.
Over the past 18 years, Ms Shepherd has run nine marathons and won two bodybuilding contests.

But she wasn't always so fit. Ms Shepherd told the Washington Post she was a 'couh potato' until she was 56 years old, when she and her older sister, Mildred, discovered their bodies had started going soft.

The sisters, who grew up very close in Baltimore as the children of a carpenter and schoolteacher, started working out together at a local centre.
They liked the results, and started pushing themselves, eventually entering some bodybuilding contests.

After Mildred died suddenly of an aneurysm, Ms Shepherd was devastated. Her grief started spiralling out of control, until she remembered a promise and a 'pinkie swear' she had made her older sister.

The sisters had promised to push themselves to be competitive bodybuilders, and Ms Shepherd decided to keep up that legacy.

So she trains, and eats a restrictive diet, and it helps her remember Mildred.

Their younger sister Bernice, a school principal, told her: 'Every time you feel like you can’t make it, lace up your tennis shoes and get out and go walking'.

According to the Washington Post, when people tell Ms Shepherd she is destined to die soon herself, she says 'We are all going to die.

'But it’s the quality of life while I’m living'.

And when Ms Shepherd's cell phone rings, its the theme from the movie 'Rocky'.

She says Sylvester Stallone is her idol.

Not exactly your typical grandmother.

World's longest cigar rolls into the record books

2011-05-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is the world's longest cigar - made by an expert who was clearly on a roll.

The amazing Havana - made in Cuba of course - checks in at a stunning 268.4ft (81.8metres)

And when word came through from the people at Guinness, Jose Castelar was celebrating his fifth world record.

'Cuba is the country where the best tobacco is grown, and as long as Cueto is around, Cuba will have the world's longest cigar,' he said referring to himself by his nickname.

Castelar, 67, had been working on the supersmoke since April 25, toiling away about eight hours a day.

And he's not stopping there. His next goal -is to smash this record with an effort that tops 100m.

He deserves a reward - maybe a nice fat cigar. Perhaps he can make his own

'Mr Elastic' goes for Guinness world record with his incredible bendy feet

2011-03-25T13:44:00.001-07:00

Moses Lanham plans on stepping into the record books in a rather unusual fashion.

'Known as backwards feet man' and 'Mr elastic', the Michigan based 49-year-old can rotate his feet 120 degrees behind him, a feat he hopes will earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

As that's not all; he also plans on setting a record for the fastest man to walk 20 metres with his feet turned backwards.

Despite the daunting task ahead, Mr Lanham can however remain quietly confident - both records have never been attempted before.

Speaking to AOL News, Mr Lanham said: 'I know I can put my toes together in back, but for the record, I'll do a full 120 degrees.'

Despite the visually excruciating appearance, Mr Lanham says his flexible feet cause him no pain, in fact he quite enjoys the back-to-front feeling.

'A lot of times when I'm sitting down I'll put my feet in a twisted position because it's more comfortable for me,' he said.

Mr Lanham discovered his strange quirk at 14 after a high school gym class accident.

Climbing a rope, he lost his grip and fell nearly 18 feet before landing with his feet in an extremely awkward position.

'They thought something was dislocated,' Mr Lanham said. 'But I stood up and was fine.'

Mr Lanham has made the most of his talent ever since.

In high school he was prone to walking backwards and at college he would wear his clothes backwards to match the direction of his feet.

Sadly, Mr Lanham's 17-year-old son Trey has only partially inherited his father's funny feet.

Trey can not turn them the full way round like his father, and also feels pain after staying in the position for a short time.

'It's a shame because I was hoping I could retire and be his manager,' Mr Lanham added.

Doctors who have examined Mr Lanham say he was born with extra tissue and cartilage in his joints, making his hips, knees and ankles especially elastic.

There are no records of anyone else in the family, apart from Trey, having the condition.

His perculiar talent has also gained him national notoriety after he appeared on 'Candid Camera', 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!', 'America's Funniest Home Videos', 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' and the Discovery Channel's 'Medical Incredible'.

The Stray dog gets his head wedged in a rusty old pipe

2011-02-08T13:20:00.001-08:00

Some might say it was a pipe dream. But it was definitely more of a nightmare for two-year-old stray dog Smokey.

The hapless young dog found himself with his head firmly stuck inside the long tube of an old smudge pot.

Animal rescuers believe that he had been chasing a mouse when the pesky rodent led him straight into an abandoned device.

The oil-burning tools are use to remove frost from crops on fruit trees but Smokey was left with a bitter taste in his mouth from the rusty pot.

He whimpered as he tried desperately to wriggle free himself from the pot but without luck, remaining with his head inside like a headless dog.

Thankfully a passer-by spotted the trapped animal and called animal rescuers to the scene in Riverside County, California, last Friday.

Smokey emerged unscathed from the pot with the help of Animal Control Officer Amy Farrell who gently eased him out.

But the black soot on his face on his face from the inside of the pot meant that she gave him the cute nickname, Smokey.

Officer Farrell said she thought the dog ended up stuck in such a sad predicament because 'he probably just chased a mouse or other critter into the canister.'

Smokey appeared slightly under-weight but in otherwise good spirits. Though he may think twice the next time he chases a mouse towards an old pot.

He had a collar but no micro-chip which meant that officers could not trace the owner. Smokey was taken to the Jacinto Valley Animal Shelter where he is now being cared for by the staff.

John Welsh, public information officer for the Riverside County Animal Services, said the dog seemed slightly underweight but is otherwise very friendly and playful.

He also walks very well on a leash, Welsh said.

The mini Monaco 'hyper yacht' design that even has its own grand prix

2011-01-12T02:23:00.001-08:00

British yacht designers have produced plans for a floating replica of the billionaire's paradise of Monaco that is so big it may never become reality.

The 500ft-long Streets Of Monaco design - expected to cost up to £700million - features scaled-down versions of the state's famous landmarks, including the Monte Carlo racetrack.

It also boasts miniatures of the famed Monte Carlo Casino, Hotel de Paris, Cafe de Paris, La Rascasse, the Loews Hotel as well as swimming pools and tennis courts.

It even has a platform that holds smaller yachts in case prospective owners need something a little nippier to get around in.

The most mind-bending feature is the Monaco Grand Prix-inspired go-kart track complete with tunnel complex which runs around the deck.

But for the designers the centrepiece of the incredible ship is The Atrium, which links the upper and lower living areas.

The Atrium has seven guest suites which all include their own reception room, bathroom, dressing room, bedroom and balcony.

In total, Streets of Monaco' would be capable of housing 16 guests and 70 crew and would cost the opulent owner tens of millions to run each year.

And the multi-billionaire would get the benefit of the main apartment which is spread over three floors, sprawling an amazing 4,800 sq ft - the size of a luxury penthouse.

While only at a design stage, The Streets Of Monaco would likely exceed the £665 million price-tag rumoured to be paid by Roman Abramovich for his 'Eclipse' yacht to become the world's most expensive personal boat.

At 500ft, The Streets of Monaco is 25ft shorter than the Chelsea owner's super-yacht but Abramovich would undoubtedly be envious of the Monaco's fully functional kart circuit.

The Streets Of Monaco is the brainchild of fledgling Derbyshire-based Yacht Island Design.

Company director Rob McPherson said: 'The design theme called for a unique yacht that reflected the style and sophistication of the principality.

'We want to create a truly unique environment that could take the principality of Monaco to the ocean.'

Now that the design has been completed, the only question remaining for Yacht Island Design is whether they can find a billionaire with enough spare change to turn it into a reality.

Tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer play match on floating court IN the Persian Gulf

2011-01-03T12:34:00.001-08:00

When tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer face each other, the last thing you want is for rain to stop play.

But in their latest clash, a flooded court was unavoidable - it took place on a floating platform on a lagoon in Qatar.

Federer of Spain took on his Swiss rival, the world No 1, on the specially made stage in Doha ahead of the Qatar Open, which marks the start of the tennis calendar.

They have 25 Grand Slam titles between them, though 29-year-old Federer, older by five years, has won 16 - the male record.

The Swiss star will be looking to bounce back from a string of Grand Slam defeats in 2010 while his biggest rival Nadal is hoping to resume the dominant form that saw him capture the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.

Spectators can expect to see much of the pair in 2011, starting with the tournament held in Doha, the Qatari capital, which begins today.

Last year, Russian Nikolay Davydenko came from a set down to defeat Nadal 0-6, 7-6, 6-4. And the year before that, Great British hope Andy Murray took the crown.

A taste of the Nadal-Federer rivalry was also on display in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, when Nadal edged Federer 7-6, 7-6 to defend his title at the invitational World Tennis Championships.

Before leaving for Doha, Federer said he saw Abu Dhabi and Doha as a chance to try out new shots.

He added that he was looking forward to resuming his duel with Nadal that will get its first big test at the Australian Open where the Swiss player is the defending champion.

'It's a special Australian Open with me being the defending champion,' Federer said.

'Obviously the focus is going to be on the two of us. Tennis is really going to be exciting down in Australia.'

Nadal said he doesn't feel any pressure ahead of this year's Australian Open, even though a tournament victory there would make him the first man to win four major titles in a row since Rod Laver pulled off a calendar Grand Slam by claiming all four in 1969.

'It's not extra pressure, for me it's extra motivation,' said Nadal, who lost in the Doha final last year to Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

'The pressure is every day to play well and keep winning matches and I don't think (about) winning the Australian Open immediately,' Nadal said.

'You never know what's going to happen since it's going to be a very difficult tournament.'

World's youngest yoga teacher

2010-12-27T06:38:00.001-08:00

At just six, Shruti Pandey is the youngest yoga trainer in the world.

The bendy youngster has been teaching adults at an ashram, in northern India, for the last two years.

Her trainer, Hari Chetan, 67, set up the ashram 35 years ago and as soon as little Shruti became one of his students, as a tiny four-year old, he spotted her talents.

Now she starts her classes at 5.30am every morning, at Brahmanand Saraswati Dham, in the Jhunsi town, dressed in white leggings and a red t-shirt surrounded by 30 eager pupils ranging from businessmen, teachers, housewives to pensioners.

Shruti said: 'It feels good when people follow my instructions, I feel like a real teacher.
'I got interested in yoga after seeing my brother do it. I tried picking it up myself but it was too hard. So I asked my parents to send me to yoga classes.'

Her brother, Harsh Kumar, now 11-years-old, made the Limca Book of Records at the tender age of five by learning all 84 yoga positions - but he's never been interested in being a teacher like his sister.

Hari, who Shruti also calls her grandfather, think she's a miracle.

'She's a fast learner and a perfectionist. She grasps techniques quickly unlike kids her own age, who get bored with something as patience consuming as yoga.

'Within just six months of her training, she surprised everyone by doing the toughest positions with ease and perfection. She's a natural.'

Shruti can manage some of yoga's most challenging positions. She can easily hold her entire body on the strength of her little arms and hang her legs right over her head backwards.

One of Shruti's fans, 90-year-old Swami Bhanu, a retired teacher, said: 'The best thing about Shruti is she tries to provide an alternative position for the complicated ones that are difficult for an older person like me to do. She's very patient.'

Businessman Lokendra Pal Singh, 48, has been attending Shruti's classes for three months and said, 'I have noticed a positive change in my life. I used to be short-tempered, but now I'm able to control my anger to quite an extent and it's all thanks to a little six-year old.'

80 Years Old Hairdryer Made in Britain

2010-12-19T06:14:00.000-08:00

It was built in the days when ‘Made In Britain’ still meant something. And having breezed through countless hairstyles since it was purchased in the Thirties, this blow-dryer is a tangible reminder of when things were built to last.

It remains in perfect working order and, according to its owner, retired insurance company director John Wilcox, it has never broken down or even needed a service.

The machine has no serial or model number but carries a metal plate stamped ‘Siemens Electric Lamps and Supplies Ltd. MADE IN ENGLAND Siemens 230-250V 2.2 AMP AC or DC.’

Though Siemens is a German firm, according to the engineering history website Grace’s Guide, it established Siemens Electric Lamps and Supplies Ltd in Britain in 1931 to manufacture domestic appliances such as this dryer.

The brown Bakelite item’s only concession to technological advances has been a new plug – and only then because its original round-pin type became obsolete.

Mr Wilcox, 83, from Paignton, Devon, recalls watching his mother Florrie use it at the family home in Birmingham, 70 years ago. Portraits of Florrie, spanning five decades, show her sporting a variety of hairstyles.

They progress from an unfettered look in her teens to a more structured cut.

Florrie died in 1988 and with no purchase receipt Mr Wilcox has never been able to establish precisely when it was bought.

But his wife Kay, 73, who is a hairstylist, says the portraits indicate when the machine arrived in the household.

‘Having an electric hairdryer in the Thirties was still a luxury for women,’ said Mrs Wilcox.

‘Having got hold of it you can be pretty sure she used it regularly. You can see in her later portraits how a dryer has been used to style and hold her hair in place.’

Weighing a hefty 2lb the dryer’s only controls are on/off and hot/cold. It came with a Bakelite carry-case – now slightly cracked – complete with a vanity mirror.

A spokesman for Guinness World Records said: ‘There is no category for the oldest working electric hairdryer. However, we would be very interested in establishing one if it could be proved when this machine was produced.’

Penguins With double jointed necks

2010-12-14T12:04:00.001-08:00

There are times when we would all like to hide our heads in shame.

But our impossible dream is a daily reality for these two King Penguins on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia.

Thanks to their double-jointed necks, the 'headless' pair merrily go about their business.

When a penguin fancies a scratch or two, he simply bends his head completely over and attacks the area that is bothering him with his beak.

Such a manoeuvre guarantees there is no such thing as a 'hard-to-reach spot'... and makes for an amusing natural image.

The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin, second only to the Emperor Penguin.

Mainly found in the South Atlantic and the northernmost waters of the northern Antarctic, there are believed to be around 2.23million King Penguins and their numbers are increasing.

Miraculous escape for pilot after he crash lands on a MAIN ROAD and walks away without a scratch

2010-12-11T12:21:00.001-08:00

A lucky pilot escaped with 'not a mark on him' after making an emergency landing on a main road during early rush hour.

Emergency workers raced to the scene after the light aircraft came down on the A429 in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, at 3.30pm yesterday.

But they were astonished to find that the pilot, a man in his 40s, had walked away uninjured.

Martyn Scott, senior paramedic from the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said:'The pilot got up and walked away. There was not a mark on him. He was totally uninjured.'

The pilot was the only person on board the Piper Cherokee when it crashed.

The road near Walton Hall was closed for several hours and all traffic diverted.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been informed.

China is the most powerful economy in the world'Most Americans believe'

2010-12-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

The majority of Americans think the United States is No.2 in the world behind China and is likely to stay that way, a poll has revealed.

Just one in five Americans said they have the strongest economy, compared to nearly half who chose Beijing’s.

Asked which nation will have the be in the strongest economic position in 20 years, 34% picked the United States, compared with 37% who chose China and 6% who named Japan.

The gloomy findings come as the U.S. struggles with a record debt and a weakened president who is still recovering from the ‘shellacking’ he received during the mid-term elections.

On the diplomatic stage Barack Obama has come off second best in the ‘currency wars’, with the Chinese openly condemning him for pumping trillions into the U.S. economy and lowering the value of the dollar.

Beijing has also amassed an enormous surplus in its international accounts while accumulating huge amounts of U.S. government debt, putting it in a position to call the shots on world affairs.

The poll by U.S. magazine The National Journal of 1,200 people found the traditional American optimism clouded by uncertainty and anxiety over the future.

Some two thirds of those surveyed said they do not expect the U.S. to return to the position it enjoyed last century any time soon.

A huge 58% said they agreed it is ‘inevitable that Americans’ incomes will grow more slowly’ in coming years because of competition from lower-paid workers around the world.

In addition, only one in four believe their children will have better opportunities than themselves.

A major part of the uneasiness was the shift away from manufacturing to a service industry.

When asked if the nation should allow that trend to continue without taking steps to reverse it, just one-third said yes; three-fifths said they wanted action.

The National Journal said that housewife Dana Rigby, from Kirksville, Montana, was typical of those who responded to the survey.

‘I’m trying to get my kids on the right path; who doesn’t want that?

But I don’t know if there’s going to be enough out there for all the young kids to have good jobs,’ she said.

World's oldest Christmas tree

2010-12-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

Families all over the country follow the same annual tradition of getting the artificial Christmas tree out of its box when the time comes to put up the decorations.

But the Parker family has been doing it longer than any other because they are still using a tree they first bought in 1886.

Complete with the original baubles and tinsel, their 14 inch tree is in its 124th year and has been authenticated as the world's oldest imitation Christmas tree.

It cost six pence when it was bought in the mid-Victorian era but was last valued at £1,000 by experts at the Antiques Road Show in 2005.

Owner Paul Parker received the delicate ornament after his mother, Janet, passed away at the age of 69 in 2008, and is the third generation of his family to enjoy it.

Displaying the tree for the first time since his mother's death, Mr Parker is delighted to be carrying on the family tradition.

'I will proudly be displaying the tree this year,' said Mr Parker, 45, a mathematician from Bath.

'My mother treasured it when she was alive and my father Grahame is comforted that I will be carrying on the family tradition.

'It may not look like much but it has been part of our Christmas celebrations for so many years.

'It was one of those things the we just grew up with.

'But everything changed when mum saw an advert in the local paper asking for the oldest decorations.

'She thought that our old Christmas tree could be important - and she was right.'

The ornamental tree was first bought by Mr Parker's great-great aunt Lou in 1886.

Aunt Lou passed the tree to her favourite grandniece, Janet, when she just a child in the 1940's.

It was taken out of its original box by Janet every year since then and son Paul has vowed to continue the tradition.

The tree is made of green raffia, stands 14 inches tall and has a base featuring the traditional Christmas icons of cherubs, the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

The tree was first authenticated by Christie's auction house in London and then the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that the distinguished-looking ornament was indeed the oldest known artificial Christmas tree in the world.

'It was never meant as a replacement tree, it's ornamental,' said Mr Parker, who was given the tree by his 88-year-old father.

'Christmas really took off for the Victorians because of the influence of Prince Albert and the German tradition of the Tannenbaum Christmas tree.

'This little tree would have been produced for the same reason ornaments of nativity scenes were made, as a Christmas symbol for the family.'

The tree cost only six pence when it was bought in the mid-Victorian era.

By the time it was seen by experts at the Antiques Road Show in 2005 it was valued at £1,000.

'But putting a price to this kind of object is ridiculous,' said Mr Parker.

'As the oldest Christmas tree in history it has no peers.

'There really is nothing to compare to it.

'If two Christmas obsessives were bidding against each other they might very well carry on till next Christmas.'

On Christmas day 2010 the aged tree will be on display on the mantle piece of Mr Parker home as he shares a turkey dinner and glass of wine with his father.

Metal Wire Growing from Skin

2010-11-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Noorsyaidah, an Indonesian woman, claims metal wire has grown from her body for 18 years

This is currently big news in Indonesia. Metal wires about 10-20 cm long grow from a woman’s body! Skeptics initially thought that is must be “self-inflicted”. Doctors however, have other theories but have given up on providing any scientific or medical explanations.

The woman had this problem for 17 years and currently being investigated by the Ministry of Health. Initial consultation with More..doctors and specialists found that the wires are also inside her body. At this stage, there were no current medical explanations or any case ever exist. Hence, there is but only one other possible consideration… Occult magic.

Her name is NOORSYAIDAH. A 40 years old kindergarten teacher from Sangatta, East Kutai. Her first symptoms started manifestating in 1991. The metal wires grew out of her chest and her belly. There was no explanation then (or even now). During the first week wires kept falling off from her body and were gone. A month later, the wires grew back again and from that time onward the wires did not fall. They kept growing!

One of her sisters said that she tried to help by trimming the wires. Alas, whenever she trimmed the wires, the wire retreated as if it were hiding and then popped up in another part of Noorsyaidah’s body.

There have been 4 Medical Specialists taking this matter seriously and have treated her in several ways. And as the result, doctors can’t figure out what exactly is happening to her. The doctors have taken an X-Ray image from her stomach and found that there are more than 40 metal wires inside her and some of them are bursting out of her skin. They looks like a living phenomenon. The wires are able mobile and therefore can change location at will, Thus the doctors are forced to use a magnet to scan the exact position of the wires. The wires bursted out without any symptoms of Tetanus, but she said that they’re hurting her like when needles sting.

Can YOU spot the invisible man artist

2010-11-21T04:24:00.001-08:00

He's known as the invisible man for good reason.

Whether lurking next to a telephone box or standing to attention in front of the iconic Beijing Olympic Stadium, Liu Bolin has made an art form out of blending in.

The Chinese artist is creating more than just startling images with his works.

He claims they make a statement about his place in society. He sees himself as an outsider whose artistic efforts are not always valued, especially in his native country.

Standing silently in front of his chosen scene, in locations all around the world, the 38-year-old uses himself as a blank canvas.

Then, with a little help from an assistant, he paints his body to merge as seamlessly as possible with what is behind him.

It means people walking by while he is carrying out his performances often have no idea he is nearby until he begins to move.

World's Smallest Woman

2010-11-17T06:05:00.001-08:00

A woman who weighs little more than a new-born baby spoke of her joy today after being certified as the world's smallest woman.

Hatice Kocaman, just 28in tall, said she overcame bullying to become globally famous for her size.

Speaking at her home in Kadirli, Turkey, sahe said: 'I always hoped that one day the world would recognise me.

It was hard when I was a child because all my classmates used to tease me for being small.

'But now I am famous because of my size. So it makes me feel like I am much taller.'

'I hope to travel and to meet lots of people including the tallest man in the world.

'God made me the way I am and I am proud of that. I hope I can find someone who will love me one day.'

The 21-year-old, who suffers from dwarfism, lives with her parents Ibrahim and Hatun and was also recently certified as the second-smallest adult human alive by the Guiness Book of Records.

The only adult she is taller than is Nepalese man Khagendra Thapa Magar who at 25.8 inches is the world's smallest person.

'There were no problems in my pregnancy with her and I gave birth naturally,' said her mother Hatun.

She weighed 3lbs 10oz when she was born and was a normal baby. We never noticed any problems until she was one.

'Then we noticed she seemed to be growing more slowly than other babies.'

Ibrahim and Hatun, who also have a normal-sized son, took her for tests but doctors could not tell them what was wrong with Hatice.

Hatice continued to develop into a little girl and learned to walk and talk, but she hardly grew at all.

'She seemed to always stay the same size,' said Hatun.

'By the time she was four it looked like she had stopped growing.

'We asked the doctors to help, but they couldn't tell us what the problem was.

'We hoped she might start growing later on, but she never did.

'By the time she was ten, we realised she would always be this way.'

The parents said Hatice went for general medical checks every few years, where she was weighed and measured.

Finally they were told her condition may be due to a bone disorder caused by faulty genes carried by both parents.

The family live in a tiny home in a poor and remote area of the country.

They do not have a car and could not afford to travel to seek help for their daughter.
Hatice suffers from hip dysplasia and has a back problem, but has never received treatment for this.

Surgeons in the region are not skilled enough to operate on Hatice because of her size.

Hatice, who weighs just 15lbs, went to a special school but has never been able to find work.

Now she stays at home with her parents and likes to help her mum doing small jobs.

Hatice has always dreamed of becoming famous and news about her tiny size began to spread as she got older.

Finally an investigator for the Guinness Book of Records visited the area to see the family.

Hatice and her mum were invited to Istanbul where she was finally named the world's smallest woman.

Hatice says: 'I can carry little things and clean a little.

'I am happy living with my family. But I would like to be stronger, so I can do more things for myself.'

World's highest flying paper plane

2010-11-15T04:19:00.001-08:00

NASA, eat your heart out. Who needs a multi-billion-dollar spacecraft to study the Earth when you can use a paper plane?

Pictured here is the incredible British mission to send the plane 17 miles into the atmosphere to capture images of the curvature of the globe using a miniature camera.

The plane, which has a 3ft wing span and is made from paper straws covered in paper, was launched using nothing more powerful than a large helium balloon.

The craft soared to 90,000ft before the balloon exploded, freeing the plane to glide back down, taking photographs as it descended.

And the cost of Operation PARIS (Paper Aircraft Released Into Space)? A modest £8,000.

It was all the work of space enthusiasts Steve Daniels, John Oates and Lester Haines, who said they came up with the idea after being inspired by a project last year to send a lump of cheese into space.

The team launched the balloon from a remote spot around 50 miles west of Madrid after gaining permission from the Spanish authorities.

It took an hour-and-a-half to climb to 90,000ft before the expanding helium burst the balloon.

The team tracked the plane using a GPS navigation system as it took another 90 minutes to glide back to Earth and landed in woodland 100 miles from the release point. But for a hole in a wing, their creation was undamaged.

IT consultant Mr Daniels, 42, of Paignton, Devon, said the team had embarked on the project ‘for a laugh’. Although they spent around £8,000 to make it a success, he said he would happily do it all again

The married father of two added: ‘Somebody launched a bit of cheese out of a balloon, which we thought was a bit stupid. We thought we could do something more technical than that.

‘We decided to launch a paper plane because nobody has done that before. It seems really silly but it was brilliant fun.’

The three enthusiasts got together after discussing the project on IT website The Register and were sponsored by Peer One Networking.

Mr Oates, 39, from London, said: ‘We wanted a daft project but we were amazed by how successful it was. We are absolutely delighted. I never thought we would find the plane at all. It could have ended up anywhere and I thought it would be smashed to pieces.’ In July last year a group of West Country cheesemakers launched a block of cheddar into the upper atmosphere to mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landings.

The cheese was also fixed with a camera, and was found intact after landing in Buckinghamshire, 74 miles from the Wiltshire field it was launched from. Unfortunately, the camera had failed after take-off.

Sinking Feeling Boat Made of Paper

2010-11-03T02:19:00.001-07:00

German artist Frank Bolter risks a very soggy behind as he sails down the Thames in a paper boat.

The origami vessel was folded on the banks of Canary Wharf in east London before being lowered into the water with the help of passing members of the public.

From there Mr Bolt sailed along the iconic river towards central London

The boat artwork, entitled To The World's End, is part of the Drift10 biennial art exhibition.

A stretch of the Thames in central London and at Canary Wharf is being transformed by a series of contemporary art works placed directly in the water and along its banks.

Curator Caroline Jones said the exhibition would help to bring art 'directly into the lives of people enjoying the river'.

'The art works are all in the public domain so people will come across them naturally,' she added.

The exhibition runs until January.

The Curious fox who was rescued after getting his head stuck in a watering can

2010-10-20T05:55:00.001-07:00

Foxes are naturally bold and inquisitive animals - so it should come as no surprise if, on occasion, their curiosity gets the better of them.

This adult male, however, poked his nose in a little too far... and had to suffer the indignity of an emergency rescue operation after getting his head stuck in a watering can for two days and nights.

The trapped animal - which may have become trapped as it tried to hunt a frog or a mouse inside the can - was spotted in an agitated state running around in the back garden of a bungalow in Solihull, near Birmingham.

The RSPCA was called, and found the was animal so firmly stuck that it took two officers to prise off the watering can, shifting the plastic container just a few millimetres at a time.

The adult male fox was not allowed to run free right away, however. The inspectors held it with a grasper to ensure he was not injured and did not require veterinary attention.

He was found to be fit and healthy - despite having been deprived of food and water for at least two days - and so was allowed back into the wild.

RSPCA Inspector Jonathan Ratcliffe said: 'The fox was thrashing about in quite a distressed state when we got there.

'I have no doubt that he would have died if we had not managed to get the watering can off, either from dehydration or from not seeing where he was going and so being killed by a car. My feeling is that there must have been a mouse or a frog or something at the bottom of the can - some sort of tasty snack which would have attracted him to put his head in.

'The watering can was covered in moss and mould and looked as if it was litter. This only goes to remind people of the dangers such discarded items can pose to wildlife.'

The Worst Air-Show in Mid-Air Collision

2010-09-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

A pilot has been killed in a mid-air collision at a German air show showcasing retro planes.

Two planes collided during the show yesterday afternoon at an airfield in the province of Bavaria.

One of the pilots was able to perform an emergency landing and escaped to safety, but the other died after his plane crashed and caught fire, Die Welt reported.

The accident comes just two weeks after a female spectator was killed when a pilot lost control of a biplane during an air show close to the German city of Nuremberg.

The aircraft involved in the incident had swerved off the runway during takeoff and ploughed into a crowd of spectators, injuring 38.

Ice Cream Van for Dog

2010-07-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

A new ice cream van with tasty treats specifically for canines will have man's best friend howling with delight.

Instead of offering the traditional vanilla whip cones topped with a flake, these frozen feasts contain gammon and chicken ice cream - complete with a crunchy canine biscuit bone.

A team of scientists investigated the perfect combination of temperature, texture and taste, ensuring the treats would be delicious to dogs and completely safe

They came up with two flavours - 'dog eat hog world' - a gammon and chicken sorbet topped with a biscuit and served in a cone - and 'canine cookie crunch' - a combination of mixed dog biscuits and ice cream.

The K99 van can be found in parks this summer and, rather than the traditional chimes, the van will be playing the theme tune to Scooby Doo.

It makes its debut appearance at The Boomerang Pets Party in Regents Park, London, on Saturday.

Spokesperson for The Boomerang Pets Party Sally Bezant said: 'Every year Brits consume an average of around 50 ice creams per person, with the majority of these eaten in the summer months.

'All the while, man's best friend has to make do with a bowl of water to cool down. And, with 10.5 million dogs in the UK, that's a lot of pets missing out.'

With this is mind, The Boomerang Pets Party decided to take action and bring an ice cream to the dogs of Britain.'

Head chef behind the K99's recipes Ceric Nale said: 'When it came to designing the recipes for the K99s, we wanted to make sure we had the most exciting flavour and texture combinations.

'After a lot of research, a gammon and chicken ice cream and a mixed dog biscuit ice cream were the clear winners, and we hope they'll be flavours dogs simply can't refuse.'

Early results show that dogs have a big appetite for the novelty treats.

The ice creams are available for a 99p donation to Berkshire Search and Rescue Dogs.

World Youngest Sailor

2010-05-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

A teenage girl who has become the youngest person to sail unassisted around the world was given a hero's welcome when she arrived in Sydney today.

Jessica Watson, 16, was met by tens of thousands of people including the Australian Prime Minister waving flags and calling her name as she pulled into the harbour.

The plucky teenager spent seven months at sea and travelled 23,000 nautical miles to achieve a childhood dream.

She had to battle enormous waves at times and fight boredom during calm weather as well as shrug off the words of critics who said she would never do it,

There were dire warnings that her quest was doomed to failure when she collided with a cargo ship off the Queensland coast while preparing for her incredible journey.

Experienced sailors said she'd be lucky to even get away from Australian waters.

But today, as her 34ft yacht Pink Lady was escorted into the harbour by a flotilla of dozens of spectator craft, her critics were silenced.

Her achievement at becoming the youngest person to sail around the world unassisted has set her up for hundreds of thousands of pounds in sponsorships, a documentary and a book - and won the hearts of most Australians including PM Kevin Rudd.

He was at the Opera House, along with other politicians, Jessica's parents Julie and Roger who had travelled to Sydney from their Queensland home, and captains of industry as the tiny yacht battled through one last hurdle - heavy seas and a torn mainsail as she came through the mouth of the outer harbour, delaying her expected arrival by two hours.

Despite the incredible welcome she received, Jessica insisted that her achievement was not about setting a record but following a dream.

'I'm still just Jess,' she said by satellite phone as she neared her destination.

'She was always going to be ‘our Jess’, despite this achievement' said her mother as, with the Opera House in sight at the end of her voyage, the teenager, overwhelmed by the enormous welcome, commented: 'I think there's going to be a great party.'

Her voyage will not be registered as a record in any case in order to discourage ambitious parents pushing younger children off to sea.

What she wanted to do was prove to other young people that they did not have to be anyone special to achieve something big.

You just have to want it,' she said. Her parents were the first to greet her as she stepped onto a pink carpet on the Opera House forecourt.

The tears flowed as she told them how happy she was to see them again. They laughed as she struggled to stand up after so many weeks at sea.

'You're back and you did it,' said her mother. Jessica brushed back a tear as she turned to look at the yacht that had served her so faithfully during her epic voyage that had begun and ended in Sydney.

The Prime Minister gave Jessica a hug in front of the enormous crowd at the Opera House, then described her as 'Australia's newest hero.'

Welcoming her back to dry land, he said she might feel a little wobbly on her feet but in the eyes of all Australians she now stood tall.

You are a hero for all Australians, for all Australian women,' he said. 'You do our nation proud...you have lived your dream.'

Mr Rudd added: 'This is a great day for our country. You do all of our hearts proud.'

As a special prize, he raised laughter when he presented Jessica with a kit for a free driving lesson, as she looks forward to learning how to drive a car.

Once she has recovered her landlubber legs, Jessica plans to celebrate with English teenager Mike Perham and Australian Jesse Martin, two young sailors who hold solo circumnavigation records.

Among the crowds was 89-year-old Patrick Lee who, dressed in Australian flags, sailing badges and a Neptune pitchfork, said: 'I'm an old bloke who's turned up to say thanks for what Jessica did.

It's an amazing achievement and an inspiration to both young and old.'

In her blog as she neared the Australian coast, Jessica wrote jokingly that she was going to miss getting up and going sailing every day.

'I'm going to miss the kick I get from overcoming challenges by myself, flying along in the dark.

'A new sunset every night and the time I always take to watch it. I'm going to miss watching the waves and sea.

'I know it's been nearly seven months and I'm still not bored by it.'

Meet the 11ft Herring

2010-05-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

It certainly wouldn't fit on a piece of toast and would fill a thousand jars if marinated, but this is a giant 'herring' that washed up off the Swedish coast.

The monster measures more than 11ft and was at first thought to be an enormous piece of plastic floating in the sea.

The Regalecus glesne, known as the King of Herrings or Giant Oarfish, was found dead in the small fishing village of Bovallstrand on Sweden's west coast, about 140 miles from the Norwegian border.

It is the first such fish found in the Scandinavian country in more than 130 years, marine experts said.

Kurt Ove Eriksson, the passer-by who found the fish, said: 'Down at the water, there was something big floating. At first we thought it was a big piece of plastic. But then we saw an eye. I went down to check and saw that it was this extremely strange fish.'

The rarely seen regalecus, the world's longest bony fish, can reach up to 40ft-long.

Now if that was split from tail to head, gutted, salted and cold smoked that would be one huge kipper.

'The last time we saw a King of Herrings in Sweden was in 1879,' said a spokesman at the House of the Sea museum in Lysekil, where the fish is being stored.

'We don't know much about the species but believe it lives in deep waters, at least 3,000ft deep, and many believe it's at the origin of the sea serpent myth or stories of mythological sea creatures like the Loch Ness Monster.'

The dead fish, which was frozen at the museum, had a deep cut through its body and was missing its beautiful, typical back fin, the museum said, adding the fish might be added to an exhibit on sea monsters planned later this year.

World's smallest house

2010-04-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

At just over seven feet wide and 47 feet long, this tiny building is one of the smallest functioning homes in the world.

The 312-square foot 'Little House' of Toronto, Canada, has developed a cult following and even has its own website.

Back on the property market for £110,000, the comfortable home surprisingly comes with three rooms, including a normal sized bathtub.

With a front drive that parks two family sized cars - even though the house itself is barely big enough to swing a cat round - it still comes with all amenities.

Sitting on Day Ave in Toronto's Little Italy, the home has been viewed almost 40 times since it went on the market.

It is described in the estate agents guide as a 'unique home in good condition overall and has been well maintained'.

As well as its ample 2.36m-high ceilings, the Little House also has a decent sized basement for storage space.

'The interior of the house seems much more expansive than the small exterior,' said real estate agent Antonio Nardi.

'It has a full bathroom, a kitchen and a decent sized bedroom with a fold up bed that gives more room when up.

'This is a great and historic purchase.'

Built in 1912, the Little Home has become a celebrity in its own right over the past 98 years.

Talk show host Ellen Degeneres has even expressed an interest in one day owning the Little House

Japanese Macaques Monkey Snow ball Fight

2010-03-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

They look like a cuddly ball of fluff and they certainly seem equipped for the cold. And these fun-loving Japanese macaque monkeys certainly seem to enjoy aping around in the snow.
A photographer caught the joyous moments the troop of monkeys enjoyed a snow day in the mountains.

Leaping over each other, chasing and quick-stepping over the cold flakes, the macaques mesmerised wildlife enthusiast Masashi Mochida.

The amateur photographer captured the almost child-like antics of the monkeys in their snow bound playground in the mountains of Japan

Hot springs in the region mean the group can survive the low temperatures and even find time to fool around.

Masashi, 40, from Tokushima, Japan, took the pictures over three months this winter during time off from his job as a civil engineer.

He said: 'I love watching these macaques playing and dancing in the snow, they are like funky monkeys.
'Monkeys are usually found in the tropics but these are famous for living in the snow in the mountains.

'These macaques are renowned around the world for their fun-loving behaviour, I believe many people in Japan love to watch them like myself

'When I watch them I think they look a lot like children playing and it amazes me how they are so similar to us.

'Their little pink faces have such great expressions, it is like they are really having a snowball fight.'

Masashi said he took the photos at the Jigokudani Monkey Park, which is located in Yamanouchi Town, in the mountainous Nagano Prefecture, or county.

He said: 'It is usually the younger monkeys that play like this, sometimes it is difficult to say whether the play is good-natured or not.'

At the time the Monkey Park was opened, each was known by a different name such as Torikbuto or Mozu.

But for observation purposes they have been given names that combine their mother's name with year of birth, such as Mozu91

Wold Record for holding breath underwater for 19 minutes and 21 seconds

2010-02-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

A Swiss diver has broken the world record for holding his breath underwater - for 19 minutes and 21 seconds.

Freediver Peter Colat, 38, said the first 12 minutes without air were 'no problem' after plunging into a water tank at a holiday fair in St Gallen, Switzerland.

Mr Colat smashed the previous record held by Italian Nicola Putignano by 19 seconds.

Under the rules for so-called 'static apnea' laid down by the Guinness World Records, Mr Colat was allowed to breath pure oxygen for ten minutes before the feat yesterday.

He said afterwards: 'The first 12 minutes were not a problem and I felt the first need to breathe very late, but because of this it was even stronger.'

Magician David Blaine set a world record in 2008 when he held his breath for 17 minutes and 4 seconds, breaking Mr Colat's previous record of 16 minutes and 32 seconds on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.

According to the British Freediving Association, participants must 'enter a very relaxed state so as to minimise oxygen consumption.'

It adds that: 'Eventually, the store of oxygen will reduce to critical levels, resulting in hypoxia, and possibly black-out if the freediver fails to listen to his body or ignores what he hears.'

Cheers! 18L bottle of wine tipped to fetch £4,800 at auction

2010-02-12T20:07:00.001-08:00

For lovers of wine fine, quality drops don't come much bigger than this 2006 bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc.

But those hoping to add it to their collection will need at least £3,600 - and a large wine cellar - because at 18litres it is significantly bigger than the 750ml bottle most people are used to.

The large bottle, referred to as a melchior, is expected to fetch between £3,600 and £4,800 when it goes on sale as part of the Finest and Rarest Wines and Vintage Port auction at Sotheby's next week.

A Sotheby's spokesman said it was 'phenomenally rare' to have a bottle of such a size, and even more unusual for it to be a Bordeaux wine.

The melchior weighs in at 25kg, is 75cm high with a circumference of 70cm and contains enough wine to pour 144 glasses of wine.

The wine, and other fine and rare wines, will go up for auction on Wednesday.

Lakshmi Tatma::The little girl who had eight limbs

2010-01-27T12:49:00.001-08:00

She was born with a unique body - eight limbs and two torsos fused at the hips.

Now Lakshmi Tatma, the Indian toddler whose plight touched the world, has grown up and started school.

Two years after a ground-breaking operation to separate her from a parasitic twin, Lakshmi is a lively and bubbly four-year-old.

She loves playing cricket with her older brother, has a tendency to boss around her newfound friends and remains firmly a daddy's girl.

'When I think of the way she was, never in a million years would Lakshmi have been able to go to school or have the life she does today,' said her mother Poonam, 26.

'All the things she's capable of now were impossible two years ago.

'I often try to think what she might be like today if she hadn't had the operation - she couldn't even sit up before and now she runs around like other children.'

Born in a dusty farming village in India's poorest state, Lakshmi was revered as a deity and worshipped from birth.

Villagers, who believed she was the reincarnation of the Hindu goddess of wealth and fertility, would seek her blessing daily and leave gifts at her bedside.

But Lakshmi's resemblance to her mythological namesake came at a terrible price. She could not walk, stand, or even sit.

The little girl was joined to a headless parasitic twin that had stopped developing in her mother's womb. Doctors were convinced she could not have survived into adulthood.

Now fully recovered from the 27-hour operation to save her, Lakshmi is almost unrecognisable from her former self.

Beneath the surface, however, lurk a series of medical problems that threaten her future and will require years of surgery.

Six months after the complex operation to remove Lakshmi's parasitic twin, doctors discovered she had developed scoliosis, or a curvature of the spine.

Without a complex operation to correct her spine doctors have warned her back will be forced into increasingly severe deformities as she grows, possibly leaving her disabled.

Separately, Lakshmi requires an operation to 'detether' her spine after it was discovered she was born with abnormal tissue connecting the spinal cord to her nervous system.

In a further operation orthopaedic surgeons must perform a procedure to 'close her hips', which are set too far apart and result in an unusual 'gaited' walk.

Finally, plastic surgeons will need to find a way to create buttocks for Lakshmi, which did not form in the womb because of the unique way she was connected to her parasitic twin. In the same operation surgeons will have to fix related problems with her bladder and intestines.

'Lakshmi has come such a long, long way but we're very scared for the future,' said her mother Poonam.

'At one time we never imagined she would look so healthy, so we are very grateful for all the help we've had.

'But we can't bear the thought that all this help could be undone if we can't find a way to get the extra operations she needs.

'The charity that looks after her cares for 500 other children as well. It does not have the funds to pay for these operations and we have no money either.

'The hospital that operated on her before has promised to help but they cannot correct her spine because it is such a specialised operation.

'All we want is for her to be a normal child. She has had her operation but even now she can't walk or move normally. Her feet don't come together properly and when she walks it hurts.'

Despite the threat to her future, Lakshmi's life today is a world away from the circumstances of her birth.

Born to impoverished parents in the frequently lawless state of Bihar, in India's volatile northeast, Lakshmi faced an uncertain future until a wealthy doctor heard of her plight and offered to operate on her for free.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Sharan Patil, owner of the Sparsh Hospital in Bangalore 2,000 miles south, travelled to Lakshmi's remote village in 2007 to meet the child and offer her parents the chance of a lifetime.

After more than a month planning the separation, Dr Patil's team attempted the first operation of its kind in the world.

Hundreds of journalists camped outside the hospital throughout the 27-hour surgery.

Lakshmi's fame, having spread from her tiny village around the world, prompted Sucheta Kriplani Shiksha Niketan (SKSN), a charitable school looking after disabled children in the desert state of Rajasthan, to offer her parents a place to live and the chance of an education for Lakshmi and her brother Mithilesh.

Dr Bhairoon Singh Bhati, the secretary of SKSN, said: 'Lakshmi is a special case for us. She's a very challenging case because you can never tell from her medical history when she might next fall ill.

'Her scoliosis is an example of the problems Lakshmi faces because we had no way of knowing she would develop a curvature of the spine.

'Similarly, despite all the problems she still faces we have no way of knowing what may crop up in the future.

'The biggest difficulty caring for Lakshmi is that she's a unique case - there's never been a child like her before so we have nothing to refer back to.'

Under Dr Bhati's guidance Lakshmi has started school, joining her elder brother as the only members of their family to ever receive an education.

Her father Shambu, 28, said: 'I believe with all my heart that Lakshmi is indeed a goddess. The operation removed her extra legs so that she can lead a normal life but she is not a normal child.

'She's special, I think anything is possible for her. I'd like her to be educated so she can become a teacher. Then she can pass on what she knows to other children.'

U.S. customs officers caught Women Wearing Live gem-encrusted insect as brooch

2010-01-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

U.S. customs officers stopped a woman on her way into the country because she was wearing a jewel-encrusted beetle as a brooch - and it was alive.

The woman was entering America from Mexico when she was stopped at a border outpost in Brownsville, Texas.

The live insect - which is studded with gemstones and gold - was fastened to her sweater by a gold chain and safety pin but was able to wander on her jumper.

She declared the live insect to officials and said she had bought it in Mexico as a brooch but it was immediately confiscated by pest control.

Officials refused to allow her to keep the live jewellery because she did not have the correct documents.

Because the woman had declared the insect correctly, she was not handed any fine or penalty.

The beetle was sent to the Plant Inspection Station at Los Indios International Bridge for further identification.

Moving live plant pests in any form into or out of the U.S. has to be declared to customs.

Beetles are a popular subject for jewellery, going back for centuries. It is thought to be relatively common in Mexico for live ones to be decorated in this way.

Jackie Kennedy was rumoured to have been given a living brooch when she was America's first lady.

Meet Kirk's dik-dik at barely ten inches tall this HAS to be the cutest baby around

2010-01-22T12:30:00.001-08:00

She was abandoned by her mother during the cold snap but she has since won the hearts of everyone who has met her.

This tiny antelope, who is barely ten inches tall, is being bottle fed milk five times a day and will
be given a helping hand until she is old enough to tuck into a diet of buds, shoots and fruits herself.

Experts at Chester Zoo believe the icy weather may have put a chill on her mother's maternal instincts, leaving the keepers to step in.

The baby antelope is a Kirk's dik-dik, the first of her kind to be born in the zoo.

Senior keeper Helen Massey has been playing mother to the new arrival.

"Kirk's dik-dik is one of the smaller of the antelope species but what they lack in stature, they make up for in appeal," she said.

"Our addition is growing stronger by the day and we hope she will be holding her own in the next few weeks."

Native to Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia, the dik-dik gets its name from the noise it makes when running for cover. They can live for up to 10 years.

The female's parents came from Colchester and Hanover zoos.

Water-skiing squirrel is the star attraction at U.S. boat show

2010-01-18T21:57:00.001-08:00

Among the luxury yachts, the designer boating gear and exhilarating indoor wakeboard performances, one pocket-sized American celebrity is making an almighty splash at the 38th Minneapolis Boat Show.

Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel is the star turn at the five-day event in the U.S., performing for the swooning public on a miniature pair of skis in a custom-made pool.

The timid little creature is towed behind a remote-controlled toy powerboat operated by her trainer, Lou Ann Best.

Twiggy, a Florida grey squirrel, was rescued by Lou Ann and her late husband Chuck in 1978 when a hurricane blew the animal from its tree-top nest. It has been performing ever since.

The squirrel has performed in Europe as well as north America and boasts appearances on hit US TV shows 'Good Morning America', 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show' and 'Late Night with David Letterman' as well as three movies.

Twiggy even has its own Florida billboard.

According to his website Twiggy is just one of a number of aquatic animals trained by the Bests.

They claim to have taught two miniature horses, two French poodles, a black cat, an armadillo and a toad frog. They have even taught a squirrel named Ollie to jet-ski.

Twiggy has provided an interesting diversion to some of the more extravagant items on display, with one 48ft house boat set to cost approaching three-quarters of a million dollars.

Maths prodigy, 14, becomes youngest Cambridge student since 1773

2010-01-07T09:26:00.001-08:00

A maths prodigy is set to become the youngest Cambridge graduate for more than two centuries - at just fourteen years old.

Arran Fernandez had already broken records with his GCSE results and glided through A-level maths and further maths.

Now the child genius has received a conditional offer from Fitzwilliam College after he passed the university’s notoriously tough entrance exam last summer.

Assuming he cements his offer by passing A-levels physics, Aaron will become the youngest undergraduate to study at the celebrated university since William Pitt the Younger in 1773.

Home-educated Arran said: ‘Maths has been my favourite subject for as long as I can remember.
‘I enjoy being home-schooled because I'm more involved. I can see the mark schemes and help my dad decide the curriculum.’

The degree, which is called a tripos at Cambridge University, is widely considered one of the hardest in the world.

Former scholars include Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking.

Arran first hit the headlines in 2001 when he became the youngest person to pass a GCSE at just fives years old. Aaron passed the foundation maths GCSE paper with a grade D - the highest grade that could be awarded in that category.

He then sat the intermediate GCSE the following summer and further wowed teachers with an A in the advanced level paper in 2003.

Reports at the time said Arran aspired to be ‘a mathematician, lorry driver or space explorer’.

But speaking about his latest ambition seven years on, Arran said he hopes to be a research mathematician.

‘It would be nice to work for Cambridge. There are a few things I want to work on. I'd like to solve the Riemann Hypothesis.’
The Riemann Hypothesis, an unsolved theory about the patterns of prime numbers, has baffled the greatest mathematicians for 150 years.

Is this world's most dangerous job?Crocodile Wrestlers who put their head on the line

2010-01-01T05:26:00.001-08:00

The daily grind at the office may not seem so bad after viewing these startling images.

For, no matter how grumpy your boss may be this morning, at least you aren't actually risking life and limb by sticking your head in his jaws.

But that is exactly what the crocodile wrestlers at a Thai zoo do on a daily basis.

This astonishing series of photographs shows the men at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo performing what may well be the world's most dangerous job.

The wranglers have been performing the stunts at the zoo on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, since it was set up in 1985.

During the hour-long shows they stick their head between the jaws of some of the zoo's biggest crocs, in the style of Krai Thong, a legendary Thai crocodile hunter.

Photographer Bronek Kaminski, who witnessed the feat on a trip to the attraction, said: 'They are quite lively crocodiles. They are not lying around half asleep all the time.

'They are chomping at a bamboo stick and snapping their jaws and then they guys put them into some sort of trance and put their head into the croc's mouth.

'He keeps it in there for a long time, and puts his arm in, right up to his shoulder.

'Then the crocodile goes back to being a wild animal. It's very impressive.

'I was not sure if they were actually going to do it so when they do you are really taken back by it.'

The centre also doubles up as a breeding zoo, and has more than 10,000 crocodiles.

Police enlisted to guard 20ft snowman from teenage thugs

2009-12-25T12:02:00.001-08:00

Police have been enlisted to protect a 20ft snowman to stob yobs from destroying it.

Residents in Clough Fold, Lancs., decided to put heavy snowfall in their town to good use by creating a giant sculpture and using it to raise money for an air ambulance service.

An original 12ft snowman was destroyed by drunken teenage thugs, but locals refused to be deterred and built an even bigger snowman in response.

But this time they were taking no chances, enlisting the local police force to keep an eye on the bohemith, which is dressed in a top hat and scarf with flashing red eyes.

Retained fire-fighter Jan Czugalinski said the snowman had become a popular attraction, with people stopping to have their photograph taken next to it and donating to a collection bucket.

She said a milkman who saw yobs destroying the original creation threatened to call police but one cocky teenager responded with: 'What will we get done for? GBH on a snowman?'

'We decided to rebuild it even bigger and guarded it over night,' Ms Czugalinski said.

PC Trevor Syrett said: 'We are keeping a watch on it. It is for a good cause.'

Moroccan referee knocked unconscious by football during match

2009-12-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

A referee was rushed to hospital with serious head and neck injuries after being struck on the head by a football during a Moroccan league match.

In the 38th minute of the game between league leaders DHJ El Jadida and struggling FUS Rabat, visiting midfielder Fussiste Souiyat unleashed a ferocious 35-yard half volley at goal.

Despite seeming destined for the net, the shot thudded into official Khalid Ramsis near the edge of the area.

The referee immediately fell to the ground unconscious, causing panic among players and fans alike.

Medics were on hand to perform first aid before moving Ramsis to nearby Mohammed V hospital after an on-pitch delay of almost ten minutes.

Later, the injured official was transferred to a medical department in Casablanca.

I'm allergic to Christmas: Every December when the tree goes up, Lisa goes down with a bout of 'pine flu'

2009-12-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

For most of us, putting up the Christmas tree and the decorations is guaranteed to produce festive cheer.

But ever since Lisa Smith was a teenager, she has dreaded the annual tradition - not because she is a Scrooge, but due to a mysterious illness it brings on.

Every Christmas the festivities have coincided with constant sneezes, streaming eyes, a pounding headache and a nose as red as Rudolph's.

She has just had to put up with it, but this year she has finally discovered the reason - she is allergic to Christmas, particularly the pine in trees.

'From the moment the first Christmas trees went up in the shops, I'd plunge into what felt like a constant flu,' said Miss Smith, a swimming instructor.

'Even on Christmas Day, I'd find it impossible to feel excited about opening presents and would sneeze, cough and blow my nose throughout dinner.'

It was her fiancé Phil French, 27, a City worker, who suggested she may be allergic to Christmas.

'I thought this was a ridiculous idea,' she said.

But after research on the Internet she discovered it really was a condition.

Christmas trees are the trigger with their pine needles and strong-smelling sap, but decorations covered in dust from being stored away all year can also cause problems.

She went to her GP who confirmed the diagnosis.

'She said my symptoms mirrored those of a severe hayfever sufferer. She was certain the main trigger was pine sap,' said Miss Smith, 26, from East London.

She is not alone. According to an American study, one in seven people experience some form of respiratory allergy to Christmas trees.

Dr Mike Smith, a specialist in preventative medicine, said: 'Like all plants, live Christmas trees hide mould, contain sap and release spores into the air, which can trigger allergic reactions.'

Miss Smith now avoids real Christmas trees and uses a seawater nasal spray called Sterimar.

She said: 'This will be the first time in over a decade I'll be able to have a normal Christmas.

'It will be a relief to open my presents and have a Christmas dinner without feeling unwell.'

American police detective pulled out his handgun after he was targeted in a snowball fight.

2009-12-21T13:30:00.001-08:00

This is the terrifying moment that an American police detective pulled out his handgun after he was targeted in a snowball fight.

Washington police are investigating the incident, when the off-duty officer drew his gun in the midst of the light-hearted battle.

About 200 people from a Washington D.C. neighbourhood had gathered to brave a snowstorm for a massive snowball fight.

'It was pretty fun,' one unidentified participant told reporters. 'But when the gun came out, it just changed the tone of the thing a little bit.'

The plainclothes officer became angry when his car - a maroon Hummer - was hit by snowballs.

He got out of the SUV and yelled at the crowd, before pulling out his gun and showing it to the crowd.

Eyewitness Matthew Bradley told Washington City Paper: 'We showed up to see a snowball fight already in progress. Two factions along 14th Street along the intersection.

'It was pretty friendly, mostly OK. At one point, there was one interaction with the police that I saw. A cop got stuck in the snow. People stopped and helped him out.

'A couple moments later, at the intersection, there was this big maroon Hummer. A small faction of people decided to target it with snowballs. They're throwing snowballs at the Hummer.

'It turns out the driver of the Hummer is a detective. He gets out. He's waving a walkie talkie. It's not going well. Then he starts waving a gun.

'He hadn't identified himself at this point. There was a point where things cooled off a bit, more police showed up, and he identified himself at that point. The name was Detective Baylor.

'There was a point where it got really tense. The experience for many people was snowball fight kind of fun...and then there's a guy with a gun.'

Uniformed police arrived on the scene to investigate reports of a man waving a handgun. The detective only calmed down once his fellow police officers arrived. Later in the incident, the detective went into the crowd and grabbed a man who he thought threw a snowball at him.

Assistant Chief Pete Newsham said: 'We have to see what the entire circumstance was. But just a snowball fight, not in my mind, that doesn't seem a situation where we would pull out a service weapon.'

The officer, who has not been named, has been placed on desk duty pending the results of the investigation.

Boy, 4, lucky to be alive after he is crushed between two escalators

2009-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

A four-year-old boy had his young age to thank after surviving a horrifying accident that saw him crushed between two escalators.

Doctors said that had Stevie Webb been older, his neck would have been snapped when he was bent double in the foot-wide gap between two ramp-style travelators.

The incident occurred when Stevie's mother turned her back and he sneaked between the two walkways, which were moving in opposite directions, in the Savacentre in Colliers Wood, south-west London.

In seconds his clothes were caught and Stevie was whipped round backwards so hard his head was level with his ankles.

His horrified mother hit the machine's emergency stop button before dragging him free with the help of a friend.

The force of the impact and twisting motion left Stevie with discoloured eyes and face because blood vessels burst under the skin.

Doctors told Stevie's parents that had their son been any older, and his bones more set, the force of the accident would have snapped his neck.

It is expected to take at least a month for Stevie's complexion to return to normal.

An investigation has now been launched at the Savacentre.

Stevie's father Darren Webb, 39, from Mitcham, Surrey, said his son's injuries were so severe he resembled the blue-purple alien characters from the film 'Avatar'.

He said: 'It's left him looking like an extra out of that new Avatar film. He doesn't have any white left in his eyes and it could be months until the colour in his face goes back to normal.

'The doctors said he'd been incredibly lucky because his neck and body were so contorted. It's only because he's so young and supple that his neck didn't break.'

Mr Webb was in the centre's car park waiting to pick up his family when the accident happened. He immediately rushed unconscious Stevie to St George's Hospital, Tooting, less than a mile away.

But Mr Webb said he was planning on taking legal action against the centre after its manager refused to take responsibility for the accident, claiming the boy's mother was not watching him at the time.

Mr Webb, who has spoken to centre manager Eric Sante and watched CCTV footage of the accident, said: 'I'll put my hands up and agree my child was playing while his mum's back was turned - but four-year-olds do that sort of thing.

'There was no kind of protection or barrier to stop this from happening but the shopping centre manager still wants to make out that this is our fault.

'It's unbelievable - my son nearly died.'

Mr Sante said: 'Mr Webb came in on Monday screaming and demanding to see CCTV footage which we let him do.

'I sat him down and apologised but told him I was in no position to accept responsibility for what happened.'

He added the CCTV footage showed Stevie playing next to the travelator while his mother was on the phone.

The incident has already been referred to the shopping centre's legal team.

MB Trust, which manages the area where the walkways operate, said it was officially checked twice a year and the most recent check was in November.

Juliet Bray, marketing director of MB Real Estate, an arm of MB Trust, said: 'It's a horrible incident and I can't imagine how upsetting it must have been for the parents and the little boy.

'I'm confident that we've done what is needed to make it safe. I'm very moved and I know that all of my colleagues are too and they will take every step necessary to make sure this doesn't happen again.'

The travelator is situated near to the shopping centre's Sainsbury's store.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: 'We would like to express our sympathies to the Webb family for this incident. We have been in contact with MB Real Estate who confirmed that they are taking every possible step to prevent something like this happening again.

'As soon as our colleagues at the store were made aware of the accident they began to give first aid and also called an ambulance.'

Drunk boy, 4, found in street at 1.45am sipping a beer, wearing a dress he'd stolen from under neighbour's Christmas tree

2009-12-18T04:18:00.001-08:00

A drunken four-year-old boy was found in the middle of the night wearing a little girl's dress he had stolen from beneath his neighbour's Christmas tree.

Hayden Wright was discovered in the street outside his Tennessee home at 1.45am sipping from a freshly opened can of beer.

The youngster's mother, 21-year-old April Wright, claimed he had broken through a childproof door to escape her house in Chattanooga.

Hayden rang the doorbell of a house a few doors down from his, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office report.

He then broke into another house through an unlocked front door and stole five Christmas gifts from under their tree.

One of the presents was a brown dress, which the boy was wearing when police found him.

Mrs Wright said she woke up at 1.45am and panicked when she realised her son was missing.

'[The] biggest concern was him being out there, getting kidnapped, getting run over, the alcohol, having to have his stomach pumped,' Wright told NewsChannel 9.

Wright is in the midst of divorcing her husband, who is currently in jail. She suggests he is partially to blame.

'[Hayden] runs away trying to find his father,' Wright said. 'He wants to get in trouble so he can go to jail because that's where his daddy is.'

Hayden was treated for alcohol consumption at a nearby hospital.

'He got [the beer] out of my father's cooler in the back and how he got it open I don't understand because it was one of those tab beers,' his mother explained.

Child protective services have told Wright she can keep custody of her child.

Iraqi fighters use £15 software to hack into spy plane footage

2009-12-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

The Pentagon has closed a security breach that allowed insurgents to hack into data feeds from pilotless 'drone' aircraft that provide real-time video of war zones, a US defense official said on Thursday.

The comments followed a report in the Wall Street Journal that revealed Shi'ite fighters in Iraq used software that cost as little as £15 ($26) to intercept the video feeds, potentially allowing them to monitor US military operations.

'It is an old issue that was addressed and fixed,' a US defense official said when asked about the article.

The article said US military personnel in Iraq discovered the problem last year after apprehending a Shi'ite insurgent who had digital files of drone video feeds on his laptop. More files were found on other militants' laptops in July.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to discuss details of the article, or intelligence matters more broadly. But he defended the expanding use of drone aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan, which provide 'eyes in the sky' to track enemy movements and keep US troops out of harm's way.

'Every capability comes with its advantages, disadvantages, benefits as well as potential weaknesses,' Whitman said.

'As you develop those (technologies) you have to be mindful of how the enemy can counteract any technology that you have.

'That's why you always have a constant review process in place to not only improve that capability but address any vulnerabilities it may have.'

Publicly-traded companies that manufacture the pilotless drone aircraft and sensors include Lockheed Martin Corp.

Knife woman shot by U.S. police after walking into school playground

2009-12-16T03:04:00.001-08:00

A woman was shot dead by American police after walking into a primary school playground wielding a big knife, it emerged today.

She was hitting herself over the head with what appeared to be either a large butcher knife or meat cleaver, witnesses said.

‘It was really scary, she was like bleeding to death,’ said Devin Walski, 11, who was ordered indoors by worried teachers at the school in Modesto, California.

‘I was afraid for all my friends in my classroom, and the little kids,’ added Devin, who had been walking to a music lesson when the drama began.

When police arrived minutes later, the unnamed woman, who is in her 50s, allegedly charged two of the officers.

At least one of the officers pulled out a gun and shot her.

Witnesses heard four shots fired but police did not reveal how many times she was hit.

She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The school, which was put under lockdown at 2pm yesterday when the woman was seen, was not opened again until more than an hour afterwards.

At that point, children were led out of the classrooms in groups to their parents who were waiting for them in front of Catherine Everett Elementary School.

‘I was hoping it wasn’t this school,’ said Rhiannon Green, describing her fears as she drove to pick up her two sons, ages 9 and 5, at Everett Elementary. ‘

I just want my kids out.’

Police Sergeant Brian Findlen credited teachers with ‘quickly locking down and getting students into locked classrooms.’

Police did not know what connection, if any, she may have had with the school.

The officers who opened fire have been placed on routine paid administrative leave while Modesto police and the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office investigate.

No students or staff members at Catherine Everett Elementary School were injured in the incident.

Girl arrives in Israel to find security officers have shot her MacBook

2009-12-15T14:31:00.001-08:00

Tightened airport security is something most of us have grown accustomed to when travelling abroad.

But imagine one girl's surprise upon arriving in Israel and being told that Israeli security officers had put three bullets in her MacBook.

According to her blog, 'Lilysussman' arrived in Israel where she was questioned and searched for about two hours.

'They had pressed every sock and scarf with a security device, ripped open soap and had me strip extra layers,' she wrote.

The intrepid traveller was then told to wait. 'Since they had asked for friends' and families' phone numbers I assumed they might be calling to verify my answers to questions or confirm I really had extended family in Tel Aviv,' she wrote.

According to the blog, an announcement was then made in Hebrew, Arabic and English, which Lilysussman understood as saying: 'Do not to be alarmed by gunshots because the Israeli security needs to blow up suspicious passenger luggage.'

After a few moments Lilysussman said a man came outside and introduced himself as the manager on duty, saying, 'I’m sorry but we had to blow up your laptop.'

The laptop had in fact been shot three times, but the hard drive was miraculously undamaged.

According to Lilysussman's blog, the officers have agreed to replace the laptop.

Holy cow! Is white cross on calf’s forehead a divine sign from above?

2009-12-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

A calf has been born with a white marking on its forehead in the shape of a cross.

Jersey Holstein calf Moses caused a stir with his appearance on a dairy farm in Sterling, Rhode Island.

His owner, Brad Davis, told WFSB-TV that he believes the marking may be a message from above – but admitted he was not sure what that message may be.

Following the calf’s birth on December 1, Davis admitted he hadn’t noticed the cross at first, but was stunned when he did.

The 45-year-old said: ‘I almost fell over. I felt like I should be on my knees.’

Although it is not unusual for Holstein cows to have white markings on their heads, the cross shape is agreed to be unique by livestock experts.

Jesus on an iron

2009-12-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

The Lord, it appears, is not only always with us - He can also help make sure we've got a nicely ironed shirt at the same time.

Or so reckons Mary Jo Coady, who spotted this likeness of Jesus Christ on the burnt bottom of her old iron.

Mrs Coady, 44, from Massachusetts, immediately told her two daughters. 'They were like, "Mom, that's Jesus looking at us",' she said.

The medical secretary said her faith had been renewed by the find, which reassured her that 'life is going to be good'.

And, unlike many people who try to cash in by selling 'images' of Christ they have spotted on anything from a potato crisp to a dirty window, Mrs Coady intends to keep her old iron - and buy a new one for everyday use.

Top of the class: Child prodigy who is about to take his maths A-Level... at the age of TEN

2009-11-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

At the age of ten Yi Fan has already passed GCSE and AS maths exams with flying colours and is about to sit his A-level.

So although he's half the age of most degree-level maths students, his primary school had no choice but to draft in a university professor to keep up with him.

And while his parents are naturally proud of his prodigious talent, they are already wondering whether secondary school education will hold him back.

'Yi began talking about fractions when he was just three,' said his father Mizi Fan, 46, a senior lecturer in civil engineering at Brunel University in West London. 'His teachers realised in Year One that the curriculum was just not challenging for him.

'Now I find it very difficult to keep him challenged. I don't know where he will go to school because I think a normal secondary school would be a waste of time for him.'

Yi's mother Aihe, 45, a housewife with a degree in engineering, said: 'He has always been eager to learn and very inquisitive. We have never had to push him.'

Yi, whose parents met at university in China before they moved to Britain 16 years ago, beat more than 100,000 children to win a national primary school maths competition last year.

The schoolboy, from Watford, is currently ranked among the top 100 Year Nine pupils in the country, even though they are three years older than him. He gained top grades in his maths GCSE and AS-level and will take the A-level next month.

He also excels in English and physics, is preparing for his grade seven piano test and has just started to learn the oboe. With so many opportunities open to him, Yi - whose elder brother Xin, 16, achieved 11 A*s in his GCSEs this year - remains unsure what he will focus on in the future.

'I haven't really decided what I want to do when I grow up,' he said. 'I just want to carry on learning as much as I can. I am not so good at football and am not in the school team. I will keep working at it but you can't be good at everything.'

Kevin Sullivan, deputy head of Knutsford School in Watford, said he had never seen a student like Yi in a career spanning 35 years.

'Yi's needs can be met for most subjects, though we have had to think hard to find maths work to challenge his ability,' he said.

'We purchased a maths computer program which would challenge an able child for years but Yi finished it in a couple of sessions.'

Mr Sullivan got in contact with Alan Davies, a professor of mathematics-from Hertfordshire University who specialises in helping exceptionally gifted children.

He now provides Yi with regular tuition tailored to his talents. 'I am impressed by Yi,' he said. 'I haven't found anything that has given him difficulty.

'He is easy to work with because he is able to follow a mathematical argument without too much difficulty. He also sees different ways of approaching ideas.'

Drug smuggler who swallowed 67 packages of cocaine

2009-11-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

A drug smuggler swallowed 67 packages of cocaine in an attempt to get through British customs.

Student Fidelis Ozouli, 30, risked his life trying to hide the 1kg haul of the class A substance in his stomach.

He later claimed he did not know the packets contained drugs.

Officers at Manchester Airport became suspicious because Ozouli looked unnaturally bloated.

They carried out X-rays on his stomach and discovered a quantity of cocaine equivalent to two bags of sugar.

It is one of the largest amounts ever found internally by UK customs officers.

The drug, hidden inside scores of condoms, was 78 per cent pure and had a street value of £250,000.

Ozouli left officials and a court baffled by claiming: 'I didn't know they were drugs.'

He added: 'I just did not know what they were. I thought I was swallowing something else to take into Britain as a favour for a pal.'

At Manchester Crown Court, Ozouli, who is from Nigeria but lives and studies in London, pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs and was jailed for ten years - but continued to deny knowing what the haul was.

Judge Thomas Gilbart QC told him: 'I do not accept your evidence and do not believe it is credible.

'The story is fantastical and I don't believe a word of it.

'This was a calculated decision on your part to solve your money worries.'

Ozouli, of Kennington, South London, was stopped by UK Border Agency officers on his arrival at Manchester from Switzerland on September 5.

He claimed he was on a business trip from Zurich on behalf of a pharmaceuticals company but inquiries revealed he had taken a lengthy and unusual route back to the UK from countries in Africa.

He was arrested and the case was passed to customs officers who interviewed him. Later he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was X-rayed to ensure all the packages had been recovered.

Mike O'Grady, assistant director of criminal investigation for Revenue and Customs said yesterday: 'Forensic tests showed that the purity of this cocaine is significantly above what we would normally find.

'Swallowing any drugs puts the courier at risk, but with purity levels this high he was putting himself at considerable risk of death.

'Criminals dealing in drugs with high purity levels are thinking solely of increased profits, to further fund their illegal activity.

Mr O'Grady added: 'They show utter disregard for the damage drugs do to individuals and communities.

'Customs is working closely with our partners in the UK Border Agency, police and other law enforcement agencies such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency to protect the public from the significant and damaging effect drugs have on our communities.'

The biggest ever recorded haul of cocaine found in a smuggler's stomach in Britain was 1.5kg found inside 39 packages in 2003.

'Shrek' raider told by police he should never have become an armed robber... because he's so ugly everybody would recognise him

2009-11-18T11:41:00.001-08:00

A big-eared bank raider nicknamed Shrek was jailed yesterday after being warned he is too ugly for armed robbery.

David Holyoak, 33, is such a dead ringer for the cartoon ogre that his distinctive features make it easy for police to spot him.

He was caught after a string of raids across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

As Holyoak, of Whitefield, Greater Manchester began three-and-a-half years in jail one police officer said: 'This man only needs to look at himself in the mirror to realise armed robbery is not for him.

'With his big ears and rotund features he stands out a mile and the officers would have no trouble spotting him. He must be a total liability when he is part of a gang.

'He has already been dubbed Shrek and must be one of the ugliest robbers in the country.'

Holyoak was part of a gang who robbed a Halifax bank in Longridge near Preston in Lancashire and threatened the cashier with a sledge hammer.

The gang smashed the glass security window, before climbing through to the other side of the counter to steal cash from the tills.

The men then fled the scene in a Fiat Punto with £6,000.

A gang, including Holyoak, struck again at a post office in Bury, but their get-away car crashed into a tree.

At Bolton Crown Court, Holyoak, Lee Kirwan, 28, of Whitefield, Benjamin Anderson, 29, of Lower Broughton, Salford and Michael Lee Parr, 22, of Whitefield all pleaded guilty to robbery.

Parr, who also admitted a 70,000 raid at a jewellers was jailed for eight-and-a-half years, Anderson got five-and-a-half years and Kirwan was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

The girl who sneezes 12,000 times a day

2009-11-11T15:31:00.001-08:00

Lauren Johnson is a typical 12-year-old girl - except that she can't stop sneezing.

It is so bad that she sneezes up to 20 times a minute, or 12,000 times a day.

The non-stop sneezing began two weeks ago when Lauren from Virginia in the U.S. caught a cold.

Lauren can't go to school and is even struggling to eat.

The only relief she gets is when she falls asleep each night. Her condition has left doctors baffled.

During a five-minute interview on the Today Show in the U.S. Lauren sneezed hundreds of times, her speech interrupted every few seconds.

The 12-year-old - dubbed the 'Gesundheit Girl' said: 'I can't stop.

'I thought it wouldn't last this long but it's been two weeks now.'

She said she is not in pain - simply in discomfort.

'It's primarily the sneezing,' she added.

'Maybe I'll get a raw nose from the tissues but that's it.'

One expert believes she is suffering from a syndrome known as 'machine gun sneezing', in which victims sneeze incessantly.

Lauren told the Today Show that she felt 'miserable'.

'It's been a long two weeks. I've seen my friends here and there but I haven't been to school.'

Her mother, Lynn Johnson, has spent the past week going to a variety of doctors looking for a diagnosis and relief for her daughter - and has now gone on television in a bid to find a cure or a specialist who can help.

They have tried 11 different medications so far.

'Life for her has stopped. Everybody is baffled. Nobody really knows how to treat it,' Ms Johnson said.

She added: 'It turns off when she sleeps. Only in a deep REM sleep it turns off.'

They tried hypnosis but it did not work.

Lauren has also seen a therapist in case a psychological factor is triggering the physical reaction.

She has been unable to go to school because it puts other students off - and she struggles to eat between sneezes.

Lauren told a local news website: 'The hard part is missing school and when people stare.

'It's very hard.'

Doctors believe it may be that she is suffering from an 'irretractable psychogenic disorder' that could be triggered by stress.

Her mother added: 'There's less than 40 cases ever documented ever in the entire world. Nobody really knows how to treat it, what's going to work, and even in the cases where it might have worked or turned the sneezing off for awhile, a lot of times it comes back again and then you're right back to where you started.'

Neither Lauren nor her mother say she is stressed out.

Her sneezing is not contagious.

World's smallest mother to risk giving birth for third time

2009-11-09T10:25:00.001-08:00

The world’s smallest mother is about to give birth for the third time - despite warnings she is risking her life.

Stacey Herald, who is just 2ft 4in tall, was told that becoming pregnant could kill her, but bravely defied doctors to have two babies half her height.

The 35-year-old from Dry Ridge, Kentucky in the U.S. suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which causes brittle bones and underdeveloped lungs, and means she failed to grow.

Now Mrs Herald, who uses a wheelchair, and her husband Will, who is 5ft 9in, are eagerly awaiting the birth of their third baby, due in the next four weeks.

Currently as wide as she is tall, she cannot hold her daughter because her belly gets in the way, and has to rely on her husband to do most things around the house.

She admits being pregnant is ‘uncomfortable’ and leaves her bedridden for weeks on end.

By the time the new addition, a boy, is one he will already tower over his mother.

But despite all the obstacles, the mother and father, a trainee priest, say they want even more children.

The couple met in 2000 while working for a supermarket in their home town and were desperate for a family after marrying in 2004.

But doctors warned Mrs Herald a baby would grow so large inside her tiny body it would eventually crush her organs, strangling her from the inside out.

Mrs Herald said: ‘It broke my heart that I couldn’t have kids.

‘All my life my parents had told me that I could do anything. Then there were these doctors telling me that we couldn’t be a complete family. It really hurt.’

Eight months later, the couple were thrilled when they discovered they were expecting and decided to go ahead even though family and doctors begged them to reconsider.

Mrs Herald, who had decided not to take contraception, said: ‘They all told me that I would die. They begged me not to have a baby.

'Even my mother said,” You know you won’t survive right?” ‘I told her: “It’s a miracle that I am here, that I have life, why couldn’t this be a miracle too?”’

After 28 weeks, doctors performed a cesarean section and daughter Kateri was born, weighing just 2lbs and 1oz in 2006.

She grew well but there was heartbreak for the family when they discovered Kateri had inherited Mrs Herald’s condition and would also never grow to a normal height.

But the young family resumed life as normal, before Mrs Herald fell pregnant a year later.

She said: ‘It was kind of like the last time, everyone screamed: “What are you doing?” at us.

‘The doctors told me I was pushing my luck. But we just prayed that God would bring us through it.’ However this pregnancy took its toll on the little mother.

She said: ‘It was hard, I got so much bigger faster. At my worst point I remember bursting into tears, because I looked like a beach ball with a head and little feet.

‘I spent weeks unable to do anything for myself because my stomach was so big. At one point I dislocated my arm when I was moving from my chair into bed, because I just wasn’t used to the weight on my arms.

‘I’ve always been able to do everything but this time I just couldn’t and I found that really upsetting to have Will help me wash and go to the toilet.

‘Also he was trying to look after a 16-month old, so it was tough on both of us.’

Doctors tried to let the second baby stay in her body for as long as possible, letting her pregnancy go to 34 weeks before wheeling her into theatre.

Daughter Makaya who, at 18 inches was more than half her mother’s body length when she was born, weighed 4lbs and 7oz.

Now both girls are bigger than their mother who is 30 weeks pregnant with her first boy.

She said: ‘It’s getting tougher and tougher to move.

‘At the moment because I’m getting really big again I can’t hold my youngest daughter because my belly gets in the way and I can’t get my arms around her.’

Mrs Herald added: ‘All my babies are miracles, but we haven’t thought about if we’re going to have some more, as they”re a real handful right now.

‘We didn’t plan to have more than two kids, we just think that they’re a great gift to the world, and when I look at them I see Will and I feel so full of love, it’s tough not to want more.’

Qantas pilots forget to lower the wheels in botched landing at Sydney airport

2009-11-04T04:07:00.001-08:00

Two Qantas pilots have been suspended after a Boeing 767 came within 700ft of landing at Sydney airport before they realised the wheels had not been lowered.

The airline has launched an investigation into the incident and the pilots are due to be interviewed by air safety investigators on Friday.

The flight from Melbourne was forced to do a second lap above the airport on October 26 after a cockpit alarm went off as the Boeing prepared to touch down, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said.

Investigators are understood to be looking at possible human error and a communication breakdown between the first officer and captain about who was lowering the undercarriage, according to The Australian.

It quotes a former Boeing 767 pilot as saying that a crew on an instrument approach would normally start lowering the undercarriage when the plane was between 2,000ft and 1,500ft from the ground in order to ensure that the aircraft was stable and configured to land by the time it was down to 1,000ft.

In visual conditions, the former pilot said, the aircraft needed to be stable by 500ft, but lowering the gear at 700ft or even at 1,000ft was still far too late.

According to the International Air Transport Association, problems with landing gear resulted in 15 per cent of airline 'hull-loss' accidents last year.

Qantas said flight safety was never at risk but it had stood the pilots down pending the bureau's inquiry into whether human error was to blame.

'This is an extremely rare event, but one we have taken seriously,' the airline said in a statement.

'The flight crew knew all required procedures but there was a brief communication breakdown. They responded quickly to the situation... the cockpit alarm coincided with their actions.'

The ATSB said: 'Passing 700 feet on approach into Sydney, the crew commenced a missed approach due to the aircraft being incorrectly configured for landing.'

The bureau's air safety spokesman Ian Sangston said the 'too low gear' alert sounded because the landing gear had not been lowered, but said it was too early to speculate on the cause.

The incident follows the revocation last week of the licences of two US pilots who overshot their destination by some 150 miles (240 kilometres) while distracted.

Sangston said the ATSB was also investigating an incident in which the autopilot briefly disconnected on board a Jetstar flight between Japan and the Gold Coast as it passed through stormy conditions on October 29.

'My understanding is that there was some sort of problem with the information being provided to the pilots,' Sangston said.

Qantas' budget offshoot Jetstar said early indications were that the Airbus A330's airspeed sensing system was momentarily impaired, and several parts had been replaced on the aircraft before it was allowed to resume flying.

The error messages were similar to those reported from an Air France Airbus A330 jet which mysteriously plunged into the Atlantic in May, taking the lives of all 228 people on board.

But Sangston said the ATSB was yet to examine the black box data from the craft or interview the crew and it was 'only conjecture' to draw parallels.

Meet the birds with a backpack guaranteed to deliver their parcels on time

2009-11-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

These pigeon couriers could be members of the last avian postal service in the world - and give Royal Mail a few ideas.

The birds, from the U.S. city of Fort Collins, Colorado transport digital images of intrepid white water rafters to be processed in what is known as the 'Pigeon Express'.

They fly from the top of the Cache La Poudre River down to a base at the bottom where thrill-seekers can collect their snaps.

The concept harks back to the days before the telegram.

The birds are owned and trained by Rocky Mountain Adventures, who fly 19 pigeons five times every day, usually travelling a distance of between 20 and 40 miles.

Using the pigeons is quicker than driving down from the river and it solves the problem of producing photographic memories for the white water rafting tourists. It takes them just 20 minutes.

'We began this as an interesting solution to the problem we encountered with the distance from the bottom of La Poudre to our base 30 miles away back in Fort Collins,' says David Costlow, the head pigeon keeper at Rocky Mountain Adventures.

'We realised that we needed something that could fly like an eagle and thought "bird" and that quickly became "pigeon". And now we believe we are flying the only pigeon postal service in the world.'

Through research, he found a professional pigeon racer in nearby Greeley, who introduced him to a breeder in Fort Collins.

Between the two, he obtained pigeon chicks and plenty of advice on feeding, training, and general pigeon care.

Carrying the digital chips in a lycra bag that weighs only grams, the pigeons are meticulously trained over a period of seven months, with some needing over a year of 'homing' training.

'We take the birds on at four months and make them realise that Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain Adventures is their home,' explains David. 'Once they do that it is plain flying.'

As they are high in the Rocky Mountains, all the pigeons unfortunately run the risk of being lost in the line of action, says David.

'We have lost some pigeons to hawks and eagles up here in Fort Collins,' he adds.

'We lose five on average every year. But we've only lost seven digital chips in the last 14 years.'

World's biggest and most expensive cruise ship ever

2009-10-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

It took six years and cost over 800million pounds to build.

And now the Oasis of the Seas will finally be launched into the ocean with the maiden voyage set for December.

The ship was handed over to the Royal Caribbean cruiseline in the Finnish port of Turku by shipbuilder STX on Wednesday this week.

It measures a staggering 16 decks high, or 65 metres (213 feet) above the waterline, and measures 1,180ft long and 154 ft wide and has the capacity to accomadate 6,360 passengers and 2,160 crew members.

Guest who spend time aboard the record breaking vessel can expect a whole new world of entertainment including an aquatic amphitheater - called the Aqua Theatre - which serves as a pool by day and a dazzling ocean front theater by night and a rock climbing area.

Included in the ship's vast expanse are seven themed 'neighbourhoods': Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

Each of which includes extraordinary elements such as the first park at sea, a zip line that races diagonally nine-decks above an open-air atrium, an original handcrafted carousel and 28 multilevel urban-style loft suites boasting floor-to-ceiling windows.

Richard Fain, the chief executive of Royal Caribbean, told reporters the new ship had attracted strong pre-bookings despite the global financial crisis and said the aim was to lure new customers who have not cruised before.

There are however still spots left for the ship's maiden voyage in December.

'Part of the thought process of the ship is to overcome the old myths people have about cruising. It's very hard to look at a vessel like this and think that cruising is secondary when you can choose rock-climbing, surfing or zip-lining,' Fain explained.

The Oasis of the Seas, which will be sailing mainly in the sunny Caribbean, catering to younger, more active passengers with children offering a wider selection of activities, including 21 swimming pools, an aqua park, a carousel and a science lab.

Hundreds of builders and cleaners were still putting the final touches on the ship on Wednesday, installing carpets and cleaning the surfaces of the ship, docked at the Turku shipyard some 100 miles northwest of Helsinki.

Although the shipyard employees are still busy working on Oasis of the Seas and its sister ship Allure of the Seas, which is to be ready in autumn 2010, Fain and Landtman admitted the global downturn had drained cruising companies' willingness to order new vessels.

On Wednesday evening, some 1,000 VIP guests will be dining and partying on board the Oasis of the Seas, but details about the guest list have not been disclosed.

The vessel is scheduled to leave Finland on Friday when it will set sail for its home port of Fort Lauderdale in the United States, where it will arrive in about two weeks.

Oasis of the Seas will make its four-night maiden voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Labadee in Haiti on December 1 and there are still some places aboard the ship's first voyage to be filled.

'Mermaid' girl born with her legs fused together dies aged 10

2009-10-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

An American girl who was born with a rare condition often called 'mermaid syndrome' that meant her legs were fused together, has died aged 10.

Doctors said Shiloh Pepin was only likely to survive for hours, possibly days after her birth, but she exceeded all expectations.

The girl died at Maine Medical Centre on Friday afternoon, hospital spokesman John Lamb said. She had been hospitalised there in critical condition for nearly a week.

Shiloh had gained a wide following on the internet and U.S. television and her story was featured recently on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Being born with 'mermaid syndrome,' also known as sirenomelia, meant that the girl from Kennebunkport in Maine had only one partially working kidney, no lower colon or genital organs and legs fused from the waist down.

Some children who have survived sirenomelia have had surgery to separate their legs, but Shiloh did not because blood vessels crossing from side to side in her circulatory system would have been severed.

She had received two kidney transplants, the last one in 2007.

Earlier this month, her mother, Leslie Pepin, said her daughter came down with a cold that quickly turned to pneumonia.

Shiloh was rushed to Maine Medical Center on October 10 and was placed on antibiotics and a ventilator.

For a while, Leslie Pepin said, things were looking up. 'She's a tough little thing,' she said of her daughter earlier this week.

Shiloh was a fifth-grader at Kennebunkport Consolidated School.

Maureen King, chairwoman of the board of the regional school district, said: 'She was such a shining personality in that building.'

Counselors will be available next week to talk to students.

Through the television shows, news articles, Facebook and other Web sites, Shiloh inspired many.

'I live in Iowa. I have cerebral palsy. I love your video,' 12-year-old Lydia Dawley wrote to Shiloh on Facebook.

'You have a great personality I wish you lived close so we could be friends and hang out. You opened my eyes because you are so brave.'

The five-year-old with a six pack: Child bodybuilder in record books after TV stunt

2009-10-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

A muscle-bound boy has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records after performing an incredible physical stunt.

Romanian Giuliano Stroe, five, has been training since the age of two in Italy - where he lives with his family - and now the hard work has finally paid off.

He was entered into the record books earlier this year after performing some impressive 'hand-walking' skills to a panel of judges and an astonished audience on an Italian TV show .

The exceptional pre-schooler performed the fastest ever 10m hand walk with a weight ball between his legs to the delight of the studio audience.

And he has now become an internet hit after hundreds of thousands of people watched a clip of him performing the stunt on YouTube.

Father Iulian Stroe, 33, said: 'He has been going to the gym with me ever since he was born. I always took him with me when I went training.'

He added there is no danger of the youngster harming himself, saying: 'I have been training hard all my life myself.

'He is never allowed to practice on his own, he is only a child and if he gets tired we go and play.'

Giuliano, the oldest of four children, says his stardom has not gone to his head and he still enjoys normal kids stuff like painting, watching cartoons and playing in the park when he is not weightlifting.

But it seems he has picked up a taste for fame during his incredible exploits, revealing he enjoys it when he is applauded after performing.

It sparks memories of Richard Sandrak, who, after his father trained him to become a bodybuilder, aged just three in 1995, was declared The Strongest Boy In The World.

Nicknamed Little Hercules, Ukrainian-born Richard could bench press 210 pounds at the age of six after undergoing a strict regime.

After moving to the U.S., he became a movie star, starring in Tiny Tarzan, after his fitness schedule attracted media attention.

Interviewed this year, Richard, now 16, said that he had lost interest in working out.

World's largest web-spinning spider found in South Africa

2009-10-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

A new giant spider - which has huge five-inch females and tiny males - has been discovered by scientists.

The female of the new species of golden orb weaver spider has a body one and a half inches long with a leg span of five inches and weaves a web more than three feet wide.

The tiny male, however, has a leg span of just one inch. The variation of the Nephila species, named as Nephila Komaci, was discovered by US and Slovenian researchers in Africa and Madagascar.

In the paper published in the journal PLoS ONE, the team from the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, described how until recently, said they believed the giant Nephila was extinct.

But Jonathan Coddington from the Smithsonian said a South African colleague found a male and two females in Africa's Tembe Elephant Park allowing researchers to confirm it did exist.

Tests were then carried out that confirmed it was the largest orb weaver ever known and was a newly identified species.

Coddington said: 'We fear the species may be endangered, as its only definite habitat is a sand forest in Tembe Elephant Park in Kwa-Zulu-Natal.

'Our data suggests that the species is not abundant, its range is restricted and all known localities lie within two endangered biodiversity hotspots: Maputaland and Madagascar.'

Nephila spiders are renowned for being the largest web-spinning spiders. Although males are five times smaller than their mates, they are actually normal-sized - it is the females who are giants.

N.Komaci was named after Kuntner's best friend, Andrej Komac, who died in an accident at the time of the discovery.

Kuntner said: 'My friend, himself a scientist, encouraged me to tackle this PhD, but did not live to see the discoveries made.

'He was a big inspiration, and a great friend, thus it was logical to name this new species to his memory.'

Who needs legs? Meet Joby, the 3ft 5in world champion arm wrestler who can bring down opponents twice his size

2009-10-06T06:54:00.001-07:00

Instead of bemoaning what he lacks, Joby Matthew is using what he's got.

Despite being several feet shorter than others at his gym, Mr Matthew is able to defeat opponents twice his size with ease... at arm-wrestling.

Mr Matthew - who is 3'5'' - has severely under-developed legs, a condition caused by Proximal Fimoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD).

But he has so much upper body strength that he is a world champion arm wrestler who can crush challengers with no disabilities.

Stunningly, the father-of-one has so far made it onto five world podiums during his career.

In these amazing pictures the pint-sized powerhouse, from Kerala, India, can be seen easily jumping up steps using only his hands.

And in further astonishing displays of muscular prowess Mr Matthew, who has just become a dad for the first time, amazes onlookers as he lifts huge weights and does push ups on just one hand.

His thirst for life means he also drives a specially-converted car that lets him drive using only his arms.

In a heart-warming twist to his amazing story, the nine stone sports trainer at a petroleum company says his incredible journey against all odds began with a supportive family.

Facing a troubling trek just to get to school every day, his relatives showed him how to overcome the physical challenges he would face.

'I was definitely given a lot of encouragement at home,' he said.

'My home was located on top of a hill, and for a physically-challenged person it wasn't the most conducive place for mobility.

'There were obstructions everywhere. I had to walk a quarter of a mile before I got to a real road and my mother used to carry me to school. That is how I made it to school in first year.'

At school, Mr Matthew became all the more determined to overcome his disability as he was forced to sit on the sidelines while other students played exciting sports.

'I had many painful experiences there like when I was left out of games and sports,' he said.

'But I don't want to blame anyone. They presumed that since I was handicapped I wouldn't be able to compete.

'I saw kids coming to school riding their bicycles and I felt bad knowing I would never be able to do that. But even then, I tried not to concentrate on things I could not do, but on things I could do.

'So I began playing sports like volley ball, badminton and soon I was playing with able-bodied kids.'

Mr Matthew's quest to be the best eventually led him to challenge the bigger children at playground arm-wrestling where boys would battle it out to be the strongest.

'I realised I would never play football so I began searching for games that I could do well. Arm-wrestling was my answer.

'I began to arm wrestle with my schoolmates and found I could beat them. Back in school it was a mark of machismo, so I had to win.'

It was the start of a journey that would eventually see him scoop a gold medal, one silver, and three bronze on the world stage.

In the Japan World Championships 2005 he impressively bagged three bronze medals - one for general category against non-disabled competitors and two in disabled categories on different hands.

Then - reaching the top of his game at the 2008 World Championships in Spain - he coolly pocketed gold for the general category and silver for the disabled event.

During the competitions opponents are assigned to classes according to weight.

Despite his differences, Mr Matthew has never regarded himself as less able than others.

'y legs were extremely small at birth,' he said. 'According to science my legs are 60 per cent underdeveloped.

'But I think all of us are physically challenged in some way, so I never consider myself handicapped. According to the world I am, but it will never stop me from trying anything.'

To keep himself fighting-fit, Mr Matthew hits the gym for an hour every day before swimming in a local river until he reaches his astounding limit.

After working out he returns home to 25-year-old wife Megha, a dance expert, and his two-month-old baby boy.

With his insatiable appetite to reach new physical heights he has also begun a gruelling personal training program in mountain climbing.

After earning crucial experience in the lower Himalayas' and New Zealand his new dream is to climb Mount Everest.

'It could take me eight years until I'm ready,' he said. 'But with everything I've achieved I know I can do it.'

A bra that converts into a gas mask and how panda poo helps recycling

2009-10-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Can't get milk from a cow? Try calling her Bessie or Buttercup.

A pair of British researchers who found that dairy cows with names yield more milk than unnamed cows are among this year's winners of the Ig Nobel awards, the annual tribute to scientific research that on the surface seems daft but is often surprisingly practical.

Other winners honoured yesterday at Harvard University's Sanders Theater included scientists who found that empty beer bottles are much better weapons in a bar brawl than full bottles; researchers who used bacteria in panda poo to reduce kitchen waste; and in homage to the worldwide financial meltdown, the executives of four Icelandic banks who contributed to the island nation's economic collapse.

And not forgetting in the public health category a bra that can be converted into a pair of gas masks. One for the wearer, one for a friend.

The 19th annual event with the theme 'Risk', sponsored by the scientific humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, featured real Nobel laureates handing out the prizes.

Those scientists, writers and champions of peace hoping for a real Nobel prize will have to wait until next week when six Nobel committees announce their picks.

However not all the Ig Nobel winners were so thrilled to have their science - serious business to them - singled out in such a way.

'Not the pinnacle of my academic achievements,' said Stephan Bolliger, who along with four colleagues in Switzerland conducted a study that confirmed an empty beer bottle makes a better weapon than a full beer bottle in a brawl.

Still, Bolliger conceded, winning an Ig Nobel was certainly "one of the most interesting or memorable moments of my professional life."

No heads were slammed with bottles in the study.

Instead, Bolliger, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and his team dropped steel balls on half-litre bottles.

'The empty beer bottles were much sturdier than the full ones,' Bolliger said in an e-mail. 'However, although the empty bottles would therefore be better clubs, both full and empty bottles suffice in breaking the human skull.'

Bolliger, like most winners, emphasizes that the research has legitimate value. Lawyers and judges in court cases have asked how much damage a blow to the head with a bottle can cause, and the study could help decide future cases, he said.

Dr. Elena Bodnar won for her bra that converts into a pair of gas masks - one for the wearer, the other for a friend.

It sounds silly, but Bodnar, a Ukraine native who now lives in Chicago, started her medical career studying the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster.

If people had had cheap, readily available gas masks in the first hours after the disaster, she said, they may have avoided breathing in Iodine-131, which causes radiation sickness.

The bra-turned-gas masks could have also been useful during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and for women caught outside during the dust storms that recently enveloped Sydney, she said.

'You have to be prepared all the time, at any place, at any moment, and practically every woman wears a bra,' she said, noting that a bra cup, no matter what size, is the perfect shape to fit over the human mouth and nose.

Her patented devices also look pretty, no different from a conventional bra, she added.

Peter Rowlinson and colleague Catherine Douglas of the University of Newcastle in England won Ig Nobels for showing that Bessie and Buttercup give more milk than cows without names.

Rowlinson explained that naming cows was just one aspect of their research that showed that when humans are nice to animals, the animals return the affection.

For their study, they petted, groomed and named one group of heifers and acted neutrally toward another group.

'Then we followed their performance once they calved the first time and entered the dairy herd, and essentially we found that their behavior in terms of entry into the parlor was improved, they were less likely to kick when they were first introduced to the milking machine and there was an improvement in milk yield,' of one to two litres.

Not much for one cow, but it adds up in large herds, Mr Rowlinson said.

He attended the awards but Ms Douglas was unable to travel because she recently gave birth. Instead she sent a photo of herself with her new daughter dressed in a cow suit.

Liza Shapiro co-wrote a study that explained why pregnant women are able to maintain their balance despite carrying an increasingly large load out front.

Women, it appears, have slight differences in their lumbar vertebrae that helps compensate for their changing center of gravity.

'The fact the spine is more curved in females makes it kind of easier for us to increase that curve even more in pregnancy, and not put extra stress on the bones and back muscles,' said Prof Shapiro, who teaches anthropology at the University of Texas.

Meanwhile the medicine prize went to Donald L. Unger from California who diligently cracked the knuckles of his left hand - but not his right - every day for sixty years, to see if it caused arthritis. The 83-year-old said: 'After 60 years, I looked at my knuckles and there's not the slightest sign of arthritis. I looked up to the heavens and said: 'Mother, you were wrong, you were wrong, you were wrong.'

Hope she's got a heifer heights! Stranded Lulu is airlifted home by cable car

2009-09-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

The farmer warned Lulu and her pals that the path from the pasture was too steep - but it went in one ear and out the udder.

So the three silly moos had to travel by cable-car to get home again before it was time for milking.

Lulu and the others didn't cowculate how steep the pathway they ambled down near the historic German castle of Neuschwanstein in Bavaria was.

By the time they got to the bottom for some scenic cud-chewing in a juicy, virgin pasture, there was no way back up.

The path was too difficult and they were in no mood for mountaineering.

Help came in the form of the local mountain rescue who hitched the hapless heifers one by one to the local cable-car used by hikers for a free ride home.
For the mountain rescuers, it was all in day's work.

'It happens quite a lot,' said one, 'but usually we end up airlifting the cows back home via helicopter.

'It just so happened this trio ended up stuck near the cable car station so we were able to use the cable car. They were quite cool about it.'

After some fresh grass and a good milking, the cows were settled in their stall for the evening with the high-life behind them for good.

House of cards? Too easy! Here's a hotel made from plastic keys (200,000 in fact)

2009-09-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever wondered what to do with unwanted hotel key cards, then think no more.

Because, providing you”ve somehow amassed 200,000 plastic slips, the solution is simple – use them to build your own guest house.

That, at least, is what one hotel chain decided to do.

Holiday Inn’s Key Card Hotel, which opened today in New York, includes a guest bedroom, bathroom and lobby, all fully equipped with life-sized furniture all made out of, yes, well, you get the point.

The 400 sq ft, two-ton construction in Manhattan , which will be in business until September 21, was built by world record-holding 'card-stacker' Bryan Berg.

He said: ‘This is my largest card-stacking challenge to date and the only card creation I have ever made at full human scale.’

During the five day event, Mr Berg will build a freestanding 9ft replica of New York’s Empire State Building in the lobby using Holiday Inn playing cards.

It marks the relaunch of the chains 1,200 hotels around the world.

Kevin Kowalski, senior vice president of global brand management at Holiday Inn, said:

‘The Key Card Hotel is a fun and interactive way to showcase the changes happening at our hotels and is the only structure of its kind to ever be created by a hotel brand.’

Mr Berg first broke the world record for World's Tallest House of Freestanding Playing Cards in 1992 at the age of 17, with a tower 14ft 6in.

Since then, he has been commissioned to break his own record ten times.

His most recent tallest record was a 25ft 9in inch tall tower built at the African-American Museum at Dallas, Texas.

For this record, he tried a new technique involving stacking cards vertically instead of horizontally, which reduced the number of cards needed by nearly half.

In 2004, Guinness created a new record category for World's Largest House of Freestanding Playing Cards to recognize a project Mr Berg built for a replica or Cinderella’s Castle for Walt Disney World in Florida.