Man, 121, tops list of oldest people in China

(Photo source: China Daily)
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BEIJING, Oct. 8 -- A list of China's 10 oldest people

was announced for the first time by the China Gerontology Association on Monday,

ahead of the Seniors Day yesterday.

The 121-year-old Sadiq Sawut from the Xinjiang Uygur

autonomous region topped the list as the oldest man, while Maihefu Zihan, from

the same region, was the oldest woman at 118.

Xinjiang has the highest proportion of centenarians

in the country, with 1,413 people aged 100 years or older, or 73 in every 1

million people.

The national average is around 23 in 1 million.

The Metropolitan Morning Post based in Urumqi,

Xinjiang reported that when Zihan heard the news, she stopped eating her

dumplings to give the thumbs up.

Her son, Maierdan, said she likes talking, even with

her 18-month-old great grand daughter.

Her favorite food includes beef, mutton, bananas and

sunflower seeds, the newspaper said.

With an average age of 117, China's 10 most venerable

citizens have lived through the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, making them the

most telling witnesses of China's changes, the organizers of the ranking said.

The age-hailing event was held in Rugao, Jiangsu

province, a well-known home of longevity with more than 6,300 90-year-olds and

251 100-year-olds.

From July, the association gathered a list of 272

seniors aged 100 or more, compiling lists of the country's 10 oldest women and

10 oldest men.

Head of the association Li Bengong said a peaceful

mind, harmonious family and good environment were key to longevity.

China now has 153 million people aged 60 or above, 11

percent of the total population.

Chinese life expectancy has increased to 72 years, up

from 35 in 1949, according to an earlier report.

Rapidly increasing numbers of aged citizens poses

great challenges to society as financial support and facilities for elderly

remain limited.

As a major strategic problem affecting economic and

social development in the country, the government seeks to reflect the

traditional values of respect and care for the elderly, Vice-Premier Hui

Liangyu, also head of the National Committee on Ageing, said earlier.

(Source: China Daily)

Man kills family, himself in upscale LA neighborhood

Los Angeles Police officers stand in front of the home where six bodies were found at a gated community in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 6, 2008. An unemployed accounting industry worker who was despondent over financial problems shot and killed his wife, three children, mother-in-law and then himself in an upscale home in a gated community, police said Monday.(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
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One of theLos Angeles Police

investigators walks to a news conference in front of the home where six

bodies were found, left, in a gated community in the San Fernando Valley

neighborhood of Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles on Monday, Oct. 6, 2008.

An unemployed accounting industry worker who was despondent over financial

problems shot and killed his wife, three children, mother-in-law and then

himself in an upscale home in a gated community, police said Monday.

(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
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Gallery

Migrant worker had nail in head for 4 years

BEIJING, Oct. 6 -- A migrant worker who recently began suffering headaches discovered he had been carrying a steel nail in his head for nearly four years.

The nail, almost five centimeters long, had pierced the man¨s head through his nose in an accident four years ago. The man, surnamed Tao, said there had been no symptoms until the recent headaches.

The nail was removed by doctors at Shenzhen No. 2 People¨s Hospital on Sept. 23.

＾My head and neck were aching over the past few weeks and later I had a fever, so my co-workers took me to the hospital,￣ said Tao, 46, a native of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

＾Doctors found the nail in my head after a CT scan, but at first, I had no idea how it got into my head.￣

He later remembered working in a factory in Zhejiang Province four years ago where a machine belt studded with nails broke, sending nails flying into his face.

＾There might have been one nail that flew into my nose and then into my head,￣ Tao said.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment after the accident, but the injuries to his face were not serious and he did not feel any pain apart from the injuries to his face.

He later came to work at a chemical factory in Longgang District. The nail eventually began to rust, leading to inflammation.

＾He was a very lucky man. If the trajectory of the nail was slightly different, he might have died instantly four years ago,￣ said Lu Yongtian, a doctor who performed the surgery.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily)

The world's tallest Lego tower at 29.48 m

Reaching for the top Guinness

World Record judge Carlos Martinez stands in front of the world's tallest

Lego tower at 29.48m in Vienna yesterday. The tower beat the previous record

of 29.3 m. (Photo Source: China Daily)
Photo Gallery

Lego Master Builders Erik Therkelsen (L)

and Per Knudsen of Denmark work in front of the world's tallest standing

Lego tower at 29.48 metres in Vienna October 5, 2008. The tower beat the

previous record of 29.3 metres.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery

Incredible Siamese twin fish conjoined at the stomach

Two conjoined Nile Tilapia fish, dubbed

"Siamese Twin", swim in a small aquarium in Bangkok October 3, 2008. They

are both eight months old and share part of the skin together. The bigger

fish tends to protect the smaller one from harm while the smaller one

looks for food at the bottom of the aquarium. (Chinese media/Reuters

Photo)
Photo

Gallery

Related: Two-headed creatures

Two conjoined Nile Tilapia fish, dubbed

"Siamese Twin", swim in a small aquarium in Bangkok October 3,

2008.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

Indian girl spontaneously bleeds through pores

BEIJING, Oct. 3 (Chinese medianet) -- A 13-year-old Indian

girl who bleeds spontaneously from her pores has baffled Indian doctors,

according to British media reports Thursday.

Twinkle Dwivedi, losing blood through her skin

without being cut or scratched, had to undergo transfusions after pints of blood

seeped through her eyes, nose, neck and the soles of her feet.

"It was scary and messy. My school blouse went all

red. No-one would come near me or play with me," Dwivedi said.

"I used to cry nearly every time it happened. But now

I just keep quiet." She added.

The 13-year-old was a normal girl, according to

reports, until one day in July 2007 when she began to bleed spontaneously

through her mouth. A doctor diagnosed it as an ulcer. But a few weeks later she

started bleeding between five and 20 times a day from pores near her hairline,

nose, eyes and feet.

Villagers near her home believe she must be cursed

and shout cruel things in the street.

All doctors that Dwivedi's family have consulted

could not find a cure as they believe the youngster's condition is an extreme

version of a rare blood platelet disorder.

The doctors from All India Institute of Medical

Sciences in Delhi believe she has Type 2 Platelet Disorder, a condition where

blood is dangerously low in clotting particles. They said her blood is watery

and has the color of a light red wine - but they cannot find a treatment to make

it thicker.

However, there is some hope after a British consultant

hematologist said it is curable.

Dr. Drew Provan, from Barts Hospital in London, said the

girl may have Type II von Willebrand disease, wherein there is a deficiency of a

protein called von Willebrand factor that is essential during the initial stages

of clotting.

Twinkle, who has 3 sisters, lives with her family in

the Alambagh area of Lucknow city, Uttar Pradesh, India.

(Agencies)

UK student wins over $12 mln in lottery

Miss Fullagar was due to start a law

degree next year. (Photo:cqnews.net)
Photo

Gallery

BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Chinese medianet) -- An 18-year-old British student won 7 million pounds (about 12.68 million U.S. dollars) in a lottery draw, but her dog bit her on the bottom when she screamed so loudly from excitement, according to British media reports Thursday.

The teenager, Ianthe Fullagar, living in Cumbria, northern England, said: "At first I thought I had matched three numbers, so I couldn't believe it when I realized I had the five main numbers plus one Lucky Star.

"My mum called the National Lottery Line and it was only then that I realized I had won a share of the jackpot. We were both screaming so loudly that my dog, Brock, didn't know what was happening and bit me on the bottom.

I didn't know what to do with my ticket, so after hiding it in my bra and jewellery box, I settled for my gym bag until it was confirmed I was a winner."

Fullagar said she will still study law at university next year, despite her huge win on the EuroMillions game.

"I'm going to live the life of a student. I'm going to live in student digs," she told the BBC. "I love baked beans."

After receiving an over-sized check at an official ceremony, she said she plans to spend her winnings on her family and friends and a new Ford Ka.

(Agencies)

Mexican gunmen steal five small planes from airfield

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 30 (Chinese media) -- Around 20 gunmen on Tuesday stormed an

airfield in the northwestern state of Sinaloa and stole five small planes, the

federal Attorney General's office said in a statement.

The gunmen broke into the airfield at dawn, tied up a police officer on

guard, filled the planes with fuel and flew away, the statement said.

The five Cessna planes were grounded earlier this year by the Air Force for

the former's alleged violation of civil aviation and airport laws.

Security forces said it was not clear whether the theft had any links to

drug gangs who use small aircraft to smuggle cocaine from Mexico to the United

States.

Sinaloa, along with Chihuahua and Durango states, make up of the so-called

Golden Triangle of drug trafficking in the country.

Since November 2007, the army has confiscated over 200 small planes and

helicopters in crackdowns on drug smuggling and trafficking, media reports said.

Oldest person in China reported to be 121

NANJING, Oct. 7 (Chinese media) -- The oldest man in China was born on Aug. 9, 1887, and is now 121, claims the Gerontological Society of China.

Sadiq Sawut, a Kashgar resident in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is in poor health and relies upon others in his daily life, the society said when publishing the country's first list of the 10 oldest people on Monday, before the Seniors Day falls on Tuesday.

The society said in a press release it drew the list according to ages written in the residence registration, admitting "it is very difficult to verify the ages of the oldest people with primeval documents."

The oldest woman in China, Maikup Zhan, was born on June 15, 1890. She is a resident of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, the society said.

She is able to take care of herself in daily life, except that she needs help in bathing. She is lucid and has no difficulty in talking.

Six of the 10 oldest people live in Xinjiang, and the other four are in Gansu, Hainan, Henan and Hunan, respectively. Eight are from minority ethnic groups and only two are of the Han majority.

Only half of the oldest people are able to look after themselves at present.

The society attributed the longevity of these people to a peaceful and regular life, an amicable mind, family harmony and a good environment.

It also said the economic and social development of the country helped the people live long.

Colombia in shock over grisly baby murder

BOGOTA, Sept. 30 (Chinese media) -- A grisly case of father kidnapping his own baby in Colombia has caused public shock and outrage after the body of the kidnapped boy, only 11 months old, was found on Monday.

The baby's disappearance was reported last week. On Sunday, the child's father was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the kidnapping of his own son.

The father later confessed that he paid 250 U.S. dollars to a woman to kidnap the baby from his home in Chia in northern Bogota, so he did not have to pay the child support maintenance.

The woman, now in prison, has admitted the kidnapping. The two will face a jail sentence of up to 16 to 30 years. However, many people and legislators are demanding life imprisonment for them.

The gruesome murder has sparked strong public anger and dismay nationwide. A national moment of silence is planned for Wednesday in the child's memory.

Meanwhile, people in Chia were staging a demonstration to condemn the killing.

President of Colombia's Congress Hernan Andrade said he was considering resuming deliberations on life penalty for crimes against children.

"It will be necessary to approve the referendum of meting out life penalty for this and other crimes committed against children," Andrade said. The country abolished life penalty in the early 1900s.

"The society must take drastic and overwhelming measures to protect children," Colombian Communication Minister Maria Guerraesas said.

"It is inconceivable that a father abandoned his son and then kidnapped him. We must be united to denounce such kind of crimes and punish the perpetrators," the minister added.

Japanese man arrested for stealing women's knickers

A Japanese man was arrested for stealing

woman's underwear, according to a Tokyo police spokesman on Tuesday. (File

Photo)
Photo

Gallery

BEIJING,

Oct. 1 (Chinese medianet) -- A Japanese man was arrested for stealing women's

underwear, according to a Tokyo police spokesman on Tuesday.

Akira Hino, 51, with a passion for women's underwear,

was caught when he tried to steal a pair of knickers from a laundry pole on a

second-floor balcony, the spokesman said.

Hino, according to local news paper Mainichi Shimbun,

stretched out a 3-meter rod and caught the underwear on a hook, then reeled

knickers in.

The local police found more than 500 pairs of women's

underwear inside of his house. As he told investigators, he had got into the

habit of stealing undergarments since he was 18.

(Agencies)

Man died after eating red-hot chilli sauce as a dare

BEIJING, Sept.30 -- A Britishaspiring

chef died after eating a super-hot chilli sauce as part of an endurance

competition with a friend, according to media reports Tuesday.

Andrew Lee, 33, challenged his girlfriend's brother

to a contest to see who could eat the spiciest sauce that he could create.

The fork-lift truck driver, who wanted to cook for a

living, prepared a tomato sauce made with red chillies grown on his father's

allotment. After eating it, however, he suffered intense discomfort and itching.

The following morning he was found dead, possibly after suffering a heart

attack.

Toxicology tests are being conducted to try to

establish if he suffered a reaction to the food.

(Agencies)

French "naked lady" recovered 33 years later

Italian Carabinieri police Colonel

Raffaele Mancino (2nd R) points at a recovered painting of a naked woman,

by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, during a news conference in Rome

September 26, 2008. Police said the painting was stolen from a family in

Milan in 1975, and was later identified in part due to damage on the

bottom right corner caused by the family's daughter playing with a soccer

ball.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

A recovered painting of a naked woman,

by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, is displayed during a news

conference in Rome September 26, 2008. Police said the painting was stolen

from a family in Milan in 1975, and was later identified in part due to

the damage on the bottom right corner caused by the family's daughter

playing with a soccer ball.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

An Italian Carabinieri police officer

stands next to a recovered painting of a naked woman, by French

impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, during a news conference in Rome

Sept. 26, 2008.
(Chinese media/AFP Photo)
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Gallery

Italian Carabinieri police officers

stand next to a recovered painting of a naked woman, by French

impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, during a news conference in Rome

September 26, 2008. Police said the painting was stolen from a family in

Milan in 1975, and was later identified in part due to the damage on the

bottom right corner caused by the family's daughter playing with a soccer

ball.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

World's tallest man to become daddy

The world's tallest person, 2.36m-tall Bao Xishun (R) of China and his pregant wife Xia Shujuan are seen at their home in Zunhua, north China's Hebei province on September 26, 2008. The couple got married last year, and Xia Shujuan is pregnant now and is expected to give birth around the upcoming national holiday.(Photo source: China Daily/Agencies)
Photo Gallery

2.36m-tall Bao Xishun (L) and his pregant wife Xia Shujuan are seen at their home in Zunhua, north China's Hebei province on September 26, 2008. The couple got married last year, and Xia Shujuan is pregnant now and is expected to give birth around the upcoming national holiday.(Photo source: China Daily/Agencies)
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Hornets kill two farmers, injure three in south China

GUILIN, Guangxi, Sept. 28 (Chinese media) -- Two villagers were stung to death and three others injured by hornets after stirring up a nest in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Five farmers from Matijing village, Pingle County, tried to dismantle a hornet nest on a 4-meter-hi

They chopped down branches and planned to climb up the tree to remove the nest but one of them accidentally hit it provoking the hornets.

Two people collapsed after being attacked. Three others managed to run back to the village, said Wang, who was one of the farmers, still covered with red spots.

He was being treated at Guilin Municipal Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital along with two others who are in serious condition.

One person died on the 22nd, the other on Saturday.

The hornet nest has since been removed.

Autumn is the season for hornets to return to the nest. Experts advise people to report any nests to the fire-department.

Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant

BEIJING, Sept. 27 -- A patient in Oregon's Portland treated for agonizing

abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital's paperwork: "Based

on your visit today, we know you are pregnant." Surprising indeed for

71-year-old John Grady Pippen.

The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach

gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month,

along with some pain pills.

Hospital administrator William McMillan says an

errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge

instructions for the grandfather.

(Source: China Daily/Agencies)

Bungling British spy proves he is not James Bond

A bungling British spy proved he was no

James Bond when his carefully chosen disguise fell off during a TV

interview. The MI6 agent was appearing on BBC's " The One Show"

to discuss the agency's role during intelligence operations.

The spy, called "John,"was wearing a fake moustache and disguise to conceal his

identity, but as he was quizzed the heat from the camera lights

weakened the adhesive and his moustache began to peel away from his

lip. (Photo: yangtse.com)
Photo

Gallery

A bungling British spy proved he was no

James Bond when his carefully chosen disguise fell off during a TV

interview. The MI6 agent was appearing on BBC's " The One

Show" to discuss the agency's role during intelligence

operations. He, called "John,"was wearing a fake moustache and disguise to conceal his

identity, but as he was quizzed the heat from the camera lights

weakened the adhesive and his moustache began to peel away from his

lip. (Photo: yangtse.com)
Photo

Gallery

Striking! Emmy host Heidi Klum stripped off

Hosts Tom Bergeron (L) and William Shatner strip fellow host Heidi Klum of her tuxedo during the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles September 21, 2008. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery

Hosts Tom Bergeron (L) and William Shatner strip fellow host Heidi Klum of her tuxedo during the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles September 21, 2008. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery

Swiss man flies English Channel on jet wing

Swiss airline pilot Yves Rossy

parachutes in to land, in front of a welcome banner from a British

newspaper, after becoming the first person to cross the English channel

with a jetpack strapped to his back, in Dover southern England September

26, 2008. Ross, who normally flies an Airbus airliner, swapped the plane's

controls for four jets attached to a wing on his back to get across the

Channel. (Chinese media/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery

Swiss airline pilot Yves Rossy

parachutes in to land, in front of a welcome banner from a British

newspaper, after becoming the first person to cross the English channel

with a jetpack strapped to his back, in Dover southern England September

26, 2008. Ross, who normally flies an Airbus airliner, swapped the plane's

controls for four jets attached to a wing on his back to get across the

Channel. (Chinese media/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery

Swiss airline pilot Yves Rossy parachutes

in to land, after becoming the first person to cross the

English channel with a jetpack strapped to his back, in Dover southern

England September 26, 2008. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
Photo

Gallery

Swiss airline pilot Yves Rossy gestures

after becoming the first person to cross the English channel with a

jetpack strapped to his back, in Dover southern England September 26,

2008. Rossy, who normally flies an Airbus airliner, swapped the plane's

controls for four jets attached to a wing on his back to get across the

Channel. (Chinese media/AFP Photo)
Photo Gallery

When dolphin kisses sea lion

Under the instruction of their trainers,

a dolphin kisses a sea lion in the Beijing Aquarium in this photo

published on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008. (Photo:

CRIENGLISH.com)
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BEIJING, Sept. 25 -- A dolphin and a sea lion, two

species usually on guard against each other, kissed their hostility away in a

performance at the Beijing Aquarium.

The performance, titled "Bill's Ocean Adventure," was

conceived to amuse visitors during the upcoming National Day holiday, the

Beijing Times reported on Thursday.

Among the performances of the sea mammals, the most

eye-catching segment is the kiss between the dolphin and the sea lion, the

report said.

Training the animals to do the routine was no easy

task. At the beginning, the sea lion would flee back to his cage when he met the

dolphin, who also fidgeted at the sight of the sea lion. But as the training

advanced, they gradually got used to each other, Li Lei, their trainer, said.

This is probably the first time a dolphin has ever

kissed a sea lion, Li added.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

Dog excrement good for hygiene, environment

BEIJING, Sept. 24(Chinese medianet)-- Dog excrement no

longermerely a nuisance as it now becomes evidenceagainst those dog

owners who care little about hygiene and environment.

A DNA database will be created in

Vercelli,asmall town in northern Italy, according to media reports

Wednesday.

Dog excrement no longer merely a

nuisance as it now becomes evidence against those dog owners who care

little about hygiene and environment.(File Photo)
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All registered dogs will have their DNA collected

andtheirexcrement lefton pavements and in parks could then be

tested.

"Any dog owner who fails to collect after their pets

could be prosucuted and fined," according toLa Stampa daily Tuesday.

"If signs and invitations aren't enough, we'll try

genetics. I want a clean city," Antonio Prencipe, councillor in charge of the

environment in Vercelli, a town of some 45,000 inhabitants near Turin, told the

paper.

Earlier this month, Petah Tikva, an Israeli town,

adopteda similar six-month trial program. There,dog owners are asked

to take their animals to a municipal veterinarian, who then swabs their mouths

and collects DNA.

(agencies)

Artists show off tattoo art during 4th London Tattoo Convention

A man is tattooed during the fourth London Tattoo Convention Sept. 27, 2008. The convention gives a chance for artists from all over the world to show off their tattoo art.(Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
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Magician David to hang himself upside down for 60 hours

Magician David Blaine performs a stunt

in Central Park in New York September 22, 2008. Blaine plans to hang

upside down without a safety net for 60 hours.(Chinese media/Reuters

Photo)
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Gallery

Diamond found in Lesotho among largest ever

A model holds a white diamond weighing nearly 500 carats in this undated handout photograph released in London on September 21, 2008.(Photo: China Daily/Agencies)
Photo Gallery

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 21 (Chinese media) -- Gem Diamonds, a

London-listed mining firm, said on Sunday it had recovered a 478-carat diamond

from its mine in Lesotho: the 20th largest rough diamond ever found.

The discovery of the gem had the potential to become

one of the largest round-cut diamonds in the world, was made on September 8 at

the Letseng mine in Lesotho, the South African Press Association quoted the

company source as saying on Sunday.

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond

indicates that it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best

color and clarity," the company's Chief Executive Clifford Elphick said in a

statement.

The diamond, which has not yet been named, has the

potential to yield a 150-carat polished stone, a company spokesman said.

That would be far bigger than the 105-carat round-cut

Koh-i-Noor diamond seized by Britain from India in the 19th century and now part

of the Crown Jewels.

It would still only be a fraction of the size,

however, of the Cullinan diamond discovered in 1905, which was 3,106 carats when

recovered and yielding a teardrop shaped diamond of 530 carats: the Great Star

of Africa.

The Letseng mine is owned by a mining company that is

70 percent owned by Gem Diamonds, with the remaining 30 percent held by the

Lesotho government.

Disciplined cats and dogs

(Photo: Chinese medianet forum)
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(Photo: Chinese medianet forum)
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(Photo: Chinese medianet forum)
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Dragonfly with a smile on its face

The "smiling" insect was captured on camera phone by Mark Manders. (Photo: qianlong.com)
Photo Gallery

It may look like a computer-generated cartoon character, but this smiling dragonfly is the real deal. (Photo: qianlong.com)
Photo Gallery

Behind CNN reporter? 2 guys make out

CNN reporter Allan Chernoffis

given a "loving" background on Sunday morning while reporting on the grim

demise of Lehman Brothers.(Photo: Chinanews.cn

)
Photo

Gallery

BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Chinese medianet) -- CNN reporter Allan

Chernoff was given a "loving" background on Sunday morning while reporting on

the grim demise of Lehman Brothers.

Unbeknown to Chernoff, two men pretended to make out

behind him while he was on air.

CNN anchor Kiran Chetry witnessed the scene from CNN

headquarters and explained to the audience that these were "two guys, obviously,

just trying to make light of a bad situation."

(Agencies)

World's oldest man celebrates 113th birthday

World's oldest man Tomoji Tanabe pose

for photos at home in Miyakonojo, Japan's southern island of Kyushu on

Sept. 12. Japan has one of the world's longest life expectancies, nearly

86 years for women and 79 years for men, which is often attributed to the

country's healthy diet rich in fish and rice.(Chinese media/Reuters

FilePhoto)
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Gallery

Cool! You want a seat like that?

A baby sits in a seat made out of a watermelon. (Photo: news.cn)
Photo Gallery

A baby sits in a seat made out of a watermelon. (Photo: news.cn)
Photo Gallery

Shortest man vs longest-legged woman

BEIJING, Sept. 18 -- Trafalgar Square routinely

serves as a stage for mimes, jugglers and other acts, but the tourist attraction

drew an exceptionally curious crowd Tuesday when the shortest man who can walk

met the woman with the longest legs.

The world's smallest man, He Pingping,

and the woman with the longest legs in the world, Svetlana Pankratova,

both celebrate the launch of the 2009 edition of the Guiness World Records

in Trafalgar Square, London. (Photo:

chinadaily.com.cn/Agency)
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Gallery

He Pingping, of China, was born with a type of

dwarfism. He, 20, stands precisely 2 feet 5.37 inches (about 74.61 cm) tall.

The pair met to publicize the release of "Guinness

World Records 2009." This year's version of the popular book is due out

Wednesday.

He called Svetlana Pankratova's legs "very

beautiful."

Pankratova, 36, who is Russian but lives in Spain,

has legs that are nearly 52 inches long (1.32 meters), or more than 4 feet long.

Her upper body has nearly typical proportions, giving her a giraffe-like

appearance.

The world's smallest man, He Pingping,

and the woman with the longest legs in the world, Svetlana Pankratova,

both celebrate the launch of the 2009 edition of the Guinness World

Records in Trafalgar Square, London.(Photo:

chinadaily.com.cn/Agency)
Photo Gallery

Dressed in a bright-blue mini-dress and low-heeled

pumps, Pankratova, 36, said she liked her legs, though they can complicate

things. "It's hard to find clothes, especially pants," she said.

At just over 6-foot-4 (about 1.98 meters) ,

Pankratova isn't the tallest woman on record. Sandy Allen, of Shelbyville,

Indiana, who died recently, held that title at 7 feet, 7 inches, according to

the book. The book said He is the shortest man who can walk.

The latest edition of the book lists pop star Britney

Spears as the most-searched person on the Internet and the television show

"Lost" as the most-downloaded show of all time.

The book has been around for half a century. About

3.5 million copies are sold each year, according to editor-in-chief Craig

Glenday.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)

The world's smallest man, He Pingping,

and the woman with the longest legs in the world, Svetlana Pankratova,

both celebrate the launch of the 2009 edition of the Guinness World

Records in Trafalgar Square, London.(Photo:

chinadaily.com.cn/Agency)
Photo Gallery

The world's smallest man, He Pingping,

and the woman with the longest legs in the world, Svetlana Pankratova,

both celebrate the launch of the 2009 edition of the Guinness World

Records in Trafalgar Square, London.(Photo:

chinadaily.com.cn/Agency)
Photo

Gallery

Dog bites off own tongue after beating by master

BEIJING, Sept. 17 -- A Tibetan mastiff in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, bit off its own tongue and died after a thrashing by its owner.

The owner, surnamed Pan, beat the dog for fighting with another dog in order to teach it a lesson.

"I felt so regretful," Pan said afterwards. "My friend who has kept Tibetan mastiffs for 20 years told me that they are the king of dogs and have strong self-esteem.

"If you beat a mastiff in front of other dogs, it feels ashamed and will kill itself to keep its dignity." he added.

(Source: China Daily)

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