Friday 28 October 2011

Zimbabwean man claims prostitute turned to donkey

A Zimbabwean man has told a court that he hired a prostitute who during the night transformed into a donkey, and that he is now "seriously in love" with the animal, according to state media.

Zimbabwean man claims prostitute turned to donkey
Moyo has been charged with bestiality. The court has ordered him to undergo a mental examination.
"I think I am also a donkey. I do not know what happened when I left the bar, but I am seriously in love with (the) donkey," Sunday Moyo told the court, according to The Herald newspaper.
Moyo, 28, was arrested in the town of Zvishavane, about 185 miles south of the capital Harare on Sunday.
He said he had paid $25 for a prostitute, and was surprised Sunday morning when he heard people accusing him of having sex with a donkey.
Moyo has been charged with bestiality and remanded in custody. The court has ordered him to undergo a mental examination, The Herald said.

Sunday 16 October 2011

Mystery condition makes woman age 50 years in just a few days

Doctors have been left baffled by a strange condition which saw a woman of 23 age 50 years in a matter of days.

(L-R) Nguyen Thi Phuong, aged 21 and how she looks now, aged 26, after having suffered an allergic reaction to seafood
Vietnamese woman Nguyen Thi Phuong now looks like a septugenarian after the rapid aging affliction took hold following an allergic reaction to seafood.
Her sad story began in 2008, when her youthful beauty began to fade over the course of just a few days, leaving her with sagging, wrinkled skin all over her face and body.
Until now she has been forced to wear a mask in public to hide her appearance from prying eyes, but now doctors are attempting to establish what caused her sudden and horrifying aging.
Her husband, carpenter Nguyen Thanh Tuyen says his love for his once beautiful wife has not faded while Phuong, now 26, says her condition has only worsened since she was first struck with the condition.
The couple, from the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, in Vietnam, have agreed to talk to the media for the first time in order to ask for help.
Some have argued that the condition is lipodystrophy - a rare syndrome that causes a layer of fatty tissue beneath the surface of the skin to disintegrate while the skin itself continues to grow at a startling pace.
The syndrome with no cure leaves its victims with loose folds of skin all over their bodies, wrinkled faces and the gaunt features of people decades their senior.
The condition is extremely rare and out of around seven billion people on the planet, only 2,000 are thought to have lipodystrophy.
Displaying photos of a beautiful 21-year-old woman on her wedding day in 2006, Phuong said: "Five years ago, I was rather pretty and not so ugly like this, right?"
Phuong explained she has long been allergic to seafood and that she had suffered a particularly bad reaction in 2008.
She said: "I was really itchy all over my body. I had to scratch even while sleeping."
Phuong said she took some medicine bought at a local pharmacy instead of going to the hospital because her and her husband Tuyen, now 33, were too poor to afford it.
She said: "After one month of taking the drugs, I became less itchy but hives remained on my skin.
"Then I switched to traditional medicine and all the hives disappeared, together with my itching. However, my skin began to sag and fold."
Phuong then took another kind of traditional medicine to treat her rapid-aging skin problem - but to no avail.
The couple do not remember what the medicine was or which pharmacy they got it from.
Phuong said: "We considered that it was our destiny and I quit treatment in 2009. Now I always wear a face mask whenever I go out.
"The skin on my face, chest and belly have folds like an old woman who has given birth several times although I have never had a child.
"But the rapid-aging syndrome hasn't affected my menstrual cycle, hair, teeth, eyes and mind."
In 2010, the couple migrated to the southern province of Binh Phuoc's Bu Dop District where they rent a small wooden house.
Tuyen continued to work as a carpenter while Phuong got a job at a cashew-nut processing factory.
Both earn a total of VND3 million - less than £92 a month - which means they cannot afford an examination at a major hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tuyen said his wife's disease has not affected his love for her or their relationship.
He said: "I married Phuong when she was a beautiful woman. I have followed her through her disease and have never been shocked at all.
"It's not easy to talk about one's own marital affairs. Just simply understand that I still love her very much."
Phuong said her husband's love is the reason she is able to persevere in the face of adversity.
She said: "He still loves me like before despite the fact that I look old and ugly. With him, I feel more confident to live and work."
On October 2, doctors from Nguyen Dinh Chieu Hospital in Ben Tre Province said they would examine Phuong for free and send her to the HCMC Dermatology Hospital if they failed to diagnose her condition.
Meanwhile, stories about Phuong in the local media have prompted a variety of diagnoses from local doctors. Many of them do not believe that Phuong has lipodystrophy, saying instead that Phuong may be suffering the side effects of too much steroid medication.

California woman cuts off husband's penis

Catherine Kieu Becker (Image: Garden Grove Police Dept) Catherine Kieu Becker allegedly laced her husband's dinner with a drug
A US woman drugged her estranged husband, tied him to a bed and cut off his penis, police in California say.
The woman then threw the penis into the waste disposal and told police who attended the incident in Garden Grove, near Los Angeles: "He deserved it."
Catherine Kieu Becker, 48, has been charged with poisoning and assault with a deadly weapon.
The 51-year-old victim, who has not been named, is in a serious condition following surgery.
Lt Jeff Nightengale, of Garden Grove police, said the two are going through a divorce.
He said the woman had drugged the man's dinner on Monday night.
"He believed something was wrong with his food," he said.
"The victim went to lie down and he woke up tied to the bed with his wife tugging his clothes off.
"The female cut off his penis with a knife... tossed the penis in the garbage disposal and turned the disposal to the 'on' position.
"The suspect called 911 and told responding officers that he 'deserved it'."
He added: "Officers arrived and located a male victim tied to the bed and bleeding from his groin area."
Ms Becker was arrested on suspicion of aggravated mayhem, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, administering a drug with intent to commit a felony, poisoning and spousal abuse.

Sunday 9 October 2011

World Conker Championships cancelled because of high winds

Conkers
Conkers ready for use at a past World Conker Championships, which have been held since 1965. 
This year's World Conker Championships have been cancelled because setting up the event would "simply be too dangerous", organisers said.
The annual competition was due to go ahead on Sunday but will not take place this year because recent high winds have made it impossible to set up the conker playing area and marquees.
A statement on the Ashton Conker Club's website said: "It's with great sadness that we have therefore decided to cancel this year's event. It would simply be too dangerous to try to proceed.
"Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. We will be in touch with all competitors to discuss the 2012 World Conker Championships."
The event usually takes place on the second Sunday in October every year at New Lodge Fields in the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire, and has been running since 1965.
Competitors play on eight white podiums in the playing arena and go through rounds until the winner emerges and is led to the Conker Throne and crowned with conkers.

Friday 7 October 2011

Stay-sober pill a step closer

Stay-sober pill a step closer

A stay-sober pill may be a step closer after scientists discovered a new way alcohol affects the brain.
Australian scientists found that a type of immune response in the brain is linked to how we respond to alcohol, and it's this response that's behind the 'behavioural changes' associated with drinking too much, such as stumbling and slurred speech.
The research paves the way for a 'stay-sober' pill that will put an end to alcohol-induced embarrassing incidents by limiting the effects of alcohol.
In the study, scientists from the University of Adelaide treated mice with a version of the drug naloxone, before injecting them with alcohol, while others were given alcohol alone.
The drug blocks the actions of toll-like receptors on glial cells, a cell type involved in the brain's immune response.
Compared with the 'tipsy' mice, those given the naloxone had better motor skills in walking and balancing tests, and recovered more quickly from the alcohol's effects.
The researchers also repeated the experiment, but this time using mice that were genetically altered to lack functioning toll-like receptors, with similar results.
"The results showed that blocking this part of the immune system, either with the drug or genetically, reduced the effects of alcohol," said Dr Mark Hutchinson, one of the study authors.
He said he believed a similar treatment could work in humans.
"Medications targeting this specific receptor - toll-like receptor 4 - may prove beneficial in treating alcohol dependence and acute overdoses," he said.

Gorilla and tiny duckling become unexpected friends at New York zoo

This huge gorilla and tiny duckling became unlikely friends after the bird escaped into the ape's zoo enclosure.

Gorilla and tiny duckling become unexpected friends at zoo
Visitors to the zoo were stunned when the baby duck suddenly appeared inches from the primate.
Fearing the 90kg western lowland gorilla might react badly to the feathered visitor, onlookers held their breath to see what would happen.
But rather than give the duckling a hard time, the 4 and a half foot gorilla became fascinated with the bird and inspected its new friend with a nearby stick.
The 15 year old female ape, called Fran, happily let it waddle about before the duckling was removed by zookeepers.
Although gorillas are frequently portrayed as aggressive, dangerous killers, they are shy, peaceful vegetarians.
Photographer Tom Warren, 51, captured the intimate scenes at Bronx Zoo, in New York.
He said: "I went to the zoo and quickly became aware of a commotion in the gorilla exhibit, as many of the school children were yelling 'ducky, ducky!'
"We all watched with amazement as the little duckling wandered around the exhibit, while the gorillas either backed away from it or inspected it with curiosity.
"Then I spotted the duckling on the log next to a seemingly, amused gorilla.
"The duckling did not seem the least bit intimidated and for good reason, as Africa's gentle giants eat mostly fruits and plants.
"How fortunate I was to witness a wonderful moment between two unlikely friends.
"I held my breath and was able to fire off a few frames, knowing that the moment that I was witnessing was a very special one.
Tom, from New York, added: "I was relieved when I got home and that the scene was in focus despite the fact that the photograph was taken through a thick piece of plexiglass."

Thursday 6 October 2011

World's hottest chilli contest leaves two in hospital

A 'world's hottest chilli' competition at a curry restaurant left two people in hospital.

World's hottest chilli contest leaves two in hospital
Emergency services were called to Kismot Restaurant's curry-eating challenge, on St Leonards Place, Edinburgh, after competitors started writhing on the floor in agony, vomiting and fainting during the contest.
One participant, Curie Kim was so ill after sampling the "Kismot Killer" that she had to be taken by ambulance to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary twice in a matter of hours.
Today, the Scottish Ambulance Service said it wanted the restaurant to review the way the event was managed.
Paramedics attended the event on Saturday - the busiest day of the week for the ambulance service - costing the service several hundred pounds.
Participants were required to sign a legal disclaimer prior to taking part in the competition, and two members of the British Red Cross were on hand, but they could not cope with the nature of the injuries sustained.
Curry house owner Abdul Ali admitted that he would have to "tone down" the contest, but said the challenge had raised hundreds of pounds for charity CHAS.
He added that half of the 20 people who took part in the challenge had dropped out after witnessing the first 10 diners vomiting, collapsing, sweating and panting.
Previously the restaurant's Kismot Killer dish has caused diners to suffer nose bleeds and one elderly man had to go to hospital.
Curie, 21, a Korean exchange student at Edinburgh University, came second in the competition, but she admitted the accolade "came with a price".
She said: "I've always enjoyed spicy foods and thought this was for a good cause. But it came with a price, I had to be taken to the ERI twice.
"I first went to hospital at around 4pm and the second time was at 9pm. It got really bad. I have never endured such pain in my life."
Mr Ali said he felt the competition had gone well, but that he had overestimated how much heat the competitors could take.
Beverly Jones, from Newington, was crowned curry queen after she managed to finish nine spoonfuls of the chilli-filled dish.
Mike Lavin, from Polwarth, came fifth, but he, too, had to be taken to the ERI.
Local councillor Gordon Mackenzie branded the event a "shambles" and said: "The owners owe a debt to the ambulance service, and I hope they'll find some way of making it up to them."
A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "We would urge the organisers to review the way in which this event is managed in future in order to avoid another situation where emergency ambulances are required to treat their customers."

Wednesday 5 October 2011

They've cracked it: Delia was right after all about how to boil an egg

It is a question which has divided the culinary world and prompted more than the occasional grumble at the breakfast table: how long is too long to boil an egg?

It is a question which has divided the culinary world and prompted more than the occasional grumble at the breakfast table: how long is too long to boil an egg?
Bethany,Iram and Nicky from Sherbourne Girls school in Dorset, carry out the experiment 
Now a group of schoolgirls believe they have finally found the answer after a series of experiments, backed by no less a scientific authority than the Royal Society of Chemistry.
They concluded that the optimum cooking time for a soft boiled egg suitable for dunking toast soldiers in is a full six minutes.
It proves that Delia Smith, the television chef, was right all along.
She prompted some controversy in the nation’s kitchens by advocating leaving eggs in gently boiling water for six minutes without fear of the “cardinal sin” of over boiling.
Jean-Christophe Novelli, the Michelin-starred chef, is on record as advocating a mere three minutes boiling time.

Meanwhile Mrs Beeton, the Victorian authority on all matters domestic, lays down strict instructions for no more than three and a quarter minutes.
But a group of sixth form pupils at Sherborne Girls school in Dorset, backed Delia after carrying out a series of experiments in their school laboratories overseen by Prof Hal Sosabowski, a lecturer at Brighton University under the auspices of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The knack , they found, was to get the water just to boiling point before gently dropping the eggs in and leaving then for six minutes.
The method requires large sized eggs which have been stored at room temperature before boiling.
Prof Sosabowski said: “I was particularly impressed by the pupils’ diligence in generating results but not believing what they saw upon first inspection; checking and rechecking their results; scrutinising their own experimental design to eliminate variables and error.”
Having successfully navigated the controversy over egg boiling times, the girls then moved on to a potentially even more vexed issue: what makes the best toast soldiers.
They concluded – against the prescriptions of nutritionists – that white bread is better than brown for the purpose.
They also found that margarine makes stronger soldiers than traditional butter, that the optimum toasting time for soldiers is two and half minutes and that they should be sliced no wider than 1.5cm (0.59in).
Rosanna Younger, 17, said she had been surprised by the results.
“I love butter on my toast but I might just have to swap over to margarine in future to ensure strong soldiers,” she remarked.

Monday 3 October 2011

Lawyers guilty of having dirtiest desks

Lawyers and accountants are among the most unhygeinic office workers in country, a survey has found.

Lawyers guilty of having dirtiest desks

Dirty office desks are harbouring germs which can quickly spread among staff as firms are braced for an outbreak of sickness absence through colds and flu, a new report said.
A study of desks by office supplies firm Viking in hundreds of offices across the country found poor levels of hygiene.
Germs were found in almost two-thirds of computer keyboards, while some even had mould growing underneath.
Phones and desks also had germs, Viking found after analysing swabs sent in by hundreds of office workers.
Lawyers, accountants and computer workers were said to be the most unhygienic office workers in the country, while social workers were more likely to have mouldy food on their desks.
Just over half of office workers were not aware that bacteria could be lurking on their keyboards, phones and screens.
Viking said a ''staggering'' two-thirds of office workers admitted to eating lunch at their desks and not cleaning their workstation afterwards.
Dr Lisa Ackerley, a chartered environmental health practitioner, said: ''This research has shown that there are some very unhygienic desks right now in the UK, which is very worrying as those who work in open-plan offices tend to start coming down with illnesses this time of year.
''Keeping equipment such as keyboards, phones and desks as germ- free as possible is even more important during the cold and flu season.''

BA offers passengers courses in surviving plane crashes

British Airways is offering its frequent flyers the chance to trade in their air miles for a place on a course instructing passengers how to survive plane crashes.

British Airways is offering its frequent flyers the chance to trade in their air miles for a place on a course instructing passengers how to survive plane crashes.
British Airways is offering its frequent flyers the chance to trade in their air miles for a place on a course instructing passengers how to survive plane crashes.
Members of the airline’s Executive Club will be able to benefit from a four-hour session on air safety, when the scheme begins next year.
For around £125 – roughly the same cost as a return trip from London Gatwick to Rome – those who sign up to the courses can learn techniques to increase their chances of surviving a crash.
Andy Clubb, the BA manager running the course, told the Independent: “It makes passengers safer when travelling by giving additional skills and information, it dispels all those internet theories about the ‘brace position, and it just gives people so much more confidence in flying.”
Research into emergency evacuations by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2006 found that a significant number of passengers struggle with the most basic of tasks such as releasing the seat belt.
BA developed a passenger-training programme at the request of BP, which sends staff into remote regions of the world where safety standards are less rigorous.
The course covers basics such as practising releasing the seat belt and checking the location of the life jacket and concludes with a simulated emergency evacuationown the escape slides.

Saturday 1 October 2011

Kennel Club suspends testing dogs for banned substances amid widespread 'cheating'

The Kennel Club has suspended random testing of dogs for banned substances – such as hairspray – following a revolt by owners who say some of the practices are endemic and do not represent cheating.


Owners will go to great lengths to achieve canine beauty 
With sports governing bodies clamping down on cheats using performance-enhancing substances, this was the canine equivalent.
In a battle against the use of hairspray and other grooming products to enhance the appearance of dogs at its shows, the Kennel Club introduced random laboratory testing for banned substances at its flagship Crufts event this year.
However, the crackdown is now in disarray following a revolt by dog owners who do not consider the tactics to be cheating.
Every dog to be checked at the event tested positive for banned substances, but, under pressure from owners, the Club has agreed not only to take no action against the offending dogs or their handlers, but also to suspend the entire testing regime.
The opposition has been led by a group of owners – nicknamed the "Elnett revolutionaries", after the popular hairspray brand – who are trying to force a changes in the rules to legalise some of the banned practices.
Owners of several breeds are suspected of using hairspray to keep their animals' fur in place and some openly admit to doing so.
Owners of some white-coloured dogs also apply chalk to cover blemishes on their pets, while silicone gels are also suspected of being used to add lustre of the animals' coats.
The testing regime introduced at Crufts was similar to that used in athletics, with competitors selected for testing at random and escorted from the competition area – in this instance the parade ring – to provide a sample.
Rather than provide a urine sample, hairs were taken from the dogs by veterinary surgeons and were then sent to a forensics laboratory to be tested for traces of banned substances.
Of the four dogs tested at the event, in March, two miniature poodles - Glayvar Got Wot It Takes and a Swedish dog, Sandust Market Master - tested positive for the presence of lacquer (hairspray) and two West Highland white terriers - Karamynd Play The Game and Alfie The Prince of White Gallardo, from Holland - tested positive for chalk, or a similar substance.
But around 2,500 owners signed a petition against the testing regime and at a Kennel Club meeting on the issue attended by 300 members, a clear majority backed calls for it to be halted.
The suspension will be discussed at another club meeting later this month at which owners and breed clubs are to push for relaxation of the rules on some banned substances.
As well as calling for greater leniency in what is permitted, they believe the testing regime is flawed because animals could become "contaminated" by other dogs, and "humiliating" for those who are escorted from the parade ring to undergo checks.
Sandy Vincent, secretary of the Standard Poodle Club of Great Britain, said: "The bottom line is that we've always used hairspray.
"We know it is against the rules but everyone has done it and done it very carefully. There are lots of different breeds that do it.
"Whether you like it or not, dog shows are beauty competitions of sorts. (The ban on hairspray) is like Miss World going in without her make up on."
Fredaricka West, honorary secretary of the West Highland White Terrier Club of England, said: "We don't want people to think excessive use of chalk is acceptable but a little bit from a chalk block should be permitted at the show for last minute cleaning treatment – to tidy your dog up."
Jennie Griffiths, from Leebotwood, near Shrewsbury, and Anita Kuik, from Dalfsen, Holland, whose terriers failed tests, said chalk was used, not for cosmetic purposes, but as a recognised and approved part of the grooming process - as in many other wire-haired breeds - and that it was impossible to remove all traces before shows.
“It is not to alter the natural colour, substance of the coat or any of those things,” Mrs Griffiths added. “Inevitably they were going to find grains of chalk, any scientific test would.”
Christina Johansson, from Sweden, whose poodle Sandust Market Master tested positive for hairspray, insisted she had not used the substance, and believed the animal's coat could have been contaminated by spray used by other competitors in the backstage area, or by material passed from other dogs via the judge's hands.
"If someone uses lacquer, it ends up on all the dogs. I saw a lot of people using spray, from all breeds. I do not use spray," she added.
The owner of the fourth dog declined to comment but is understood to also deny any suggestion of cheating.
One possible compromise would be to allow hairspray to be used only on the heads of the animals and for small amounts of chalk to be permitted.
However, Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said its general committee would have to approve any permanent change in the rules.
She acknowledged that the use of lacquer and chalk powder were common among certain breeds. She added: "We believe it is cheating. The dog is not showing its natural coat.
"A lot of owners feel this way as well and we have to take in all views. We agreed to suspend testing but the regulations are still in place."