Puppy Without Ears Doing Well In Foster Care

The puppy who survived the exclusion of its ears in a recent attack has found a foster home, according to San Diego County animal control officers.

The Labrador-shepherd puppy, named Sunny by staff at the county shelter, has not officially been put up for adoption in spite of a lot of requests from interested locals.


Veterinarians suspect the puppy’s ears were possibly cut off with either a pair of scissors or a serrated knife, said Animal Control Lt. Daniel DeSousa.

The department is asking for the public's help to recognize whoever may have committed this crime. A local group is offering a $3000 prize for any information about the suspect.

Despite his ordeal, Sunny's future looks brilliant. "He still cuddles up to people," DeSousa said. "It just goes to show you how low humans can be and how merciful animals can be."

Caroline Wozniacki Enters Sydney International

World number one Caroline Wozniacki will join a severely competitive field heading to Sydney in the lead up to next month's Australian Open in Melbourne.

The 20-year-old Dane established her entry alongside US Open champion Kim Clijsters, Australian number one Samantha Stosur and former world number one Ana Ivanovic in the Sydney International from January 9-15.

And tournament director Craig Watson said he anticipated seven of the world's top 10 women to be in the field when entries close early next week.

"I feel that the Medibank International Sydney is the most excellent preparation for the Australian Open," Wozniacki said.

"All the top players will be competing there in Sydney and as of this I am confident that I'll get the matches I need."

Wozniacki has played the Sydney tournament for the past two years with her finest result coming in 2009 when she lost a three-set quarter-final to top seed Serena Williams.

She took over the number one ranking on October 11 after an outstanding 2010 season which saw her claim six titles, with Montreal, Tokyo and Beijing.

She also entered the semi-finals at the US Open in September for the second straight year and the final at Indian Wells in March.

Honda Adds Small Car Brio To Eco-Car Market

Honda has confirmed plans to sell an eco-car in Thailand early next year but plans for a hybrid remain unclear even though Japanese competitor Toyota has two petrol-electric models available.

Honda introduced its Brio eco-car prototype, which will be featured at the Thailand International Motor Expo that runs till Dec 12 at Impact Muang Thong Thani.

The prototype is close to the mass-production model, which will go on sale in March at a starting price of around 400,000 baht, said Honda Motor chief manager Takanobu Ito.

The Brio five-door hatchback has a 1.2-litre gasoline engine, and a four-door sedan might be analyzed later.

Honda also aims to initiate the Brio in India next year with a starting price below 500,000 rupees. Brios made in Thailand and India might be exported to other markets in the region excluding Japan and China.

Mr. Ito said the Brio, which is smaller than the City and Jazz, reflected worldwide order for smaller cars as well as consumers' concerns about fuel economy and impact on the environment.

Princess Fiona Title’s World's Largest Cruise Ship, Allure Of The Seas

In what's billed as a first for a cruise ship, a 3-D animated movie character -- Princess Fiona from DreamWorks Animation's Shrek series - served as the godmother throughout the naming ceremony for Royal Caribbean's record size Allure of the Seas.

Princess Fiona appeared in 3-D on the screen in the 5,400-passenger ship's Amber Theater to preside over the festivities, interacting with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s Chairman and CEO, Richard D. Fain.

"It's never simple choosing the right godmother, but we realized we had the perfect candidate right in front of us," Fain told several thousand invited guests in attendance. "Princess Fiona is not only a Royal (she) symbolizes the fun and entertainment that is so astonishing on Allure of the Seas."

The choice of Fiona as godmother, kept undisclosed until the ceremony took place, was no doubt intended to highlight Royal Caribbean's new partnership with DreamWorks. The partnership is bringing Shrek, Fiona and other characters to Allure, which is tied with one-year-old sister Oasis of the Seas as the world's largest cruise ship. It also gave the line a possibility to show off the new 3-D theater experience it has installed on Allure, a first for the line.

The ceremony also incorporated a bagpipe-and-drums procession, the U.S. national anthem performed by Broadway star MiG Ayesa and a scene from Allure's Blue Planet aerial show. The event culminated with the customary breaking of a Champagne bottle featuring a label created by pop artist Romero Britto, who has a gallery on the ship. The bottle breaking was done by a karate chop by Princess Fiona.

The ship, at present in the midst of a series of preview cruises, sets sail on its first voyage with paying passengers on Dec. 1.

Australian Researchers Discover New Squat Lobsters

The small crustacean, which can fit in the palm of a hand, is one of ten lobster species collected off the western coast of Australia during research missions in 2005 and 2007. Six of the lobsters—including G. subspinosa—are new to Australia, researchers just announced. Two more are completely new to science.

Hundreds of identified species of squat lobster are found in oceans worldwide at depths ranging from six feet (two meters) to three miles (five kilometers). Squat lobsters, also known as squatties, are distinguished by their large front claws and compressed bodies. The animals are more intimately related to hermit crabs than true lobsters.

As for G. subspinosa, "this genus is one of the most colorful of all squat lobsters," said marine scientist Joanne Taylor of Museum Victoria, who co-authored a paper relating the new lobsters published in the October 12 issue of the journal Zootaxa.

World's Tallest Residential Tower To Be Completed By 2011

Dubai-based developer Tameer has announced that the world’s tallest residential tower will be finished by Q4 of next year, though it will soon be overtaken by another tower.

The Princess Tower, which is at present under construction and located in Dubai Marina, will reach 107 storeys and stand at 414m once completed in 2011, offering 763 residential units to buyers.

But it won’t hold the record for long if the 516m Pentominium Tower, also located in Dubai Marina and already under construction, meets its programmed completion date of 2013.

Maternal Dog Gives Birth To Kitten Litters

For the past three years chihuahua-foxy-cross Shyla has been a foster mum – to litters of kittens.

Owner Angela McFall, a vet, said Shyla had her first "false pregnancy" three years ago. Shyla has never been pregnant, but once a year at about the same time she produces milk.

The first time it happened Miss McFall, of Brydone, had rescued a kitten and Shyla took it upon herself to clean and feed it, and treated it like her own offspring.

The next year Shyla had another "false pregnancy", and mothered a litter of seven abandoned kittens that Miss McFall rescued while living in Christchurch.

"We drove to Ashburton as I had heard there were some kittens that were going to be put down. We stuck our feelers out because we knew she was producing milk," she said.
Shyla gets very protective of the kittens she mothers, and Miss McFall kept all seven of the previous litter.

Maria Pietilae-Holmner Wins Her First World Cup In Aspen

Sweden's Maria Pietilae-Holmner outclassed the rest of the field to succeed her first World Cup race in the Aspen slalom.

The 24-year-old was fastest in both runs to clock a mutual time of one minute and 46.19 seconds.

Appropriately wearing a gold helmet and matching goggles, the very small Swede was nearly perfect in Sunday's World Cup slalom on Aspen Mountain. Pietilae-Holmner laid down a scorching first run on Lower Ruthie's Run, building a lead of 0.64 seconds over her nearest competitor. She closed out Winternational in style during an overcast afternoon, negotiating the 61-gate course with poise and accuracy to post a combined time of 1 minute, 46.19 seconds.

The attempt was good enough to propel her past Germany's Maria Riesch, who was 0.68 seconds off the pace. Finland's Tanja Poutiainen settled for third place and her eighth podium finish here.

The win is Pietilae-Holmner's first in 104 World Cup starts. She is the third skier in as many years to pick up her first triumph in Aspen, joining France's Tessa Worley and Germany's Kathrin Hoelzl.

Excavated Parts From The 1600s Ship Discovered

Remnants of a ship likely from the 1600s were discovered as workers renovated a hotel in central Stockholm, the Maritime Museum said.

"The discovery of the wreck is very appealing given the place where it was made," Maritime Museum Director Hans-Lennarth Ohlsson said in a statement from the Stockholm museum's website. "There was a naval shipyard on this spot until the start of the 17th century."

As workers were renovating part of Stockholm's Grand Hotel, not far from the royal palace, a worker found something gorgeous – the discovery turned out to be excavated parts of a ship.

So archaeologists from the Maritime Museum came in to ensure things out – and it turns out they had quite an interesting find.

That technique, according to The Local, was not the custom, which has made the discovery even more fascinating.

"We really know nothing about this method other than that it was used in the east," Marine archaeologist Jim Hansson, who was called to the site, told The Local.

Hansson speculated the boat originated from east of the Baltics or Russia, according to The Local.

"We were super-thrilled," he told The Local of the discovery. "It may sound a little strange when one finds little excavated pieces of parts of a ship, but I have never seen anything like it."

Large, "Stunning" New Glowing Squid Species Found

A large new species of deep red, glowing squid has been discovered living near undersea mountains in the southern Indian Ocean, scientists announced Monday.

At about 28 inches (70 centimeters) long, the as yet unnamed species is relatively big—though other squid can reach as long as 65 feet (20 meters), some species are barely three quarters of an inch (1.5 centimeters).

The new species belongs to Chiroteuthidae, a group of slender squid in which light-producing organs run in the family. "It's thought that this particular group of squid actually uses bioluminescence to lure in prey," which are thought to include small fish and crustaceans, said Alex Rogers, a conservation biologist at the University of Oxford in the U.K.

The new squid is just one of more than 70 squid species observed during a six-week research cruise that began in September 2009 but whose results are only now beginning to be released.

"In a single expedition, we sampled about a fifth of all the world's squid species that are known to date," Rogers said. "That's really a staggering diversity of squid to sample in a single trip."

Most of the squid observed were already known to science, but, in addition to the blinking beast above, a few are thought to be completely new species.

"We think we have more than one new species of squid," Rogers said. "This just happens to be the biggest and most glamorous one."

Russian Helicopter Mi-8 Crash Claims Seven Lives

Seven people were killed and three others wounded when a helicopter crashed in Russia's Siberian region, according to the state-run RIA-Novosti news agency.

The Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashed in Russia's Omsk region, the news agency reported, citing the Russian prosecutor general office's investigative committee. The crash happened as the helicopter caught fire while it was landing about noon local time (1 a.m. ET), RIA-Novosti said.

The helicopter was delivering workers to a drilling site, and belonged to Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant, the news agency said, citing Russia's federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsia.

Six bodies had been recovered at the crash site, the agency said, and the hurt were sent to a hospital in the town of Tara, Rosaviatsia told RIA-Novosti.

Bathhouse Of Ancient Roman Soldiers Found In Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists have discovered an ancient Roman bathhouse that was probably used by the soldiers who destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Monday.

The surprise discovery includes the mark of Rome's Tenth Legion -- as well as the paw print of a dog. The animal probably belonged to one of the soldiers, excavation director Ofer Sion said.

Archaeologists were not expecting to find the Roman structure in the Jewish Quarter, where a mikvah, or Jewish ritual bath, was being constructed.

The discovery shows that the Roman encampment established to help keep Israel under Roman domination was larger than previously thought, another expert said.

Understanding the ancient Roman city of Aelia Capitolina is "extremely valuable," he said, because it determined the shape of Jerusalem's historic walls "and the location of the gates to this very day."

Scientist Discover New Bizarre 'Squidworm'

A bizarre new worm with 10 ‘arms’ has been discovered living some 2,500 metres under the surface of the sea, in an remote ocean basin in the Far East.

Teuthidodrilus samae is a new genus and species of free-swimming annelid worm that appears to be common near the base of the Celebes Sea – a deep basin between Indonesia and the Philippines. These ‘squidworms’ can reach a body length of 94mm with their appendages at least as long again and quite a lot of of them were seen on research dives undertaken in 2007.

“For a worm these guys are quite large,” says Karen Osborn of the University of California, Santa Cruz. “When I first saw them on video I was astonished that something this large and abundant had been missed all this time.”

Osborn suspects the animal feeds on ‘marine snow’ – the name given to organic matter such as dead plankton that drifts down into the depths from the higher, more creative parts of the ocean. One of these creatures was seen attached to a clump of snow, and they are usually too slow swimming to be likely predators.

“We believe they perhaps are cruising around in the deep water and ... are collecting these aggregates of marine snow,” says Osborn, lead author of a new study published in the Royal Society’s Biology Letters journal. Their stomach contents also seem to back up this hypothesis.

Biodiversity in oceans is huge near the surface and it decreases the further you sink from the sunlight. But once you come near the seafloor it begins to increase again.

It probably avoided detection for so long due to its ability to swim away from sampling gear. The creature shows the scarcity of our knowledge of even common dwellers of the pelagic community, say the authors.

Acer Launches Iconia – A Laptop Cum Tablet Computer With Dual Screen

The new dual-screen laptop has two 14in displays, with one in place of a traditional keyboard.

The Iconia, which was unveiled at a press conference in New York, has two touch-screens protected by ultra-tough Gorilla Glass. The device can be used like a traditional laptop, with the second screen doubling as a virtual keyboard, or can double as a tablet-style computer.

Users can increase the desktop across both screens, or use one to watch a video or surf the web, and the other to write an email or edit photos. The device features palm sensors to detect the position of the user’s hands, and automatically launch the virtual keyboard when needed.

Acer said the Iconia, which runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, would launch “a brand new tablet experience”.

"This level of commitment to touch technology is something no other PC vendor can contend with," said Jim Wong, president of Acer.

The Iconia, which goes on sale in the UK on Jan 8, will cost £1,499. The device uses Intel Core i5 processors, and a least of 4GB memory and up to 750GB hard drive.

The success of Apple’s iPad has provoked scores of consumer electronics manufacturers to launch their own rival devices. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which runs Google’s Android operating system, is considered one of the closest competitors to the iPad.

Mother Nature Drops Snow Early

Winter is still a month away, but that didn’t stop Mother Nature from dropping snow on much of the Pacific Northwest this week.

Picture shows you snow-topped pumpkins, a lake dotted with ice-covered rocks, and a bus that skidded off the road due to black ice.











Winter officially begins December 21, when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, also known as the Winter Solstice. But in spite of the early snowfall, most people seemed excited to welcome the colder weather as it ushers in the holiday season.

Europe Discovers First Fishing Bat

The long-fingered bat is the first bat species in Europe identified to catch and eat fish, scientists say.

Weighing around 0.3 ounce (9 grams) and measuring just over 1.5 inches (42 millimeters), the minuscule bat was long thought to nourish only on insects. Scientists were therefore surprised to discover fish bones and scales in the bat's feces in 2003.

To figure out whether the bats were vigorously fishing, Joxerra Aihartza of the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain, and colleagues began monitoring the animals' feeding behavior using small radio tracking devices.

Recently the team captured video of the bats catching live fish.

"They fly low over the water and seize surface-feeding fish, such as the mosquitofish, with their claws," Aihartza said.

A handful of bats worldwide are known to catch fish, including South America's fisherman bat. (Video shows fisherman bat at work.)

As far as Aihartza and colleagues know, the long-fingered bat is the only bat in Europe with this ability.

Despite its skill as a fisher, the long-fingered bat mostly eats aquatic insects, the team said. The bats likely turn to fishing when nearby bodies of water start to dry out, forcing more fish to swim near the water's surface and making them easier to catch.

The long-fingered bat can be found foraging over wetlands and waterways—with canals and reservoirs—across its range, which hugs the Mediterranean coasts of Morocco, Algeria, and Europe, stretching into Lebanon, Jordan, and Iran.

Major fear to the species' survival include water pollution, dam construction, and wetlands loss, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"Habitat accessibility is a real problem for this bat, and in Spain it is an endangered species," Aihartza said.

World’s Largest Solar Powered Boat Attempts To Create World Record In Circumnavigation

The world’s largest solar-powered boat – TÛRANOR PlanetSolar – departed from Monaco on September 27 in an effort to become the first boat to circumnavigate the globe using only solar energy. Aside from getting another world record under the boat’s belt, the aim of the expedition is to reveal that, through the use of existing materials and technology, high-performance solar mobility can be realized today.

The multihull vessel is covered in 537 square meters (5,780 sq ft) of solar panels, which power the electric motors situated in each hull that can propel the boat to a speed of 14 knots. Although the vessel is capable of hosting 40 passengers and is intended to be used as a luxury yacht, the vessel is crewed by just six people and that is the number that will be making the world record attempt.

At the time of publication, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and was just north of Cuba, making its way towards its next intended stopover in Miami. Other planned stops for the PlanetSolar team comprise Cancun, San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore, Abu Dhabi before concluding in Monaco sometime in 2011.

Qapco’s New Guinness World Record For World’s Largest T-shirt

Qatar Petrochemical Company (Qapco) has made a new Guinness World Record for the largest T-shirt ever made, breaking the old one set in South Africa.

Yesterday, in front of thousands of followers at Aspire Park, judges from Guinness World Records certified that the Qapco T-shirt, a white and maroon shirt over 72.2 metres long and 48.7 metres wide, was the world largest T-shirt ever made. It weighs six tons and covered 3516.25 square metres.

The crowd roared with delight when Gaz Deaves, Gaming Editor of Guinness World Records, said: “I am happy to announce a new Guinness record for the largest T-shirt.”

The South African record was set on September 15 this year for a T-shirt more than 64 metres long and 43 metres wide.

Dr Mohammed Yousef Al Mulla, General Manager and board member of Qapco, said it was thrilling that Qapco had set a world record for the largest T-shirt.

“This idea came as a result of the support of H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, who clearly defined that our motive behind such an initiative is only to voice our unlimited support in the energy and industry sector for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup here.”

1,000 Rescued Rats Awaiting For Adoption In California

About a thousand rats are in anticipation of adoption in California after being rescued from a house featured on the A&E reality TV show "Hoarders."

The Humane Society trucked the rodents over the weekend from Los Angeles to San Jose, where more than 30 volunteers and nonprofit staff assisted to move the rats into Andy's Pet Shop in San Jose, which agreed to temporarily house them.

Lauren Paul of the nonprofit North Star Rescue told the San Jose Mercury News that the earlier owner's daughter had brought home a pregnant rat one day and the litter began multiplying quickly.

The man's neighbors called "Hoarders" producers after the rats began tearing apart the house.

Paul says she hopes rat lovers will come ahead and give them a new home.

World's Largest Custard Cream Biscuit On Auction

The world's largest custard cream biscuit has been made on Guinness World Records Day.

Created by Simon Morgan & Paul Thacker on Guinness World Records Day, the huge treat measures a whopping 59cm long and 39cm wide and weighs 15.73kg.

The duo said they came up with the thought of creating a giant biscuit in a bid to raise money for charity while also gaining themselves a place in the record books.

Asked why they picked the humble custard cream to recreate the lads said they'd already made a big Bourbon and Jammie Dodger and wanted to do something special. Obviously.

The big biscuit - which took 11 and a half hours to produce - is now being auctioned off for charity on eBay and bids have already reached £400 with a day left.

Chrissie Wellington Shatters Ironman World Record In Arizona

Chrissie Wellington made apology for missing out on a fourth world triathlon Ironman title as she stormed to a new world record over the demanding distance in Arizona.

Wellington completed the 140-mile course eight hours and 36 minutes and 13 seconds - a most excellent for sanctioned Ironman event.

But her time was still 17 minutes short of the overall long-distance world record she created at Germany's Challenge Roth in July.

Leanda Cave, who finished second to Jodie Swallow in the recent half Ironman World Championships, came home third to underline Britain's power in depth over longer distances.

"After missing defending my title, it's a great way to finish the season," said Wellington.

"I never anticipated a world record but I just seemed to thrive on the energy of the crowd and I'm so pleased I've done justice to all my hard work."

South Korean Lady-Boy Wins Miss International Queen 2010

After four days of enjoying themselves touring the different venues arranged in their honor, the finale of Miss International Queen 2010 went off in sparkling splendor and not a little disappointment for those who failed to make the grade.

The finale of the 6th Miss International Queen 2010 Contest took place on Nov19, hosted by the Tiffany Show Pattaya. As 23 contestants from 15 countries held their cooperative breath, the winner of the “To Dream The Dream” contest was announced. And the crown lastly went to Ms Mini from Korea.

After touring the various tourism activities arranged for them from Nov16, the big instance for the host of beautiful lady-boy contestants had finally come to present their collective talents and prettiness on the final stage. In the first round, the committee selected 10 contestants, which was quickly whittled down to the three semi-finalists from America, Japan and Korea.

Of those final three, two had to share their distress as the title Miss International Queen 2010 went to Number 9, Mini from Korea, who won the crown, honour sash, and US$10,000, along with other gifts from sponsors. The other two got the reward of fine compensation prizes, however. The 1st runner up was Number 20, Ami Takeuchi from Japan, who got US$2,000, while the 2nd runner up prize went to Number 7, Stasha Sanchez from America, who got US$1,500.

Giant Maple Leaf Discovery Makes 9-Year-Old A Guinness Star

Nine-year-old Joseph Donato was riding his bicycle home from the park with his family when he spotted it lying there on the road - possibly the greatest maple leaf of all time.

Not the hockey playing kind, but the national emblem kind - and a huge size, too. So big that it has set the Guinness World Record as largest maple leaf.

"The width is 13 and 5/8 (inches) and then the length is 15 and 5/8 with the stem," says Joseph pompously. "It's yellow with some green."


Joseph and his mother, Angie Donato, reported the find to the local newspaper and the story was selected up by other media. That caught the eye of Guinness representatives.

"They asked me to send a image with the measuring tape" to prove the size of the leaf, he said.

Later, "they contacted us and said that they wanted to open a new record for me," he added.

His Grade 4 friends at a Pickering elementary school didn't consider him at first, but they will now, he said.

The monster size maple leaf was found in mid-October near the Rouge River and East Woodlands Park in Pickering, Angie Donato said.

She added that the family learned they had the record a couple of weeks ago but had to keep it secret until today's announcement by Guinness.

Roger Federer Joins Andy Murray At ATP World Tour Finals

Roger Federer enjoyed a easy 6-1 6-4 victory over David Ferrer to join Andy Murray at the top of Group B at the ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena on Sunday evening.

The four-time winner of the season finale had never lost to the Spaniard in 10 earlier meetings and it became clear from the start that an upset was unlikely.

The 29-year-old Swiss broke the seventh seed twice to open up a 4-0 lead in the opening set, before Ferrer hit back with a break of his own.

But normal service was resumed in the sixth game, in spite of the Spaniard's best efforts as Federer broke his serve again and then served out the set.

The second set was less one sided, with Federer taking five games to secure a break of serve, but the outcome was the same.

Serving for the match at 5-4, the number two seed experienced an uncharacteristic lapse in concentration, handing his rival three break points.

But, as so often with Federer, he at once regained his composure to save all three and then promptly served an ace to wrap up the match.

Guinness World Records Announces "Tallest Living Married Couple"

Every marriage has its ups and downs, but Wayne and Laurie Hallquist's blessed union may have presently peaked. The Stockton, California, pair was just included into the Guinness World Records for being the tallest married couple on earth.

Wayne, who stands 6-foot-10.4 inches tall, and Laurie, who reaches almost 6-foot-6 inches, was in New York for Guinness World Records Day, where the skyscraping sweethearts were privileged and offered with an official certificate from the organization.

"We're excited and proud," Laurie said. "Representing the U.S. in this year's Guinness World Records Day is quite a excitement."

The Hallquists met at a singles event at their church seven years ago, and exchanged wedding vows later on. Aside from towering over the rest of the world, the pair enjoys collecting classic cars, boating, and sleeping in a 7-foot long bed.

The previous record-holders for Tallest Married Couple were Wilco and Keisha van Kleef-Bolton, whose shared height reached 13.33 feet. It looks as though the Hallquists had them beat by a nose.

Location-Based Mobile Service Gowalla Partners With Disney

When Josh Williams created Gowalla, the location-based mobile service that permits users to "check in" at hot spots and share experiences from the road, he was stimulated by the Disney brand and dreamed of one day partnering with the company.

Two years later, Disney Parks is taking its first foray into location services by teaming up with Gowalla to offer visitors a new way to explore Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

"When we founded Gowalla two years ago we saw Disney as inspiration for us both in terms of design and eminence associated with the brand," said Williams, CEO and co-founder of Gowalla. To connect friends and family across Disney Parks through Gowalla is simply magical."

"The Disney and Gowalla partnership represents a magnificent way to unite social activity online and in the real world," Solis said.

"It also opens the doors to new possibilities to engage social media to share experiences every significant and shareable step of the way. We are at the beginning of a new world where we appeal to the traditional consumer and also the social consumer."

Wong Gets Silver Medal With Broken Bones

Hong Kong cyclist Wong Wan-yiu was wedged in an epic pile up during the women's 20 kilometer cycling points race at the Asian Games.

The cyclist was in second place when she touched the wheel of leader Liu Xin and triggered the event. Wong suffered a broken rib and a dislocated arm after being run over by other contestants.

Three of the athletes could not carry on racing, but Wong hopped on a replacement bicycle and finished the remaining 37 laps despite her pain. The heroine got a silver medal.

Wong was determined to finish the race as this was her last chance to gain enough points to succeed for the London Olympics. She said to Apple Daily that "you have to be willing to sacrifice in order to achieve anything; it's all give and take."

World’s Smallest Woman Hatice Achieves The Tallest Achievement

21 year old Hatice Kocaman never knew that her height would let her attain the one of the tallest feats in the world, be part of the Guinness Book of World Records. The Turkish lady is now officially the world’s smallest woman; she is 28 inches tall and weighs no more than 15 lbs (6.8 kg). She became the second smallest human being alive. Strangely, the country is also home to the world’s tallest man.

Haitce stays with her family and suffers from hip dysplasia and back problems, but could not obtain any treatment for her condition as her family could not afford to travel from Kadirli, Turkey.

In an interview after receiving the award Hatice said that in school she used to be bullied because of the size, but now she feels quite tall as she became famed for her size.

Hatice had a natural birth and was a standard baby until a year later her mother found that her growth rate was very slow compared to other children. The reason behind Haitce’s size is that she suffers from dwarfism and it is because both her parents have defective genes.

Haitce has a brother who has a normal growth and does not suffer from the problems that this 21year old lady faces. Now Hatice wishes to travel the world and even see the tallest man of the world and has no complaints for her size or the way God has made her.

Rabid Bats On Increase In Los Angeles County

Public health officials are urging residents to evade touching any wild animals, especially bats.

The warning comes after the discovery of a strangely high number of rabid bats in Los Angeles County so far this year.

So far in 2010, 21 rabid bats have been found countywide, compared to an average of 10 per year, according to the Department of Public Health.

The reason for the raise is unclear, but health officials say the threat is real.

Make certain that children know to leave bats and other wildlife alone, and keep pets away from wild animals. If you see a sick bat or other sick creature, contact your local animal control agency," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.

One person who was attempting to rehabilitate a sick bat was bitten. The bat tested positive for rabies and the person was quickly treated for rabies exposure. Rabies is a grave viral disease that affects the central nervous system, ultimately causing brain disease and death. Symptoms may comprise fever, weakness, confusion, anxiety, partial paralysis and an increase in saliva.

Rabies is transmitted through the bite or saliva of a polluted animal. The majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. And it’s not just people who are at danger from infection.

So far this year, two dogs and a cat were found playing with live, rabid bats at their homes. Fortunately, the pets had existing rabies vaccinations. If not, their owners would have had to face the difficult decision of either euthanizing their pet or putting them in quarantine for six months. All pet owners should make sure their dog or cat has an up-to-date vaccine against rabies, said Dr. Fielding.

1 in 1000 to 1 in 10,000 bats is infected with rabies. However when an ill bat is found, the risk of that bat having rabies is much higher; approximately 10 percent.

Portugal Beats World Champions Spain

Portugal earned a satisfying 4-0 win over world-champion neighbors Spain on Wednesday night, while France continued to progress under Laurent Blanc with a 2-1 victory away to England in another friendly.

Spain won the last clash involving the two teams in July on the way to winning the World Cup in South Africa, ending Portugal's 19-match unbeaten run.

But Helder Postiga struck twice after Carlos Martins broke the deadlock before substitute Hugo Almeida advanced the match for Portugal, who have put in a joint bid with Spain to host the 2018 World Cup and are celebrating the 100th year of the Portuguese Republic.

Midfielder Martins volleyed the opening goal right on halftime after Cristiano Ronaldo's shot was only blocked by Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Postiga doubled the lead four minutes after the interval with a intelligent backheel from Joao Moutinho's low right-wing cross, and the Sporting Lisbon striker fired in the third with 22 minutes to play when Spain's guard could not clear.

Almeida then beat the offside trap to assemble Pepe's throughball and beat the onrushing Casillas in the fourth minute of time added on to score his 12th international goal.

It was only Portugal's second win in nine meetings with Spain, who have not won in Lisbon since 1934.

Paul The Octopus Is Back In China As Panda

China fell in love with Paul the Octopus in the Football World Cup and mourned his passing only a few months later. With the onset of the Asian Games in Guangzhou though, viewers have found a new oracle, 12 of them to be precise: Guangzhou's pandas.

China Hush reports that the 12 pandas now living in Guangzhou Chimelong Tourist Resort’s zoo have been performing medal predictions for the games, becoming local celebrities in the course.

Each panda, according to site, has a extraordinary specialty. Bosi, one that Guangzhou Daily describes as “smart and quick,” predicted the outcome of the martial arts competition at the Asian games. Another panda, “Hui Hui” made predictions for the diving competition as zoo keepers say she likes playing in water.

The pandas are given two special foods, one representing China and one representing a different country. The one the panda chooses to eat is said to be the predicted winner.

China is always represented by bamboo, the plant that makes up the bulk of the panda’s diet.

Not quite the blind predictions that Paul made, but public are flocking to the zoo nonetheless to see what the pandas are munching on.

That said, the Chinese are sweeping up the medal count so if the panda keeps going for its favorite snack, it won’t be that far off base.

World's First Remotely Controlled Heart Operation Using Robotic Arm Took Place In England

A pioneering heart operation using a robotic arm named Amigo has taken place at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital. The new technique involved using the robotic arm alongside a 3D imaging system

The arm was controlled by surgeon Dr Andre Ng, with the help of an advanced 3D image of the patient's heart.

It was the first time the technique has been used in catheter ablation, where the organ's inner lining is ablated or "burned" to treat unbalanced heartbeats.

The operation was successfully carried out on patient Paddy Flood from Derby. Mr Flood suffers from an irregular heart rhythm condition called atrial fibrillation.
Dr Ng said: "The first experience with using the Amigo system suggests that great precision of catheter movement can be achieved using robotic control.

"Combining this for the first time with the accuracy of placing ablation lesions with the CARTO-3 3D mapping system is a important way forward.

"It is hoped that using the two advanced technologies together would progress the efficacy and safety of these complex procedures."

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disturbance, with over half a million wounded in the UK. It increases the risk of a person having a stroke by five times and doubles the risk of death.

More than 200 catheter ablation operations have taken place at Glenfield Hospital, and six months ago Dr Ng used the Amigo robotic arm to carry out the process for the first time, but without the help of the 3D mapping system.

Scott Aims Major Titles After Singapore Success

Adam Scott hopes his third Singapore Open title triumph will act as a springboard for an attack on golf's four major tournaments next year.

The Australian completed a final-round 68 after the tournament went into a fifth day following weather disruptions, concluding on 17-under-par 267 - three shots clear of Denmark's second-placed Anders Hansen.

The victory, his former at Sentosa since the Asian Tour event became co-sanctioned by the European Tour last year, launched him back into the top-20 of golf's world rankings.

It was the seventh European Tour title of the 30-year-old's career, and he will now turn his concentration to claiming a maiden major title in 2011.

Jetpack And Flying Car Among Year's Best Inventions

Along with the jetpack, the flying car tops the list of classic science-fiction ideas.

Now researchers, with some cash from the U.S. military, might be taking a step toward making these hovering vehicles - seen in such varied works as "Blade Runner" and "The Jetsons" -- a reality.

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is awarding grants to scientists to assist develop its Transformer program, which seeks to create a road-worthy vehicle that can take off upright like a helicopter and fly.

This week, the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University was awarded a $988,000 contract to expand a flight system for the Transformer.

The vehicle DARPA is considering would be able to carry four troops and up to 1,000 pounds of utensils for 250 miles, either on land or through the air.

"Its improved mobility would increase survivability by making movements less predictable and would make the vehicle suitable for a wide variety of missions, such as scouting, resupply and medical evacuation," Carnegie Mellon said in a written release.
The Carnegie Mellon prototype follows the latest news that a Florida man built a flying car Video that was certified by the FAA.

Vettel Becomes The Youngest Formula One World Champion

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is the new Formula One world champion after winning the title-deciding race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The German produced a peerless oblige from pole position to take the checkered flag ahead of the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who led the championship standings going into the final race of the season, could only control seventh place to see his title hopes ruined.

The 23-year-old Vettel is the youngest-ever world champion in motorsport's premier class, claiming his fifth win of the year to take the lead in the standings for the first time in a topsy-turvy season.

"I'm a bit speechless. I don't know what you are supposed to say in this time," Vettel told the official post-race press conference.

Robot With Ethical Knowledge Invented

Robots as a very exceptional technological achievement of mankind that is capable of doing work as efficiently or sometimes even more efficiently as any other human being. But one severe complaint we all have is that robots are just high caliber machines that are devoid of any ethics. But now researchers have worked hard to inculcate some ethics similar to that of an ordinary human being in a robot so that it is able to act ethically and take decisions based on morals.

Researcher duo Susan Anderson and Michael Anderson has introduced a robot that takes into account various ethics such as being just, doing good, not causing harm and keeping promise when deciding how to act in a normal way. Such ethics are very ‘human’ in nature and never seen before in any robot.

This ethical robot will be used in medical field primarily. It will be entrusted with the duty to remind patients to obtain their medicine. The robot is programmed to weigh the benefits the patient will have if he takes good medication and will ultimately report to the doctor if the patient declines to take them after repeated reminders.

The robot is programmed to make ethically sound decisions and based on certain facts it will be able to weigh a decision and make choices about what must be done. The robot is created by Susan Anderson, a philosopher and her research partner husband Michael Anderson who is a computer scientist. The couple made the robot and based their research on an approach to ethics development in 1930 by a Scottish philosopher David Ross.

Facebook Set To Launch E-mail Service – The “Gmail Killer”

Facebook is set to announce a new e-mail feature on Monday that could challenge Gmail, Yahoo mail and Hotmail as the most accepted online e-mail services, according to news reports on Friday.

The service by the popular social networking company will for the first time permit the site’s 500 million members to use “@facebook.com” addresses and will also be integrated with Microsoft’s newly introduced Office online services.

Facebook has the world’s most popular photos product, the most admired events product, and soon will have a very popular local deals product as well. It can tweak the design of its webmail client to show content from each of these in a seamless fashion (and don’t forget messages from games, or payments via Facebook Credits). And there’s also the social element: Facebook knows who your friends are and how strongly you’re connected to them; it can probably do a pretty good job figuring out which personal emails you want to read most and prioritize them accordingly.

World Mayors Summit On Climate In Mexico

City mayors from all over the world will be attending the World Mayors Summit on Climate in Mexico City later this month to guarantee their commitment to combating global warming.

The centerpiece of the one-day summit will be the signing of "The Mexico City Pact" - formally known as the Global Cities Covenant on Climate --which will recognize the planned importance cities need to play in reducing carbon emissions.

Convened by the World Mayors Council on Climate Change (WMCCC), ICLEI -- Local Governments for Sustainability and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) the summit will happen eight days before the United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Anke Stoffregen, ICLEI communications manager told CNN: "The summit is very much about the mayors captivating the leadership role and pulling their strength together to show that they are willing to make commitments and that they are able to deliver actions as well."

World Tiniest Sculpture Exhibit by Willard Wigan Begins Today At Midtown Gallery

Wigan is a world famous as a micro-sculptor whose art is so tiny you need an electron microscope to see it. Some of his latest work is no bigger than a human blood cell.

If the prospect of checking out a sculpture exhibit so tiny you can't really see it with your own eyes appeals to you. Among the sculptures which you will need help identifying are Cameron Diaz, a tiny Mega Yacht, Little Miss Muffet and Cupid, which is being called the smallest piece of art ever created. Cupid measures 385.77 micron (equal to one millionth of a meter).

Despite their size, Wigan's pieces cost big money, ranging from $25,000 to over $100,000. If you simply to tell everybody you bought a Wigan sculpture, hold out your palm, and tell them it's right there, but it's so small they can't see it.

Creator Of World's First Laptop Wins Top UK Design Award

Bill Moggridge has been awarded the winner of the 2010 Prince Philip Designers Prize. He was selected from a list of famous nominees, including fashion designer Dame Viviene Westwood and the creator of the London 2012 Aquatics Centre.

The jury said Mr Moggridge had been central to how design helped people understand and use technology.

The Grid Compass computer was designed by Mr Moggridge in the early 1980s and is extensively credited as the fore-runner for the modern laptop. The machine went on auction in 1982, with its own operating system, Grid-OS.

It sold for over $,8,000 (£4,900), meaning it was limited to expert applications, with the US government being one of the main buyers.

It was used on the space shuttle during the 1980s, contributing the astronauts a navigational program when they were out of reach of earth-bound navigation tools.

Mr Moggridge told BBC News he was "astonished" to have been selected for the award. "I'm really amazed. The other nominees are such super-heroes of mine and have unbelievable bodies of work," he said.

As well as designing the Grid Compass computer, Mr Moggridge also co-founded design company IDEO. He is at present the director of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

The Prince Philip Designers Prize is awarded annually to recognize a lifetime contribution to design.

It is Britain's longest-running design award and was set up by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1959 to promote entrepreneurship.

Past winners have included Sir James Dyson, Terence Conran and Lord Norman Foster.

Oscar Remains Record Holder Even After His Death

Oscar, the Vietnamese potbellied pig from Far North Dallas, claimed the Guinness World Records title last year when he turned 20.

He died Tuesday, a few weeks after his 21st birthday. Owner Stacy Kimbell sent out an email announcing the depressing news to friends and family. "He was the most loyal and genuine buddy that a gal could ever want," she wrote.

Oscar wasn't just any pig. In his younger years as a petite piglet, he roamed the streets of Chicago on a leash. He appeared on television with a pet psychologist and joined Kimbell on a Colorado ski vacation.

Oscar lived to eat. He tipped the scales at 180 pounds before Kimbell got a improved handle on his diet, which consisted of roasted pumpkin mash, grapes, almonds, apples, watermelon and canned fruit.

The average pig lives 15 to 20 years, so Oscar's ripe old age gave him the frame with Guinness. Last year's record brought the 130-pound porker back into the limelight. Stories appeared in The Dallas Morning News and People Magazine, and Oscar made many TV appearances. He received several invitations (including one to Rome that he had to decline) and taped a segment on a show for Animal Planet.

Southwest Airlines' chief executive sent him a case of his desired snack – packaged peanuts from the Dallas-based company. What few remained was bequeathed to his sister, Ziffle the pig.

Guinness officials say Oscar will stay the record-holder, even after his death.