World Kaleidoscope — 世界萬花筒

An Indian man, Kashi Samaddar, has broken a world record by visiting all 194 countries on Earth in the shortest time ever.

The 55-year-old Indian businessman spent nearly £350,000 to achieve the record, which took him six years, 10 months and seven days.

Mr Samaddar came back with an album of fascinating pictures of himself in offices, bars and hotel lobbies.

The traveller first visited Holland in July, 2002, and finished his mission in Kosovo in May this year, sometimes risking his life dodging bombs and bullets along the way.

The businessman, who now lives in Dubai, said: ”I started in Amsterdam and finished in Kosovo. In the meantime, my life was at risk in war-torn Afghanistan, Surinam and Somalia.

”The hotel where I stayed in Kabul was blown apart an hour after I left my room.

”I have travelled through regions with bullets flying thick and fast all around. It’s a miracle I didn’t get killed.

”In East Timor, I stayed without food for three days and had to pay a local lad a few hundred dollars for a some bananas.

”In Nauru, my flight was cancelled eight times and I had to overstay for one and a half months.” (Telegraph)

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More than 100 surfers lined up on the same ocean wave in Cape Town, South Africa, to set a new world record.

The challenge started with 443 keen surfers of every age and ability paddling out from the Muizenberg beach in Cape Town.

Bobbing around on their boards, the wetsuit clad men and women patiently waited to be told which wave to catch.

On the fourth attempt, 110 surfers managed to stand for five seconds – smashing the previous record set in Brazil of 100 surfers.

“There were more than 1,000 people on the beach and everyone was in high spirits with plenty of cheering and hooting as the surfers took off and rode the wave,” said record organiser and founder of Earthwave Paul Botha.

“We made seven attempts on the record in one hour this year. The fourth attempt produced the most surfers on one wave, with an estimated 120 riding at one time.

“Photographic evidence proved there were 110 surfers still riding five seconds after taking off.”

The Earthwave concept was developed three years ago to promote awareness of climate change while at the same time attempting to break world records.

In 2006, Earthwave South Africa raised the record from 44 to 73, before Earthwave Brazil increased it to 84 surfers on one wave in 2007 and an incredible 100 in 2008. (Telegraph)

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At a glance, it could easily be a duck, ruffling its feathers as it sits in a nest.

But this incredible image actually shows a marrow grown by Marilyn and Lionel Partridge in their vegetable patch.

The remarkable vegetable even features an eye, after it scratched against a twig, while the 2in stalk perfectly resembles a beak.

Mrs Partridge, 62, said: ‘I have never in my 40 years of gardening and growing my own vegetables come across anything that looks like an animal before.

‘I am absolutely delighted. The marrow just looked a bit odd at first, but we then realised that it looked like a duck.

‘When I saw it, I burst out laughing. It is so realistic. We haven’t done anything to it, it is perfectly natural.

‘It is in the shape of a duck with its head turned about to preen itself.

‘We couldn’t eat it because it looked so adorable. Besides, would it be a meat or vegetable course?

‘My two-year-old granddaughter Sophie loves it. She kept looking at it and saying “duck, duck”.

‘Everyone thinks we must have done something to it to make it grow like a bird but we didn’t. In fact we completely forgot we had planted it.’ (Daily Mail)

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Zoo-keepers in China say their tigers have grown so tame that they’re frightened of the chickens they’re supposed to eat.

The Chongqing Wild Animal Park has five rare adult white tigers which were originally trained to perform tricks for visitors.

Keepers have been trying to encourage them to follow their natural instincts by throwing them live chickens – but without success.

Feeder Shi Ruqiang said: They’re supposed to be wild and scary, but due to their soft lifestyles and human care they have gradually lost their wild nature.

“I have been trying to interest them with live chickens but it was quite a funny scene. The tigers were so scared that they wouldn’t go near them.

“One chicken passed out and the tigers did eventually approach it – but then it woke up again and squawked and they ran for their lives!”

Shi says the keepers are now forcing the tigers to stay outside their cages for at least 12 hours a day to toughen them up.

And they are planning to introduce a wild tiger to show the domesticated big cats the ropes.

“If all else fails, we will simply cut down their rations until they are so hungry that they are forced to hunt for themselves,” he added. (Chongqing Morning Post)

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An Indian woman successfully divorced her husband after he refused to allow her to watch television soap operas, a report said Tuesday.

The Daily News and Analysis newspaper said the situation led to daily arguments between the couple from Pune, southeast of Mumbai, and she filed for divorce.

Television soap operas, with their high melodrama, dramatic close-ups and music, have a huge following in India, particularly among housewives or women who work as domestic helps.

Granting her application, a family court judge said the husband had been picking arguments with his wife for more than four years “on the ground that she was seeing Hindi serials on TV channels”.

It added: “The respondent (husband) was not allowing the petitioner (wife) to see programmes on TV as per her choice”.

The divorce ruling was given in August, but details had only recently emerged when the ex-husband applied to the high court to overturn the decision, which also gave the woman custody of the couple’s six-year-old child.

His lawyers argued in court on Monday that the woman’s claims of cruel treatment against her were false and were part of the normal “wear and tear” of married life, the newspaper said. (AFP)

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A French hotel is offering guests the chance to live like a hamster for a day.

It’s a unique concept according to its creators. A hotel in the French city of Nantes is offering the chance for people to become a hamster.

For 99 euros (£88) a night, visitors to the hotel in Nantes can feast on hamster grain, get a workout by running in a giant wheel and sleep in hay stacks in the suite called the “Hamster Villa”.

It is the latest venture from owners Frederic Tabary and Yann Falquerho, who run a company which rents out unusual venues to adventure-seekers. Both architects, the men designed the room in an 18th century building to resemble the inside of a hamster’s cage.

“The hamster in the world of children is that little cuddly animal. Often, the adults who come here have wanted or did have hamsters when they were small,” said Mr Falquerho, who was dressed as a hamster.

However, the price is soon to go up as today’s hamsters need, according to the owners, Wifi and a giant TV screen. (Telegraph)

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A Chinese man, who had half of his body amputated after being run over by a truck, has amazed surgeons with his recovery.

Peng Shuilin, 37, spent nearly two years in hospital in Shenzhen, southern China, undergoing a series of operations to re-route nearly every major organ or system inside his body.

Now Peng – who opened his own cut-price supermarket called the Half Man-Half Price Store – has survived so well he’s being used as a role model for other amputees.

At just 2ft 7ins tall, he gets around in a wheelchair and gives lectures on recovering from disability.

“We’ve just given him a check up and he is fitter than most men his age. He is amazing and the only person in the world to survive having so much of his body amputated,” said Bujie Hospital vice president Lin Liu.

“He had good care but his secret is his cheerfulness – nothing ever gets him down,” he added. (roundup)

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A former student at a high school in Arizona school finally got round to returning two overdue books – 51 years after they were checked out.

Clearly sticklers for honesty, they also included a $1,000 (around £600) money order to cover the fines.

Georgette Bordine, librarian at the Camelback High School in Phoenix, Arizona, says the two Audubon Society books – checked out in 1959 – were returned by someone who wanted to remain anonymous.

Bordine says the letter explained that the borrower’s family moved to another state and the books were mistakenly packed.

The letter said the money order was to cover fines of 2 cents per day for each book. That would total about $745 (£446). The letter says the extra money was added in case the rates had changed.

Bordine says that the money will buy more books – and that the overdue books will now be returned to the shelves. (Metro)

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Still strong: The couple today, after 61 years of marriage
They met as five-year-old schoolchildren in 1929 and have been together almost constantly ever since.

But in a union that has spanned nine decades and survived the Second World War, Jim Hadwin and his wife Moira have managed to stay the distance.

Retired firefighter Jim, 85, said: ‘We have been rock-solid since the very first day, we always knew it was going to last.

‘We have spent our lives together but I wouldn’t change a thing. We still make each other laugh and we are still grateful to have spent our lives together.

‘We are very similar, we argue like any couple but we get on tremendously and we know it would be silly to fall out over silly things.

‘Moira is a very reasonable, patient person and it doesn’t bear thinking about what my life would be like if I hadn’t met Moira.

‘Every day has been lovely with Moira, I wouldn’t change a thing.’ (Daily Mail)

Moira and Jim, pictured aged just five at school where they met 80 years ago

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Flying through the air these amazing bull leapers compete in the ultimate game of chance.

Displaying flips, leaps and jumps these modern day Spanish ‘Recortadores’ continue a bull leaping tradition that goes back to the legendary King Minos from Crete’s Minoan civilisation around 1500 BC.

Each year, bull fighting teams from all over Spain descend upon the Plaza de Toros stadium in Valencia to battle in this daring competition.

Chilean photographer Mery Alin Nuñez captured this magnificent extravaganza during a trip to Valencia.

‘It was an unbelievable display,’ revealed the 25-year-old.

‘As a spectator I was nervous not knowing what was going to happen and fearing the performers would be caught by a horn.

‘The Rectadores call the bull, face them and then at just the right moment, jump over the animal as it charges towards them.

‘The jumpers carry out all kind of different tricks and look really braves and courageous.

‘Then suddenly, the tables are turned and the jumpers have to run for their lives to evade the angry bulls.

‘There is a tense and expectant atmosphere in the air which makes this so exciting.’

Established in ancient bronze age Crete during the Minoan era, bull leaping is practised throughout Europe from France to Portugal.

With as many as three bulls in the ring at any one time, each ‘Recortadores’ team – made up of between 5 and 7 members – go head-to-head in a dangerous and skilful performance which can last up to four hours.

Like the bull jumpers themselves, photographer Mery had to rely on reflexes and instinct to get these incredible images.

‘To take pictures like this, especially action shots, you have to visualise the scene in your mind,’ she said.

‘There is a moment when your instinct tells you it’s the right second to press the button.

‘I watched the whole competition with the camera up to my eye, following the action all the time.

‘What I like about these images is that they show the skill and strength of man and beast in one moment.’ (Daily Mail)

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