Living CEO in obit gaffe

Bloomberg news agency inadvertently ran an obituary for Apple CEO Steve Jobs who is still alive. The story was 17 pages long and published on Wednesday. A few hours later, Bloomberg pulled the obit and issued a brief retraction. Jobs is 53 years old and said to have "heath problems which are not life-threatening."

Python kills zoo intern

A university student has been strangled to death by a 3m python at a zoo in Venezuela where the young man was working as an intern. Zoo manager said the 29-year-old Rick Arrieta violated zoo rules when he took the Asian python out while working the night shift. The biology major was found dead.

SAT scores at lowest level

SAT scores for the 2008 graduating class in the US remained at the lowest level in nearly a decade, a trend attributed to a record number of students now taking the test. The 1.52m test-takers recorded a 30% jump over the past decade. Asian-descendants are signled out for their outstanding performance in exams of critical thinking, math and writing.

Madonna emits huge waste

Madonna's world tour concert "Sticky & Sweet", totaling 45 concerts across Europe and America, has been accused of causing extreme carbon pollution after kicking off Saturday in the UK. They estimated the carbon pollution could be as high as 1635 tons, contributed by 95 tons made by her private jet, 1080 tons by the planes carrying her 250 working staff and 460 tons by concert-related facilities and cargo transportation.

10 missing in avalanche

Rescue efforts to find 10 climbers missing in an avalanche on Mont Blanc have been suspended due to worsening conditions, French media reported. The avalanche happened before dawn Aug 24, injuring 8 climbers and leaving 10 missing. The missing includes 5 Austrians and 3 Swiss.

Russia may cut NATO ties

The 2 houses of Russia's parliament adopted non-binding resolutions on Monday urging President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Medvedev had no direct response but warned in a speech the same day that if NATO is not
willing to cooperate with Moscow, "We will take any decision, including terminating relations entriely."

Beauty pageant for nuns

Italian priest Antonio Rungi said he is organizing the world's first beauty pageant for nuns to erase a stereotype of them as being old and dour. The priest said The Miss Sister Italy online contest will start on his blog in September. He is asking nuns to send their photos to him, saying Internet users will then choose the winner.

Blaine plans 'batman' stunt

US magician David Blaine plans to shock audiences on September 22-24 by hanging upside down on a 5-story-high wire in New York's Central Park like a bat for 3 days and 2 nights. During the nearly 60-hour stunt, Blain will go without food and walk on the underside of a wire without a safety set while maintaining his upside-down stance.

Kyrgyz airlines blacklisted

After the air crash in Kyrgyzstan Monday, the most serious since 1991, all of its 22 airline carriers were put on the blacklist by the European Union due to security concerns. 70 of the 90 passengers on board, including one Chinese national, were killed in the crash.

Kyrgyz plane crash kills 70

A Boeing 737 with 90 people on-board crashed Sunday night just outside the Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, killing 70. Kyrgyz PM lgor chudinov said afterwards that initial reports suggested the plane had been inspected only 2 months ago and may have suffered a sudden loss of cabin pressure before crashing.

Bank-note bath in Taiwan

It is reported that in Taiwan, with just more than NT$100, people can enjoy a bank-note bath and get a bank-note oil-absorbing tissue to have an experience of “spending money like water”. These soap-made 100000-Yen Japanese bank notes dissolve, bubble and send out a fragrance of natural juniper.

iPhone users sue Apple

An Alabama woman has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the iPhone 3G's advertising campaign is misleading. She says she has experienced slow Internet downloads and missed calls. After weeks of silence regarding the complaints, Apple finally acknowledged earlier this week that reception problems existed. An Apple spokesman said the iPhone OS 2.0.2 software update was designed to provide "improved communication with 3G networks".

Germany to hold cliff diving

A good news to the diving fans: Throngs of cliff-diving lovers from across the world have arrived in Germany, preparing for the "Cliff Diving" competition scheduled Saturday. A number of the participants are warming up at places 22 meters above a river in Hamburg.

Li Donates to needy athlete

Olympic champion Li Ning donated EUR20000 on behalf of the Li Ning Fund to German gymnast Oksana Chusovitina for her son's rehabilitation treatment from leukemia. Chusovitina, 33, competed in various international events for money to pay her son's medical bills. She won a silver medal in Women's Vault event of the Beijing Games.

Greeks hit by doping scandal

15 Greek athletes have tested positive for the same banned substance in what the president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee calls organized doping. The reigning women’s 400m hurdles champion Fani Halkia was sent home hours before her event, becoming the 15th Greek athlete to test positive for methyltrienolone in the last 3 months.

Tricks with medal tally

Different countries are keeping themselves on top of Olympic medal tally in various ways. For the record, China clearly has more gold medals than anyone else. Yet the US claims they are No. 1 with the greatest number of medals. Countries in Europe formed a “Team G8” to rival with others.

Panel to probe infant deaths

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Tuesday formed a 5-member committee to probe the deaths of 49 inflants during clinical trials over the past 30 months at the institute. The AIIMS pediatrics department conducted 42 sets of trials on 4142 babies - 2728 of them below the age of 1 - since Jan, 2006.

Free Pizza For Phelps

Michael Phelps is hot. Companies everywhere want to share in his fame. Pizza Hut has offered Phelps and his entire team free pizza and pasta for a year after he broke Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in one Olympics. Phelps has won 14 gold medals, 8 of which were at the Beijing Olympics.

UK to have quit snoring camp

The world's first-ever "quit snoring camp" will open next month in Birmingham, UK, to help participants stamp out the annoying habit. The week-long camp will not allow smoking or drinking alcohol, which are said to make snoring worse. Research found that snoring is one of the most typical symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome, which can be life-threatening.

City and Country Life

Life in the city is very different from life in the villages and on the farms. People in large cities are much more careful to respect the privacy of the individual. Sometimes this feeling seems to be one of indifference, but it is a convention of city life to curb one's curiosity about the personal affairs of
strangers. Villagers and farmers are likely to show a great deal of interest in all their neighbors. Opportunities for bright young people are greater in the cities and there has been a steady stream of hopeful jobseekers from the villages and farms to the large metropolitan areas.

Phelps' historic 8th gold

Michael Phelps chaimed his 8th gold medal as the US clocked a new world record of 3:29.34 to win the men's 4*100m medley relay at the Beijing Olympics Sunday. Australia and Japan took the silver and bronze respectively. Phelps broke legend Mark Spitz's 7-gold mark and finally added 8 to the 6 gold medals he won in Athens, becoming the most prolific Olympic gold medalist.

Penguin knighted by Norway

A penguin named Nills Olav, a resident of Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, was given a knighthood by King Harald of Norway Friday, becoming the first Norwegian knight with wings. Already a colonel, the bird 'inspected' the Norwegian King's Guard at the ceremony. The King's Guard adopted the penguin's predecessor, from whom he inherited Nils Olav's rank, as their mascot in the 20th century.

French drivers recycle oil

With high oil prices, France's middle class is struggling to come up with ways to save on gas. Apart from cutting down on driving, some are making use of edible oil recycled from restaurants. In Marseilles, there is a special organization that collects left-over edible oil from eateries and distributes to its members after filtration at EUR0.65 per liter, much cheaper than diesel, which sells at EUR1.50 per liter.

Drinking water with care

People need more water than usual on hot summer days, when much of the body's water is released through sweat and too much cheering at the venue. Here are some tips for drinking water: Don't "overdose" on water - divide the amount you need and drink at a regular pace throughout the day. Choose non-carbonated, low-sugar drinks instead of ice water.

Phelps tells winning secret

US swimmer Michael Phelps has won the medals of any Olympic athlete after taking 2 more Olympic gold medals Wednesday, bringing his career tally to an unprecedented 11 victories. He won the men's 200m butterfly and picked up a 5th gold as a member of the US 4*200m freestyle relay team. Phelps told media it was the carbohydrates in pasta and pancakes as well as adequate sleep that have contributed to his victory.

Bush Sr. Shopping with FBI

Former US president George H. W. Bush went to Beijing's famous Silk Market for shopping Monday under the protection of the FBI. He bought 6 gowns for RMB 1800, one of which was dark blue with an embroidered dragon on the back. Anne Rogge, wife of IOC president Jacques Rogge, also went there and bought a Chinese-style red jacket made of raw silk and a silk blouse for RMB600.

Russian Conflict Continues

Russian forces Tuesday pushed further into Georgia, seizing towns and a military base in western base in western Georgia. French President Sarkozy is to leave for Russia and Geogia Tuesday, seeking to use his influence to end further conflict between the warring sides. Still, Russia rejected a resolution proposed by France.

German Games horse RMB 120M

The most expensive horse in the German Olympic equestrian team is worth rmb120m, Li Zhenqiang, a Chinese equestrian contender, was quoted by Qingdao Evening News as saying. Among the 75 horses taking part in the equestrian jumping event, 20-30 are priced above rmb30m. Jumpy, Li's horse, costs rmb12m.

Obama too thin to win?

The Wall Street Journal suggested last week that Barack Obama might be too thin to win the White House as his slim physique could be a liability in a nation of mostly obese voters. obama's enthusiasm for exercise and diet might make him difficult to appeal to voters. He stopped 3 times in one day for workouts at gyms, prompting a reporter to wonder, "Sometimes it's hard to tell if Obama is running for President or Mr. Universe."

Oil price drops below $120

Crude oil fell below $120 a barrel in both London and New York Monday for the first time since early May as tropical storm Edouard seemed unlikely to threaten oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Light sweet crude for September delivery slid to $119.50 a barrel and settled at $121.41 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude dropped to $118.80 before pulling back in late trade to $120.68.

Olmert to quit in September

Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said Wednesday he has decided not to contend in the primary election of his ruling Kadima, scheduled for September 17, and would resign as soon as the new party leader was chosen, due to the corruption probes that have embroiled him in recent months. Political sources said this decision signals and end to Olmert's political career and leaves Middle East peacemaking in turmoil.

BBC fined for fake shows

The BBC has been fined 400000 pound Wednesday by UK media watchdog Ofcom for misleading its sudiences by "faking" phone-ins. The penalty is a record for the corporation. "The BBC deceived its audience by faking winners of competitions and deliberately conducting competitions unfairly," Ofcaom said. Other show were pre-recorded, so nobody could win what were asid to be "live" competitions.