Misc

London, July 16: A woman with two wombs has given birth to a “one in a million” baby girl. Lindsay Hasaj, 27, who was diagnosed with a dual reproductive system last year, delivered Mirela Elizabeth by Caesarean section.

Only one in a million women have Hasaj’s condition, which halves the chances of fertilisation.

But she astonished doctors by having a straightforward operation, after check-ups throughout her pregnancy. Speaking at home in Finchley, Hasaj’s husband, Tony, 30, said: “We’re absolutely delighted. Mirela is beautiful and healthy, and everything went very smoothly.”

Sydney, July 16: The male members of an ancient fish species known as sea dinosaurs impregnated females with penis like organs 380 million years ago, just like modern day sharks.

Some fish species engaged in penetrative sex and gave birth to young ones, according to a study conducted by Curtin University of Technology (CUT).

“The findings throw light on the evolution of vertebrates on earth, including our own species. This discovery provides a link in the chain of evolution,” Kate Trinajstic, a researcher in CUT, said.

Washington, July 15: Former President Bill Clinton, speaking at the Campus Progress National Conference in Washington, D.C. last week, told a questioner that he is “basically in support” of gay marriage, according to a published report.

“Asked if he personally supported same-sex marriage, Clinton replied, ‘Yeah […] I personally support people doing what they want to do,’ Clinton said. ‘I think it’s wrong for someone to stop someone else from doing that [same-sex marriage],’” reported The Nation.

London, July 15: It was, said their family, a very civilised way to die. Sir Edward and Lady Downes, a shared lifetime of personal and professional triumphs behind them, held hands for their final moments together before climbing on to separate beds to drink the clear liquid containing a fatal dose of barbiturates. Within 10 minutes, watched by their weeping family, they were dead.

Rome, July 15: A romantic wedding in the Tuscan countryside ended with injuries after an attempt to launch the bride’s bouquet from a plane brought down the tiny aircraft.

Italian police say two persons were hurt in the crash of the ultralight plane after the bridal bouquet they launched got caught in the aircraft’s rear rotor.

The flowers blocked the engine, bringing the plane down by a youth hostel.

Police in the nearby town of Piombino said Tuesday the pilot was lightly injured in Saturday’s crash, while the passenger who threw the bouquet had several broken bones.

New York, July 15: First flight of all-pet airline flew from New York to Chicago yesterday.

One trip for their Jack Russell terrier in a plane’s cargo hold was enough to convince Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel that owners needed a better option to get their pets from one city to another.

Yesterday, the first flight for the husband-and-wife team’s Pet Airways, the first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York.

All commercial airlines allow a limited number of small pets to fly in the cabin.

London, July 14: A series of letters and postcards signed and autographed by Mahatma Gandhi were bought in an auction here on Tuesday by two leading NRIs, who will present the precious documents to the government of India.

NRI entrepreneurs Sir Gulam Kaderbhoy Noon and Prof Nat Puri bid for the priceless letters and postcards almost for double the pre-sale estimates at London auctioner Sotheby’s.

Kolkata, July 14: Believe it or not, one of the students writing an undergraduate examination in a Kolkata college is an 86-year-old woman.

Gokul Chattopadhyay got married at a young age and could not continue her education after passing out from school. She lost her husband 30 years ago.

A resident of Kakulia road in south Kolkata, she is now appearing for the BA General Part-I examination at the Netajinagar College for Women.

“We are really surprised to see her enthusiasm in this old age. She is as motivated as any other student,” Sudin Banerjee, a college official,

Washington, July 13: If you’ve ever wondered who’s in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It’s your cat. Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

Udaipur, July 13: Udaipur, known as the “Venice of the East”, was voted the world’s best city for travellers in 2009 in an online poll by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year’s winner Bangkok.

The island of Bali in Indonesia topped the Galapagos to be named best island in the annual poll, in which casual and laid-back destinations prevailed.

Magazine readers also voted Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains, in South Africa, as the world’s top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again.

Sydney, July 12: The girl who appeared to have caught the eye of US President Barack Obama and that of his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy at the G-8 summit in Italy has been identified as a 17-year-old social activist.

Mayora Tavares shot to fame overnight after a photograph depicting Obama seemingly looking at her bottom while Sarkozy also appeared to be taking in the view was published on news websites across the globe.

London, July 11: A waxwork of Michael Jackson made to mark his planned “This Is It” London comeback concerts went on show in the British capital.

The US singer, who died on June 25, had been due to play 50 gigs at London’s O2 Arena from July 13.

The depiction of Jackson at Madame Tussaud’s waxwork museum shows him in his prime in a classic performance pose, matching the “This Is It” concert posters.

Only Queen Elizabeth II, who has been replicated 20 times by Madame Tussaud’s, has been depicted more than Jackson.

New Delhi, July 11: Nearly 11 million Indians vacationed abroad in 2008 as compared to 9.78 million in 2007, the Lok Sabha was informed.

Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said in 2006, about 8.34 million Indians holidayed abroad, while the number went up to 9.78 million in 2007.

The figure jumped to 10.65 million last year, he added.

As for foreign tourist arrivals, these had risen between 2006-08 but had declined this year.

From 4.45 million in 2006, the numbers had gone up to 5.08 million in 2007 and to 5.37 million in 2008.

Moscow, July 10: Several flights have been delayed at New York’s Kennedy Airport when some 80 turtles blocked one of the runways, a media report said.

Officials believe the turtles were probably looking for their mating partners amid the spawning season, the New York Post reported.

Collisions between turtle and plane are quite rare, with only five such cases have been registered at the airport from 2000-2008.

“It’s not unprecedented, but it doesn’t happen a lot,” airport authority spokesman John Kelly told the newspaper Thursday.