News Extra
By Rachel Ogbu
Sunday, January 27, 2008
World's Hairiest In Search of a New Girlfriend
For the single ladies who like men with a generous gift of body hair, here is a rare opportunity. Yu Zhenhuan, the world's hairiest man is looking for a new love after breaking up with his girlfriend.
The Guinness Book of Records recognised Zhenhuan in 2002 as the world's hairiest man and recently he posted his picture on a dating site on the Internet after ending a relationship. "I was amazed to see his picture there, since I'd been hearing he was going to get married soon. So I called the media," said an anonymous admirer.
The 29-year-old hairy bachelor's last relationship began on the Internet. "We got to know each other through the Internet, and had been seeing each other for three years. Unfortunately our relationship has come to an end." He explained further:"My whole body is covered with hair, and my parents are worried I won't be able to find a wife. Many girls are shocked when they see me in person. I feel like King Kong, hideous, but with a soft and tender heart," he told Zhejiang Online.
A Church Built With Ice Blocks
A church built completely of ice blocks is now a source of attention for many people in Romania. The building measuring 200 sq ft and 6,673 feet is located in the Carpathian Mountains near Balea Lake. The builder, Arnold Kingleis is a local businessman. He had also built a hotel made from ice block located near the church.
The church which has became very popular is drawing worshippers from all over the world. The managers of the church said they had been inundated with requests to carry out religious activities. "We have been swamped with requests for baptism, weddings and other religious events. It's a novelty for people and it creates something special they can look back on," Inge Florea, spokesman for the ice church said.
The church now operates daily to accommodate its crowd but this created a threat to the building as so many services were taking place and the candles were burning almost non-stop, damaging the church's interior. This has compelled its managers to ban the use of candles.
…And An Ice Piano
This is the season of "Made-of-Ice products. The Chinese have built a functional piano made from ice block. This has become the first of its kind in the world.
The ice piano, designed and built by a local landscaping company, was unveiled recently at the 20th International Snow-Sculpture Art Expo in Harbin city.
The piano, which was placed on a stage facing the highest snow sculpture, can also play more than 30 classic piano pieces automatically.
The work of art is also open to tourists. They are allowed to play the piano themselves.
The landscaping company says the piano is mostly ice, and will melt, as the weather gets warmer.
A Shark's Virgin Birth
A virgin shark has given birth to a baby in a Hungarian aquarium. Workers there are celebrating after its lonely female shark produced a pup without ever having come into contact with a male shark. "When I saw the baby shark lying on the bottom of the tank I thought it was a joke. I was amazed when I realised it was a real shark," Attila Varga, the director of the aquarium said.
The mother, a white-tipped reef shark named Ibolya by staff, was born at the Nyiregyhaza Centre seven years ago. "The mother is very protective of her pup, but as soon as we can, marine biologists want to get a DNA sample from both. There has only ever been one other example of a virgin birth (parthenogenesis) at a zoo in America when a hammerhead shark had a pup that was killed by a stingray before keepers could remove it from its tank. That happened in 2000 but it was only last year that a study of the DNA was complete and indicated the pup was from a virgin birth," the director said. Sour
Varga further said: "But our baby is not only the first time it's happened here in Europe, but it's the first time a pup born asexually is known to have survived."
Although the new arrival is currently boosting the number of visitors to the aquarium, the birth of a new shark has caused problems for the marina because its shark tank is not big enough for two - and the managers do not want to give up the baby.
According to the company, they are planning to build another shark tank. "We are planning to build it a bigger tank, find it a male and then hopefully next time round it can have a baby properly," Varga said.
Surgeons Remove World's Biggest Tumour
A Chinese hospital has successfully removed what has now become the world's biggest tumour of its kind from a woman's buttocks.
The tumour, weighing 45 kilogrammes belonged to a patient simply known as Ahui, 36, of Guangzhou city.
Two teams of surgeons at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital worked for more than eight hours to remove the 4ft 5ins tumour. "We had to divide the surgeons into two teams, one cutting from the waist, the other from the lower right leg, then meeting in the middle," Huang Guangxiang, chief surgeon said.
"This is the largest tumour we've ever seen, and medical reports show it was the biggest neurofibromatosis tumour in the world."
Ahui says the tumour started growing on her right buttock when she was 12. "At that time, it was only the size of an egg, and my family had it cut off at the hospital," she said. "But after 10 years, a new tumour started growing like crazy where the old one had been. "Because of this, I haven't had a bath in the past two years, and had to stay in bed all the time. My sister quit her job to take care of me," she said.
Ahui inherited the disease known as multiple neurofibromatosis, from her mother, who died of it in 1990.
Man Pulls Plane With Teeth
Zhang Shaoxiong, 42, nicknamed Dragon Boy, from China stunned a crowd in China recently when he pulled a small aeroplane more than 10 metres with his teeth.
He performed the stunt in Red Sun Square in Xiangtan city. There, he methodically used a red rope tied to the front wheel to pull the 1.4 tonne Nanchang CJ-6 plane. "It wasn't a big deal for me. I've pulled things that are even heavier," he said.
Shaoxiong said he was inspired to train himself to pull heavy objects with his teeth 20 years ago. "I was doing some work, and both hands were occupied, so I tried to move something heavy with my teeth, and did it," he said.
He has been training ever since and has also managed to pull a four tonne Lincoln car.
The heavy weight champion said his super-strong teeth also come from his life-long habit of chewing betel nuts.
News extra Interview: I Regret My Mistake
Ofunnekama Molokwu, 29, runner-up in the popular Big Brother Africa Show 2 is unrelenting in her determination to succeed in life. After a failed relationship, a sex scandal, criticisms and pressure from the ever-demanding public, Molokwu came out through the fire, shinning as gold. She is now the ambassador for Heart of Africa and has a title of "African Queen." She has set everything in place to become a strong voice for her generation. In this interview with Rachel Ogbu, reporter/researcher, she also sets the record straight concerning her good and bad experiences in the Big Brother Africa 2 house. She talks of what she feels about Richard Buzidenhout, the winner from Tanzania who is also the married man who allegedly took advantage of her in a drunken state. Excerpts:
Newswatch: Sincerely, why did you pick that form and signed for Big Brother Africa 2?
Molokwu: I wanted to explore the shores outside Nigeria. I wanted to see myself on a platform where I could show my talents. I wanted to give what I had to offer. I am ambitious and I wanted to do more, so I told myself: this involves the whole of Africa and you never can know who is watching.
Newswatch: When people go on shows like Big Brother, they go there just to have fun hoping they would win the prize money but you brought the standards higher when you showed off how intelligent, serious-minded and focused you are. Was that a strategy?
Molokwu: It's just because I am academic in every sense of the word. I work hard but I like to enjoy myself, so I have the academic side and the fun side as well.
Newswatch: But why did it take you such a long time to unwind and show your fun side?
Molokwu: I had fun and I think I displayed that sometimes in the house. I showed more of my academic side because that was what I wanted to do when I was in the house. That was what I wanted to show off.
Newswatch: How did it feel when you understood the pressure that was on you and that Nigeria was expecting you to make it proud?
Molokwu: First, I went there as Ofunneka and then I went there as a Nigerian. There are several misconceptions about Nigerians and bad news travels very fast. So I said apart from representing myself, I really had to show these people who we really are as opposed to the 419 and ritual-killing perception they had. I wanted them to have a positive mind about who Nigerians are and I think I was able to do that.
Newswatch: So you think you were able to change the way outsiders perceived us?
Molokwu: Yes, in my little way.
Newswatch: There was so much pressure in the Big Brother House and although you had Maureen as your friend, the friendship faded along the way. How was your relationship with other housemates and how did you deal with the pressure?
Molokwu: For me, that was a game and whatever people portray sometimes was because of the pressure of the game. It gets really tough and if you were outside you could drive off and go somewhere, but you are locked up and people are watching. I had some bad times but I felt if I could not deal with this person, then I should just keep to myself.
Newswatch: Considering all the stress, pressures and tough times you went through on the show, if you were invited to do another Big Brother Show would you accept the invitation?
Molokwu: Yes, may be this time it would be Big Brother World.
Newswatch: Are you saying that you are ready for anything now; didn't anything take you by surprise during the show?
Molokwu: We knew it wasn't a scripted show but then there was no one to tell us what to do and how to do it on television. It was just I living with other people.
Newswatch: During the show Nigerian viewers were complaining that you were acting the part of a Big Brother House girl instead of Housemate. They wanted you to be more social. Would you have done things differently?
Molokwu: But I was care free, I did Truth or Dare, I had fun and I danced. The thing about it is that you cannot equate one person with another. I'm a different individual and even if we were doing the same thing we are still different and that was not my reason for being on the show. I had to focus on why I was there because if I didn't win the money what else would I have done on the show - just go to party and drink? I am a very straight-minded person and I had my career in focus. That was it.
Newswatch: How did the show affect your career?
Molokwu: I am now the ambassador for Heart of Africa, which is a good thing for me. I want to set up a project where I can empower youths. I am also hoping and praying that I can become an ambassador of the UN, and go into writing. I would definitely go into counselling, I was working in a fertility clinic, I want to continue in that line.
Newswatch: Is there anything you regret about being on a reality show?
Molokwu: I don't regret in life, I don't ever dwell on anything because it won't change. So I learn from my experiences and move on.
Newswatch: How about the mistake you made and you wished you had been more careful?
Molokwu: I have learnt that no one is perfect, we all have our imperfections and that's one thing individuals should learn. Unfortunately, many of the flaws we had in the house were aired on television, which was the unfortunate thing. There are a lot of people who do wrong things but it's not shown on air. We make mistakes but we should move on and learn not to repeat them.
Newswatch: After the tape involving you and Richard Buzidenhout in a sexual misconduct was released on the Internet, there was a rumour that you intended to sue the Big Brother Show organisers. Is that true?
Molokwu: No, the last thing I said when I was interviewed was that whatever happened on the Big Brother Show, I am talking to my family and we are deciding what we were going to do next. I'm not suing anyone right now.
Newswatch: How do you feel right now after the whole scandal? Are you hurt?
Molokwu: I've gone beyond that right now. I don't want to dwell too much around it because I won't be able to move on. I think as women we should portray ourselves in such a way that we are respected so we don't find ourselves in a compromising situation. As individuals, don't be too hard on people. Unfortunately, people make mistakes and mine was probably over drinking until I got to the point when I passed out and whatever happened. But we should allow people to learn from our mistakes and help them, which is why I'm happy because so many people were supporting me and helping me to move on from that level. That's a good thing because it could happen to anyone.
Newswatch: About Richard, he portrayed an uncanny character, he disrespected women, took advantage of people, committed adultery on international television and still won the cash prize. Do you think as Africans we have lost our moral value and what do you think of Richard as a person?
Molokwu: Unfortunately, they call it a man's world, but I think whether it is a man or a woman, whatever you are doing, if you are married, think of your partner. What would the person do? What would you do if you were in the person's shoes? If you can't take it then don't do it. That is my philosophy and I believe in the law of karma - what goes around comes around.
Newswatch: Talking about relationships, remember you told us the emotional story about your ex-boyfriend and how it all went wrong. How have you moved on in that aspect of your life? Have you found someone else?
Molokwu: Right now, I'm not looking.
Newswatch: Well then has someone found you?
Molokwu: Right now I haven't accepted any one. I am just focusing on my career and seeing what is available to advance myself.
Newswatch: What is your idea of love?
Molokwu: Love is sacrifice; love is being there for the person. Love is being able to call someone at odd hours and they will come out and help you. Love is friendship.
Newswatch: What do you have to say to millions of youths out there who have become your fans?
Molokwu: They shouldn't lose hope. They should cry out, because it's only when you speak out and share your problems that people know what you are going through.
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