A 108-year-old Malaysian woman has reunited with her husband, a man 70 years her junior, after a year-long separation as he completed drug treatment.
Wook Kundor (picture) made headlines in 2006 when she married Muhammad Noor Che Musa, who is now 38, with pictures of the couple's wedding splashed across regional newspapers.
The couple were back together on Thursday after Muhammad completed a 12-month voluntary drug rehabilitation treatment in Kuala Lumpur, the Malay-language newspaper Utusan Malaysia reported on Saturday. (AFP)
Snail race
It was only a 13-inch racecourse and the competitors progressed at a snail's pace.
But Sidney the snail successfully fought off his slowcoach rivals to cross the finishing line in a leisurely three minutes 41 seconds to claim the World Snail racing Championship title.
Around 200 competitors gathered at Congham, Norfolk, for the annual event held during the village fête. (PA)
Landmark threatened by spit
Sheathed in 26,500 tonnes of high-tensile steel and capable of handling 100,000 vehicles a day without a groan, Kolkata's Howrah Bridge is facing a threat its builders had never dreamed of - human spittle.
Recognised as one of the world's finest cantilever bridges, the landmark structure, which straddles West Bengal's mighty Hooghly River, is supported by key pillars that engineers say are suffering from severe corrosion.
The source of the damage is paan - the mixture of betel leaf, areca nut, slaked lime paste and often tobacco - that is habitually chewed by millions of Indians as a palate cleanser and digestive aid. (AFP)
Naked man in armed Aussie stand-off
An armed man wearing nothing but a holster and standing on top of a billboard brought an Australian city to a standstill during a lengthy altercation with police.
The shaven-headed man, brandishing a small pistol, drew a tactical response team, a police helicopter, a fire truck, ambulances and crowds of onlookers as authorities shut down part of central Perth, in Western Australia, on Saturday.
"He's just ranting and raving at this stage, nothing that's really... making a great deal of sense," Inspector Neil Blair told reporters at the scene.
The man, who appeared on the billboard around lunchtime, finally put down his weapon and surrendered to police in the early evening. (AFP)
Summer Christmas shopping
Britain may be basking in a summer heat wave but one department store is already gearing up for winter.
Selfridges in Oxford Street is set to open its Christmas shop on August 2 - 145 days before December 25 and its earliest ever start for the store.
While some shoppers may groan at the thought of festive decorations going on sale so soon, others keen to plan ahead can purchase pre-lit trees, crackers, fairy lights or even a £500 life-size donkey. (PA)
No water pipes for Gaza women
The Hamas-run government in Gaza yesterday said it had banned women from smoking water pipes in public, as fear of the police drove many café owners to extinguish the popular pastime.
"The police have decided to ban women from smoking water pipes in open, public places because it is against our customs, traditions and social norms," interior ministry spokesman Ihab al-Ghussein said.
The smoking of water pipes loaded with sweetened tobacco, also known as nargileh or shisha, is popular in cafés across the Arab world and was one of the few remaining leisure activities left in the isolated coastal strip. (AFP)
Beer drinkers
Britain's beer drinkers can serve as role models for the nation as it struggles to emerge from recession, according to an academic study.
The country's real ale fans represent the perfect example of how greater consumer awareness can revitalise a struggling industry, say economists.
Equally, the ever-growing number of micro-breweries satisfying their demanding palates offers hope for the UK's small businesses, experts at Nottingham University Business School said. (PA)