STORY TO BE TOLD

Paul the octopus oracle found dead

Paul the octopus has picked his last winner. The eight-legged German oracle who gained worldwide fame by consistently predicting the victors of the 2010 World Cup football matches has died, aquarium officials announced Tuesday.

Paul was found dead in his tank Tuesday morning by “devastated” staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Aquarium, a statement read. He died peacefully overnight, the statement added.

He was two years and 10 months old.

“Paul predicted his way into the hearts of audiences during the football World Cup 2010 and earned world fame as an octopus oracle,” the aquarium statement read.

Quick to head off any suspicions of foul play or neglect, general manager Stefan Porwoll, said: “He died peacefully in the night of a natural death. It is a comforting thought that he had a good life with us, with the best possible care by a dedicated team.”

Porwoll added: “Paul inspired people on all continents, as he correctly predicted, one after another, seven matches for the German national team as well as the final. He was dear to all our hearts and we will miss him painfully.”

Paul’s body is now in a refrigerator and is expected to be cremated in the next few days.

The aquarium will now erect a memorial “to honour Paul and on the basis of worldwide interest.”

The memorial will show the “most beautiful and moving moments.”

The urn containing Paul’s ashes will be put on display, as will the Perspex boxes in which the national flags of football teams were lowered into Paul’s tank for him to make his famous predictions.

Paul’s correct prediction of eight straight matches had one chance in 256. After the World Cup 2010, the aquarium was besieged by media and corporate requests for Paul to take a crack at everything from stock price movements to national elections.

More ominously, the Spanish town of Carballiño asked to borrow Paul for a few days during a major food festival.

More on news: http://www.thelocal.de/

Credits to and source taken from: http://www.thelocal.de/

‘Flying’ screwdriver nearly hits housewife and kids at Penang flats

GEORGE TOWN: First, a falling stone kills a man. Now, a “flying” screwdriver narrowly misses a housewife and two children.

Just 48 hours after Koay Chin Chai died when he was hit by a palm-sized stone, Sharifah Mydin Kuppiy nearly met the same fate – this time in full view of several councillors and pressmen.

The 27-year-old housewife was shocked to see that a screwdriver had cracked her car’s windscreen at the Jalan Sungai flats at about 2.45pm.

Narrow miss: Sharifah Mydin showing the damage to her car windscreen after it was hit by a screwdriver (inset) at the Jalan Sungai flats in Penang yesterday.

Sharifah said if they had stood next to the windscreen, she and her brother’s two children could have been the next victims of a “flying” object.

“We don’t want to be living in fear everyday,” she said, adding that a flower pot landed next to her while she was carrying a baby on Oct 19.

Several pressmen, Penang Muni­cipal Council (MPPP) councillors and council officers, who were scheduled to be there for a press conference over the falling stone tragedy, were shocked to witness the latest incident.

On Saturday, Koay, 64, died after he was hit on the head by a falling stone measuring 14cm by 10cm and weighing about 280g.

Kampung Maqbul Village Security and Develop­ment Committee chairman Shah­rudin Mohd Shariff, who has been living in the block of flats for 10 years, said he once came across a mini aquarium falling and landing next to him.

“One day, residents may have to wear a helmet when walking around the block,” he said.

MPPP public health and finance standing committee member Ong Ah Teong said the council, which manages the block of flats, would install six CCTV cameras at strategic locations by the end of the year.

He said they were considering fixing a wire netting measuring 1.2m by 1.8m to cover the grilles of the 529 units and also extending the awning at the front portion of the flat.

“We will impose a RM50 fine on those who simply throw rubbish,” he said, adding that repeat offenders might also be barred from staying in the flats.

Meanwhile, the windscreen of a car parked below a block of flats in Bandar Baru Air Itam was smashed after a steel bar of a window pane fell on it.

Lim Lee Kheng, 38, whose sister owns the car, said it happened at about1.40pm on Sunday.

A police report was lodged.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/news/

Miss Vietnam for Miss World 2009 Huong Giang and her Chinese boyfriend Liu Jia tied the knot on October 23rd. The wedding party was held in the tourism island of Phu Quoc with the participation of only 30 guests.

Check out the photos of Huong Giang Wedding in Phu Quoc Island posted recently by the 24h.com website.

Huong Giang and her husband Liu Jia

Huong Giang and her Parents

Only 30 guests were invited to the wedding party

The wedding party was held in the tourism island of Phu Quoc

Credit: 24h.com.vn