STORY TO BE TOLD

A total of 49 people dressed in giant carrot costumes dance on a square before Pang Kun, one of the 49 carrots, proposes to his girlfriend in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province. -- PHOTO: AP

BEIJING (CHINA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A Chinese man organised 49 giant dancing carrots to propose to his apparently embarrassed girlfriend at a shopping square in the north-eastern city of Qingdao, reports said on Thursday.

An online video of the event showed the man, identified by the surname Pang, emerge from one carrot suit to confirm his carefully choreographed proposal to a giggling Zhao Lu.

The human carrots had performed a popular song from a television dating program, while the hidden Mr Pang spoke through a microphone to tell Ms Zhao how he fell in love with her when they met six months earlier.

'Are you angry with me?' Mr Pang, a finance worker, asked Ms Zhao as he took off his fabric carrot head. Some of the dozens of onlookers shouted "Marry him! Marry him!' to Ms Zhao, whose favourite color is orange, but it was not clear if she accepted Mr Pang's proposal.

Source: The Straits Times

An Indonesian maid was charged in court on Tuesday with mischief by mixing her urine with the drinking water of her employer and her family. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

An Indonesian maid was charged in court on Tuesday with mischief by mixing her urine with the drinking water of her employer and her family.

Suharni, 23, who goes by one name only, is alleged to have committed the offence at a house in Yio Chu Kang on July 19.

Bail of $5,000 was offered.

If convicted, she faces a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine.

Source: The Straits Times

US actress Jessica Alba (above) has given birth to her second child, a girl named Haven, and took to Facebook for the announcement. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US actress Jessica Alba has given birth to her second child, a girl named Haven, and took to Facebook for the announcement.

Husband 'Cash (Warren) and I are so excited to announce the birth of our daughter, Haven Garner Warren,' the Sin City star wrote on her account.

'She was born on Saturday, weighed 7lbs (3.2kg), and was 19 inches (48.3cm) long. Healthy and happy! Big Sister Honor couldn't be more excited about the new addition to our family.'

The 30-year-old actress, married since 2008, has starred in Little Fockers, Valentine's Day, The Love Guru and Fantastic Four. Her first daughter Honor was born in June 2008.

Source: The Straits Times

This recent school photo provided by the Thibodaux, La. Police Department shows 7-year-old Jori Lirette. -- PHOTO: AP

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A man in the state of Louisiana is accused of bludgeoning, decapitating and dismembering his disabled 7-year-old son and leaving the boy's head near the street so the child's mother would see it - a killing that brought seasoned police officers to tears, authorities said on Monday.

Jeremiah Lee Wright, 30, waived his right to an attorney and confessed to killing Jori Lirette within 30 minutes of being brought to the police station on Sunday, Police Chief Scott Silverii said. He said Wright was booked with first-degree murder and held in lieu of US$5 million (about S$6 million) bond.

He was in isolation, Mr Silverii said during a Monday afternoon news conference. The department spokesman, Detective Ricky Ross, said he does not believe Wright has an attorney.

Flowers, balloons and stuffed animals were left on Monday outside the house where Jori died.

Source: The Straits Times

Twins finally get their wish

Twin sisters Aimee Teong Chuin Ai (left) and Charlotte Teong Chuin Yi 20, finally got their offer letters to study locally. MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong presented them with the letters during a ceremony at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur Monday. The two will study medicine at Universiti Malaya.

Top scorers get chance to study medicine

KUALA LUMPUR: Twin sisters Aimee Teong Chuin Ai and Charlotte Teong Chuin Yi have been offered seats to study finance and economics from several top universities in Britain, Hong Kong and Singapore.

However, the two top STPM achievers had to decline because all they wanted to do was to study medicine at Universiti Malaya (UM).

The dreams of the 20-year-old twins finally came true when MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong presented them with the offer letters during a ceremony at Wisma MCA yesterday.

Dr Wee said the sisters had selected medicine, dentistry and actuarial science as their top three choices.

Initially, elder sister Aimee obtained the offer to study actuarial science at UM while Charlotte was offered the same course at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).


At last: Dr Wee Ka Siong and twin sisters Aimee and Charlotte holding up their offer letters from UM at the ceremony at Wisma MCA yesterday.

“However, after giving much consideration to the courses available, both of them realised that they wanted to pursue their favourite subject of medicine,” he said after a press conference here yesterday.

Dr Wee said the two approached the MCA education bureau and hoped it could help them obtain places to study medicine at UM.

“The MCA central committee agreed that the party should provide assistance to the sisters as they are the country's top scorers and should remain here.

“It is also in line with the Prime Minister's call to encourage talent to remain and serve in the country,” he said.

He said the party managed to submit their cases through MCA central committee member Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung, who was also Deputy Higher Education Minister, to minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Noordin.

The ministry agreed to offer both of them places to study medicine at UM.

Aimee said she did not feel sad when she had to decline the offers from overseas universities.

She added that it was her dream to study medicine at UM.

Sister Charlotte said she was thankful for the help rendered to them by MCA.

“I have faith in our education system,” she added.

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