Quirky World: Lunar hootenanny goes looney on women
Sexism at the gala is nothing new. But this year, women’s rights activists have sent an open letter to broadcasting regulators demanding that reruns of the show be suspended and that the director and state broadcaster China Central Television apologise for it.
This year’s gala was directed by a woman, who hasn’t publicly commented on the criticism.
Despite waning viewership, CCTV’s annual gala is the country’s most watched programme and is used to push political messages.
Letter signatory Feng Yuan said activists counted 44 examples of sexism in the four-and-a-half-hour show.
A book that helped Henry VIII build his case against the pope and annul his first marriage has been discovered in a library at a country home.
The volume, dated 1495, is a summary of works by philosopher and theologian William of Ockham, a major figure in medieval intellectual and political thought.
Agents of Henry VIII scoured the country for texts such as Ockham’s, which questioned the authority of the pope and argued for the monarch’s independence.
A scientist has produced the first commercially viable fuel to be developed from whisky byproducts. Prof Martin Tangney, director of Napier University’s biofuel research centre, has produced an advanced biofuel called biobutanol, which could provide an alternative to oil for car and aviation fuel as well as other technologies.
Whisky accounts for just 10% of the material produced in distilleries, with the remaining biological raw materials disposed of at a cost to the industry.
A fast food chain has developed a range of coffee cups which are 100% edible.
The Scoff-ee Cup is made from a biscuit, wrapped in sugar paper, and lined with a layer of heat-resistant white chocolate, which keeps the coffee hot and the cup crispy.
Over time, the chocolate lining begins to melt, slowly softening the biscuit to reveal a melt-in-the-mouth tasty snack. The range is being developed by KFC.
If king for a day sounds too majestic, a small Hungarian village will let you become deputy mayor for a few days.
The village of Megyer, population 18, has put itself up for rent to companies and tourists. For 210,000 forints (€695) a day, a prospective renter gets seven guesthouses that sleep 39 people, four streets, a bus stop, a barn, a chicken yard, six horses, two cows, three sheep, and 10 acres of farmland — along with the possibility of temporarily being named deputy mayor.
The deal aims to revitalise the hamlet, which dates back to at least the 11th century and is 190km south-west of Budapest. Mayor Kristof Payer says the silence of the remote countryside is its main attraction.
A man has found a way to profit from the several feet of snow in his yard by shipping it to people in warmer climates for the bargain price of $89 for 2.7kg.
Kyle Waring of Massachusetts got the idea while shovelling snow earlier this winter and launched ShipSnowYo.com. At first he shipped 500g snow-filled bottles for $19.99, but he found the snow melted by the time it arrived at its destination. So he came up with a new plan, selling 2.7kg at a time. The package, he says, should make 10 to 15 snowballs.
Police are asking for the public’s help in trying to determine who built a mysterious underground tunnel near York University in Toronto.
Deputy chief Mark Saunders said the tunnel, which is in a wooded area, is 10m long and 2m high. He said it is not near any infrastructure and does not appear to lead anywhere
Saunders said there was nothing to suggest a criminal element.
A 57-year-old Montana man is charged with flagging down a school bus and threatening the driver with a knife, apparently for driving too fast.
Duane Richard Tholen was arrested and appeared in Lincoln County Justice Court on two counts of assault with a weapon. His bail was set at $100,000.
The bus was carrying several children and an adult aide. The driver says she opened the bus door, Tholen stepped on and started waving a knife around.
Tholen acknowledged flagging down the bus and confronting the driver about speeding near his home, but he denied any criminal behaviour.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
