QuirkyWorld: Couple’s cross words to see them tie the knot

ENGLAND: It’s a case of two down: The aisle.

A crossword-loving British lawyer hid a marriage proposal in The Times newspaper’s daily puzzle. Matthew Dick thought of the cryptic way of popping the question to girlfriend Delyth Hughes and persuaded the newspaper to agree.

Tuesday’s Times crossword opened with one across: “Pretty Welsh girl widely thought not to be all there.” The answer: Delyth.

Other clues included “‘Will you marry me,’ say, that’s forward also rude.” The answer was proposal.

Dick, 38, told yesterday’s edition of the newspaper that he showed Hughes the crossword at breakfast, with some key words underlined, then “reached into my pocket to reveal the ring”.

Hughes, who said yes after first saying no, says she was “dumbfounded that he’d gone to such lengths”.

“It was also bloody typical, as he’s a smart-arse at the best of times,” she said.

“I’ve heard all the engagement stories but this one trumps them all. It’s so special and such a geeky way of doing it.”

Car window ad for Kidney

USA:

Doctors have completed a kidney transplant on a woman whose donor was found through an advert posted on her car window.

Matt Paul, spokesman for the Maine Medical Center in Portland, said Christine Royles received the kidney from Joshua Dall-Leighton. He said the surgery was successful and doctors anticipate “strong recoveries by both the donor and recipient”.

Mr Paul said the hospital is grateful for Mr Dall-Leighton’s donation, and that the case “enhanced awareness of the need for living donors”.

The surgery was delayed because of crowd-sourced donations aimed at covering Mr Dall-Leighton’s medical expenses.

Hospital officials said before the procedure was scheduled that they needed time to determine if the monetary donations violated the National Organ Transplant Act. The act forbids potential donors from profiting from a donation.

Eight hours’ Sleep

ENGLAND:

British contemporary composer Max Richter has written what is believed to be the longest single piece of classical music ever to be recorded.

Richter’s piece, titled Sleep, is described by the composer as “an eight-hour lullaby”, which he hopes will send listeners to the Land of Nod. The piece contains no words, and will be premiered in Berlin in September.

Richter will launch the piece with a concert performance that will be hosted from 12pm to 8am, and guests will be given beds, not seats. Talking about his composition, Richter said: “It’s my personal lullaby for a frenetic world. A manifesto for a slower pace of existence.”

Mars celebrates New Year

USA:

Earth to Mars: Happy New Year!

That’s the sentiment being offered this weekend in Mars, Pennsylvania, as Nasa and other space enthusiasts gather to honour the red planet. The Martian New Year occurs about every two Earth years. On Friday and Saturday, Nasa will sponsor exhibits and activities in the borough of Mars, about 30km north of Pittsburgh.

The agency hopes to encourage young people to study science and technology fields that will further Nasa’s goal of sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. Mars on Earth has a population of about 1,700 and a sculpture of a flying saucer in the heart of town.

Jeb kicks off with satire

USA:

Republican Jeb Bush “slow jammed” the news, told about meeting his wife, offered a guacamole recipe, and oddly compared his presidential father and brother during an NBC Tonight Show appearance.

One day after announcing his bid for the presidency, Mr Bush entered the entertainment world on the nation’s most popular late-night talk show.

He was featured on the show’s recurring “slow jam the news” skit with host Jimmy Fallon. Mr Bush recited lines about his candidacy while Mr Fallon, stylised as a 1970s soul man and backed by the Roots, offered a series of quips.

It’s not really the pits

USA:

On social media and red carpets, from New York to China, hairy underarms are having a mainstream moment.

Women are proudly showing off their growth on Instagram and YouTube, and it’s not just Miley Cyrus any more. Jemima Kirke of Girls flashed her fair-coloured au naturel look — earning some cringes — at the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) awards, one of the year’s top fashion events.

On Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging site in China, the women’s rights activist known as Xiao Meili held an “Armpit Hair Competition” to protest against societal pressure on women to shave the area. Her effort earned more than 1.7m hits.