World Briefs

Ten couples competed to win a wife-carrying contest watched by hundreds at Hereford Racecourse, UK, yesterday.

The 50-metre dash was held as part of the venue's annual Beer and Cider day.

Under the race rules, women can be carried piggyback style, in a fireman's lift, or upside down with their legs around the man's shoulders and arms around his waist.

The winners were Oliver Milligan carrying girlfriend Christina Davies (centre in picture) both from Ebbw Vale.

The race was sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery and the prize is their combined body weight in beer. (PA)

Tourist jumps off Guyana waterfall

A woman jumped off a towering waterfall in Guyana last Saturday, tourism workers said.

The 23-year-old Guyanese woman broke away from a group and jumped off the 225-metre Kaieteur Falls at the end of an early morning tour, according to tour operator Captain Gerry Gouveia.

She was presumed dead at the small South American nation's scenic mecca.

"Never in history has this happened. This could seriously affect our business this tourism season," said another local tour operator.

Locating the body would be tough, Mr Singh said, given that reaching the bottom of the waterfall involves a 24-hour trek.

The Kaieteur Falls is more than four times the height of Niagara Falls at the US-Canada border.

Angel Falls, in Venezuela's Bolivar State, at 979 metres, is the world's tallest waterfall. (Reuters)

Student expelled for wearing mini-skirt

A Brazilian university expelled a woman who was heckled by hundreds of fellow students when she wore a short, pink dress to class, accusing her of immorality.

The private Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outside Sao Paulo, said 20-year-old Geisy Arruda disrespected "ethical principles, academic dignity and morality".

Miss Arruda made headlines last month when she had to be escorted away by police after she tried to go to class wearing the mini-dress. She put on a professor's white coat and left amid a hail of insults and curses.

A video of the October 22 incident was posted on YouTube. Bandeirante University published advertisements accusing Miss Arruda of attending class with "inadequate clothing" and having a provocative attitude that was "incompatible with the university environment".

In the ad, titled Educational Responsibility, the college said it had warned Miss Arruda to change her behaviour and decided to expel her after talking to students, staff and Miss Arruda herself. It accused her of posing for pictures and provoking other students. (AP)

Manure sculpture

A sculpture of a New Zealand government minister crafted from cow manure has been sold for 3,080 New Zealand dollars (£1,344) in an internet auction.

The bust of New Zealand Environment Minister Nick Smith, sculpted as a protest by artist Sam Mahon, attracted 112 bids. Mr Mahon said he made the sculpture to protest at what he considers is Mr Smith's too-soft stance on pollution created by dairy farms.

Mr Mahon gathered cow dung from an organic dairy farm, ground it in a coffee grinder, mixed it with a polymer resin and pressed it into a mould. He polished the sculpture with beeswax to create a finish that resembles bronze. (PA)

Car thief nicks vehicle to court

Police in California said a man stole a car so he could make a court appearance on a previous car theft charge.

The state's highway patrol said 24-year-old Samuel Botchvaroff, of Oakland, was arrested after he left his court appearance at Vallejo on car theft charges. He was taken to jail on suspicion of car theft and possession of stolen property.

Authorities were looking for the stolen car after its tracking system alerted them about the theft. They said Mr Botchvaroff told officers his own car had been impounded and that he had no other way to get to the court appearance. (PA)

Mega meat ball

Matthew Mitnitsky, owner of Nonni's Italian Eatery in Concord, New Hampshire in the US, said today that a 222.5-pound meatball was authenticated as the world's largest after being weighed by state weights and measures officials.

A Guinness Book of World Records official confirmed the big meatball as a record breaker and presented Mr Mitnitsky with a plaque.

The old record of 198.6 pounds was set just over a month ago after Los Angeles-based talk show host Jimmy Kimmel vowed to beat a record set in Mexico. That record - 109 pounds - was set in August. (PA)