World Briefs

Control of the world’s oldest commissioned warship HMS Victory was handed over to its 100th commanding officer, yesterday.

Lieutenant Commander Rod Strathern is now at the helm of Nelson’s flagship, famous for its role in the Battle of Trafalgar and for being where the UK’s most famous admiral died in 1805.

The father of -two from Winchester, Hampshire, said: “Command of HMS Victory is a huge privilege for any CO but to be the 100th adds a particular significance and I am conscious that I am following in some very illustrious footsteps. HMS Victory is a priceless national treasure and I intend to ensure she is well looked after.”

HMS Victory was launched in 1765 was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1778. It is undergoing a £16 million five-year refurbishment programme.

Sumo bully?

Hawaiian-born former sumo wrestler Konishiki admitted yesterday to a physical confrontation with a neighbour in a dispute over dog poo.

Konishiki, 47, a popular TV personality in Japan, said he was trying to defend his wife over charges she had allowed her dog to foul on private property in Tokyo. Media reports said Konishiki, who weighed 275 kilos during his time in the ring, pushed a man who demanded that the former wrestler’s wife clean up the mess. She denied that her dog was responsible and tried to walk away.

Konishiki stepped between them and pushed the man, who was not injured but reported the incident to police as an assault.

Lights out

A row has broken out after Christmas lights were removed on health and safety grounds from council flat tower blocks used in comedy series Only Fools and Horses.

Bristol City Council faced accusations of acting like plonkers after its electricians removed the lights from the front of Whitemead House in Bristol – which starred as Peckham’s Nelson Mandela House in the legendary BBC comedy series.

But the council defended its action, saying the lights which adorn the front of the building and neighbouring blocks were dangerous and could have caught fire.

World’s shortest woman

An Indian student measuring just 62.8 centimetres was yesterday confirmed as the world’s shortest living woman, Guinness World Records has said. Jyoti Amge took the title as she celebrated her 18th birthday with family and friends in Nagpur, western India.

Rob Molloy, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, said: “She’s 62.8 centimetres. She was measured three times over the last 24 hours as height can vary slightly according to the time of day. Doctors measured her in our presence at three different times, both standing up and lying down. We took an average.”

Amge, who has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia that has restricted her height to that of an average four-month-old baby girl, has just finished her high school exams.