World Briefs

A paralysed woman has become the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic suit.

Claire Lomas, 32, from Eye Kettleby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, finished the London Marathon 16 days after the race began and said she was “over the moon” to complete any marathon using a bionic ReWalk suit.

Jewellery designer Ms Lomas, who was left paralysed from the chest down following a horse-riding accident in 2007, said: “Once I started, I just took each day as it came and every step got me a step closer.”

Intravenous drips for exams

Students in China have resorted to classroom intravenous drips as a study aid to prepare for the nation’s notoriously difficult college entrance exams, state press said yesterday.

Photos showing students at Xiaogang high school in Hubei province hooked up to hanging bottles of amino acids have gone viral on the web, eliciting shocked concern over how far Chinese students will go to get into university. According to school official Gao Pingqiang, the pre-exam injection has become popular with the students as it has no harmful health effects and helps the students relax.

Many in China’s population of over 1.3 billion people have long viewed the June college entrance exams as a make-or-break test that can determine future careers and life paths.

Bank error leads to windfall

A bank error was almost a good as winning the lottery for a German man.

After a bank accidentally put €160 million into his account, he had to give the massive wad back. But in a lucky twist, a court allowed him to keep the €12,000 in interest the money earned in his account overnight.

The bank is appealing against the ruling.

Man claims lizards found in his bag were for his lunch

A German man stopped at customs with 49 live exotic lizards in his bag claimed they were destined for the cooking pot and even offered to bite one’s head off to prove it, officials said yesterday.

Customs officials halted the 28-year-old at Munich airport on his way from Oman and were staggered to find in his luggage a menagerie including 31 spiny-tailed lizards and 18 other reptiles, including geckos and wall lizards. The man had gone through the green channel at customs, believing his cargo to be “foodstuffs” rather than live animals, he explained.

“The traveller even wanted to bite the head off one of the spiny-tailed lizards in front of the customs official,” said a spokesman for German customs. Fortunately for the lizard, the official declined the invitation, and the reptiles were impounded.

“The man will probably get a fine of at least €1,000,” customs said.

Scott’s haunting sounds

The sounds which boosted morale during one of Britain’s most famous expeditions - Scott’s attempt to conquer the South Pole - are to be released to a new generation.

With their trunk of 78rpm discs, the explorer and his team were given a taste of home through the selection of rousing patriotic themes, music hall standards and popular opera.

Now the songs which were the soundtrack to the journey are being gathered together by EMI Records for a double CD, which features music from Gilbert and Sullivan, through hymns and the Ride of the Valkyries, to the national anthem.