A Dutch Christian has painstakingly prepared a lifeboat in his garden capable of saving 50 people ahead of biblical floods he expects to accompany today’s Mayan-foretold doomsday.

“The Mayans weren’t crazy, and if you also look at biblical prophecies, the mountains will melt like wax,” Pieter Frank van der Meer told the left-wing Volkskrant daily newspaper yesterday.

A fervent Christian, Van der Meer bought the orange, totally enclosed lifeboat for €13,000 and has installed a toilet, a sink, a child’s car seat and food supplies.

Around 35 people have reserved seats in the Norwegian-built boat, which currently sits in Van der Meer’s garden in the central Netherlands village of Kootwijkerbroek, around 20 kilometres from the sea.

Putin rules out world’s end today

Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled out the world would end today, as predicted by Mayans, saying he did not expect the end for another 4.5 billion years.

Giving his first major news conference since his return to the Kremlin, Putin was asked why he picked a date one day before the end of the world, according to a Mayan prophecy that has caused global hysteria.

“I know when the end of the world will come,” Putin said, pausing dramatically.

“It will be in 4.5 billion years approximately.

“As far as I remember, it is the system of the functioning of our sun.”

“Everything will end and the reactor will go out – that will be the end of the world.

“But before that it will turn into a small white dwarf,” Putin said.

Asked if he was afraid, Putin said no: “Why be afraid if it’s inevitable?”

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