A 72-year-old man from a remote valley in Nepal has been declared the shortest man ever documented after being measured by Guinness World Records officials.
Chandra Bahadur Dangi stands just 54.6 centimetres tall, measurements confirmed, 5.3cm shorter than Filipino Junrey Balawing, the previous holder of the “world’s shortest man” title.
Dangi, who weighs 12 kilos, was brought to the attention of the world only three weeks ago after Nepali researchers looking into the history of the Dangi people were introduced to him.
He has also been declared the shortest human adult ever recorded, taking the accolade from India’s Gul Mohammed, who was measured at 57cm before he died in 1997 aged 40.
High cost of dating in the UK
In the UK single people looking for love spend almost £3.4 billion on dates every year, splashing cash on new clothes and expensive restaurants, according to a new study.
Some 37 million dates happen each year and singletons spend an average of £47 each on every encounter, the survey of more than 2,000 people by dating company Match found.
The quest for the perfect partner costs single people an average of £1,107 each year, with daters collectively spending more than £1.3 billion on entertainment, bars and restaurants and more than £860 million on new clothes for dates, the research found.
Royal ‘spat’ with artist over tie
Queen Victoria’s royal spat with an artist over whether to paint her son wearing a black or white tie can finally be judged by the public.
The miniature portrait at the centre of the dispute is going on display for the first time - at the Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, from March 16 to November 4. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, is painted by acclaimed Scottish artist Kenneth Macleay. The tiny image was based on a larger watercolour from 1864 which depicts the royal wearing a white tie - Victoria asked for a black tie but the painter thought better.
Fallow deer stuck in tennis net
Firefighters and the RSPCA in the UK had to carry out an unusual rescue after a fallow deer got caught in a tennis net and then smashed into a statue.
The adult buck got tangled in the net and then managed to get its antlers stuck in the statue after it roamed on to a tennis court in Tewin, Hertfordshire.
Kate Wright , RSPCA animal welfare officer, said it seemed that the deer had panicked when it got caught in the net and ran off, smashing into the statue. Firefighters used a large tarpaulin to place over the top of the deer in order to get it to the ground while Ms Wright put a towel on its face.
It took four firefighters to hold the buck down. They managed to cut the netting off, and free it. The deer then ran straight through the netting, around the tennis court and off back into the wild.