SUNDAY TRUST
May 22. 2011
ODD WORLD
China farmers face1exploding' watermelon problem FARMERS in eastern China have been left perplexed after their watermelons began to explode one by one. An investigation by state media found farms in jiangsu province were losing acres of fruit
because of the problem. The overuse of a chemical that helps fruit grow faster was blamed in one report by China Central Television. But ag riculture experts were unable to explain why chemicalfree melons were exploding. They cited the weather and abnormal size of the melon as factors.
China Central Television said farmers were overspraying their crops with the growth promoter.
hoping they could get their fruit to market ahead of the peak season and increase their profits. Chemical-free According to the Xinhua news agency. 20 farme rs in a village in jiangsu province planted imported seeds from japan. with 10 households saying their watermelons began exploding last month. Farmer Liu Mingsuo told Xinhua that more than twothirds of his crop had blown up. He said he had used chemicals to boost their growth on 6 May. and the following day more than 180 melons exploded. Mr Liu was reported to be the only farmer from the 10 households who used chemicals.
Wang Dehong. who has been farming watermelons for 20 years, couldn't understand why his fruit also exploded as he had not used any chemicals. Agricultural experts investigating the incident were unable to offer an explanation. China has approved the usage of the growth chemical under certain quotas. So far, tests show the chemical is safe, Xinhua reported. However. as the public is increasingly concerned about food safety, experts say a quality tracking system should be introduced, detailing every stage along the food chain, to inform the public fully, and ensure food safety.
Titanic captain's cigar box found in Man tries to take ponyon train Merseyside house A rail passenger was barred from boarding a train when he tried to board it with a pony. The commuter arrived at the station in North Wales and tried to buy a ticket fo~ himself and the animal for the 7.02pm service from Wrexham to HoIyhead. Despite being told that large animals were not allowed in the carriages, he put the pony into a lift and took it down to the platform. It is not known why he wanted to transport the animal on the train. The man eventually left the
A cigar box once owned by the captain of the Titanic has been discovered gathering dust on a bedroom cabinet. It was spotted by auctioneer john Crane when he was invited to value a number of antiques at a house in Merseyside. Pensioner Hilary Mee said she had no idea the item was connected to the iU-fated vessel even though it had been lying ' around her home for 20 years. The walnut humidor is expected to fetch between ÂŁ10,000 and ÂŁ20.000 at auction in Liver-
pool on Thursday. Finest smokes The box carries the distinctive emblem of the White Star . Line shipping company and bears the initials of the master of the passenger liner, Edward john Smith. who was from Stoke-on-Trent. At firs t Mr Crane could not work out wlJat the initials stood for but he sald a tingle went down his spine when he realised it belonged to the ship's captain . . Ms Mee says the box has
been in her family for several generations. It is thought to have been given to her father by relatives of Edward john Smith's widow Sarah. The box is lined with cam - . phor wood and was designed to hold 40 of the finest Havana cigars. The RMS Titanic was built at the Harland and Wollf shipyard in Belfast and sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912.
US sues company for firing dwarf from barista job THE US government is suing Starbucks Coffee Company for firing a barista in El Paso because she is a dwarf. When the employee asked for a stool or small stepladder to perform her job, Starbucks denied the request and fired her that same day, claiming that she could be a danger to customers and workers, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission, which filed the lawsuit on Monday, said that Starbucks violated federal law by denying a reasonable accommodation to the employee. who
was hired in july. 2009 and was fired after three days of training. :" . "Starbucks has become a virtual icon of modern American culture, appealing to an incredibly diverse customer base," Robert Canino, a commission lawyer in Dallas, said in a statement. "Wei! hope.that when conSidering hiring a person with a disability, Starbucks would choose to enhance its brand with the mark of equal opportunity and access." Slarbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment oii Tuesday.
station - with his pony - when he was not allowed to board the service. Arriva Trains Wales has released CCTV of the incident, which took place last Saturday. A spokeswoman said: "We allows dogs and small animals to travel on board trains. "All animals, except dogs, must be conveyed within a fully-enclosed basket or pet carrier with dimensions not exceeding 85cm x 60cm x 60cm. "Large animals, including horses and ponies, which may pose a risk to the general public, are not permitted to traveL"
Facebook inspires Israeli coupleto name baby/Like' An Israeli couple have named their baby daughter Like, taking inspiration from the Facebook social networking site, Israeli m edia say. Lior Adler and his wife Vardit said they were looking for a name that was "modem and innovative".
Facebook allows 'users to "like" their friends' statuses, pictures and posts .. Like Adler's father said originality was a key.factor in the choice and said"'he had checked no-one else in Israel had the same name. "In our opinion it's the modern equivalent of the name . Ahava [Lovel:' he'said, according to Israeli'newspaper Maariv. "It's just my way of saying to my fantastic daughter, 'Love7'
According to the Haaretz newspaper, the most popular names for girls in Israel currently are Noa, Maya and Tamar. Like, however, will not be alone within her family with her unusual name.
Both parents enjoy cooking and named one of their daughters Pie - using the English word for the name - and Ovash, Hebrew fo r Honey, according to Maariv. Like's father said that when he announced her arrival on Facebook she was very popular. "When I posted her picture and name on Facebook I got 40 'likes7' he told the newspaper. "Considering that I have only a little more than 100 friends on the network that's a lot:'