“He didn’t have any intelligence. And he moved with just a slow, lumbering shuffle of his metallic feet. But one of Britain’s first humanoid robots, built just after the Second World War, has been given a new lease of life after having languished in a garage for the past 45 years. Former spy catcher and RAF officer Tony Sale, 79, built the incredible 6ft high robot, George, in 1950 for just $20 using scrap metal from a crashed Wellington bomber plane.  At the time Mr Sale was only 19 and his amazing man-sized model, which could walk and ‘talk’ stunned the world. Sadly computers of the time were too crude and big to give George memory and intelligence so he was packed away in Mr Sale’s garage in Bedford and left to gather dust. But now after nearly five decades Mr Sale has got the radio-controlled robot working simply by putting in two new batteries and oiling his joints.” w/ photos

“Surgeons have apparently saved a young girl’s hand in China – by grafting it on to her leg for three months. Ming Li, 9, lost her left hand when she was run over by a tractor on her way to school in July. However it was too badly damaged to reattach immediately so doctors decided to attach it to her right leg while it healed. After three months a medical team at a hospital in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, transplanted it back on to her arm. Spokesman Dr Hou Jianxi said: ‘When she came in, her left hand was completely severed from her body. It was very scary. ‘But Ming Li can now move her wrist again and her left hand is a healthy pink colour proving that the blood is circulating well.’ Ming Li will need two more operations over the next year to improve her hand functions and remove scars, according to Orange News.” w/ photos

“This cute baby elephant shows off his silky skills as he gives a first class demonstration in ball control under the watchful gaze of his proud mother. The Asian elephant, called Luk Chai, seemingly smiles as he contentedly chases the massive football around his paddock. Luk, which means son, raced after the ball after his mother, Porntip, kicked it for him to retrieve. Luk, who was the first Asian elephant to be born in Australia, then fell in a heap on top of the ball before knocking it back to his mother for another round of the kick about. The photos were taken by amateur photographer Renee Doyle while on a family visit to Taronga Zoo, in New South Wales, Australia.” w/ photos

“Wildlife keepers from Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures have been busy collecting eggs since their saltwater crocodiles started nesting three weeks ago. In one of the nests was an extremely rare conjoined egg, which has been placed in an incubator, where it will stay until it hatches in February. When it hatches, wildlife keeper Clay Mitchell said there was a possibility it could hold conjoined twins. “I suppose you could call them twins, but not identical, which would be the case if they came from one egg,” Mr Mitchell said. “However, looking at the egg, it could technically be classed as one egg but with two separate yolks.”  The croc farm, about 24 miles north of Cairns, has only had a couple of double eggs in the 76 years it has been in operation, but this is the first time a fertile double egg has been found.” w/ photos

“This chubby furry circle named Jia Bao (Chinese for Spot) weighs, a 46.2lb pug whose owners claim makes him nine pounds heavier than the current Guinness world record holder for the World’s Heaviest Dog. No word of whether or not the dog qualifies for the “World’s Flattest Face” or the “Most Pained Dog Expression.” w/ photos

“Their height made Wayne and Laurie Hallquist seem an ideal match when they met seven years ago, and on Thursday they received the title of world’s tallest living married couple. Guinness World Records bestowed the towering distinction on the Hallquists in a ceremony under the marquee at its Hollywood museum. The couple arrived in a white limousine, with Wayne sporting a tuxedo and Laurie in a white wedding dress. The Hallquists, who live in Stockton, California, measure a combined 13 feet, 4 inches  to be exact. He stands 6 feet 10.4 inches, she 6 feet 5.95 inches, the Guinness organization said. ‘It’s a whole different perspective up here, and we can find each other quite easily in a crowd,’ said Laurie. ‘We can see several people going bald that might not know it at the moment,’ joked Wayne, 57, who works as a telephone company wire splicer.” w/ photos

“This grizzly bear amused onlookers when he satisfied a hard-to-reach itch on a ‘soft shoulder’ road sign. Surprised wildlife park visitors watched as the animal stretched himself to his full height and leaned against the pole in a bid to scratch something that was irritating him. Photographer Chris Perry said the bear appeared to be enjoying himself so much he almost snapped the fragile signpost in two. The 47-year-old snapped the incredible shots while visiting the Denali National Park in Alaska, America.” w/ photos

“A woman who weighs little more than a new-born baby spoke of her joy today after being certified as the world’s smallest woman. Hatice Kocaman, just 28in tall, said she overcame bullying to become globally famous for her size. Speaking at her home in Kadirli, Turkey, sahe said: ‘I always hoped that one day the world would recognise me. ‘It was hard when I was a child because all my classmates used to tease me for being small. ‘But now I am famous because of my size. So it makes me feel like I am much taller.’ ‘I hope to travel and to meet lots of people including the tallest man in the world. ‘God made me the way I am and I am proud of that. I hope I can find someone who will love me one day.’ The 21-year-old, who suffers from dwarfism, lives with her parents Ibrahim and Hatun and was also recently certified as the second-smallest adult human alive by the Guiness Book of Records. The only adult she is taller than is Nepalese man Khagendra Thapa Magar who at 25.8 inches is the world’s smallest person.” w/ photos

“Every morning, Angus Kennedy sits down at the desk in his cosy office in the Kent countryside and starts to plough his way through a load of chocolate, biscuits, toffee — anything sweet, really. As he freely admits, he has what many would consider the best job in the world. He edits the confectionery trade’s longest-running and most respected magazine, and it is his duty to review at least 200 products every month. ‘I refuse to write about anything unless I’ve tasted it first,’ he says. ‘After all, people want to know what it’s like to roll a toffee around your tongue.’ And Angus takes his job very seriously. When visiting a trade show, he can eat 2lb of chocolate in a single day —that’s roughly 20 bars of Dairy Milk or 25 Creme Eggs. By rights, he should be the size of a house. But annoyingly he’s as thin as a chocolate-covered matchstick — and surprisingly dishy to boot. (Slim, handsome and with unfettered access to chocolate? His wife is a lucky woman.) But how on earth does he manage so stay in shape? ‘It’s unfair, but I’ve always been thin,’ he says. ‘I go to the gym twice a week and used to row for England, so I know how long it takes to burn calories. Four small chocolate bars is about 20 minutes on the running machine, while a small biscuit can take seven ­minutes of hard rowing.’ He admits some of his staff have acquired much larger girths than when they started. What’s more, some have even left because they’re fed up with eating chocolate.” w/ photos

“Anybody trying these outdoor gadgets might want to bring a pair of curtains. For although they look and feel more like giant goldfish bowls, these latest inventions are actually totally see-through inflatable tents. With incredible panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, the bizarre transparent structures are designed to get people as close to nature as possible. But they are far from the traditional camping trip – decked out with wardrobes, shelves and electric lights, the bubbles look more like a movable hotel room than a regular tent. Launched this year, the structures can be now be hired out at sites across France for around $543 pounds a night. And since then British tourists have been flocking to the country to try out the new camping experience. French designer Pierre Stephane Dumas said his ‘BubbleTree’ creations are ‘unusual huts for unusual nights’. He explained: ‘Having a night under the stars or seeing the sun rise and set is not something that many people experience anymore. ‘A normal tent or camper van means people miss out on these things. ‘So I designed this eccentric shelter with the aim of offering an unusual experience under the stars while keeping all the comfort of a bedroom suite.” w/ photos