“Forget writing a few notes under your school jumper on test day, because exam officials in China have taken surveillance to a whole new level after they were seen using radio frequency detectors in an attempt to catch cheating students. It’s not just the headmaster slowly walking past your desk that you have to worry about when taking an exam in China – you have an army of people watching your every move the minute you set foot in the exam hall. National College Entrance Exams are a big deal in the country and the desperation to get into university forces many to bend the rules when it comes to study. Around nine million students take the test in June each year and it’s seen as crucial in getting ahead in life. So in a bid to stamp out cheating everything from an elaborate surveillance control room to radio frequency detectors are being used by Chinese education authorities.” w/ photos

“For someone covered from head to toe in nearly 7,000 metallic piercings, one extra ring might not be anything particularly special. But the latest addition to Elaine Davidson’s collection could be her most cherished ring yet, as the world’s most pierced woman today married. Miss Davidson, who at a recent count had an astonishing 6,925 piercings, tied the knot in Edinburgh, where she lives and runs a shop. The 42-year-old was accompanied to a registry office in the Scottish capital wearing a white gown as well as pink and flowers around her hair. And for the special occasion she naturally kept her trademark piercings all in place, along with green, yellow and blue paint markings on her face.” w/ photos

“Gator the rescue goose’s adoptive parents, Bob and Lauree Strouse, were so concerned his feet would suffer on their walks, they got him a pair of sandals. The couple designed the footwear to combat the hot and harsh concrete in the town of St Augustine, Florida. The trio have become a regular sight since finding Gator wandering along the edge of Lake Roy in Winter Haven, Florida. They feared its resident alligators would gobble him up, so took him under their wing. ‘We rescued him,’ said Mrs Strouse. They called him Gator because it’s a shortening of the rather pessimistic ‘Gator Bait.” w/ photos

“Mercedes-Benz marked the 60th anniversary of its uber-utility vehicle, the Unimog, in a unique way – by making a model that looks like a frog. The bright green four-wheel drive truck, called Concept Design 60 Years Unimog, was inspired by the poison dart frog. The amphibian was the inspiration for the vehicle because, like the Unimog, it is ‘extremely mobile both in water and on land’. The choice of colour for the peculiar-looking vehicle is also a tribute to the first Unimog to roll off the production line, which was green. The ground-breaking design was unveiled at a Mercedes plant in Worth, Germany.” w/ photos

“The tears in her eyes and the grimace on her face show it hurts. Not once, not twice but 3,200 times. For this was not the finishing touches of a tattoo for Las Vegas performer Staysha Randall but a bid to break the record for the most body piercings in a single sitting. Staysha, 22, who performs in shows across the strip, was attempting to have 3,600 piercings in her back, arms and legs but decided enough was enough after 3,200 had been put in at Inktoxicated Tattoos in the Nevada city. Helping in her bid was body piercer Bill ‘Danger’ Robinson and his piercing assistant ‘Jenn O Cide’. The record attempt is still awaiting confirmation by the Guinness Book of Records before it becomes official. Ms Randall, who perhaps unsurprisingly lists Nine Inch Nails among her favourite bands, also includes escape acts and burlesque into her shows where she performs feats demonstrating her physical strength. The previous record for the most body piercings in one sitting was 3,100.” w/ photos

“This cute four-week-old African lion cub has already become a firm favourite among a select few zoo visitors. Seen here cuddling up to its mum Kiamba, the adorable latest addition to an Adelaide tourist attraction is spending its first few weeks feeding, sleeping and playing around. Born naturally, it will still be another month before Australian zoo keepers can determine its gender, which could prove problematic for those bidding on eBay to give the youngster a name. Monarto Zoo’s carnivore keeper Claire Geister said single cub litters were quite rare and staff were ‘thrilled’ with Kiamba’s natural and trouble-free delivery. She said: ‘It’s amazing. I wasn’t here for the birth but I got a phone call to say I was a grandma. ‘The cub was the only one in the litter and has been developing well over the past few weeks, venturing outside the den and building in confidence daily.” w/ photos

“Kids and their families look forward to the Zoopolis 500 race, every year, because even though it lacks the speed of the Indianapolis 500, racers give it their all to put on a good show. Yesterday, the Indianapolis Zoo hosted the 30th annual Zoopolis 500, featuring five radiated turtles competing for the best prize they could wish for – a big plate of delicious fruit. Competitors were named after IndyCar drivers Dan Wheldon, Simona De Silvestro, Alex Tagliani, Ed Carpenter and Scott Dixon. The race flag went down at 11.30, and as you can imagine, the turtles were off to a pretty slow start, ignoring the excitement and cheering that went on around them. They even went the wrong way a few times, but managed to get back on track with the help of zoo keepers. IndyCar legend Tony Kanaan, who acted as Grand Marshall for the event, tried to give Simona an edge by placing some fruit in front of her, but the tortoise just stopped for a bite.” w/ photos + video

“Conceptual artist Cherry Tree has a scent of mystery about her. And the smell of urine. Her urine. And it’s intentional. For the last five years, Tree, who splits time between Missouri and Spain, has been turning her own urine into perfume. “I am very much into recycling,” Tree, born Charity Blansit, told AOL Weird News. “And urine is something I’ve thought needs to be recycled, since it’s something that gets eliminated.” It’s a whiz of an idea and one that Tree was inspired to turn into a reality in 2006. “It was the first morning after a full moon,” she said. “And I decided to collect my urine in a perfume bottle.” At first, Tree’s concept was only to collect urine after each full moon. “I was fascinated by how the smell changes depending on what you eat,” she said. “For instance, it smells really good after you eat a lot of honey and it smells terrible after eating chicken.” w/ photo

“Meet Kann Trichan, the Thai chef who can dip his hands into a pot of boiling hot cooking oil and escape without harm every time. Mr Trichan from Chiang Mai in Thailand is a deep fried chicken specialist with a hands on approach that in no way conforms to health and safety regulations. None-the-less, 50-year-old Mr Trichan, who regularly forgets his cooking utensils, can dip his hands into a boiling hot wok of oil and bizarrely suffer no blisters or burning whatsoever. It’s party trick that has even earned him a Guinness World Record for pulling 20 pieces of chicken out of 480 degree oil in a minute. Mr Trichan discovered his talent seven years ago when he was splashed with searing hot oil after a feasting squirrel knocked a mango into his frying wok. ‘The fat flew everywhere, all over my head, arms, hands. It should have seriously hurt me,’ he said about the initial oil bath. ‘I remember looking in the mirror, expecting to see blisters and red blotches, but there was nothing. ‘Now I can fry rice, chicken, and many things with just my bare hands. ‘When I put my hands into the oil it feels hot but it doesn’t burn or blister my skin.” w/ photos

“Forget traffic jams, wind swept campsites and a wet march to the shower block – a new indoor caravan park is offering a camping experience with style. Built for those who prefer a more luxurious break, the Hütten Palast – or Huts at the Palace – is the first hotel to replace conventional hotel suites with caravans. Featuring washing lines in trees and communal areas, the three caravans and wooden cabins in the Berlin hotel have also had their original fittings replaced with individual themes. One has been transformed into a cocoon-like hideaway with a wooden mosaic interior while another has been fitted with a full size double bed.” w/ photos