Muscling in to the record books

Two Belarusian men pull a World War II tank more than five metres to set a new world record.

Kirill Shimko and Pavel Soroka were attached to the 30 tonne tank with harnesses and ropes, pulling themselves along ladders on the ground. The two strong men covered a distance of 5.10 metres.

The T34 Soviet tank was assembled from parts salvaged from vehicles destroyed during World War II in Belarus.

Representatives from the Interstrong international records club witnessed the event. They awarded Shimko and Soroka medals and certificates and are approaching the Guinness Book of Records for recognition of the feat.

Perfect martini, reinvented

10 of the world's best 'liquid chefs' gather in London to find new mixes for the classic perfect martini.

Cocktails are more popular than ever, and the growing trend for high-end products and designer drinks has seen the rise of the 'liquid chefs'.

10 of the best showed off their skills by creating the 'perfect martini' at London's Browns hotel.

Tessa Unsworth reports.

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Dog team ready for Olympic security

olympic safety.

Jumping through hoops and sniffing out unusual smells are just some of the tasks these dogs will perform to help security guards at the Beijing Olympics.

Kitty Bu reports.

Sofa racing in Lisbon

Lisbon music fans raced sofas to win free VIP tickets to Portugal's prestigious Rock in Rio Lisboa Music Festival.

The Sofa Races were staged by telecommunications giant, Vodafone, which provided the specially adapted couches, equipped with wheels and brakes. All the competitors, both winners and losers, won tickets to Rock in Rio, together with the members of the cheerleader team voted the best at supporting their team. But only the winners of each of the five races were entitled to the coveted Vodafone Best Seat, a VIP area offering an uninterrupted view of the World stage.

Helen Long reports.`

Quickcut: Tiger and Dalmatian

A White Tiger and Dalmatian dog appear best of friends in an odd example of cross-species bonding.

Bombay - the White Tiger - was born in captivity in America but was rejected by her mother and sent to Germany, ending up in Circus Williams where she was introduced to Jack, a four year-old Dalmatian.

The two have developed a relationship and circus animal trainer Manuel Willie says there is no danger for the dog.

Cow urine: a diabetes cure?

Indian scientists say cow urine can reduce blood sugar levels.

Scientists at Bangalore Veterinary college say a new study shows that cow's urine may lower blood sugar levels.

Tessa Unsworth reports.

Tsunami warning system launched

Jun. 11 - Indonesia starts the next phase of its programme to set up a tsunami early warning detection system.

Indonesia plans to complete the installation of more than 22 special buoys with sea-floor pressure sensors by next year but so far international funding has been slow coming.

Paul Chapman reports.

Dozens die in burning plane

Authorities said dozens of people were killed when a Sudan Airways jet burst into flames after landing in Khartoum.

The aircraft was carrying 217 passengers and crew from Jordan to the Sudanese capital when witnesses said it veered off the runway.

Sarah Irwin reports.

Large crowds join protest against high fuel prices

Blast at Danish embassy in Islamabad

Jun 2 - A bomb was detonated outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan that killed three people and caused considerable damage to the buildings and vehicles in the compound. The blast was apparently caused by a car bomb.

FLOODS IN SRI LANKA 01-06-2008