Int'l students in UK double in 10 years

Some 251,310 students from outside Europe were given places in British universities in the 2008-2009 school year, compared with just 122,150 students a decade earlier, the Daily Telegraph reported. The 106% rise comes amid claims that foreign students -- who can be charged far more than British peers -- are seen as an important source of income.

Chinese mainland sends more students to Britain than any other country, with more than 49,000 being enrolled in undergraduate and graduate courses in 2008-2009. Numbers could soar in coming years as the British government is forced to cut the higher education budget to pay off the national debt. More foreign students were admitted to British universities on the back of the weak pound last year.

Untreated water goes into river

Half of the restaurant vessels in Chongqing discharged their wastewater into rivers without any treatment, Chongqing Evening News reported. There are altogether 102 restaurant vessels in Chongqing, but only 40 treat their wastewater. Experts have recently supervised seven of them, only to find that the pollution caused by fecal coliform was most severe, which at most was 420 times higher than the country's standard. It was even more troubling that three restaurant vessels are in a drinking-water area, thus posing a severe health threat.

Mayor's aide bites cop

Esequiel Lino, an aide to the mayor of Oeiras in Spain, bit a police officer after going to a police station to protest his daughter's car being towed away, Reuters reported. "He started verbally abusing the officers, kicking the desk and was warned several times, but it didn't stop him. He went on and ended up biting one of the officers in the arm, and had to be detained," a police spokeswoman said. The officer was taken to hospital.

Limbless Frenchman swims Channel

Frenchman Philippe Croizon, who has neither arms nor legs, swam the English Channel in 13 and a half hours Saturday, a challenge he had been preparing for two years, AFP reported. Croizon, 42, set off from Folkestone and arrived on the French coast near Wissant, propelled by specially designed flipper-shaped prosthetic legs. "I did it, it's crazy!" an overjoyed Croizon said after arriving in France. In 1994 the metalworker was hit by a 20,000 volt charge from a nearby power line as he attempted to remove a television aerial from a roof. Doctors were forced to amputate his limbs. While recovering in hospital he watched a television documentary about a Channel swimmer and an ambition was born.

Electricity prices may rise

Seven provinces, namely Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Gansu and Hainan, are considering raising the electricity price, according to a report by Citibank released on Sept. 15. Jinan Daily reported that the plan put together by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and state power companies involves raising the factory price of electricity by 0.015-0.03 yuan per kilowatt-hour, or an average increase of 6.2 percent.

Fireworks compose Mao's portrait

On the evening of Sept. 17, a colorful portrait of Mao Zedong formed by fireworks emerged over Juzi Island in Hunan's Changsha. This giant portrait was 30.8 meters high, 45 meters wide, and lasted for about one minute.

On the evening of Sept. 17, a colorful portrait of Mao Zedong formed by fireworks emerged over Juzi Island in Hunan's Changsha, rednet.cn reported. This giant portrait was 30.8 meters high, 45 meters wide, and lasted for about one minute. It was the first time fireworks generated an image of Mao at an early age. Authorities in Changsha planned to notify Guinness World Records.

U.S. airlines create global leader

A merger between United Airlines and Continental Airlines to create the world's largest carrier has been given the go-ahead, the BBC reported. Shareholders in the two airlines voted overwhelmingly to approve the deal Friday. The merged airline will be known as United Airlines.

Hitler's car to be used again

Reuters reports that a car given by Adolf Hitler to a former Nepali king Tribhuvan will be repaired and used to drive visitors around the grounds of a palace museum. The car is a 1939 Mercedes Benz. It's been stored in an old palace garage for more than five years.

MBA courses cost more

Many famous universities in China have raised the tuition for MBA programs, the Beijing Morning Post reported. Peking University and Tsinghua University, the two most popular institutes for an MBA, have raised the fee by 40,000 yuan and 60,000 yuan, respectively. In addition to the tuition hike, schools also raise the MBA financial threshold to keep their status.

School misleads students

Yunnan Economic and Finance Institute for Continuing Education has been caught posing as Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, a better reputed higher-education institute, according to Yunnan Information Daily. It enrolled more than 1,200 students, and so far 1,200 students have received refunds and left the school.

Lefties are more likely to be angry

Life holds many frustrations for left-handed people -- from the everyday items designed for right-handers to folklore saying they are in league with the devil. So perhaps it is the result of dealing with such adversity that, according to researchers, they are angrier than the average person, the Daily Mail reported. Researchers found that among lefties, the two hemispheres of the brain communicate more with each other so have more interaction with the parts that produce negative emotions. Many of the world's leaders and stars are left-handed, with some known for being hot-tempered. One famously grumpy leftie is tennis legend John McEnroe. Current world leaders who are left-handed include Barack Obama and David Cameron.

(China.org.cn September 21, 2010)