Oldest person on earth turns 130..but she seems young!

Authorities in the former Soviet republic of Georgia claim a woman from a remote mountain village turned 130, making her the oldest person on Earth.

Antisa Khvichava from western Georgia was born on July 8, 1880, said Georgiy Meurnishvili, spokesman for the civil registry at the Justice Ministry.

The woman, who lives with her 40-year-old grandson in an idyllic vine-covered country house in the mountains, retired from her job as a tea and corn picker in 1965, when she was 85, records say.

I've always been healthy, and I've worked all my life - at home and at the farm,' Antisa said, in a bright dress and headscarf - and red lipstick.

Sitting in the chair and holding her cane, Antisa spoke quietly through an interpreter - since she never went to school to learn Georgian and speaks only the local language, Mingrelian.

Her age couldn't immediately be independently verified. Her birth certificate was lost - one of the great number to have disappeared in the past century amid revolutions and a civil war which followed the collapse of the USSR.

But Meurnishvili showed two Soviet-era documents that he says attest to her age.

The Gerontology Research Group currently recognizes 114-year-old Eugenie Blanchard of Saint Barthelemy, France, as the world's oldest person. Antisa would make Eugenie look like a spring chicken - but the research group is yet to examine Antisa's claim.

She has a son, 10 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and six great, great grandchidren.

Her 70-year-old son Mikhail, who was also at the party, apparently was born when his mother was 60.

She said she also had two children from a previous marriage, but says they died of hunger during World War II.

Mikhail said that, although his mother had difficulty walking and had stayed largely in bed during the past seven years, she made a point of hobbling unaided to the outhouse on the other side of the yard, because she hates to be a nuisance.

Though her body has all but quit on her - her fingers cramped by age mean she can no longer maintain her love of knitting - relatives say her mind remains sharp.

'Grandma has a very clear mind and she hasn't lost an ability to think rationally,' said Khvichava's granddaughter Shorena, who lives in a nearby village.

To mark Antisa's birthday, a string ensemble played folk music out on the lawn, while grandchildren offered traditional Mingrelian dishes like corn porridge and spiced chicken with herbs to all guests as the party.

Chinese woman 15 years twisted legs corrected..Miracle

A Chinese woman who had her legs twisted the wrong way round in a car accident has been told she should be able to walk and stand normally after undergoing corrective surgery.

Xiao Fang was just seven when she was involved in an horrific car accident which caused severe damage to her legs.

Surgeons managed to avoid having to amputate them, but due to the trauma she suffered in the accident her legs began to grow abnormally and become twisted out of shape.

Miss Fang, now 22, from Harbin in China's north eastern Heilonjiang province, has had to live with the problem for 15 years.

But finally she underwent the corrective surgery on her limbs on June 21.

During the successful operation, her legs were straightened out and her surplus knee bones removed.

Tendons in her legs were also lengthened by the surgeons to allow her to walk.

Both legs are now in casts and Miss Fang has been told by doctors she should be able to walk normally on them once the bones have healed completely.

The world's tallest married couple..with a combined height of more than 13ft

With a combined height of more than 13ft, this is the world's tallest married couple.

But if Wilco Van Kleef-Bolton and his wife Keisha's two children keep growing they may end up with the world's tallest family title too.

Son Lucas, four, is already 3ft 11in -  the height of a seven-year-old  -  and daughter Eva, two, is 3ft, the typical height of a three-year-old.

Being tall has had its up and downs for the Kleef-Boltons. When the couple first married  -  he's 7ft and she's 6ft 5in  -  they had some lofty ambitions, not least raising the doorframes in their home to stop them clipping their heads.

That issue is yet to be resolved and the couple still have a bedroom that is only big enough for a standard double bed, forcing them to sleep with their feet hanging out.

On the bright side, Mr Kleef-Bolton-29, says his height makes his work as a security guard at Barking and Dagenham College in Essex, significantly easier. 'Being this size and 18-and-a-half stone means it's no problem to pull two kids apart if they're fighting,' he said.

He also said students often compared him to England footballer Peter Crouch.

He said: 'If only I could play football like him.  And with 40-ins legs like this I can get anywhere faster than anyone else.

'But of course I have to get my uniform custom-made. And finding a good pair of shoes that fit is really difficult.'

Dutch-born Mr Kleef-Bolton has to go to specialist websites that normally supply American basketball players to order the size 15 shoes he wears.

His wife, 31, said her biggest problem was finding clothes large enough for her and her 38 in legs, even though she is a healthy size 12.

'I use normal women's dresses as shirts because they come up so short,' she said.

'But we both accepted our height years ago. There's not a lot you can do about it. Flying on budget airlines with no legroom is a problem too.

'And of course we get a lot of attention when we're out. But there are perks - I never have to use a stepladder to reach the top shelf.'

Mr Kleef-Bolton was referred to a specialist when he was ten and stood at 5ft 10in - the height of the average man in the UK. He was told he was naturally tall, rather than suffering from a medical condition.

He was started on hormone injections two years later because of concerns his knee joints might eventually give way under the weight of his body and he finally stopped growing aged 16.

His wife said she suffered from jokes at school about her height and had to stop wearing high heels when she was 18 and her shoe size went past an eight.

The Guinness World Record holders met when Mr Kleef-Bolton responded to her advert for a dance partner on a website for tall people, saying: 'I'm 7ft. Is that tall enough?'

Describing their wedding, he said: 'The staff at the register office agreed we were the perfect match.'

Mrs Kleef-Bolton, who had to wear men's clothing when she was pregnant because there weren't any maternity outfits big enough, said she and her husband would like to have more children.

'We think four is the ideal number but we think we can wait until these two are a bit bigger. Looking at them, it won't take that long,' she added.

Terrafugia Transition- The Flying Car..owing it is way better than a Ferrari

It was designed to soar above traffic jams, but had been grounded by paperwork.

Now, finally, the flying car has been officially cleared to take to the skies.

The sticking point had been the weight of the Terrafugia Transition - it was 110lb over the limit for light aircraft.

But U.S. aviation authorities have given it a special exemption because the vehicle is also required to comply with car safety standards - including airbags, energy absorbing crumple zones and a safety cage. The vehicle had previously passed test flights and has now gone into commercial production.

Though not the world's first flying car, its makers say it is the first to have wings that fold up automatically at the push of a button.

There have already been 70 customers who have paid a £6,500 deposit for the vehicle, which costs £132,000 - about the same as a Bentley or Ferrari supercar.

But Terrafugia vice chairman Richard Gersh points out that for the money it gives you a great 'wow factor'.

He said: 'Anybody can buy a Ferrari. But Ferraris don't fly.'

As well as needing a healthy bank balance, owners of the Terrafugia Transition will require plenty of space - 

1,700ft of uncluttered road is needed for take-off.

Its inventors at Terrafugia, who include former Nasa engineers, say the vehicle is easy to keep and run because it uses normal unleaded fuel, can be re-fuelled at petrol station, and will fit into a normal domestic garage.

The 19ft long car can reach 65mph on the road but can fly at speeds of up to 115mph and has a range of up to 500 miles in the air.

Powered by a 100-horse-power four- stroke engine - about the same as Ford Fiesta  -  it can switch from being a two-seater road car to a plane at the touch of a button in under 30 seconds.

In car mode it has a steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, but no gearstick. As a plane, it is controlled with a joystick near the steering wheel.

As it will be certified as a Light Sport Aircraft, the Transition will require a pilot's licence to be flown - and of course a valid driver's licence for use on the ground. Carl Dietrich, Terrafugia chief executive, said: 'This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility.'

Colonel Phil Meteer, who carried out its first test flight last year, said: 'It's a real smooth stable vehicle on the runway. It comes up smoothly into the air. It's just rock solid.'

The company said the first planes would be delivered to customers in autumn of next year.

Largest land sale comes on to market. It's the size of 13,000 football pitches!!

For someone seeking to get away from it all, it's probably the perfect location. The views are spectacular, the tranquillity unparalleled - and neighbours are unlikely to be a problem.

The garden's rather big though. It's about twice the size of Manhattan.

This is the largest swathe of land to come up for sale in England and Wales in living memory - a billion square feet of rural Wales, boasting its own reservoir, woodlands and wildlife.

The price tag is £11million. Even for that much money, however, the Lake Vyrnwy estate in Powys cannot offer a stately pile or a Lord of the manor title.

But what Vyrnwy can provide is space.

More than 23,315 acres of it to be precise  - enough to rival a city such as Salford or accommodate more than 13,000 football pitches. Not that anyone would be allowed to spoil the natural beauty of the area, which includes conservation areas, a nature reserve and several sites of special scientific interest associated with a magnificent Victorian dam.

The 4.75mile long reservoir in the Cambrian mountains is visible with the naked eye from space.

It was built by the Liverpool Corporation to supply water to the city, some 70 miles away, and when it began operating in 1892 it was the biggest in Europe. Most of the acreage acquired was common land and the rest was bought from landed gentry.

To create the reservoir, the village of Llanwddyn was demolished, flooded, and rebuilt nearby.

In 1974, the estate was taken over by Severn Trent Water Authority, which is now offering it for sale on a 125-year lease. It will keep control of the lake, which will continue to supply Liverpool, but it may negotiate a 30-year lease for water rights.

Knight Frank is marketing the estate either as a whole or in four lots.

The estate is dotted with 14 leased farms, plus 31 cottages, private or commercial buildings, including a lakeside cafe called Artisans.

Bugatti now holds the fastest car record

The land speed world record for a production car has been smashed by a Bugatti sports car.

In a flash of orange and black, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved an incredible average top speed of 267.8mph - far exceeding the expectations of Bugatti's engineering team.

Bugatti’s chief engineer Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber said: 'We took it that we would reach an average value of 264mph but the conditions today were perfect and allowed even more.'

It was accepted into the Guinness World Book of Records by officials.

The previous top speed for a production car had been 256.1mph which was set by a SSC Ultimate Aero in 2007.

Driven by Pierre-Henri Raphanel, the redesigned Veyron 16.4 Super Sport hit 265.9mph when driven against the wind and 269.8mph with the wind at a racetrack in Ehra-Lessien, Germany.

The production model of the car is able to generate 1,200-hp with a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 258mph - to protect the tyres.

The twin-clutch, seven-speed gearbox allows for precision turning and braking and accelerating stability.

Overall control of the car has improved with the raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilisers and new shock absorbers.

The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites to reduce its weight and body modifications include expanded and reshaped front air intakes and a re-shaped rear.

The new all-carbon fibre structure also provides maximum torsion rigidity, crucial when hitting extremely high speeds.

Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine

The first five Super Sports to come off the production line will constitute a special series with the same set-up as the land speed record car.

The Super Sport will begin production this autumn at Molsheim along with the Veyron and the Grand Sport.

The first five cars – known as the World Record Edition – are in a special black exposed carbon and orange finish and have already been sold.

The remaining production models will feature enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers for the 16-cylinder engine.

Bugatti has sold 260 Veyron and 35 Grand Sport.

Crystal bathtub for £530,000, anyone?

If you are going to take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy a long and languorous bath, then you might as well do it in style.

This crystal bathtub is carved from a single block of the purest white rock crystal, quarried in the Amazon region of Brazil.

It is 7ft long and 2ft deep, and costs £530,000 for the bather who has everything.

The tub will be on show at Harrods in Knightsbridge until the end of July.

But for those who are thinking it is a one-of-a-kind bathroom accessory, it does have a sibling - cut from the same enormous ten-ton block of flawless crystal.

The block was discovered in 2006, extracted and transported to Italy intact.

The first tub was snapped up by a Russian magnate in 2008 for an eye-watering £567,502.

Both were sculpted with diamond cuts and left partially rough to expose the natural beauty of the crystal - and each is unique in its design.