Asia Weekly

Weird News Asia

Would you believe it?

Size does matter - Two armed robbers in Malaysia had to leave behind most of their ill-gotten gains because their getaway car was too small, reports The Associated Press. The thieves held up guards in a security van containing $1.3 million at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur but had to leave $786,000 behind because they were unable to fit the bundles of cash in their car. "The bags are quite big. I consider them quite stupid. Their planning was very shortsighted," said district police chief Shakaruddin Che Mood.

Soft landing - Broken hips and sprained ankles might be a thing of the past for elderly Japanese thanks to the invention of the human airbag. A pouch is strapped around the waist, and if sensors detect any sudden movement, airbags inflate and provide padding on the "most vulnerable parts of the body in a fall: the back of the head and the bottom," in a tenth of a second, reports The Times (UK).

Dolphins on a diet - Pot-bellied dolphins at Kinosaki Marine World in Japan have been put on a low fat diet after failing to impress visitors during their shows. All of the marine park's 19 dolphins were starting to fail to reach targets during their performances, reports Reuters. "We were puzzled by their poor performance, then we noticed they looked rounder," said spokesman Haruo Imazu. Keepers are blaming the extra poundage on the dolphins' favourite food, mackerel, being fattier than normal.

Party animal - Don't let anyone tell you pigs don't know how to party, says China Daily, citing the West China Metropolis Daily. At an evening promoting green agriculture among local residents in Jiajiang county in Sichuan province, "more than 10 oinkers participated in races, hurdle-jumping and combat matches against humans," and some also took part in a beauty contest. The winner was spared a trip to the slaughterhouse.