A Japanese teenager has won the Rubik’s Cube World Championships in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, taking less than 13 seconds to finish the cult ’80s puzzle.

Yu Nakajima, 16, took home 5,000 euros (£3,400, $7,000) after winning the main event of the three-day tournament.

Nearly 300 contenders from 33 countries tried their hands – and feet – at the puzzle, some completing it blindfolded.

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When you’re trying to lose weight, the question isn’t whether or not you’ll hit a plateau, it’s when. Plateaus are like bad weather on a long hike: it’s inevitable that you’ll run into it, but knowing that in advance won’t make it one bit less frustrating or annoying when it happens. Cheer up! Since plateaus are as common as rain, we have a pretty good idea what to do about them. At least one of the following techniques should help you break through a plateau and start losing again. Read the rest of this entry »

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A three-year-old boy who was lost in the Amazon rainforest has been found alive after 11 days, police in Brazil have revealed.

Neilson Oliveira Lima was apparently unharmed apart from suffering from dehydration and having thorns in his feet and legs, police said.

The boy disappeared from his home in the rural community of Pupuai on September 16.

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A guesthouse owner from Argyll has taken the honours in the annual world porridge-making championships.

A dozen cooks from across the UK had gathered in Carrbridge, in Strathspey, for the contest to see who can make the finest bowl of the oatmeal dish.

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Two US scientists and their UK collaborator have been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for their groundbreaking work in gene technology.

Mario Capecchi, Oliver Smithies and Briton Martin Evans developed a technique known as gene targeting.

It enabled them to replicate human diseases in mice by introducing genetic changes into the animal’s stem cells.

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Fitness levels among Britons have reached an all-time low, according to a survey.
The poll shows that 53% of people cannot touch their toes and 68% are not able to manage 20 sit-ups.

Two thirds of those who participated in the survey confessed they had not done any fast-paced exercise such as running or cycling in the past year.

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A Thai restaurant has been cordoned off by police after its extra-hot homemade chilli sauce was mistaken for a chemical outbreak.

Streets were closed outside the Thai Cottage in London’s Soho theatre and nightlife district on Monday night.

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A 51-year-old Brazilian woman has given birth to her own grandchildren – a healthy set of twin boys.

Rosinete Serrao served as a surrogate mother for her daughter Claudia Michelle, who is unable to have children of her own.

The twins, Antonio Bento and Vitor Gabriel, were born healthy and required no special medical care.

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A 24-year-old Argentine man has married a woman 58 years his senior.

The groom, Reinaldo Waveqche, told reporters after the ceremony in Santa Fe, northern Argentina: “I’ve always liked mature ladies.”

Mr Waveqche added: “I don’t care what other people say.” He and bride Adelfa Volpes, 82, are planning to travel to Rio de Janeiro for their honeymoon.

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Simple changes to women’s lifestyles could prevent one in 10 cases of breast cancer by 2024, say experts.

Cutting back on long-term HRT use, keeping in trim, drinking less, and exercising could help prevent 5,700 cases a year, said Cancer Research UK.

Rates have risen by 12% in the last decade – and are expected to carry on rising, researchers believe.

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