World Scene

Angry boss radio ad yanked for being offensive to Germans

Britain's advertising watchdog has banned a radio ad featuring a man speaking loudly in German and which asked: "Is your boss a bit of a tyrant?" Thirteen listeners complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, saying it used an outdated stereotype.

Conjoined twins will live with younger brother

Two US men who've been certified as the world's oldest living male conjoined twins are moving in with their little brother.

A charity in Machias, New York, called the Christian Youth Corps says it's helping 58-year-old Donnie and Ronnie Galyon by modifying the home of their brother, Jim Galyon, in the spring. The twins live in a tiny home in Dayton, Ohio. Their brother lives in nearby Beavercreek.

Donnie and Ronnie are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. They're joined at the torso. They have four arms and four legs and separate hearts and stomachs. They share a lower intestine.

The twins retired from a touring carnival. They are in declining health and could face going into an institution.

But their brother says he wants to keep them at home so they're free and independent.

Airline denies plans for obesity surcharge

Air France KLM denied media reports on Wednesday that it planned an extra charge for overweight passengers if they were unable to fit into a single seat.

Instead, the national carrier said that from Feb 1. overweight passengers who had freely chosen to buy an extra seat for comfort would get their money back on flights that were not fully booked.

On Tuesday, spokeswoman Monique Matze said extra-large flyers will have to pay 75 per cent of the cost of a second seat (the full price excluding tax and surcharges) on top of the full price for the first, on Tuesday, saying the decision was made for "safety" reasons.

Reuters

(China Daily 01/22/2010 page10)