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| Iran Says Nuclear Personnel Spied for West The acknowledgment by Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi provides the clearest government confirmation that Iran has been fighting espionage at its nuclear facilities. online.wsj.com |
Nepal man recognised as world's shortest in Guinness World Records Kahagendra Thapa Magar, who is 64cm, is believed to have primordial dwarfism, a condition affecting only hundreds globallyThe son of a Nepalese fruit seller has been declared the shortest man in the world, but as 18-year-old Kahagendra Thapa Magar prepared to act as a goodwill ambassador for his country, charities warned of the difficulties of living with such a condition.Magar's family has long campaigned for Guinness World Records officials to formalise his position but the organisation insisted on waiting until the 64cm (26.4in) teenager reached the age of 18."We are very proud of our son," said his father, Rup Bahadur Thapa Magar. "Our dreams have finally come true."The new record holder greeted journalists at the family home in the town of Pokhara by jumping on a table, making tea for visitors and dancing to the sound of a toy drum.Magar, who weighs 6.5kg (12lb 5oz), was tiny even at birth, weighing just 600g (1.3lb). His younger brother is a normal height for a boy of 13.Local doctors believe he has a form of primordial dwarfism, an umbrella term for rare conditions affecting only hundreds of people globally.Magar's doctor for the past five years said he had the body of a three-year-old. "His body structure is like that of a small child and he also thinks and behaves in that manner," Hum Prasad Newpane said.Magar, who succeeds 27in Colombian Edward Nino Hernandez as the smallest man on the planet, already travels with a dancing troupe and is to represent his government as his nation celebrates Visit Nepal Year in 2011. "I am very happy and excited," he said.Sue Connerty, co-founder with husband John of the Walking with Giants charity, which helps families of children with primordial dwarfism, said only a handful of people in the UK were known to have some form of the condition and not all had a definitive diagnosis.Children with some forms of it did not live beyond the age of about two, she said. "But we know of families in the US with children well into their twenties." Brain aneurysms, chest infections and curvature of the spine are among the main health threats to those with the genetic condition, where limbs and bodies are appropriately proportioned but much smaller than other people.When the Connertys' son Alex, now five and a half, was diagnosed at 18 months "we felt so alone. We knew there was something wrong but dwarfism was not on the list." Sue, from Maghull on Merseyside, said: "He has a high-pitched voice and his development is delayed. He is probably round about a two, two and a half year old. He has been on a ventilator on several occasions because of chest infections but he is very sociable and he goes to a local state school with one-to-one support. These children are extraordinary. They seem to light up people's lives."NepalHealthJames Meikleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Hungary Unveils Tax Plan Hungary's populist leaders unveiled a new budget plan that singles out a handful of industries for large, temporary tax increases in an effort to raise funds and cut the state deficit, but they offered few specifics on government spending cuts. online.wsj.com |
Prime Minister of Barbados Dies Prime Minister David Thompson of Barbados died following a struggle with pancreatic cancer, the government of the Caribbean nation announced. He was 48 years old. online.wsj.com |
Irish Austerity: Can the Government Survive the Damage? With Ireland reeling from the announcement of harsh spending cuts and a U-turn on the bailout, a byelection on Thursday could foreshadow the ouster of the government in a national vote early next year feedproxy.google.com |