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06. 11. 09. - 12:30

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06. 11. 09. - 12:30

Rooting out the facts

Baffled scientists are trying to get to the root of this astonishing plant dug out of the ground by a Chinese farmer.

The two foot tall root weighs in at a massive 12 lbs and bears an amazing resemblance to a boy in even the smallest detail.

The root comes from the Chinese knotweed plant, used by local healers as a natural laxative.

Farmer Zheng Dexun, 63, of Datianba, in southern China, said: "I was shocked that it was so large and is so clearly like a boy. It's bigger than my grandson. Scientists are looking at it now and will tell me how it came to be like this."

Austrian Times

Austrian women artists for Haiti
An exhibition and auction by a leading Austrian artist raised 4,500 Euros for female victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Government reveals harsh 2011 budget cut plans
The coalition government has announced drastic plans for higher taxes next year in its bid to reduce the Austrian budget deficit.

Freestyle ski and snowboard event on Semmering
A snowboarding and freestyle skiing contest that was open to all took place at Semmering this weekend.

Strabag bags €40mn Saudi order
Austrian construction company Strabag SE won two assignments in Saudi Arabia together worth 40 million Euros, it has been announced.

Generali Bank has new leadership
Generali Bank reported yesterday (Mon) that it had new leadership following a meeting of its supervisory board.

Skier almost hangs himself on a cable
A skier is in a critical state after skiing into a piste grooming machine cable on Sunday evening at the Wagrain ski area in Salzburg, police said yesterday (Mon).

Media Insider: Journalism Without Borders
As David Rogers reports - An Austrian-based journalist, an Austrian charity and an Austrian marketing company have teamed up to offer help to those in the media spotlight once the media has moved on.

Vienna 'centre of Mafia money-laundering operation'
Vienna was the linchpin of a Mafia money-laundering operation by Italian telecom firms between 2005 and 2007, it emerged yesterday (Mon).

Military frontier patrols useless, says report
Military patrols of Austria’s eastern frontiers are practically useless in terms of increasing public security, the Federal Audit Office (RH) said yesterday (Mon).

Police confiscate French couple's animals
Styrian police confiscated 12 undernourished dogs and a pot-bellied pig they found in a vehicle owned by a French couple moving from Bulgaria to Hungary today (Tues).