Infozone Breaking World News

LocalTraders.com has announced that it will be setting up the first World Watching Paint Dry Championships in the UK next year. The winner of the event will be given the international title and will also win an iPad.

Hopeful contestants will have to send the organisers a picture of themselves watching paint dry and tell them how long they have watched paint dry for. Hopefuls will also have to state their favourite colour and why.

The organisers will draw up a shortlist of contestants, who will be invited to the grand final and compete in front of the media.

A spokesperson for LocalTraders.com said, “We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘I’d rather watch paint dry’ and so we have decided the time has come to give people the chance to do so, for as long as they can bear”.

Adding that, “Previous paint-watching experience isn’t essential, but a bit of practice might help prepare contestants for the mammoth task ahead of them.”

Over 300,000 people took part is various record breaking attempts across the world on Guinness World Records Day 2011. Amongst the record breaking feats were artists Joe & Max who created the biggest ever 3D painting on a street near Canary Wharf, 57 people squeezed themselves into a giant pair of y-fronts and the English Cream Tea Company set the record for the largest ever tea party.

Craig Glenday from the Guinness World Records told the press, “Guinness World Records Day is a chance to celebrate not just incredible individual achievements but also civic and national pride – whether it’s the Irish bringing together leprechauns, the Brits serving up cream teas or the Americans performing a mass soul train dance”.

All of the records set on the Guinness World Records Day 2011 will be examined carefully for inclusion into next year’s edition of the book.

US toy manufacturer Mattel, famous for its Barbie doll, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheels toy has announce that it plans to buy HIT Entertainment in a cash deal worth $680 million. HIT Entertainment own the rights to Thomas the Tank Engine and other popular toy brands, many of which Mattel already produce under licence.

The new deal means that Mattel will now own the rights to manufacture children’s toys such as Barney the purple dinosaur, Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. The president of HIT Entertainment Jeffery D. Dunn talked about the deal saying, “HIT entertainment owns some of the most loved and trusted preschool brands in the world and under Mattel’s leadership, I look forward to seeing them grow”.

The chairman of Mattel Robert Eckert said, “Mattel is the right home for Thomas and Friends. This powerhouse brand is joining the ranks of such iconic brands as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-price and American girl.”

The Queen has honoured Henry Winkler, famous for his role as the Fonz in the 70’s US sitcom Happy Days with an honorary OBE for his work on promoting dyslexia awareness in the United Kingdom. Mr Winkler received his award at the British embassy in Washington which was presented to him by the British ambassador Nigel Sheinwald.

The US actor was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult and has spent the last two years touring UK schools talking to pupils about the disability. Mr Winkler posted a picture of himself with the OBE on his twitter page saying, “Here I am with my OBE pinned on Very honoured very proud…”.

The Queen gives honorary awards to non-British citizens on advice from the UK Foreign Office; it is not clear if the Queen is a fan of the US actor’s role in Happy Days as the Fonz.

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has confirmed that he will be the voice for Tom Tom’s latest satellite navigation device. Drivers will now be able to listen to Clarkson’s tongue and cheek instructions instead of the generic softly spoken woman found on many sat nav devices.

Describing how his voice will sound on the new device Clarkson said; “There’s a tone of voice I use when ordering people to do things, so ‘I said left, left, I said left’, you know, that kind of thing. It’s not a gentle sat nav voice, put it like that.”

Top Gear is one of the most popular car shows on television and is shown in 170 countries worldwide.

The new Tom Tom sat nav will be released sometime next month.

Mr Clarkson joins a host of other celebrities that feature on sat nav devices including Roger Moore, Ozzy Osbourne and Snoop Dogg.

On Sunday, Yves Rossy became the first person to fly over the Grand Canyon using a winged jet pack. Yves, aka ‘JetMan’, 51, a former Swiss fighter pilot was dropped from a helicopter at an altitude of 8,000ft above the world famous Canyon. He travelled at speeds up to 190mph and completed a series of barrel rolls and twists before parachuting down to the canyon floor.

Yves shot to fame in 2008 when he became the first person to successfully cross the English Channel using his jet pack, reaching a speed of 186mph during the 21 mile flight. In November last year, Yves performed a similar stunt over the Swiss canyon of Vaud.

His Grand Canyon stunt was due to take place on May the 6th, but was postponed after the FAA failed to clear his winged jet pack for flight.

Eleven puzzle solvers have entered the Guiness Book of World Records by creating a replica of one of Michelangelo’s greatest paintings, the Hand of God. The tem used over 12,000 Rubik’s cubes and 400 hours to build the masterpiece, with every single cube adjusted by hand to create the exact colours of the original piece which adorns the Sistine Chapel Ceiling in Vatican City.

The team of record breakers came from the Cube Works Studio and creative director Josh Chalom said that the Hand of God was only the beginning of the project, which is set to mimic the whole of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The completed project is set to be hung from a roof and is estimated to weigh around 50 tonnes and use over 250,000 Rubik’s cubes.

A group of comedians have set a new world record for the ‘highest stand-up comedy gig’ as the British Airways flight soared to 35,000 feet. 180 passengers were on board to see the 45 minute gig performed by Jack White hall, Jon Richardson and Dara O Briain and raised an estimated £100,000 for Red Nose Day.

Joking around after the flight Dara O Briain who performed last said, “I told the captain I’d bang twice on the locker like this when I was on – so he can take the aircraft to 37,000ft and beat Jack and Jon’s record”.

Mr Whitehall added, “I was looking forward to today – after all, it’s the only gig where people can’t walk out. If you want to heckle you’ll have to press the call button.”

Flight Captain Brian Connolly said he was proud to have played a part in the new world record by saying, “It was an honour to captain this very special flight,” adding, “I’m proud to be able to say that I’m a Guinness World Records holder, and of course – member of the Smile High Club!”

Walkers Crisps new weather prediction game on promotional packs could cost the company up to a million pounds as it’s too easy to win. Betting analysts and bookmakers have said that the game, where people predict where in the UK it’s going to rain is too easy with an 8 to 1 chance of winning.

Walkers has already paid out an estimated £660,000 since the promotion began last month and there is still time left to enter with two weeks left to run. Players pick one of 21,000 squares on a map of Britain and choose a time slot, if it rains on their square during the time they have specified they win £10. The results are verified by the Met Office and winners notified.

Costumes worn by actors and actresses on ITV’s The Bill have been bought by Metropolitan police to stop criminals posing as police personnel. A police spokesman confirmed that they had bought 400kg of used and unused clothing from the TV show after it was axed earlier this year.

The spokesman said, “When the announcement was made that The Bill was to cease production, the Metropolitan police service approached the production company with a view to acquiring all used and unused items of clothing and uniform. Used items have already been sent for secure recycling. Unused items will be put into stock for issue to officers”.

The Bill’s directors prided themselves on realism and had permission from Scotland Yard to use real uniforms and stab proof vests on their sets. Over 2400 episodes of The Bill were aired during its 26 year run, with the final episode being watched by nearly 4.4 million viewers.