Thousands of Fishermen Empty Lake in Minutes

Got a favorite fishing spot? Well, you ain’t never seen nothin’ like this one in Lake Antogo, Mali. On one day a year, the Dogon people can fish in the sacred water of the lake – and fish they do: the lake gets emptied in minutes!

5 Most Strangest Tunnels

A tunnel is typically an underground passageway, built in an effort to address the growing needs of roads, highways and bridges to handle a large volume of traffic. The exact definition of a tunnel has been twitched many times in the past. Irrespective of that, tunnels are the results accomplished by a magnificent feat of engineering, with boring giant holes in mountains, or laying several feet of pathway under the ocean. Let us have a look at the world’s strangest tunnels-

Channel Tunnel

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Channel Tunnel: Located in Coquelles, France, this tunnel is commonly known as the Chunnel. This 31 mile tunnel that links England and France was built in 1994 with a staggering cost of more than $20 billion. The idea of linking England and France through the English Channel was being toyed at for several years. However, the project could not take shape owing to a variety of reasons, technical and political included. The invention of modern boring machines coupled with the irrefutable benefit of linking the two countries finally made it possible. In order to provide protection from fire hazards, designers have built a smaller service tunnel in between the teo main tubes to act as an escape passage.

Smuggling Tunnel

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Smuggling Tunnel: Located in Tijuana, Mexico, this 1000 feet long tunnel was recently unearthed by U.S. and Mexican officials. Tunnels used by slick criminals to smuggle contrabands is not unheard of in the past. During recent years, a large number of illegal tunnels have been discovered in the U.S., coming from Canada and Mexico. This tunnel digs 860 feet into the U.S. The incomplete tunnel was fitted with lighting, a ventilation system, electricity and even an elevator. The Drug Enforcement Agency in U.S. issued a statement saying that the construction of this tunnel has been going on for over two years.

Infiltration Tunnels

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Infiltration Tunnels: In the 1970s, three different tunnels were discovered along one of the most disputative borders of the world. In 1990, a fourth tunnel was discovered creeping under Korea’s Demilitarized zone. The third invasion tunnel, also known as the Third Tunnel of Aggression, came dangerously close to just 26 miles of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. These secret tunnels gave North Korea a huge advantage of launching a massive military against its strong enemy South Korea. The tunnels were large enough to shuttle an entire military division per hour.

Cu Chi Tunnel

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Cu Chu Tunnel: Situated in Cu Chi, Vietnam, this giant labyrinth of tunnels played an important role during the French Indochina War and the Vietnam War. The size of these tunnels range from 75 miles to over 150 miles. The Cu Chi tunnels have been a popular tourist destination in recent years, enabling visitors to travel through the cramped spaces, check out deadly booby traps and even travel to an underground command center from where the Tet offensive was planned. Tunnel size varies from a few feet tall to larger ones refashioned for accommodating larger tourists.

Tokyo Bay Aqua-line

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Tokyo Bay Aqua-line: This tunnel is located in Kawasaki city, Japan. The tunnel is 6 miles long with a 3 miles long bridge dipping into it. Traffic was permitted to commute in 1997, enabling travelers between Kawasaki city and Kisarazu City to save roughly 45 minutes each day. The unique thing about this bridge-and-tunnel combination is that a large rest area lies on top of an artificial tunnel constructed at the entrance of this tunnel. The island is called Umi-Hotaru, meaning “firefly of the sea”, and serves primarily as a rest area consisting of shops and restaurants, along with an observation deck that looks out on to the bay.

Extreme Babies in 2010

'Pregnant Man' Gives Birth to Girl

Thomas Beatie says he is just like any other normal father.

But he is about as far as you could be from typical. He claims to have given birth to the child.

Although born a woman, Beatie had his breasts removed and lives outwardly as a man after changing his gender to male.

The 34-year-old says he retained his female sex organs because he intended to have children one day.(Link)



1 Year Old Child Pregnant

One year old child found Pregnant in Saudi Arabia. Doctors says it’s a unique case for this world!

Medical Science Report says : “When the mother of this child was pregnant, she had 2 foetuses inside her. But one of the foetus grew inside the other, this why this girl was born with the other foetus inside her womb.”

World's Smallest Baby: 21 weeks and six days

On October 24th 2006, Amillia Taylor was born at 21 weeks and six days. No baby born at less than 23 weeks gestation had ever survived, but 10 ounce Amillia was able to pull through (and even was trying to breath and cry on her own at birth). Hospitals had initially hoped to release her yesterday, but decided to keep the now healthy baby a few extra days for observation. Her mother doesn't mind the wait, she's just proud and happy that Amillia is healthy: "Even though she's only four pounds (1.8 kilos) now, she's plump to me."

Baby Macie Hope was born twice

When Chad and Keri McCartney say their infant daughter, Macie Hope, is born again, they aren’t referring to religion — the month-old miracle baby really was born twice.

The first “birth” was about six months into Keri McCartney’s pregnancy, when surgeons at Texas Children’s Hospital took the tiny fetus from Keri’s womb to remove a tumor that would have killed Macie before she was born.

The second time was on May 3, when the McCartneys welcomed their surgically repaired — and perfectly healthy — baby girl into the world.(Link)

44 pound Baby

This baby born in Iran six months ago, currently weighs an enormous 20 kilos (44 pounds)! The parents say the baby was born a normal weight close to 8 pounds when he was born, but he keeps eating every hour. The Iranian doctors do not know what this eating disorder is or where it came from.

Cyclop Baby

On 2006, this baby was born with a only one eye in India. Medical staff who helped deliver the child believe that the child's condition was caused by an experimental anti-cancer drug. Another cause written in the report by the hospital was that it could also be the result of a chromosomal disorder. The child was diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disorder, known as cyclopia. She was born with a single eye in the center of her forehead, no nose and her brain fused into a single hemisphere. With such severe deformities, it was a miracle that the girl survived even a few minutes after delivery. The baby died days later.

Frog-like Baby

On 2006, this bizarre-looking baby was born in Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district, attracting a huge number of onlookers to witness the astonishing sight.

The neck-less baby with its head almost totally sunk into the upper part of the body and with extraordinarily large eyeballs literally popping out of the eye-sockets, was born to Nir Bahadur Karki and Suntali Karki at the Gaurishnkar Hospital in Charikot. The Karki couple is a permanent resident of Dolakha's Bhirkot VDC.

The bizarre baby, however, died after half an hour of its birth, Suntali, the mother, informed. It was taken to the hospital after its death. The news about such a baby being brought to the hospital spread like wildfire and there were hundreds gathered at the hospital to have a look. The police had to be deployed to control the crowd.

The baby weighed 2kg at birth and was born after the normal nine-month gestation period. Suntali, already a mother of two normal daughters, was not suffering from any illness during the pregnancy. Nir Bahadur, the father, says he does not feel any remorse for the newly-born baby's death. "I am happy that nothing happened to my wife," he said.

Baby with Three Arms

This 2-month-old baby named Liu Junjie from Anhui Province, China, was born with a third arm on 2006. Doctors successfully removed the extremely rare and well-developed third arm, but the baby required long-term physical therapy to gain function in his remaining hand, which has no palm and flexes in either direction. "We're hoping to exchange information with doctors who've dealt with similar cases anywhere in the world," said Chen, head of the orthopedics department at Shanghai Children's Medical Center. "This is so rare that we have virtually no information to go on."

Born with 17 pounds

A Siberian woman who gave birth on 2007 to her 12th child was stunned to find that little Nadia weighed in at a massive 17.1 lb (7.75kg). "We were all simply in shock," said Nadia's mother, Tatyana Barabanova, 43. "What did the father say? He couldn't say a thing - he just stood there blinking." "I ate everything, we don't have the money for special foods so I just ate potatoes, noodles and tomatoes," she told the reporter, adding that all her previous babies had weighed more than 5 kg.

Dreaming of Paralympic gold: Sporty amputee boy, 9, has more than 20 artificial legs so he can compete at every event

Nine-year-old Cody McCasland has more than 20 artificial legs so he can take part in all sports and beat his able-bodied friends - despite having his own amputated.

The determined boy, who dreams of winning a Paralympic gold, has running, walking and sitting down legs so he can get around - and win at every event.

Cody was born without any tibia or knee bones, and had to have the bottom half of his legs amputated as a toddler.

Sports star: The young athlete regularly beats able-bodied opponents at a variety of sports. He has vowed to win at the Paralympics. He said: 'I definitely will take part one day and win a gold medal.'

But he enjoys a busy schedule of running, swimming, football, ice hockey and other sports and wants to be be a doctor when he is older.

He is one of the fastest nine-year-olds around after having artificial running legs fitted like South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius.

His mother Tina McCasland, 38, said: 'Cody has different legs for different occasions. He uses his walking legs every day, for going to school, his stubby legs for sitting down and his running legs for sprints.

'He is really fast and is even winning competitions against children a lot older than him.

'We've always said whatever Cody wants to do, we will do our best to let him have that opportunity. He won't let his disability hold him back.'

Inspirational: Double-amputee Cody McCasland, nine, with all the legs he has had over the years. The boy likes to show his collection off to inspire others with disabilities

Determined: Cody (centre) regularly competes against - and beats - able-bodied athletes in the swimming pool

Cody's selection of legs and a wheelchair from a local hospital in Colleyville, Texas, allow him to take part in a variety of sports.

But he needs to go to the hospital for four hours every week for up to eight weeks while his legs are being made so doctors can make sure the measurements are spot on.

Cody's main love is swimming - where he doesn't use any false legs - and has won gold and silver medals in competitions for children with a range of abilities.

Tina said: 'He loves swimming and has won a lot of competitions. He practices three times a week at an after school club with able bodied children

'They are faster than him as they can use their legs but he likes to push himself to go faster against them.

'It's good practice for him and we always check his time so help him check if he is beating his personal best.'

Blade runner: Cody, here with his mother Tina McCasland, 28, has these legs for running. They are similar to the ones used by Paralympic sprinting world record holder Oscar Postorius

Speedy: South African Oscar Pistorius who is almost as quick as able-bodied runners performing here in the Paralympics in Beijing. Cody one day hopes to emulate his success

Tina, a social worker, hopes to bring Cody to London in 2012 to watch the Paralympics which he hopes to compete in.

The ambitious boy said: 'I definitely will take part one day and win a gold medal.'

Cody suffers from a rare condition called Sacral Agenesis, a spinal condition, which means his legs were shortened and bent the wrong way.

Tina and Cody's father Mike, who also have a daughter Callie, four, were warned he might need both lower legs amputated to give him the chance of walking with prosthetic legs.

Tina said: 'The right leg was missing a tibia and knee cap.

'The fibula was not enough to support Cody's leg and without a knee, he could not bend it.

'His legs just curved round to the side when he was sitting and it just kind of got in his way.

'His left leg, looked more normal, but the knee did not bend. We were told there may be a chance of surgery to fix that leg but there was no guarantee of success.'

Cody's parents made the brave decision to allow him to undergo a double amputation at 15 months old.

But when he was fitted for his first prosthetic legs two months later, Cody shocked his parents and doctors by managing to stand and walk on them the same day.

Tina said: 'Hardly anyone takes to prosthetics so well. It was amazing - it was as if Cody had just been waiting for the chance to have new legs so he could walk. He was so pleased with himself.'

Now Cody has many pairs of legs, all provided for him by the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, a specialist limb centre, including ones called stubbies for sitting and playing, walking legs and blades for running.

'They are very expensive and Cody seems to outgrow them all the time,' said Tina.

'We're very lucky that we have this specialist centre which provides the running legs, as health insurance doesn't do that. The legs are not available to people in many areas.'

The courageous youngster said: 'I'm a non-stop runner and no-one can keep up with me.

'I have many kinds of legs which I use for different things. I have running legs for when I'm running, walking legs for going to school, and stubbies for playing.'

Fast: The nine-year-old has a racing wheelchair which he uses to compete in track events in Colleyville, Texas

Boy wonder: Track competitor Cody, here in his running legs, hopes he can be an inspiration to other people with disabilities

Hundreds take the plunge for Berlin's annual ice carnival

When Britain was brought to a stand-still by the cold snap last month, going for a swim in the lake was the last thing on most people's minds.

But today in Berlin, the freezing conditions were perfect for the 27th ice carnival, which saw around 100 members of ice swimming clubs from across Germany take the plunge in the Orankesee lake.

Daredevil swimmers came dressed in all kinds of colourful outfits, hats, aprons and wigs to the annual event organised by the Berlin Seals.

Dancing on ice: Winter swimmers at the 27th ice carnival, organised by the Berlin Seals, at the Orankesee lake in Berlin

Party atmosphere: Ice bathers join hands from clubs across Germany for the annual fancy dress winter swim

The majority of revellers came in dress more appropriate for the beach than for ice-cold temperatures.

Each year the German capital hosts the event on the second Saturday in January.

Cold as ice: Revellers came dressed in colourful outfits and wigs to brave the freezing temperatures

Splash: These scantily-clad swimmers were only too eager to take a dip in the freezing temperatures

Having a whale of a time: A woman jumps from a floe at Lake Orankesee

Making a splash: Photographer creates astonishing technicolour patterns using water droplets and ink

These ingenious photographs show amazing multicoloured droplets of ink at the precise moment they impact with the surface of water.

The stunning pictures show drops of red, green and yellow ink bouncing off the water to create mesmerising mid-air shapes not visible to the naked eye.

Each image captures in startlingly sharp detail the droplets frozen in time and cascading as bright colours in all directions.

Just a drop in the ocean: Tobias Braeuning has created these technicolour masterpieces by dropping droplets of ink into water

In one, the ink droplets combine to look like a transparent rainbow mushroom cloud.

And in another, a red stemmed droplet bursts into purple-green life as it splashed blue ink in a circular pattern to create an astounding crest.

The pictures were taken by full-time software engineer Tobias Brauening, 27, from Reutingen, Germany.

He said: 'The most fascinating aspect for me is that a water drop is such a simple thing which happens every day in nature.

'It's wonderful what nature can create, and I like to make this visible to others.

'They wonder how it is possible for the colours to get in there and how I can trigger the camera in the right moment.'

Making waves: The software engineer uses three different valves which release the ink at exactly the point the shutter on his camera closes

The secret to Mr Brauening's success lies in his interest in technology, computers and photography.

He decided to study the little known subject of mechatronics, which combines all three subjects together to produce the outstanding and challenging images.

'Because I learned something about electronics and microcontrollers while studying, I bought a microcontroller board, built some electronics and started with great success.

'I used three new special valves, experimented with making them drop to the same point and my new images were born.'

Dazzling: The setup is manipulated using a microcontroller and different light filters to ensure the image is perfect

First he fills a plastic tank with shallow water. He then adds a different colour to each of the three valves and uses three flashes with contrasting colour filters for the background.

Mr Brauening then sets up his microcontroller and camera, adjusts his three valves and pushes the trigger.

This activates both the valves and the camera shutter, which are synchronised to capture the vital moment.

'But even with all the technical help, sometimes it takes hours until I get the shape and colours that I wish for,' he added.

Frozen in time: Mr Braeuning said it still takes him several hours before he is happy with the images he creates

'A collision of three drops needs accurate timing in a range of a few milliseconds.

'The other issue is the lighting, which needs some practice around the reflections on the water, background, colour filters and the position of the flashes.'

Can Lucy, 39, really be the oldest cat in the world? (Or is it just a shaggy dog story?)

A family has discovered their cat is the oldest in the world after reaching its 39th birthday.
Pet Lucy was born way back in 1972 when Ted Heath was Prime Minister and petrol was 33p a gallon.

Cat experts say she has clocked up the equivalent of 172 human years - and cats live to be about 15 on average which means Lucy has more than doubled her life expectancy.

Lucy is still fit as a fiddle - and catches mice in the garden. Owner Bill Thomas, 63, inherited Lucy when his wife's Godmother Maria Lewis died in 1999.

Deaf but happy: Lucy, a 39-year-old cat from Llanelli, South Wales is believed to be the oldest cat in the world after a visiting aunt remembered her as a kitten in 1972

But it was only when an elderly aunt came to visit that he realised Lucy was a record breaker.
He said: 'My aunt saw the cat and could not believe her eyes.

'She could remember Lucy scampering around maria's fish and chip shop when she was a kitten back in 1972. We knew she was old - but not that old.'

Town councillor Bill, of Llanelli, South Wales, took Lucy to the vet who was amazed by the cat's long life. Bill said: 'The vet said she was very old but it was not possible to give us an exact age.

'Great with the grandchildren': Lucy with Ethan Thomas, aged 6. Cat experts say Lucy has clocked up the equivalent of 172 human years

'Lucy has gone deaf but apart from that she is in good shape and extremely independent.

'She is great with the grandchildren and still likes to patrol the garden every day looking for mice.' Until now the world's oldest recorded cat was a pet called Creme Puff from Texas, USA, which lived for 38 years and three days.

Bill said: 'We have researched Lucy's past and found she was born in Thomas Street, Llanelli in 1972.

He said: 'We have spoken to other people who can verify seeing her in the fish and chip shop in the early seventies.

'She appears to be the genuine article.' A spokesman for Guinness World Records said there was no entry for the world's oldest cat.

Miraculous escape after lorry flips over on bridge and is held upside down over 200ft drop... by a single punctured tyre

The driver of this lorry had a miraculous escape after his vehicle was left suspended over a 200ft drop... by a single punctured tyre.

The man lost control of his vehicle along a major road, clipped the concrete wall of a bridge and the heavy lorry rolled over as it slid perilously close to the edge.

A passerby caught the moment on camera as the momentum of the lorry carried it into the barrier and flipped it over the top.

Miracle escape: Rescuers line the sides of the bridge after the lorry flipped upside down and rolled over the barrier to end suspended upside down

But thanks to the punctured tyre and pieces of torn sheet metal on the ground near the diesel tank, the lorry was somehow pinned in place suspended upside down over the deep gorge below.

Rescuers tentatively approached the vehicle and managed to pull the driver to safety, despite the fact the tyre could have given way at any time.

The barriers on the bridge are clearly too low to be an effective safety measure for lorries and it is unknown if the vehicle was recovered, or allowed to fall into the gorge.

Lucky man: A punctured tyre - nearest the camera - and pieces of sheet metal left on the road are all that stopped the lorry and its driver from a 200ft drop

The pictures, which circulated over a year ago on the internet, have just emerged within China which has strict bans on internet use.

Last year, another lorry driver had a lucky escape when the container on his vehicle hit the underside of a bridge and catapulted the cab nose first into the bridge in Changchun city.

Who took a bite out of the Sun? The partial solar eclipse that wowed millions

• Partial eclipse visible in East Anglia and on the south coast

After the earthquakes and freak weather of recent weeks, Britain was visited by another Biblical omen yesterday.

Those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of clear sky just after dawn enjoyed the spectacular sight of a partial eclipse of the Sun.

Between 8am and 9.30am it appeared to be missing a large chunk as the Moon passed between the Sun and the Earth.

Hamble, Hampshire: A partial solar eclipse was visible on England's south coast, as the moon covered the sun at around 8.10am. The majority of Britain had its view of the phenomenon obscured by cloud

Locon, northern France: The partial eclipse extended across much of Europe this morning. The greatest eclipse will occur over the city of Skelleftea in north-east Sweden, where the moon will block out almost 90 per cent of the sun

The dramatic sight could be witnessed in parts of East Anglia and the south coast of England, as well as across the globe.

But the majority of the country remained swathed in cloud, meaning the UK's first partial solar eclipse since August 2008 was hidden from view.

In London, where the eclipse ended at 9.31am, approximately 67 per cent of the sun was covered, although clouds obscured the event.

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• 'I jumped up to get outside': Second earthquake in a fortnight hits the North of England

This compared to just under 70 per cent in Liverpool and Plymouth, while Glasgow reached 40 per cent and the Western Isles just 15 per cent.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN ECLIPSE OF THE SUN?

A solar eclipse takes place when the moon lines up between the sun and the Earth.

This casts a lunar shadow on the Earth's surface and obscures the solar disk.

During a partial solar eclipse, only part of the sun is blotted out.

Today's partial eclipse was visible across much of the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and central Asia.

It began in the skies over Northern Algeria, the first location to witness the phenomenon at 6.40am GMT.

Western Europe woke up to the sunrise eclipse as it extended across much of the content.

In Madrid, a little less than half of the sun's diameter was covered, whereas in Paris this coverage extended to 65 per cent.

The greatest eclipse occur later in the morning over the city of Skelleftea in north-east Sweden, where the moon blocked out almost 90 per cent of the sun.

In central Russia, north-west China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, the phenomenon will take place at sunset.

A plane is silhouetted against the partial eclipse over the cloudy skies of Barcelona

The celestial event produces a dazzling sight over Dinslaken, Germany. The greatest eclipse will occur over the city of Skelleftea in north-east Sweden, where the moon will block out almost 90 per cent of the sun

A solar eclipse takes place in the skies over Studencice, Slovenia. Northern Algeria was the first location to witness the celestial event at 6.40am GMT

In cloudy winter skies over Jerusalem, the sun appeared to have a bite taken out of its upper right section.

ECLIPSES TO COME IN 2011

• June 1 - Partial solar eclipse across Siberia, northern Canada, and Greenland
• June 15 - Total lunar exlipse across Eastern Hemisphere
• July 1 - Partial solar eclipse across southern Antarctic Ocean
• November 25 - Partial solar eclipse visible from southern tip of Africa after sunrise and from Tasmania and southern New Zealand before sunset
• December 10 - Total lunar eclipse the western U.S. and Canada
  

But in Britain skywatchers were barely able to witness the eclipse at all.

Among those thwarted by the overcast conditions were members of the Newcastle Astronomical Society, who set up telescopes and recording equipment to capture the phenomenon at St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

But the cloud remained stubbornly in front of the Sun and the astronomers went away with nothing.

The last total eclipse of the sun visible from Britain took place in August 1999.

There will be three other partial solar eclipses in 2011, but none of them will be seen in the UK.

The cloudy conditions over Britain at least reduced the chances of eclipse-watchers damaging their eyesight.

Scientists warned that looking directly at the sun for even a few seconds could cause permanent impairment to vision.

Dame Sally Davies, the Government's Interim Chief Medical Officer, had called on parents to make sure their children understood the dangers.

Secret powers? A paralysed boy is buried up to his neck in sand by his parents in Hyderabad, Pakistan, following a doctor's recommendation that light from the eclipse could heal him

Magical moment: Venezuelan tourists watch the partial eclipse in front of the Giza Pyramids in Egypt

Safety first: Israelis watch the eclipse in the town of Givatayim near Tel Aviv

She said: 'Children are particularly vulnerable as they may be tempted to take a peek. We would urge parents to explain the danger to their children.

'We would not wish to see another case like the young boy who lost his central vision back in October 2005 through looking directly at a partial eclipse in his school playground.'Medical experts said the safest way to watch an eclipse is on the television or live webcasts on the internet.

Observing such an event directly through a telescope, binoculars or camera is not safe under any circumstances.

Dame Sally added: 'Under no circumstances should people look directly at the sun during a partial eclipse.

'The risks of doing so are very real and could lead to irreversible damage to eyesight and even blindness.'

Even viewing a partial eclipse through sunglasses or photographic film is also 'wholly inadequate', experts warned.

They said only specially designed solar filters bearing the appropriate CE mark can be used to view the eclipse directly.

Telescopes ready: Members of the Newcastle Astronomical Society wait at St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay as overcast skies prevented a view of the eclipse

Different phases: Today's partial solar eclipse as seen from the Zugspitze mountain near Garmisch-Partenkirchen in southern Germany

Growing dark: People in south-east England were the first in Britain to experience the partial eclipse; at 9.10am it was taking place over the rest of the UK

Sisters clock up 101 years to become world's oldest twins... and say it's all down to sharing jokes together

Two sisters have celebrated their 101st birthday as officially the oldest twins in the world.

Ena Pugh and Lily Millward, born together on January 4 1910, were toasted with cups of tea and cake by their family in a special party.

The pair were given the accolade by Guinness World records last year after checking their birth certificates.

Still going strong: Ena Pugh and Lily Millward have celebrated their 101st birthday as officially the oldest twins in the world. The pair, from Brecon, South Wales, enjoyed tea and cake with close family and friends to mark the special occasion

Tucking into a piece of birthday cake, Ena said: 'We are having a lovely day.' And twin Lily said: 'Thank you very much - it's lovely to be together.'

Farmer's daughters Ena and Lily were born before the outbreak of World War 1 when Queen Victoria's son Edward VII was king.

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The pair still live in the own houses near Brecon in the Welsh countryside, meet up for weekly shopping sessions and chat on the telephone virtually every night.

Great-grandmother Lily revealed the secret of their long life is 'laughter and having a joke with each other.' She said: 'We used to work on the farm all day, but we would enjoy ourselves.

'It was a lot of fun and sociable. We've been very lucky and we have always had good health.'

Their family had no idea Ena and Lily were the oldest in the world until twins in France claimed the record. But checks showed they were more than three years older.

Lily's daughter Dianne Powell, 64, said: 'As twins they have been very close all their lives and they are still very close now.

'Each of them jumps on a bus on their own every Friday so they can go shopping together and have a chat over a cup of tea.

Prime time: Ena (left) and Lily (seen here with Lily's husband Evan shortly before World War 2) have always been close and say the secret to their longevity is 'laughter and having a joke with each other'

'And they ring each other almost every evening although they are both very hard of hearing - they can't really always know what the other is saying but just enjoy talking to each other.'

Ena was born first on a chilly day in January 1910 with Lily a few minutes later in their family farm cottage in the tiny village of Garthbrengy, near Brecon in mid-Wales.

Their parents Charles and Laura Thomas had ten children - including twin brothers - but Ena and Lily are the only survivors.

Ena married railwayman Ivor who died more than 20 years ago. She still lives in her country cottage where she raised their three children - and now has ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Lily lives in a smallholding and has been a widow for nearly 20 years after the death of husband Evan, a former timber merchant. She had two children, five grand-children and nine-great grandchildren.

Both of the twins shun some of the luxuries of modern life - neither has central heating in their home.

The sisters live just a dozen miles away from each other in the fresh air of the Welsh countryside - Ena at Erwood, near Builth Wells, and Lily still in her home village of Garthbrengy, near Brecon, but in a different house.

The pair were joined by more than a dozen family at a restaurant in Brecon yesterday for their big 1-0-1 together.

Guinness World Records HQ in London received evidence from the family including birth and marriage certificates for both sisters.