Newborn Is Mile-High Miracle

Startled undertaker was prepping newborn for her funeral

(NEWSER) - It was almost a miracle: A Brazilian baby believed to be dead started crying at the funeral home where an undertaker was about to prepare her for burial, reports the AP . Cops say doctors declared the infant dead yesterday, moments after her 14-year-old mother gave birth to her two months early. The newborn was quickly taken back to the hospital and placed in intensive care, but died today "of multiple organ failure caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood," says a hospital rep. More»

He assures wedding guests 'it's not sexual'

(NEWSER) - Arguably even weirder than the woman who married herself or the man who married his pillow : An Australian man has married his dog. Joseph Guiso wed Honey, a 5-year-old labrador, in Toowoomba this week, the Chronicle reports. Thirty friends and family members attended, and listened to vows (presumably only delivered by Guiso) including, "You’re my best friend and you make every part of my day better." More»

Afghanistan is worst, but deaths during childbirth plummet 40% globally

(NEWSER) - The number of women who die while giving birth has plummeted over the last 30 years, thanks mostly to dramatic improvements in populous rising nations like India, China, Brazil, and Egypt, according to a new study. Globally, 251 mothers died for every 100,000 babies born in 2008, a 40% decrease over 1980, the study revealed. During that period, China’s rate fell from 165 to 40, while India’s fell steeply from 677 to 254. More»

The big names who've gotten in hot water overseas

(NEWSER) - Robin Williams’ comment to David Letterman last week that “Australians are basically English rednecks” set off quite a chain reaction—the Australian prime minister is mad at Williams, and the Alabama governor is mad at the Australian PM for implying Alabamians are the real rednecks. The Daily Beast rounds up a dozen more diplomatic scandals in the celebrity world:

• Adam Carolla: The Filipino people weren’t too happy last week when the comedian railed about boxer Manny Pacquiao being the only thing the country has to offer: “They got this and sex tours, that’s all they have over there. Get your shit together, Philippines. Jesus Christ. I mean, again, it’s fine to be proud of your countrymen. But that’s it? That’s all you got?”
• Richard Gere: When he kissed Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty in 2007, protesters in India shouted “Death to Shilpa Shetty!” and burned effigies of Gere.

To produce male heir, scrounges to afford IVF procedure

(NEWSER) - A 70-year-old Indian grandmother of five has become the world’s oldest mom after giving birth to twins, the Sun reports. Omkari Panwar and her husband, a retired farmer, mortgaged their land, sold off their buffaloes, and took out loans to finance IVF treatment so they could produce a male heir. More»