https://www.scmp.com/rss/183972/feed Guinness World Records was founded in 1951 when Sir Hugh Beaver - then managing director of the Guinness Brewery - asked a simple question: what was Europe's fastest game bird? With the help of the London-based fact-finding twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, he set about creating a definitive catalogue of notable feats which culminated on August 27, 1955, in the publication of the first edition of "The Guinness Book of Records". By Christmas that year it became Britain's number one bestseller and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar If you think Gheorghe Mureşan and Manute Bol, both of whom are 231cm (7ft 7 inches) tall, or even Sun Mingming, who stands at a mighty 236cm (7ft 8.9 inches), are the tallest basketball players in the world, think again. College basketballer Olivier Rioux, 20, now holds the record, with a staggering height of 236cm (7ft 9 inches). He made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2021 as the tallest teenager when he was 226cm (7ft 5 inches) tall. View this post on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348748/meet-olivier-rioux-tallest-basketball-player-world-whos-nba-prospect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3348748/meet-olivier-rioux-tallest-basketball-player-world-whos-nba-prospect?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 22:00:17 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu More than 1,200 musicians set a Guinness World Record for the largest reed ensemble featuring the sheng – a traditional Chinese free-reed instrument – at a Hong Kong concert on Sunday. The “Endless Sheng, Thousand Reeds in Harmony” marathon opened the International Sheng and Reeds Festival of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, marking one of the first major cultural performances at Kai Tak Sports Park, one of the city’s newest venues. Players of all ages, from professional soloists to students,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347488/1200-musicians-set-guinness-world-record-concert-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347488/1200-musicians-set-guinness-world-record-concert-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:03:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An extremely rare Pokemon card owned by American YouTuber Logan Paul has sold for US$16,492,000, smashing the record for the most expensive trading card sold at an auction. The supposedly unique PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator was originally bought by Paul in another record-breaking sale in 2021 for US$5.28 million. This time it was bought by AJ Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, according to Guinness World Records, whose representatives verified... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343795/unique-pokemon-card-sells-us165-million-smashing-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343795/unique-pokemon-card-sells-us165-million-smashing-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:40:55 +0000 Sasha Gonzales Sasha Gonzales Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-fat, 70, Kent Cheng, 74, Lau Kong, 79, and Paw Hee-ching, 76, made headlines in January for being among the oldest participants in the 10km event at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2026. In 2025, the then 69-year-old Chow ran the half-marathon at the event, completing the 13.1-mile (21km) race in two hours, 24 minutes and 33 seconds. Recently, a growing number of people in their sixties, seventies, eighties and older have been in the news for taking part in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342586/how-people-70-year-old-chow-yun-fat-keep-pushing-their-endurance-limits-they-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3342586/how-people-70-year-old-chow-yun-fat-keep-pushing-their-endurance-limits-they-age?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A highly unlikely set of nuptials has taken place in China with a pair of twin brothers marrying twin sisters. Not only that, both sides have a pair of twin uncles. A wedding photo featuring four sets of twins went viral online recently, racking up more than 10 million views. According to the mainland media outlet Jiupai News, the two couples only discovered on the wedding day that their uncles were also twins. The wedding host called it a “miracle”, and the guests were equally astonished and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339878/china-wedding-goes-viral-twin-brothers-marry-twin-sisters-and-both-sides-have-twin-uncles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3339878/china-wedding-goes-viral-twin-brothers-marry-twin-sisters-and-both-sides-have-twin-uncles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A 33-year-old Hong Kong man fell victim to theft when a prospective buyer he met online snatched 19 valuable Pokemon trading cards worth HK$200,000 (US$26,000) and fled without payment at a railway station. The case unfolded at about 3pm on Tuesday at Lam Tin station, where the seller arranged the deal with the suspect he met online interested in his collection. According to police, the seller handed over the cards to a young man standing outside the gates when he asked to check them, but the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338965/19-pokemon-cards-worth-hk200000-snatched-hong-kong-seller-during-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3338965/19-pokemon-cards-worth-hk200000-snatched-hong-kong-seller-during-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:21:38 +0000 Agencies Agencies As Wednesday turned to Thursday, people around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the ‍new year to come. In Croatia, celebrations got off to an early start. Since 2000, the town of Fuzine has held its countdown at noon, a tradition that has since spread across the country. Crowds cheered and toasted each other with champagne and danced ⁠to music – all in the middle of the day. Some brave souls in Santa hats took a plunge into the icy waters of Lake... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:19:08 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Olympic snowboard champion Su Yiming has become China’s first overall winner of the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup and has also added another Guinness World Record to his name as he builds towards defending his Winter Games title at Milano Cortina 2026. The 21-year-old secured the Crystal Globe trophy for the 2025-26 Big Air season after back-to-back World Cup victories at Genting Resort Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou and the Shougang Big Air Jump in Beijing, placing him top of the overall Big... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3337734/olympic-snowboarding-champion-su-yiming-becomes-first-chinese-winner-big-air-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3337734/olympic-snowboarding-champion-su-yiming-becomes-first-chinese-winner-big-air-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:44:27 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer Collecting is almost an obsession for some. And for a few – or their champions – showing off those collections is also a must. Here are a few of the personal collections now on view for the world to see. UR-MU@Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Short for “Urban Museum”, UR-MU encompasses three properties, each housing the art collection of a prominent Malaysian, but the original, home to the most eclectic set of works, is UR-MU@Bukit Bintang. The paintings, sculptures and installations here... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3330613/8-intriguing-museums-built-obsessions-individual-collectors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3330613/8-intriguing-museums-built-obsessions-individual-collectors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:00:13 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words In just 100 days, the eyes of the world will turn to Italy as the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 begin. For me personally, these will be the first Games of my presidency – and I could not be more excited that they will take place in a country that embodies passion like... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330555/counting-down-first-winter-olympics-shaped-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3330555/counting-down-first-winter-olympics-shaped-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 03:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Kokichi Akuzawa almost gave up during his trek to become the oldest person to summit Mount Fuji at age 102, an achievement recognised by Guinness World Records after he reached the top in early August. “I was really tempted to give up halfway through,” Akuzawa says. “Reaching the summit was tough, but my friends encouraged me, and it turned out well. I managed to get through it because so many people supported me.” Akuzawa climbed with his 70-year-old daughter Motoe, his granddaughter, her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324730/102-year-old-becomes-oldest-person-climb-mount-fuji-sets-new-guinness-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3324730/102-year-old-becomes-oldest-person-climb-mount-fuji-sets-new-guinness-world-record?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In the heart of Spain’s capital, Sobrino de Botín holds a coveted Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest restaurant. Exactly 300 years after it opened its doors, Botín welcomes droves of daily visitors hungry for Castilian fare with a side of history. But on the outskirts of Madrid, far from the souvenir shops and tourist sites, a rustic tavern named Casa Pedro makes a bold claim. Its owners assert the establishment endured not just the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s and the Napoleonic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3314249/worlds-oldest-restaurant-madrid-faces-challenge-nearby-tavern-eyes-guinness-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3314249/worlds-oldest-restaurant-madrid-faces-challenge-nearby-tavern-eyes-guinness-record?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made his first visit to Kashmir since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the contested region he called “the crown jewel of India”. Modi launched a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the divided Muslim-majority territory, the centre of bitter rivalry between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict last month, their worst... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3313421/indias-modi-opens-rail-line-worlds-highest-railway-arch-bridge-contested-kashmir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3313421/indias-modi-opens-rail-line-worlds-highest-railway-arch-bridge-contested-kashmir?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 11:51:57 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Actress Heather Graham says her latest film, Chosen Family, (which she both stars in and directs) is about what happens when a reformed people pleaser like her says no. “I wanted to take some things in my life that I had found hard and painful and turn it into comedy,” she told The Guardian last month. Her new-found confidence is often evident in photos she posts on Instagram too. After spending the Christmas holidays learning how to ski from her snowboarder boyfriend John de Neufville, she... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3311514/who-heather-grahams-boyfriend-john-de-neufville-chosen-family-and-austin-powers-actress-hasnt-been?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3311514/who-heather-grahams-boyfriend-john-de-neufville-chosen-family-and-austin-powers-actress-hasnt-been?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 22:00:19 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A Chinese student’s microdrone has set a Guinness World Record in southern China while racing through the air at the speed of a high-speed train. The Prowess microdrone, weighing less than 250 grams (8.8 ounces), reached 340.78km/h (211.75mph), setting a world record for remote-controlled microdrone quadcopters. The record was broken by model aircraft enthusiast Xu Yang on March 23 in Huizhou, Guangdong province, according to a WeChat post by Guinness World Records on Monday. According to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310463/chinese-student-xu-yang-breaks-impossible-microdrone-world-speed-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3310463/chinese-student-xu-yang-breaks-impossible-microdrone-world-speed-record?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A play date between the world’s tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the three-foot (91cm) height difference – lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering. Reginald, a seven-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple did not stop them from getting along... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3308917/worlds-tallest-and-smallest-dogs-meet-play-date?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3308917/worlds-tallest-and-smallest-dogs-meet-play-date?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 22:14:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Throngs of dachshunds strutted their stubby stuff in Hungary on Thursday as they tried to fetch a record for the country’s biggest ever single-breed dog walk. Hundreds of dogs and their owners gathered at the Budapest City Park and walked in a long, noisy loop in the spring sun. The parade of pups was under the observation of the Hungarian Records Association, which was tasked with determining whether the canine cavalcade could be officially entered into the record books. István Sebestyén,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3308732/wiener-wonderland-hundreds-dachshunds-chase-record-hungary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3308732/wiener-wonderland-hundreds-dachshunds-chase-record-hungary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 14:30:10 +0000 A “pocket park” in central Japan, measuring only 0.24 square metres (2.58 sq ft) with space for just one person to sit on a wooden seat on a rock, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s smallest. Located in a corner of a residential area in the town of Nagaizumi, Shizuoka prefecture, the park consists of a small square of raised bricks and some small plants next to the stool and two stone monuments, including one with a carving of the town’s symbolic flower. The park had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3308135/japan-home-worlds-smallest-park-space-1-person-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3308135/japan-home-worlds-smallest-park-space-1-person-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Apr 2025 02:37:41 +0000 When American Cameron Mofid stepped out of the airport in Pyongyang he became one of the first tourists to visit North Korea in more than five years – and completed his mission to visit every country in the world. Mofid was one of about 200 foreigners who travelled to the secretive state’s capital this month for the Pyongyang International Marathon, which took place on April 6 and had not been held since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic. North Korea reopened to Russian tourists in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3306550/americans-craziest-experience-north-korea-marathon-completes-record-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3306550/americans-craziest-experience-north-korea-marathon-completes-record-task?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:42:52 +0000 Ronin, a rat trained to sniff out explosives, has earned an entry in the Guinness World Records after finding a record 109 landmines and 15 items of unexploded ordnance in Cambodia’s northern Preah Vihear Province. Belgian aid organisation Apopo revealed Ronin’s achievements on Friday, World Rat Day, which is marked every year on April 4. Ronin, an African pouched rat, secured the record after being put to work in August 2021, beating all his peers. The five-year-old rat is the most successful... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3305317/ronin-rat-breaks-world-record-sniffing-out-landmines-cambodia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3305317/ronin-rat-breaks-world-record-sniffing-out-landmines-cambodia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 03:11:07 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A 108-year-old Japanese woman has been honoured by the Guinness World Records as the “world’s oldest female barber”, having dedicated 94 years to her craft and continues to inspire many on social media. On March 5, the centenarian Shitsui Hakoishi, who operates a barbershop in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture, received this prestigious recognition from the Guinness World Records. Hakoishi embarked on her nine-decade-long career in 1931 when she left her hometown for Tokyo, becoming an apprentice at... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3302034/worlds-oldest-female-barber-108-inspires-wisdom-hold-no-grudges-feel-no-jealousy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3302034/worlds-oldest-female-barber-108-inspires-wisdom-hold-no-grudges-feel-no-jealousy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:00:36 +0000 An Australian man credited with saving 2.4 million babies through his record-breaking blood plasma donations over six decades, has died aged 88, his family said on Tuesday. James Harrison, a retired state railway department clerk, died in a nursing home where he had lived for five weeks on the Central Coast of New South Wales state on February 17, according to his grandson, Jarrod Mellowship. Harrison had been surprised to be recognised by Guinness World Records in 2005 as the person who had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300966/man-whose-blood-saved-24-million-babies-dies-age-88?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300966/man-whose-blood-saved-24-million-babies-dies-age-88?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Mar 2025 06:47:56 +0000 They baffle audiences with their amazing tricks, creating alternate realities few people will ever figure out. Magicians and illusionists are always pushing the limits: whether it’s David Blaine risking his life with increasingly daring stunts, or the legendary Penn & Teller continuing to befuddle audiences 40-odd years after their debut, these performers have turned their talent into lucrative careers. For any parent concerned that their child’s nerdy hobby is a waste of time, read on to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3291484/7-richest-magicians-world-net-worths-ranked-las-vegas-stalwarts-penn-teller-legendary-david?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3291484/7-richest-magicians-world-net-worths-ranked-las-vegas-stalwarts-penn-teller-legendary-david?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:00:15 +0000 The world’s oldest man, Briton John Tinniswood, has died aged 112 at the care home where he lived in Southport, northwest England, Guinness World Records said on Tuesday, quoting his family. Tinniswood was born in Liverpool on August 26, 1912, and died on Monday. He became the world’s oldest man in April, following the death of 114-year-old Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez. “His last day was surrounded by music and love,” the family said in a statement, also thanking “all those who cared for him... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3288238/worlds-oldest-man-dies-112-john-tinniswoods-life-spanned-titanic-and-both-world-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3288238/worlds-oldest-man-dies-112-john-tinniswoods-life-spanned-titanic-and-both-world-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:43:07 +0000 The world’s oldest living person, Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera, who was born in the United States and lived through two world wars, has died at the age of 117, her family said on Tuesday. “Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain,” her family wrote on her X account. “We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness,” they said. Branyas, who had lived for the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in the town of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3275214/worlds-oldest-person-maria-branyas-morera-dies-spain-117?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3275214/worlds-oldest-person-maria-branyas-morera-dies-spain-117?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:46:56 +0000 At the peak of the Kala Patthar landmark, 5,500 metres above sea level in eastern Nepal, Jacob Cresswell, a team leader working for the United Nations Stop TB programme, lifts several layers of clothing to place a freezing laptop against his bare stomach. Twenty minutes later, and with the help of a power bank, the computer is repowered and the expedition’s world record attempt for the highest deployment of artificial intelligence is back on track, which is being reviewed by Guinness World... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3274840/x-ray-tests-nepal-powered-ai-hailed-key-global-tb-eradication?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3274840/x-ray-tests-nepal-powered-ai-hailed-key-global-tb-eradication?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Aug 2024 10:00:16 +0000 Hailie Jade Scott – née Mathers – the influencer and daughter of Detroit rapper Eminem, has married long-time partner Evan McClintock, she announced on social media. Maybe you wouldn’t think it from his brash persona as Slim Shady, but rapper Eminem has always credited his success to his daughter, Hailie Jade Mathers. From the day she was born, he said it was her who gave him purpose. “She has been my main source of drive and motivation, especially when she was first born. I didn’t have a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3263647/meet-eminems-newlywed-all-grown-daughter-hailie-28-year-old-made-famous-her-dads-raps-just-married?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3263647/meet-eminems-newlywed-all-grown-daughter-hailie-28-year-old-made-famous-her-dads-raps-just-married?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 11:00:17 +0000 Japanese prosecutors again sought the death penalty in the retrial on Wednesday of an ex-boxer who was the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner until his release in 2014. Iwao Hakamada, now 88, spent 46 years on death row – a stretch recognised by the Guinness World Records – after being convicted in 1968 of murdering a family. He was freed in 2014 and a retrial was ordered after a court said investigators could have planted evidence, sparking relief among his supporters who included other... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3263660/japans-prosecutors-again-seek-death-penalty-ex-boxer-88-over-1968-murder-saga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3263660/japans-prosecutors-again-seek-death-penalty-ex-boxer-88-over-1968-murder-saga?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 10:00:18 +0000 French bakers cooked the world’s longest baguette on Sunday at 140.53 metres (461ft), reclaiming a record for one of the nation’s best-known emblems taken by Italy for five years. The baguette, about 235 times longer than the traditional one, was made in Suresnes in the suburbs of Paris during an event for the French confederation of bakers and pastry chefs. The previous longest baguette of 132.62 metres (435 ft) was baked in the Italian city of Como in June 2019. To better that, the French... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3261508/breadwinner-french-bakers-make-worlds-longest-baguette-beating-italy-after-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3261508/breadwinner-french-bakers-make-worlds-longest-baguette-beating-italy-after-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 22:43:36 +0000 Peru’s Andean mountains may hold the secret to longevity and the world’s oldest ever person, if a new claim by state officials of a 124-year-old man born in 1900 are proven to be true. The country’s government has claimed that local resident Marcelino Abad from the central Peruvian region of Huanuco is 124, which would make him by a distance the oldest living person and even top the oldest ever independently verified human. “Among the tranquillity of the flora and fauna of Huanuco, Marcelino... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3258449/peru-claims-marcelino-abad-124-he-worlds-oldest-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3258449/peru-claims-marcelino-abad-124-he-worlds-oldest-person?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Apr 2024 03:35:56 +0000 The world’s oldest man says the secret to his long life is luck, moderation – and fish and chips every Friday. Englishman John Alfred Tinniswood, 111, has been confirmed as the new holder of the title by Guinness World Records. It follows the death of the Venezuelan record-holder, Juan Vicente Perez, this month at the age of 114. Gisaburo Sonobe from Japan, who was next longest-lived, died March 31 at 112. Guinness World Records are delighted to announce that John Tinniswood, living in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3258103/worlds-oldest-man-john-alfred-tinniswood-says-his-secret-luck-and-fish-and-chips-friday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3258103/worlds-oldest-man-john-alfred-tinniswood-says-his-secret-luck-and-fish-and-chips-friday?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Apr 2024 17:45:09 +0000 A polio survivor known as the “man in the iron lung” has died aged 78, according to his family and a fundraising website. Paul Alexander of Dallas, Texas contracted polio at the age of six, leaving him paralysed from the neck down and reliant on a mechanical respirator to breathe for much of the time. Though often confined to his submarine-like cylinder, he excelled in his studies, earned a law degree, worked in the legal field and wrote a book. “With a heavy heart I need to say my brother... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255288/man-iron-lung-paul-alexander-dead-78?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3255288/man-iron-lung-paul-alexander-dead-78?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2024 18:49:57 +0000 Four decades after being diagnosed with a serious heart condition and given just six months to live, Bert Janssen has set a Guinness World Record as the longest-surviving transplant patient. “I want to be an example for people,” said the Dutchman, who was 17 when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease which makes it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. He says he is proof that living a long time with a heart transplant is possible. In 1984, the Netherlands... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3254963/dutchman-enters-guinness-world-record-longest-surviving-heart-transplant-patient?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3254963/dutchman-enters-guinness-world-record-longest-surviving-heart-transplant-patient?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:34:37 +0000 Wall space must be a problem in Ravi Ajit Chopra’s house. Chopra is the director of a monster-hit-in-waiting: the forthcoming feature-film version of science-fiction spectacular Cognition. And it will arrive with an impressive pedigree. Cognition already exists as a history-making “short”. Starring Andrew Scott and Jeremy Irvine, it has so far amassed no fewer than 400 awards worldwide since its 2020 release, making it the most decorated live action fictional short film, as recognised by... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3253746/cognition-director-turning-record-breaking-short-feature-film-working-bbc-and-his-bollywood-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/film-tv/article/3253746/cognition-director-turning-record-breaking-short-feature-film-working-bbc-and-his-bollywood-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:45:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s insurance market has added a unique feather to its cap after HSBC Life made history with the sale of a world record US$250 million life policy. The policy, which was sold this year, was certified by Guinness World Records this week, overtaking a US$201 million coverage bought by a tech billionaire in California in March 2014. While the insurer did not disclose the policyholder’s name, Edward Moncreiffe, CEO for Hong Kong and Macau at HSBC Life, said the client was an ultra-high-net... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3253495/guinness-world-records-hsbc-life-clinches-title-us250-million-insurance-policy-sale-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3253495/guinness-world-records-hsbc-life-clinches-title-us250-million-insurance-policy-sale-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 23:30:07 +0000 Guinness World Records (GWR) has revoked the title of the “world’s oldest dog” it awarded a now-deceased Portuguese canine named Bobi last year, as it found no conclusive evidence that he had in fact lived for more than 31 years, it said on Thursday. Following complaints by some veterinary surgeons who raised doubts over his age, GWR last month started a formal review of the title issued last February, when it said Bobi was 31 years and 165 days old, breaking a record held since 1939 by an... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252885/guinness-world-records-bobi-loses-worlds-oldest-dog-title-after-no-conclusive-evidence-available?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3252885/guinness-world-records-bobi-loses-worlds-oldest-dog-title-after-no-conclusive-evidence-available?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2024 13:06:18 +0000 Balloon artist Wilson Pang Sze-tai has amused and delighted many with his craft over the past 12 years. Last week, he unveiled his biggest and most impressive achievement yet. Measuring 41.77 metres (137 feet) long and consisting of 38,000 hand-tied biodegradable balloons, his latest piece – a dragon-shaped installation made for TMTPlaza, a shopping mall in Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun area – broke not only a personal record but also the Guinness World Record for the “largest balloon sculpture of a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3250238/hong-kong-balloon-artist-breaks-world-record-42-metre-dragon-sculpture-made-38000-balloons-usher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3250238/hong-kong-balloon-artist-breaks-world-record-42-metre-dragon-sculpture-made-38000-balloons-usher?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:15:17 +0000 In February 2023, the Guinness World Records announced that it had found the world’s oldest living canine and the oldest dog ever recorded. Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo in Portugal, was bestowed the accolade at the staggering age of, according to his owner, 30. Bobi then died in October, making him 31 years old at the time. But the Guinness World Records is now putting his title on hold amid a wave of questions over the legitimacy of his claim. World’s oldest dog dies in Portugal at 31 “While our... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3248780/guinness-world-records-has-doubts-about-age-worlds-oldest-dog-lived-be-31-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3248780/guinness-world-records-has-doubts-about-age-worlds-oldest-dog-lived-be-31-portugal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:00:34 +0000 Japanese television personality Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s popular childhood memoir Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window is the most published autobiography written by a single author, Guinness World Records said on Monday. As of the end of September, more than 25.1 million copies have been published worldwide, with the book translated in more than 20 languages and selling over 8 million copies in Japan alone, according to the world-record recognising authority and Japanese publisher Kodansha. “I... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3245404/japanese-tv-personality-tetsuko-kuroyanagis-totto-chan-memoir-earns-guinness-record?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3245404/japanese-tv-personality-tetsuko-kuroyanagis-totto-chan-memoir-earns-guinness-record?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:01:52 +0000 Tomoko Horino’s neighbours gossiped when she first went out to work in patriarchal 1960s Japan, but now, at age 100, the world’s oldest beauty adviser is having the last laugh. “It was a time when married women stayed home and only did housekeeping, but I had to work,” Horino said after officially being crowned by Guinness World Records. Others in the eastern town of Fukushima saw her leaving the house in full make-up and thought she was working in a hostess bar. “What kind of a bar hostess... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3242264/japan-beauty-adviser-100-named-worlds-oldest-many-my-good-clients-have-passed-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3242264/japan-beauty-adviser-100-named-worlds-oldest-many-my-good-clients-have-passed-away?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Nov 2023 03:32:39 +0000 A 31-year-old dog in Portugal that had been ranked as the world’s oldest ever dog has died, his owner said on Monday. The guard dog, called Bobi, died over the weekend in a veterinary hospital, Leonel Costa said. Bobi lived on a farm in the village of Conqueiros in Portugal with Costa and four cats. He was born on May 11, 1992, when his owner was just eight years old. In an interview earlier this year, Costa said Bobi’s secret to a long life was good food, fresh air and lots of love. “Bobi eats... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3238924/worlds-oldest-dog-dies-portugal-age-31?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3238924/worlds-oldest-dog-dies-portugal-age-31?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:56:13 +0000 Ed Currie, the hot pepper expert who created the infamous Carolina Reaper, has broken his own world record. Pepper X was named the hottest pepper in the world on 9 October by the Guinness Book of World Records, beating the Reaper, in Currie’s decade-long hunt to perfect the pepper that he says provides “immediate, brutal heat”. Currie, from the US state of South Carolina, said when he first tried Pepper X, it did more than warm his heart. “I was feeling the heat for three-and-a-half hours. Then... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3238459/how-hot-pepper-x-new-hottest-chilli-pepper-world-i-was-feeling-heat-three-and-half-hours-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3238459/how-hot-pepper-x-new-hottest-chilli-pepper-world-i-was-feeling-heat-three-and-half-hours-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2023 08:15:08 +0000 Thousands of people gathered in the Netherlands this weekend to celebrate their red hair at the annual Redhead Days Festival in the southern town of Tilburg. Liam Hunter, 30, from Scotland said attending the three-day festival made him feel better about himself. Like many redheads Hunter said he has experienced bullying over his unusual hair colour. “I don’t feel alone any more, I feel together, a part of something,” he said, looking out over the festival grounds. “Being here I’m... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3232487/thousands-redheads-celebrate-their-hair-annual-netherlands-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3232487/thousands-redheads-celebrate-their-hair-annual-netherlands-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 17:56:47 +0000 Named the world’s bestselling Chinese artist for two consecutive years and with numerous other accolades to his name, Jacky Cheung Hok-yau has earned his place as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop. The “God of Songs”, who has also starred in several movies, celebrates his 62nd birthday today, July 10. As he embarks on the next leg of his “Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour”, we look at some of the highlights of the Hong Kong singer and actor’s Cheung’s career – one that has spanned close... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3226907/happy-birthday-jacky-cheung-hong-kong-singer-and-actor-turns-62-his-career-highs-acting-award-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3226907/happy-birthday-jacky-cheung-hong-kong-singer-and-actor-turns-62-his-career-highs-acting-award-his?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2023 20:15:18 +0000 Five people are on board a submersible vessel that has gone missing in the North Atlantic during an expedition to the Titanic shipwreck. The group includes Hamish Harding, founder of investment firm Action Group and an avid adventurer. The 58-year-old Briton holds three Guinness World Records, including the longest time spent traversing the deepest part of the ocean – the Mariana Trench – on a single dive, and the fastest navigation of Earth via the North and South Poles by plane. Others on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3224711/who-board-missing-titanic-tour-submersible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3224711/who-board-missing-titanic-tour-submersible?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jun 2023 06:29:34 +0000 Sri Lankan military doctors have removed what is now recorded as the world’s largest kidney stone from a 62-year-old retired soldier, the army said on Wednesday. The stone removed from ex-sergeant Canistus Coonge weighed 801 grams (28.25 ounces), more than five times the weight of an average male kidney, the army said. Coonge’s kidney stone measured 13.37cm (5.26 inches) long, compared to an average kidney which is about 10 to 12cm long. Chinese man fails in bid to dissolve kidney stones by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3224082/sri-lanka-doctors-remove-worlds-largest-kidney-stone-longer-and-heavier-average-kidney?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3224082/sri-lanka-doctors-remove-worlds-largest-kidney-stone-longer-and-heavier-average-kidney?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2023 23:00:15 +0000 The world’s most expensive ice cream is being sold for around 873,400 Japanese yen, or US$6,300, per serving. The dessert, called byakuya, has set a Guinness World Record because of its eye-watering price tag. Made by Japanese ice-cream brand Cellato, the dessert includes white truffle, which is sourced from Alba in Italy and costs around US$14,500 per kg, according to a blog post by Guinness World Records. Other ingredients include Parmigiano Reggiano (a type of cheese), edible gold leaf and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3221483/worlds-most-expensive-ice-cream-and-it-made-white-truffle-edible-gold-and-cheese-price-tag-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3221483/worlds-most-expensive-ice-cream-and-it-made-white-truffle-edible-gold-and-cheese-price-tag-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2023 04:15:15 +0000 In case you’ve been living under a soundproofed rock, there’s a new group of Korean darlings in town – NewJeans just broke the Guinness World Record as the fastest K-pop act to reach 1 billion Spotify stream. They pulled it off in 219 days – since their debut “Attention” last July – unseating BTS, the world-beating band who seemed to topple all conventional belief systems when they achieved that same feat in just 409 days. And that means just one thing – a wave of interest from European fashion... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3221357/which-newjeans-member-works-which-luxury-brand-k-pop-girl-group-just-toppled-bts-now-minji-hanni?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3221357/which-newjeans-member-works-which-luxury-brand-k-pop-girl-group-just-toppled-bts-now-minji-hanni?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 May 2023 03:32:39 +0000 The world’s oldest dog has celebrated his 31st birthday, according to Guinness World Records. Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog, celebrated during a party on Saturday at his home in the Portuguese village of Conqueiros, where he has lived his entire life. More than 100 people attended the “very traditional” Portuguese party, owner Leonel Costa said. Local meats and fish were served to up to 100 guests, with extra for Bobi, who only eats human food. A dance troupe... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3220648/bobi-worlds-oldest-dog-celebrates-31st-birthday-according-guinness-world-records?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3220648/bobi-worlds-oldest-dog-celebrates-31st-birthday-according-guinness-world-records?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 16:30:13 +0000 A Hong Kong public hospital has apologised for poor communication after the family of “Uncle Ray” Cordeiro complained about its treatment of the 98-year-old radio legend after he was admitted as an inpatient. The apology on Friday came after Andy Chow Shun-ho, who was the assistant and godson of the veteran DJ, lodged a complaint against Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei over its handling of Cordeiro last November. The family took action after they and Chow discovered he had severe oedema... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3217949/hong-kong-hospital-apologises-insufficient-communication-family-late-veteran-dj-uncle-ray-cordeiro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3217949/hong-kong-hospital-apologises-insufficient-communication-family-late-veteran-dj-uncle-ray-cordeiro?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2023 16:54:03 +0000