World Vignettes

Women soldiers
WASHINGTON: United States Army has decided that infuture its women soldiers must be able to throw a hand grenade the same distance as men do presently — about 100 feet. The decision follows publicly aired complaints by Secretary of Defence William Cohen that military training had become too lax. Cohen was responding to a complaint by Republican Congressman Steve Buyel, that the standard of successfully throwing a hand grenade was being routinely waived for female recruits.

Oldest man dead
PARIS: Christian Mortensen, a cigar-loving schapps drinker believed to be the world’s oldest male, has died in the United States aged 115, a doctor revealed. Danish-born Mortensen’s death on Saturday in San Rafael, California, was confirmed yesterday by Michel Allard, a French specialist on centenarians. In his final years, despite being blind, nearly deaf, and unable to walk, he continued to devote himself to his central pleasure of cigar smoking. A table next to him in his retirement home was laden with boxes of cigars sent by wellwishers from around theworld. Even on his 115th birthday he entertained fellow residents with traditional Danish songs, and clearly revelled in the media attention his longevity attracted. Born on a dairy farm in Denmark in 1882, he worked on the farm and as an apprentice tailor before leaving for the United States in 1903. He retired in 1950 after a number of jobs, including 21 years in a canning factory. Mortensen said he had forgotten the name of the woman he was married to for several years, saying it was long enough for him to learn not to remarry.