Rio de Janeiro lights up world's tallest floating Xmas tree

Rio de janeiro: The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro has lit up its traditional floating Christmas tree – one of the biggest of its kind in the world – with musical shows and fireworks, marking the beginning of the December festivities. The impressive metallic structure, standing 230 feet, a height equivalent to a 24-storey building, was illuminated on Saturday with multicoloured lights above the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, one of the most iconic places in all of the southern region of city. The lights were accompanied by a musical show and fireworks that went on for seven minutes, as hundreds of spectators gathered to witness the inauguration. IANS

Shouting match: Indonesians dish out suggestions

los jakarta: A number of Indonesians took part in a shouting competition in Jakarta, in which they were given five minutes on stage to belt out advice on issues such as health, education and child protection to a crowd below. The contestants, mainly housewives, come from the city’s native Betawi inhabitants, who have a reputation in Indonesia for being spontaneous and outspoken. The competition aimed to capture typical Betawi traditions, with winners competing for 1.5 million rupiah ($107) in prize money. Reuters

50 bodies unearthed from Mexican mass grave

guadalajara: The bodies of at least 50 persons have been unearthed from a mass grave at a farm outside Mexico’s western city of Guadalajara. The grim site was discovered just over three weeks ago in Jalisco. The local prosecutor’s office said 13 of the dead – 12 men and a woman – have been identified and the remains given to their families. Nearly 2,500 murders were reported in Jalisco — where the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel is based — between January and November. AFP