Chevy Volt to Get 230 MPG Rating

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General Motors said Tuesday its Chevrolet Volt electric car could get 230 mpg in city driving, making it the first American vehicle to achieve triple-digit fuel economy if that figure is confirmed by federal regulators.
But when the four-door family sedan hits showrooms late next year, its efficiency will come with a steep sticker price: $40,000.
Still, the Volt's fuel efficiency in the city would be four times more than the popular Toyota Prius hybrid, the most efficient car now sold in the U.S.
Most automakers are working on similar designs, but GM would offer the first mainstream plug-in with the Volt, which seats four and was introduced at the 2007 Detroit auto show.
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India's floating mart a big hit

In the sylvan backwaters of India's southern state of Kerala, a floating supermarket is making waves.
Touted as the first of its kind in India, the Floating Triveni calls at various ports, stacked with some 2,000 items of groceries and provisions.
Among its cargo are rice, grains and cereals, and stationery and toiletries.
More than a million people are in the path of the floating mart which is a big hit with the customers.
As the nearly flat boat buzzes along the extensive network of Kerala's waterways, villagers jostle among themselves to be the first on board.
It can accommodate 20 customers plus eight crew members at any given time.
The vessel sets off every morning at 8am and replenishments are done during the night halt.
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Typhoon blows bath tub on to power cables

Electricity had to be cut off after 75mph winds from Typhoon Morakot blew a bath tub onto 40ft high power cables in China.
The bath tub ended up resting on high voltage cables over a road in Longgang town, Wenzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang province, reports People's Daily.
It is believed the bath tub was being thrown out by a nearby hotel and had been left on a balcony where the wind picked it up.
Emergency workers equipped with a cherry picker managed to untangle the bath tub from the powerlines and lower it safely to the ground after electricity workers temporarily turned off the grid.
"It was amazing it managed to land on the cables without snapping them," said one worker.
More than a million people were evacuated from their homes as Typhoon Morakot swept through China claiming at least six lives.
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Cross-eyed

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Another Frozen Dinner

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40-year-old Asian elephant, gets £500 slippers

A 40-year-old Asian elephant, has become the best dressed zoo inhabitant in Britain after her keepers at Paignton Zoo fitted her with a pair of £500 slippers. She has been suffering from painful abscesses on her front feet for the past few months so her keepers at the Devon zoo decided to commission some footwear. At £250 each, the shoes did not come cheap but they do feature elephant-proof laces. They were made by Aussie Dog - a specialist company that has worked with elephants across South East Asia. Each boot is about 40 centimeters in diameter and to make a good fit keepers had to draw an outline around each foot to make patterns that were sent off to Australia.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park curator of mammals Neil Bemment said that Gay also gets regular pedicures and antibiotic foot baths, and has aloe-vera rubbed into her feet to decrease swelling and provide pain relief. "She is nearly 40 years old that's middle-aged for an elephant - and weighs around four tons. Some elephants can be prone to foot problems," he said. "Her welfare is our prime concern, so we decided to have these protective boots made which will help in the treatment of her front feet."
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