Modjadji VI, the South African queen believed to make rain, has died in hospital, just two years after being crowned. Makobo Modjadji was a descendant from a line of rain queens dating back at least 200 years, and the youngest ever to head southern Africa's only female dynasty ruling the Balobedu people in the country's northern Limpopo province.

Japanese men must work less to assist at home more, reported The Associated Press referring to a survey published on Sunday. The survey was conducted by Rengo Soken, a research institute associated with Japanese trade unions.

According to a local paper, two Yadavs, a cow-herd caste just above Dalits, forced a government school to stop serving the federally mandated lunches after they found out Dalit women had been hired to make the rice puddings. The women were considered "untouchables. " Indian officials are investigating reports that villagers stopped a school giving lunch to its students because lower caste Dalits, or untouchables, cooked the desserts.

A Thai Beauty contest held Sunday gave women with a little more meat on their bones the chance to strut their stuff and compete for the title of Miss Jumbo Queen. The annual pageant aims to raise awareness and money for Thailand's suffering elephant population. Women weighing 176 pounds and over strut their stuff for judges in beauty and talent competitions - fully representing the theory that "bigger is beautiful. "

A 37-year-old woman is lucky after surviving two near-fatal accidents within hours of each other. Around 2:30 am on Sunday morning, Lana Hudspeth ran off U. S. 76 in Ballentine northwest of Columbia, struck a tree, went down a 30-foot embankment and came to rest on the train tracks, state Highway Patrol spokesman Bryan McDougald reported. Just over two hours later at 4:45 am Hudspeth was either unconscious or couldn't get out of her car when a 93-car train traveling 47 mph struck Hudspeth's car, pushing it 300 yards down the track. Hudspeth was able to communicate with rescuers as they removed her from her 2004 Ford Taurus. Hudspeth's current condition is unknown - however, authorities report she was stable.