Odd News
70-year-old woman gives birth to twins, father flees
The 70-year-old woman
In an extraordinary turn of events that sounds more like a script from a dramatic movie, a 70-year-old woman from Uganda has given birth to twins, turning a page in her life that many thought was firmly in the past.
Safina Namukwaya, hailing from Masaka, located about 75 miles west of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, has lived most of her life under the shadow of being labeled “cursed” due to her inability to conceive. But the narrative of her life took an unexpected twist when, against all odds, she became a mother to twins—a boy and a girl, both in good health—at a hospital in Kampala. This miraculous event came just three years after the birth of her first child, a daughter, at the age of 67.
Dr. Edward Tamale Sali, who spoke to AFP about the birth, described it as an “extraordinary feat.” Indeed, the path to motherhood for Safina was far from conventional, involving in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments that finally allowed her to experience the joy of motherhood not once, but twice, in her twilight years.
The story, however, takes a bittersweet turn with the reaction of her current partner, whom she met in 1996 after the death of her first husband in 1992. The joy of the newborn twins was not shared by him; in fact, he was conspicuously absent from the hospital during their birth. Safina revealed to AFP that he might not have been thrilled about the arrival of the twins, perhaps daunted by the responsibilities they brought along. According to her, he vanished during her pregnancy and has not been seen since she was hospitalized, a testament to his reluctance to embrace this new chapter.
Safina’s journey to motherhood later in life is a narrative of resilience, breaking societal norms, and the wonders of modern medicine. It’s also a stark reminder of the challenges women face in societies where fertility defines their worth. While the absence of her partner casts a shadow over this story, the birth of the twins is a beacon of hope and a symbol of triumph against adversity.
In a world that often writes off the dreams of the elderly, Safina Namukwaya stands tall, a mother at 70, defying age, societal expectations, and even biology itself, to bring new life into the world. Her story is a powerful testament to the fact that it’s never too late for miracles to happen, and sometimes, they come in pairs.
Odd News
NASA Astronaut shows how he wears pants in Space: ‘two legs at a time’
Astronauts have a unique way of getting dressed in space. In a fascinating video posted on February 21, NASA chemical engineer, Don Pettit, demonstrated how he puts on his pants aboard the International Space Station. Instead of the traditional one-leg-at-a-time approach, Mr Pettit descended into his floating trousers, essentially jumping into them with both legs at once.
He simply captioned the video, “Two legs at a time.”
The lighthearted video delighted viewers, prompting a flurry of comments and reactions from users who enjoyed the humorous glimpse into life in space. One user wrote, “I thought you were going to land right in them at first. Haha. That might be fun to try.”
Another joked, “This is the real content that I needed! I attempted to recreate this on Earth and well.it didn’t go well.”
A third said, “Missed opportunity to not have the theme from Space Odyssey 2001 playing for this.” A fourth added, “Such a pro! Well done.”
Odd News
Company threatens to fire employees …..if they don’t get married and have children
A company based in China’s Shandong province caught the attention of government officials after it threatened to fire its single and divorced employees if they remained single by the end of September.
According to a report in South China Morning Post, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., issued a notice to its 1,200-odd employees, emphasising that they work well and establish families.
The notice required single employees aged 28-58, including those divorced, to get married and settle down by the end of September this year. Those who do not by the end of March need to write a self-criticism letter. If they do not get married by the end of June, the company will conduct an “evaluation” of them. If they are still single by the end of September, they will be fired.
The company said the move was intended to promote the spirit and cultural values of “diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness”.
As the news went viral, Chinese social media users slammed the decision, stating the company was violating several laws.
“Corporate rules should not override laws or social morals,” one user commented, while others pointed out that the Chinese marriage law guarantees freedom of marriage.
“This crazy company should mind its own business and stay away from the personal lives of employees.”
