One of the maximum security prisons in Beijing plans to make the learning of Chinese classics including the Analects of Confucius compulsory among its inmates this year.

A traditional culture education program will be "systematically and fully implemented" in the Beijing No 2 Prison from this year, with related books distributed to each inmate, said Luo Zhongqi, its vice-warden.

Luo said the prison hopes the study will help the 1,200 inmates change their philosophies of life, while reflecting on their past crimes and learning how to get along with other people.

"Moreover, it can be conducive to maintaining the order of the prison and reducing recurring crimes after they return to the society," he said.

Some inmates began studying traditional Chinese culture back in 2007. Now, there are 20 study groups that organize 300 inmates to study the Analects of Confucius, ancient Chinese poetry, Disciples Regulation, the literary classic 'A Dream of Red Mansions' and other Chinese philosophical and literary classics.

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There are 59 captive white tigers and they all reside in China. Among them is a group that is even rarer than the rest due to their mild temperament. Originally trained to perform tricks for visitors at Chongqing Wild Animal Park, these five animals have become so tame that they are fearful of the food they are supposed to kill and eat.

Zookeepers are trying to encourage these animals to follow their natural instincts and become aggressive, but even with throwing them live chickens to eat, they have not been successful.

"They are supposed to be wild and scary, but due to their soft lifestyles and human care they have gradually lost their wild nature. I have been trying to interest them with live chickens but it was quite a funny scene. The tigers were so scared that they wouldn't go near them. One chicken passed out and the tigers did eventually approach it, but then it woke up again and squawked and they ran for their lives," claimed the animal feeder.

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About 60 revellers were forced to drink beer and play cards for three days after they became stranded in a British pub cut off by snowstorms on New Year's Eve.

The guests had booked in to celebrate the new year at the 'Tan Hill Inn', England's highest pub, standing 518 metres above sea level, in the northern Yorkshire dales.

But the heavy, relentless snowstorms that have swept through parts of Britain trapped them inside, unable to get to their cars and leaving the roads home impassable.

"There was a lovely, community atmosphere despite the fact nobody could get home," landlord Tracy Daly said.

"I suppose there are worse places to be snowed in than a pub."

A gritter and snowplough on Sunday finally broke through the two and a half metre snow drifts that had sealed off the hotel, ending the revelry, dubbed Britain's longest-running New Year's Eve party by some newspapers.

Daly, 45, said she, her husband and two staff had kept the guests entertained and fed, and offered rooms for knockdown prices.

The landlady said: "The guests were lovely, we were pretty under-staffed and they kept giving us breaks so we didn't get too tired."

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Two bank robbers have been declared winners of the 2009 Darwin Awards after they blew themselves up while trying to crack open a cash machine.

The Belgian pair used so much explosive to get their hands on the money that they destroyed the whole bank building.

When police arrived at the scene, they found one of them with severe head injuries, and rushed him to hospital where he died shortly after arrival.

Investigators initially assumed that his accomplice had managed a getaway, but the second one's body was excavated from the debris twelve hours later.

Wendy Northcutt, the founder of the annual awards, declared them the 2009 winners of the Darwin Awards, given to those "doing the most to improve the human gene pool by removing themselves from it".

The bank robbers just edged ahead of their main rival Shawn Motero who was stuck in a traffic crawl in Florida when he needed to answer a call of nature.

With no toilet handy, he got out of the car before jumping over a concrete wall to find a more secluded spot.

Unfortunately, the 30-year-old had not realised he was on a bridge, and fell 65 feet to his death.