Hong Kong pet rabbits enjoy bunny resort while owners away
HONG KONG, Jan 20: Rabbits scamper around a play area in a climate-controlled building in suburban Hong Kong, some climbing a castle made of wood while others explore a cotton tunnel.
In one of the world’s most densely populated cities, where most apartments range from small to miniscule, rabbits are popular pets.
And when their owners are away, there are rabbit lovers ready to look after their lonely pets at Bunny Style, a luxury rabbit resort.
That’s especially evident this month, as the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong is spurring a surge in travel for the Lunar New Year to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.
Donna Li, the owner of Bunny Style, said she’s fully booked for the holiday and keeps her charges happy with regular exercise, parties, spa treatments and lots of carrots.
“We aim to provide a secure environment,” Li said.
Li, who has two pet rabbits of her own, set up Bunny Style in June, starting with just a playroom offering space to hop and relief from Hong Kong’s hot, humid weather.
“To begin with, my idea was mainly about setting up a safe indoor play space with a suitable temperature for rabbits,” Li said.
As the government began lifting COVID-19 restrictions in September, Li sensed a need and swiftly set up boarding facilities.
They were full over Christmas and Li has already begun taking bookings for Easter. With 15 rabbits, Li and her staff will be busy over the holiday, the most important in the Chinese calendar.
Apart from feeding — some owners order special vegetable cakes in advance — there are hair-brushing, nail trimming and exercising to be managed.
“I think rabbits understand what people say. They can sense whether we are being nice to them and look after them well,” Li said.
“And so when I look after them, I talk to them a lot, telling them how beautiful and cute they are.” (IANS)
Stolen hot dog statue returned to West Virginia restaurant owner
CHARLESTON, Jan 20: The owner of a West Virginia restaurant that was heavily damaged by fire has his coveted hot dog statue back.
The “Wienerman” statue was stolen from the Dairy Winkle in Campbells Creek during a break-in sometime after the Jan. 11 fire, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
A tip led deputies to a location where the statue was found undamaged.
It was returned to restaurant owner Kerry Ellison, the statement said.
Investigators have not identified a suspect and are seeking information about the theft.
The short statue depicts a hot dog licking its lips and holding a bottle of mustard while pouring a bottle of ketchup on its head.
Ellison hopes to reopen the restaurant later this year. (AP)
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ leads race for BAFTA awards
London, Jan 20: Visceral World War I German-language drama All Quiet on the Western Front got a field-leading 14 nominations on Thursday for the British Academy Film Awards, with genre-bending comedies The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All At Once each nominated in 10 categories.
“All Quiet”, an unflinching adaptation of a classic antiwar novel about life and death in the trenches, is up for awards including best film and best director, for Edward Berger. Its tally of nominations is the highest ever for a film not in the English language. Martin McDonagh’s Irish tragicomedy “Banshees” has nominations including best picture, best director and best actor, for Colin Farrell.
Nominations for madcap metaverse adventure Everything Everywhere include nods for co-directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – known jointly as “the Daniels” – and a best-actress nomination for Michelle Yeoh.
Baz Lurhmann’s flamboyant musical biopic Elvis is up for nine awards, including best picture.
The BAFTAs are Britain’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Academy Awards. The winners will be announced February 19 at a ceremony in London.
The nominations help cement “Banshees” and “Everything Everywhere” as awards-season favourites, following momentum-building wins at the Golden Globes and multiple nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, The BAFTA best picture nominees are All Quiet on the Western Front, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Todd Field’s symphonic psychodrama Tar. (AP)