Beer mug muddle

London, Nov. 10: A German woman has attempted to set a new world record by carrying 21 beer mugs at once, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Anita Schwarz, from Eichenau, had to transport the mugs across a distance of 40 metres to be successful. Wearing traditional dress, Schwarz, 48, began with all 21 mugs balanced in pyramid-fashion.

However, she soon lost control and the tower toppled, sending the contents of every mug spilling out onto the floor of the tent near Zeltingen, in Germany.

Only last month Munich celebrated Oktoberfest, its annual 16-day festival, known for the beer served at the event.

Cold act

Monaco (Reuters): British band Coldplay were crowned the world’s top-selling act of 2008 at the World Music Awards (WMAs) in Monaco. Their latest album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, released mid-year, topped charts in the US, Britain, Japan, Germany, France and elsewhere. Sales apparently benefited from Coldplay’s marketing strategy, including giving away the first single free over the Internet for a week and staging a series of free concerts before embarking on a global tour.