Compiled by RAHIMY RAHIM and C. ARUNO
HE was rejected by 10 women due to his weight, which spurred a man in Vietnam to lose 40kg and ultimately become a fitness coach, China Press reported.
Le Hoang Long, whose weight ballooned to 105kg about four years ago, recalled that a woman once told him point blank: “You’re too fat. Lose weight first before thinking about dating.”
His size was a result of years of sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits.
According to local media VnExpress, Le, 31, hated how he looked in the mirror.
Every time he went out, he felt that everyone was staring at him.
What hurt him more was his repeated failures in love.
After being spurned 10 times, Le decided to go on a strict diet and exercise regime.
Beginning in 2022, he started tracking his calories every day and trained frequently at a gym.
Despite wanting to give up many times, Le lost 40kg in just half a year and became a fitness coach.
Although he is still single, Le said he no longer has low self-esteem and was proud that he never gave up.
“My greatest victory wasn’t losing 40kg. It was overcoming myself,” he said.
> A male African lion in Guangzhou Zoo, which gained Internet fame for sporting a bowl cut fringe, died on July 14 due to poor health, the daily also reported.
Named Ahang, the lion was born in Hangzhou, China, about 17 years ago but was moved to the Guangzhou Zoo in 2015.
It was at this zoo that Ahang met his female companion, the white lioness Beibei. Crowds would gather just to see the two of them.
In 2022, a visitor to the zoo shared photos online of Ahang’s bowl cut mane, which shot him to Internet stardom. Netizens were amused by his funny-looking fringe.
According to Ahang’s caretakers, the lion was known for its gentle temperament. It enjoyed basking in the sun and loved playing in the rain.
Last year, Ahang began showing signs of degenerative joint disease.
Its health continued to decline despite care from zookeepers and veterinarians.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
