Spiritual leader honors centenarian

YOGYAKARTA: Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy "awarded" a 126-year-old Javanese woman Somo Santono by lifting her up in a ceremony on Sunday after declaring her the oldest woman in the world.

Somo -- who has 10 children, 40 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren -- looked happy to be so honored. Despite being a centenarian, she is healthy and still able to do her daily tasks.

Chinmoy, 72, a former athlete turned peace campaigner, similarly honored 6,700 other people by pronouncing them "the most influential people in the world". Among the honored were Paku Buwono XII from the Surakarta sultanate. -- Antara