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A martial arts enthusiast pulls a vehicle with a rope connected to his eye sockets during a performance in Hefei, Anhui province November 30, 2009. Picture taken November 30, 2009. REUTERS/China Daily

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    Dutch say Pisa no longer Europe's most leaning tower

    BEDUM, Netherlands
    Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:40pm EDT
    Workers are pictured at the base of the leaning tower of Pisa in this January 26, 1999 file photo. REUTERS/Stringer/Files

    BEDUM, Netherlands (Reuters) - The Tower of Pisa is being challenged by a lesser-known 12th-century building in the northern Dutch town of Bedum as Europe's most steeply leaning tower.

    World  |  Oddly Enough

    Retired geometrician Jacob van Dijk said measurements this week on Bedum's 36-metre church tower of Walfridus revealed it is now leaning more than its Italian rival, which lost part of its tilt following restoration works.

    At a height of 55.86 meters, Pisa's tower leans about 4 meters, while Bedum's tower leans 2.61 meters on its height of 35.7 meters. If both towers were the same height, Bedum would have a greater tilt of 6 cm, Van Dijk argues.

    "In Italy they're happy with the result, but here in Bedum we are much more happy, because the tower of Pisa is now leaning less than the tower of Bedum," said Van Dijk.

    (Reporting by Aaron Gray-Block and Svebor Kranjc, Editing by Dina Kyriakidou)
    World
    Oddly Enough


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