Tips from Spain’s centenarians on how to live to 100

CANGAS DE ONIS, Spain (Reuters) - With more than 100,000 people aged 100 or over, Spain is the country with the greatest life expectancy after Japan, OECD data and the latest population census shows.

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Puppy love: hundreds compete in Madrid dog race to promote adoption

MADRID (Reuters) - Hundreds of dogs and their owners took part in the sixth annual San Perrestre dog race in Madrid on Friday to raise awareness of pet adoption and abandoned animals.

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London street artist Pegasus paints memorial for George Michael

LONDON (Reuters) - Street artist Pegasus has paid tribute to George Michael with a mural of the Wham! singer, who died on Sunday aged 53.

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Manila residents speak out about Duterte's war on drugs

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte completes six months in charge on Friday, with the rising death toll from his war on drugs showing no sign of easing.

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Britain cracks down on illegal nail-salon workers in fight against modern slavery

LONDON (Reuters) - British immigration officers have raided nearly 300 nail salons and arrested 97 people, mostly from Vietnam, for suspected immigration offences as part of a drive to tackle modern...

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'Brexit - We're making a mess of it': mashup artists lampoon Britain's leaders

LONDON (Reuters) - In a satire of the 2016 Brexit vote, mashup artists lampoon Britain's leaders in a video which re-edits their words to say the European Union referendum was dumb and Prime Minister...

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Trump, taking a break from White House prep, tees off with Tiger Woods

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday took a break from preparing to take office to engage in a pastime beloved by presidents since Dwight Eisenhower: playing...

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China targets 'toilet revolution', rustbelt regions in plan to boost tourism

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said it will boost investment in tourism, with plans to develop rustbelt regions and upgrade public toilets high on its to-do list as it looks to lift the sector's...

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Leaving war-torn Syria, luxury chocolatier finds new home in Hungary

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Bassam Ghraoui's Syrian confectionary became synonymous with the finest gourmet chocolates anywhere before war decimated his business, and he is starting anew in Hungary with a...

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Save Santa's Sherry, say British lovers of fortified wine

LONDON (Reuters) - A worrying slump in sales of Father Christmas's favorite tipple, sherry, has prompted a British trade group to start a campaign to ensure the fortified wine doesn't fall off menus.

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Japan's female hunters take aim at wild boar, stereotypes

(This Dec. 22 story is corrected to show Wildlife Management Office is in Tokyo, not Fukui)

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Taiwan's Christmas market offers present the size of a tower block

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Good things might come in small packages, but the centre-piece of a Taiwan Christmas market is a present the size of a tower block.

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Spain's socialists cheer at last: they win El Gordo lottery

MADRID (Reuters) - Staff from the Madrid headquarters of Spain's PSOE socialist party were among the top winners on Thursday of El Gordo, the world's biggest lottery jackpot with prizes totaling 2.31...

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Thousands gather at Stonehenge for winter solstice

STONEHENGE, England (Reuters) - More than five thousand pagans, druids and revelers gathered at Britain's ancient monument Stonehenge on Wednesday to celebrate the winter solstice.

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Panto dames come out to cheer Britain after a tumultuous 2016

LONDON (Reuters) - Roy Hudd cakes on the make-up, squeezes into his super-size bra and baby-blue slip dress, then heads out on stage to entertain a packed house of Londoners in need of a laugh at the...

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UK's Queen Elizabeth, 90 and husband Philip, 95, suffering heavy colds; delay travel

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 90, and her husband Prince Philip, 95, delayed their Christmas travel plans on Wednesday because they are both suffering from heavy colds, Buckingham...

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Vienna State Opera to be headed by record company executive

VIENNA (Reuters) - Vienna State Opera will be headed by a former pop radio boss and record company executive, Austria's Culture Ministry said on Wednesday, hoping to attract a younger audience to...

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Hong Kong uses 3D archive to preserve kung fu heritage

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Kung fu master Wong Yiu-Kau stands in a Hong Kong studio and waits as his black suit is covered head to toe in reflective markers to capture his every motion.

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Traditional English pub becomes lavish Christmas spectacle

LONDON (Reuters) - A traditional English pub has been cloaked in more than 80 bright green Christmas trees while nearly 22,000 dazzling lights attract tourists and locals alike to the festive display...

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Berlin Christmas market attack threatens European tourism again

BERLIN (Reuters) - The truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday evening is the latest blow for Europe's tourism industry, hitting a city that had been attracting more and more visitors...

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'Santa Claus isn't coming,' recession-hit Venezuelans tell kids

CARACAS (Reuters) - As a harrowing economic crisis makes food scarce for millions of Venezuelans, many families cannot buy their children Christmas presents, decorate their home, or even host a...

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Amid Middle East gloom, Christmas brings some cheer in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - This Christmas, for once, Bethlehem really can boast again that there is no room at the inn, as relative calm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank brings pilgrims and...

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Sea of Galilee draws faithful despite receding waters

SEA OF GALILEE, Israel (Reuters) - On the shimmering Sea of Galilee, where the Christian gospels say Jesus walked on water, 150 Nigerian pilgrims aboard a river boat sing and dance to an African beat.

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Chinese turn to gallows humor and superheroes as they hunker down in smog

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Beijing driver calls a radio station in a panic. The smog is so thick he's just shot through five red lights because he couldn't see properly and wants to know what to do.

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British royals join Christmas party for mental health charity's volunteers

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William, his wife Kate and his brother Harry joined in with a mental health charity's Christmas party on Monday, helping to make decorations.

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Artist Liu Bolin live streams Beijing smog to raise awareness

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese artist Liu Bolin, known as "the invisible man" for using painted-on camouflage to blend into the backdrops of his photographs, says his latest project aims to put the...

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Germany's skyscraping Santa, monsters top unusual Christmas celebrations

BERLIN (Reuters) - Santa Claus climbing down a skyscraper in Berlin. A parade of terrifying monsters in Bavaria.

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Senseless selfies, creepy clowns and Trump's triumph make year of odd news

BOSTON (Reuters) - Searches for selfies led to many bad decisions, an outbreak of creepy clown sightings chilled even horror maestro Stephen King, and a hard-fought campaign ended with the election...

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In Lapland home, Santa prepares for Christmas

ROVANIEMI, Finland (Reuters) - At Santa Claus' Lapland home in Finland, his helpers sort out piles of letters from around the world, each detailing children's requests for this Christmas.

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Lights, Santa, action! English village puts on show for charity

LONDON (Reuters) - Residents in the southeast English village of Westfield have transformed their homes into a vast Christmas light show in order to raise money for charity.

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Springsteen's 'Born to Run' Chevy up for auction

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, referenced in his iconic song "Born to Run," is up for auction and is expected to fetch several hundred thousand dollars.

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In Stalin's native Georgia, Soviet dictator still revered by some

GORI, Georgia (Reuters) - In Nazi Stefanishvili's family home in Gori, posters, paintings and books fill a tiny room dedicated to the Georgian city's most famous son, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

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Strange brews as UK whisky distillers cash in on gin boom

METHVEN, Scotland (Reuters) - Seaweed, rhubarb, Christmas pudding and even ants - all ingredients used by a new generation of gin makers enjoying a booming British market.

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Reindeer herding in Russia's remote Arctic

KRASNOYE, Russia (Reuters) - In Russia's remote Arctic regions, reindeer herding has been a way of life for centuries.

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Slick renovations bring old petrol stations to life

LONDON (Reuters) - From art deco apartments in Sussex to a trendy burger bar in London, some of England's former petrol stations are enjoying a new lease of life following creative makeovers.

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'Democracy sausage' wins Australia's word of the year

SYDNEY (Reuters) - 'Democracy sausage' was named Australia's word of the year on Wednesday after the term was embraced at this year's national election to describe the tradition of grilling sausages...

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Trump Fish: Iraqi restaurant spells out Kurdish faith in president-elect

DUHOK, Iraq (Reuters) - The newest enterprise bearing Donald Trump's name is not a five-star hotel or an exclusive golf club. It is a restaurant in northern Iraq serving fire-roasted carp for $10 a...

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Happiness still elusive in Russia, many ex-Soviet states 25 years after USSR: survey

LONDON (Reuters) - A quarter of a century after the collapse of the Soviet Union, life satisfaction in Russia and other ex-Soviet states remains stubbornly low, and enthusiasm for democracy and open...

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JK Rowling illustrated manuscript sells for $467,000 at auction

LONDON (Reuters) - A rare book hand-written and -illustrated by "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling sold for $467,000 at auction in London on Tuesday, at the lower end of its estimated price range.

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Refugees bring a taste of Syria to German Christmas market

SCHILLINGSFUERST, Germany (Reuters) - Alongside the traditional gluehwein and sausages on offer at a Christmas market in small-town Bavaria, visitors could also try more exotic fare: falafel and...

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Bob Dylan to perform in Sweden in April after Nobel no-show

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Nobel literature laureate Bob Dylan will perform in Sweden in April, offering the singer a chance to give the lecture that is a requirement for getting the $870,000 prize.

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Hendrix and Prince guitars expected to make noise at auction

LONDON (Reuters) - A guitar owned by American rocker Jimi Hendrix is expected to fetch more than 80,000 pounds ($101,000) when it goes under the hammer in London on Thursday as part of the annual...

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Meet the Ma family: How millennials are changing the way China thinks about money

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Ma Yiqing, 24, is typical of China's younger generation - he uses his credit card frequently and borrows from online platforms to fund his shopping habits. In a pinch, he is...

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Artist works to preserve Christian heritage in Hamas-run Gaza

GAZA (Reuters) - Only about 1,200 Christians remain in Gaza -- only a tiny fraction of the population in a territory run by Hamas Islamists -- but artist Naser Jeldha is doing what he can to preserve...

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Kenya's Maasai break with coming-of-age tradition to save the lion

KIMANA, Kenya (Reuters) - Under the shadow of a snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, hundreds of Maasai boys brave the morning chill to take part in a ritual that marks their coming of age.

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From afar, Dylan muses on honor and surprise of Nobel prize

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Nobel laureate Bob Dylan sent a message on Saturday thanking the Swedish academy for awarding him the Nobel prize for literature, an honor the American singer and songwriter...

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France's Hollande opens replica of Lascaux prehistoric art caves

MONTIGNAC, France (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande on Saturday opened a new replica of the famous Lascaux caves where prehistoric hunters painted hundreds of images of animals like...

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United States returns stolen 14th century image of saint to Italy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A stolen 14th century illustration of a Roman Catholic saint was returned on Friday to Italy, where it will be put in a museum, U.S. Customs officials said.

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A $30 million splurge on Putin's daughter's favorite sport

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is building a $30 million complex for acrobatic rock'n'roll, a niche sport in which President Vladimir Putin's daughter is a leading dancer and has a senior role for...

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Beer-loving Czechs approve smoking ban in pubs, restaurants

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech lower house of parliament on Friday approved a ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and pubs, overcoming years of wrangling and bringing the country in line with most...

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Pictures of splendors past: Aleppo before the war

A millennium-old minaret towering above Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, an imposing citadel overlooking the old city center, a medieval covered market and a 21st century shopping mall.

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Book hand-written and illustrated by J.K. Rowling up for sale

LONDON (Reuters) - "Harry Potter" fans will be able to bid for a piece of history next week when a book designed, hand-written and illustrated by J.K. Rowling goes on sale at Sotheby's auction house...

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Walt Disney's signed will, animation trove go up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney fans can buy a piece of history when the late animation entrepreneur's signed will and other Disney memorabilia go up for auction on Friday.

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Pope prays for unemployed at traditional rite in Rome

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis prayed for the unemployed, for families trying to make ends meet and for exploited children on Thursday at a popular wreath-laying ceremony at a statue of the Madonna...

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Britain's Prince Harry turns trader for charity day

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry turned trader on Wednesday, taking calls alongside brokers at British interdealer ICAP for the company's annual charity day.

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Japanese kindergarten teaches students pre-war ideals

TOKYO (Reuters) - At first glance, the Tsukamoto kindergarten looks like any other school in Japan, but its unique curriculum is reminiscent of pre-war Japan.

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Fashion designer Carolina Herrera receives Lincoln Center honor

(Reuters) - Veteran designer Carolina Herrera spoke about the interconnectivity of fashion and art as she was honored by a New York arts organization for her leadership and longevity in the fashion...

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Cab-hailing company Careem launches women drivers in conservative Pakistan

KARACHI/LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Taxi-hailing service Careem introduced women drivers in Pakistan on Wednesday, a rare initiative in a deeply conservative Muslim country where women account for...

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Female Afghan cyclists push boundaries one wheelie at a time

KABUL (Reuters) - Brushing aside suicide bombings and public scorn, the young women of Afghanistan's first freestyle cycling club hope their pop-a-wheelies, bunnyhops and backflips will trailblaze a...

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Starbucks courts millennials with $10 coffee at new Reserve bars

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp co-founder Howard Schultz's plan to build a new prestige brand is a bet that moving upscale can raise the profile of the world's largest coffee brand...

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Shock, aftermath of Pearl Harbor attack laid out at U.S. museum

(Editor's Note: please be advised that paragraphs 5 and 9 contain language that may offend readers)

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By royal command, British waxworks get Christmas makeover

LONDON (Reuters) - The waxwork figures of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her family were festively decorated with kitsch Christmas jumpers on Tuesday to help raise awareness of a children's charity...

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London-based artist Helen Marten wins Britain's Turner Prize

LONDON (Reuters) - London-based artist Helen Marten has won this year's Turner Prize, receiving 25,000 pounds at Britain's annual contemporary art award.

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For London's food and wine businesses, Brexit has a bitter taste

LONDON (Reuters) - Importing fine foods from Spain has been a good trade for London firm Brindisa, but like many food and wine businesses that rely on the free movement of goods and workers within...

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Patti Smith and a speech by proxy to fill Dylan void at Nobels

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Nobel literature laureate Bob Dylan will provide a speech and fellow American singer-songwriter Patti Smith will perform one of his best-known songs in his absence during...

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Turkish hotels cut staff, shut for winter with occupancy lowest in Europe

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish hotels have cut staff by 40 percent, some have shuttered for the winter and others are struggling to pay back loans after a trying year when occupancy rates fell to the...

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St. Nicholas, bringer of sweets, reaches Brussels

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Children gathered with parents in Brussels's medieval main square on Saturday to await the arrival of St. Nicholas, a pre-Christmas tradition in Belgium, the Netherlands and...

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China's Spring Festival travel frenzy to see 3 billion trips

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's transport ministry said on Monday it expects travelers to make nearly 3 billion trips during the upcoming Spring Festival, putting road, rail and air links through their...

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Stolen iron gate of Nazi death camp found in Norway: police

OSLO (Reuters) - An iron gate from Dachau concentration camp in Germany with the notorious "Arbeit macht frei" (work sets you free) slogan has been found in western Norway two years after it was...

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British band Duran Duran lose battle to reclaim U.S. rights

LONDON (Reuters) - The British 1980s pop band "Duran Duran" will not be able to reclaim the U.S. copyrights to some of their most famous hits, an English court ruled on Friday.

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Egyptian man grows 'Beard of Bees', hopes to promote apian benefits

SHIBIN EL KOM, Egypt (Reuters) - Mohamed Hagras stands barechested as dozens of honeybees congregate around his face, eventually forming what he calls the "Beard of Bees". To attract the insects he...

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Ali's boxing gloves, Fidel Castro cigars highlight sports auction

(Reuters) - Muhammad Ali's fight gloves and a box of cigars signed by the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro are among some of the highlights in an auction of memorabilia steeped in sporting...

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Q&A: How José Andrés grew from apprentice to top chef

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Award-winning chef and restaurateur José Andrés got his start the old-fashioned way - as a teenage apprentice.

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Sharks and jellyfish slow British man's attempt to swim Atlantic

DAKAR (Reuters) - A British man aiming to be the first person to swim across the Atlantic said on Thursday he is grappling with sharks, jellyfish stings, choppy water -- and a sea moth that tried to...

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Taylor Swift, One Direction top list of highest paid musicians: Forbes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. pop star Taylor Swift, boy band One Direction and British singer Adele were the highest paid musicians in the world this year, Forbes magazine said on Wednesday.

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Rockefeller Christmas tree lights up New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of people braved rainy weather to watch the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City on Wednesday night.

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Tennessee auto parts factory workers win $421 mln lottery prize

(Reuters) - Twenty workers at a Tennessee auto parts factory have come forward as the winners of a nearly $421 million Powerball jackpot, lottery officials said on Wednesday.

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Hit that iceberg: China group readies Titanic simulation

DAYING COUNTY, China (Reuters) - You too may soon be able to feel what it was like to hit an iceberg on the Titanic.

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New British bank notes fall foul of vegetarians

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's new plastic five-pound notes, bearing the portrait of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, have fallen foul of thousands of people who object to the use of animal...

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Thriving on raw eggs, world's oldest person marks 117th birthday in Italy

VERBANIA, Italy (Reuters) - Emma Morano, thought to be the world's oldest person and the last to be born in the 1800s, celebrated her 117th birthday on Tuesday, still swearing by her diet of two raw...

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London backs plans to build second-tallest tower in western Europe

LONDON (Reuters) - Plans to build a 73-storey skyscraper that would be the tallest in the City of London financial district have been approved by the local authority, which said the project was a...

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One ticket has winning numbers in $421 million Powerball lottery

(Reuters) - A lottery ticket sold in Tennessee had the winning numbers for a $421 million Powerball jackpot, one of the biggest on record, officials said after Saturday's draw.

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Runners brave snow, ice and cold for Antarctic Ice Marathon

(Reuters) - Wrapped up warmly with layers of clothing, gloves, hats and goggles, the runners await the blasting siren marking the start of the race before heading off onto the barren track.

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Aliens land the prize at Hong Kong Flugtag

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Spaceships, flying lobsters and a team based on characters from the hit mobile game "Angry Birds" attempted lift-off from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour at the annual Red Bull...

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Haute cuisine? Santa serves up sleigh-borne dinner in the sky

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Not waiting at home for Santa Claus, gourmets in Brussels are flying off aboard his sleigh to dine with him above the city's rooftops and twinkling Christmas lights.

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South African cave pebble outshines treasures at British Museum

LONDON (Reuters) - In a corner of the British Museum's new South African exhibition, near an ancient golden rhino and a collection of apartheid-era campaign badges, sits a glass case holding a...

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French 'Spiderman' climbs Barcelona skyscraper harness-free

BARCELONA (Reuters) - French "Spiderman" Alain Robert scaled one of the tallest skyscrapers in Barcelona without a harness on Friday.

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Beijing's scrap collectors swept up in latest crackdown on migrants

BEIJING (Reuters) - Working in the shadow of Beijing's looming skyscrapers, Yin Xueqiang weighs a pile of cardboard and old shoe racks in a dusty scrapyard, the latest casualty of a crackdown on...

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Denmark's queen designs costumes for Copenhagen's Nutcracker ballet

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens amusement park will echo next month to the sounds of Tchaikovsky's Christmas ballet "The Nutcracker", performed with a set and costumes designed by...

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Sante! Belgium wants its beer on global culture list

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - From brown ales to golden pilsners to the strong trappist brews produced in monasteries, Belgian beer is enjoyed around the world.

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Seven-year-old Syrian girl takes to Twitter to depict life in Aleppo

(Reuters) - Her hair tied into pigtails by matching pink ribbons, seven-year-old Bana Alabed inspects the rubble in her home town of Aleppo, before walking to face the camera.

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With rap and poetry, Cape Town tries to bridge racial divides

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A city surrounded by ocean and divided in two by the naked rock of Table Mountain, Cape Town's incredible natural beauty belies a past of hundreds of years of slavery and racial...

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Urban sprawl threatens Thailand's Ayutthaya world heritage site

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Sprawling urban growth and water management problems are threatening conservation efforts at Thailand's ancient city of Ayutthaya, experts say.

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Obama 'pardons' one last turkey ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama pardoned his last turkey as U.S. president on Wednesday, but his daughters should beware: he plans to continue the tradition as a private citizen.

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Powerball players eye $359 million prize

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. Powerball jackpot of $359 million awaits players ahead of Wednesday's drawing as the windfall continues to grow amid weeks of contests where no one took home the...

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Vienna Zoo twin panda cubs named Fu Feng and Fu Ban at ceremony

VIENNA (Reuters) - Twin panda cubs born at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo last summer were officially named Fu Feng and Fu Ban at a ceremony on Wednesday - although they were still too small to be there...

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In Polish mountains, charcoal burners try to keep fire alight

BALIGROD, Poland (Reuters) - In a Polish mountain forest, Zygmunt Furdygiel spends four hours loading logs of beech wood into a large furnace, then lights up the pile and leaves the wood to burn.

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Egypt unearths city and cemetery over 7,000 years old

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has unearthed a more than 7,000-year-old city and cemetery dating back to its First Dynasty in the southern province of Sohag, the Antiquities Ministry said on Wednesday.

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Ancient 'thinking person' statuette unearthed in Israel

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A team of Israeli archaeologists and high school students have unearthed a 3,800-year-old pottery jug bearing a statuette of a person who appears deep in thought, sitting with...

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Mariachis parade in Mexico to celebrate patron saint of musicians

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hundreds of mariachi folk musicians filled the streets of Mexico City on Tuesday to celebrate and serenade the feast day of Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

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Beirut skyline captures religious rivalry and harmony

BEIRUT (Reuters) - In Beirut's rapidly evolving skyline, a newly built cathedral bell tower has risen next to the soaring minarets of a landmark mosque, symbolizing both religious coexistence and...

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Britain's Duchess Kate gives London dinosaur a royal send-off

LONDON (Reuters) - The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton visited Britain's Natural History Museum on Tuesday ahead of a nationwide educational tour by its best-known exhibit, Dippy the diplodocus.

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Tokyo holds its first fashion show for Muslim women

TOKYO (Reuters) - Models wearing an array of colorful hijabs walked down a Tokyo catwalk on Tuesday in what organizers said was the first such fashion show for Muslim women in Japan.

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The art of becoming Santa

MIDLAND, MICHIGAN (Reuters) - Randy Schneider has considered himself a professional Santa since 1999 when he found himself at a JCPenney store buying a beard and boots.

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Paris' Champs-Elysees lit up with Christmas sparkle

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris' Champs-Elysees avenue was lit up with Christmas sparkle on Monday to welcome in the festive period in the French capital.

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Q&A: Life lessons from the luxury-brand world

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - When one of your first jobs involves filing insurance paperwork for pocket change at your dad's office, it's easy to see how you would yearn later on for something more glamorous.

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Mexican wrestling fans demand blood in extreme 'Lucha Libre'

NEZAHUALCOYOTL, Mexico (Reuters) - It is almost nine o'clock at night and fans are anxious in Mexico's Neza Arena, an old and dingy building in one of the most crime-ridden suburbs of Mexico City.

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With customized Fiat, Polish priest offers spiritual emergency service

BOLESLAWOW, Poland (Reuters) - In his small black Fiat 126 equipped with a blinking roof light shaped like a priest's bireta cap, Father Krzysztof Kauf zaps down the winding mountain road to answer...

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Dutch hope Indonesia will help solve mystery of missing WWII battleships

AMSTERDAM/JAKARTA (Reuters) - The Dutch prime minister on Friday called the disappearance of the wreckage of several allied warships dating back to the 1942 Battle of the Java Sea "unacceptable" and...

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Buckingham Palace gets funds for urgent overhaul

LONDON (Reuters) - Buckingham Palace, one of Britain's best known landmarks and home to Queen Elizabeth, will undergo a decade-long overhaul costing 369 million pounds ($457 million) after the...

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Skydiving magic, bungee dunk for Guinness World Records day

LONDON (Reuters) - From the highest dunk of a biscuit into a cup of tea by a bungee jumper to the most magic tricks performed during a skydive, the adventurous and imaginative are marking Guinness...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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Monroe's dress from JFK birthday sells for $4.8 million at auction

(Reuters) - The skin-tight dress Marilyn Monroe wore for her sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" before then U.S. President John F. Kennedy at a 1962 gala was sold on Thursday for $4.8 million at an...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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Monroe's dress from JFK birthday sells for $4.8 million at auction

(Reuters) - The skin-tight dress Marilyn Monroe wore for her sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" before then U.S. President John F. Kennedy at a 1962 gala was sold on Thursday for $4.8 million at an...

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Germany buys California house built by writer Thomas Mann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has purchased the California home that once belonged to Nobel Prize-wining author Thomas Mann for $13.25 million and plans to preserve the historic property, the real...

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U.S. Powerball lottery jumps to 15th largest at $320 million

(Reuters) - The U.S. Powerball jackpot swelled to $320 million on Thursday, the 15th largest prize in the history of the multistate drawing that will pick another winning number on Saturday night,...

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Newly engaged Ricky Martin off to Vegas for concert residency

(Reuters) - Latin superstar Ricky Martin is settling down with plans for marriage and a Las Vegas residency.

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Newly engaged Ricky Martin off to Vegas for concert residency

(Reuters) - Latin superstar Ricky Martin is settling down with plans for marriage and a Las Vegas residency.

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Newly engaged Ricky Martin off to Vegas for concert residency

(Reuters) - Latin superstar Ricky Martin is settling down with plans for marriage and a Las Vegas residency.

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NBA star LeBron James giving $2.5 million to Muhammad Ali exhibit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James is donating $2.5 million to support a Muhammad Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C., the basketball...

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Centuries-old Ten Commandments tablet goes under hammer for $850,000

DALLAS (Reuters) - A 1,500-year-old stone tablet with the earliest known chiseled inscription of the Ten Commandments was sold at a U.S. auction on Wednesday for $850,000.

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Leonardo DiCaprio lunches in Edinburgh to support the homeless

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Oscar winner and Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio visited a cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland on Thursday to raise awareness of the plight of homelessness.

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Underground ocean found on Pluto, likely slushy with ice

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that tiny, distant Pluto harbors a hidden ocean beneath the frozen surface of its heart-shaped central plain containing as much water as all of...

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Centuries-old Ten Commandments tablet goes under hammer for $850,000

DALLAS (Reuters) - A 1,500-year-old stone tablet with the earliest known chiseled inscription of the Ten Commandments was sold at a U.S. auction on Wednesday for $850,000.

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Underground ocean found on Pluto, likely slushy with ice

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that tiny, distant Pluto harbors a hidden ocean beneath the frozen surface of its heart-shaped central plain containing as much water as all of...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Underground ocean found on Pluto, likely slushy with ice

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that tiny, distant Pluto harbors a hidden ocean beneath the frozen surface of its heart-shaped central plain containing as much water as all of...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Underground ocean found on Pluto, likely slushy with ice

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that tiny, distant Pluto harbors a hidden ocean beneath the frozen surface of its heart-shaped central plain containing as much water as all of...

Read more

Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Underground ocean found on Pluto, likely slushy with ice

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Scientists have found evidence that tiny, distant Pluto harbors a hidden ocean beneath the frozen surface of its heart-shaped central plain containing as much water as all of...

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Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

Read more

Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

Read more

Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

Read more

Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

Read more

Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Miss Universe pageant to be held in Manila in January

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Officials and organizers of the Miss Universe 2016 competition confirmed on Wednesday the next pageant will be held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in...

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Anglo-Saxon coffins found in England may shed light on early Christians

NORTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - A rare discovery of 81 Anglo-Saxon coffins made from the hollowed-out trunks of oak trees may provide new insights into how people lived in the early days of...

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Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Anglo-Saxon coffins found in England may shed light on early Christians

NORTHAMPTON, England (Reuters) - A rare discovery of 81 Anglo-Saxon coffins made from the hollowed-out trunks of oak trees may provide new insights into how people lived in the early days of...

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Swedish Academy says Bob Dylan won't attend Nobel prize ceremony

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last month, has decided not to attend the award ceremony in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy...

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Nimrud's broken glory lies in dust after Islamic State rampage

NIMRUD, Iraq (Reuters) - In a field outside an ancient palace in the Assyrian city of Nimrud, shattered remains of intricate carvings lie broken in the dust.

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Rome shows off restored Circus Maximus

ROME (Reuters) - Rome unveiled a restored archaeological site at the Circus Maximus on Wednesday, showing off the spruced-up ruins of one of the ancient world's biggest public entertainment venues.

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Pink diamond nets $18 million in 'healthy' market: Christie's

GENEVA (Reuters) - A pear-shaped pink diamond sold for 18.127 million Swiss francs ($18.11 million) on Tuesday to an Asian collector bidding by telephone at an auction marked by "healthy prices",...

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'Post-truth' beats 'Brexiteer' to title of word of the year 2016

LONDON (Reuters) - "Post-truth" was proclaimed international word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on Wednesday after beating off "alt-right" and "Brexiteer", a choice the publisher said reflected...

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Pink diamond nets $18 million in 'healthy' market: Christie's

GENEVA (Reuters) - A pear-shaped pink diamond sold for 18.127 million Swiss francs ($18.11 million) on Tuesday to an Asian collector bidding by telephone at an auction marked by "healthy prices",...

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'Post-truth' beats 'Brexiteer' to title of word of the year 2016

LONDON (Reuters) - "Post-truth" was proclaimed international word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on Wednesday after beating off "alt-right" and "Brexiteer", a choice the publisher said reflected...

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Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

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'Post-truth' beats 'Brexiteer' to title of word of the year 2016

LONDON (Reuters) - "Post-truth" was proclaimed international word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on Wednesday after beating off "alt-right" and "Brexiteer", a choice the publisher said reflected...

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Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

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'Post-truth' beats 'Brexiteer' to title of word of the year 2016

LONDON (Reuters) - "Post-truth" was proclaimed international word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries on Wednesday after beating off "alt-right" and "Brexiteer", a choice the publisher said reflected...

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Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

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Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Roma designer hopes fashion can build bridges in Hungarian society

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Transforming traditional flowery Roma patterns into bold, modern prints, designer Erika Varga aims to use fashion to increase acceptance of the Roma minority in Hungarian society.

Read more

Top Swedish union launches 'mansplaining' hotline for workers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - One of Sweden's largest trade unions has launched a hotline for workers to complain about "mansplaining" - men explaining condescendingly to women - in a one-week initiative to...

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Top Swedish union launches 'mansplaining' hotline for workers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - One of Sweden's largest trade unions has launched a hotline for workers to complain about "mansplaining" - men explaining condescendingly to women - in a one-week initiative to...

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Top Swedish union launches 'mansplaining' hotline for workers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - One of Sweden's largest trade unions has launched a hotline for workers to complain about "mansplaining" - men explaining condescendingly to women - in a one-week initiative to...

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Top Swedish union launches 'mansplaining' hotline for workers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - One of Sweden's largest trade unions has launched a hotline for workers to complain about "mansplaining" - men explaining condescendingly to women - in a one-week initiative to...

Read more

Top Swedish union launches 'mansplaining' hotline for workers

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - One of Sweden's largest trade unions has launched a hotline for workers to complain about "mansplaining" - men explaining condescendingly to women - in a one-week initiative to...

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Supermoon delights world's star gazers in full moon, eclipse combination

SYDNEY (Reuters) - From Beijing to Berlin, star gazers around the world admired the supermoon - the largest, brightest full moon in nearly seven decades - as it made its way across the skies on...

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Aerosmith to say 'Aero-Vederci' with 2017 European tour

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. rockers Aerosmith, together for some 45 years, will embark on a "farewell" European tour next year, the group said on Monday, kicking off the series of shows in Israel.

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French foie gras makers worry as bird flu spreads in Europe

PARIS (Reuters) - New outbreaks in Europe of a severe strain of bird flu pose a fresh worry for French foie gras producers, already reeling from lost sales last year when the virus emerged in...

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Drones fly over ancient Nimrud to help secure Assyrian ruins

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi soldiers began painstaking work on Monday to secure the remains of the 3,000-year-old city of Nimrud, a day after driving out Islamic State militants who overran and...

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Oscar winner Ennio Morricone honors homeless at Vatican concert

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Homeless people were the guests of honor on Saturday night at a special benefit concert in the Vatican conducted by Oscar winning composer Ennio Morricone.

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Venetians pack their bags as tourism takes its toll

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - Dozens of Venetians waved maroon and yellow flags and carried empty suitcases on Saturday during a symbolic demonstration to highlight an exodus of residents from the lagoon...

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Vintage biplanes attempt Greece-South Africa imperial route

ATHENS (Reuters) - Twelve vintage biplanes from the 1920s and 1930s set off from the Greek island of Crete on Saturday bound for South Africa for a 12,800-kilometre (8,000-mile) race never attempted...

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Bowie artworks fetch $30 million in first round of auction

LONDON (Reuters) - A first auction of items from late rock star David Bowie's private art collection has fetched more than $30 million, with some going far above their estimated prices.

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Stella McCartney inspired by Dad for debut men's fashion line

LONDON (Reuters) - Fashion designer Stella McCartney drew inspiration from her Beatle father Paul when creating her first menswear collection, unveiling both relaxed and tailored looks for the male...

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Eastern Serbia's bungalow cemeteries

SMOLJINAC, Serbia (Reuters) - From a distance, the cemetery in the eastern Serbian village of Smoljinac looks like a residential neighborhood eerily placed among graves.

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History of music

History of music

Madame Tussauds London gets to work on new Trump wax figure

LONDON (Reuters) - A new addition will soon be coming to Madame Tussauds, London's famed wax museum, which on Thursday showed some of the behind-the-scenes work on making a replica figure of U.S....

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'Mud Dragon' fossil shows dinosaurs thrived on eve of destruction

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a humid, tropical jungle in southern China eons ago, a remarkably bird-like dinosaur with wing-like arms, a toothless beak and a dome-shaped crest atop its head became...

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Slovak brothers win burial competition with fastest, neatest grave

TRENCIN, Slovakia (Reuters) - Two brothers from Slovakia won a grave-digging competition at an international exhibition of funeral, burial and cremation services on Thursday.

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Digging in the city - urban Swedes get back to their roots

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - They are doing it on the rooftops, on tower block balconies and even on a disused railway: Swedes have discovered a passion for urban gardening as a way of growing fresh food...

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Melania's Slovenian hometown eyes Trump win as boon for tourism

SEVNICA, Slovenia (Reuters) - The small Slovenian town of Sevnica, Melania Trump's birthplace, savored her husband's shock win in the U.S. election as a likely boon for tourism on Wednesday, while a...

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Paralyzed monkeys walk again with wireless 'brain-spine interface'

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Swiss scientists have helped monkeys with spinal cord injuries regain control of non-functioning limbs in research which might one day lead to paralyzed people being able to...

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Some Americans look to Canada, NZ as Trump surges to victory

TORONTO/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Canada's main immigration website appeared to crash and New Zealand reported increased traffic to its website for residency visas from U.S. nationals in the hours...

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Tobler-moan: UK fans bare sweet teeth over scaled-down chocolate bar

ZURICH (Reuters) - British fans of Toblerone chocolate bars have bared their sweet teeth over a cost-cutting move to space out the distinctive jagged peaks on versions of the Swiss treat sold in the...

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth unveils new portrait of herself

(Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth unveiled a new portrait of herself on Tuesday in London, painted by Irish artist Colin Davidson.

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Forget glamor, model Lily Cole wants tech for good to encourage women, girls

LISBON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As a British supermodel and actress, Lily Cole has lived a life of glamor, but it is her new role as a social entrepreneur using technology to do good that she...

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Touring 'Star Wars Identities' exhibition comes to London

LONDON (Reuters) - The "Star Wars" universe comes to London this month as part of a touring exhibition where fans of the hugely successful sci-fi saga can get up close with the franchise's famous...

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Greek, Turkish Cypriots open restored monastery as leaders meet in Switzerland

APOSTOLOS ANDREAS, Cyprus (Reuters) - Cypriot Greek and Turkish communities on Monday opened the newly restored Apostolos Andreas monastery - a jointly funded project - as the island's two leaders...

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Booker finalist Thien wins top Canada fiction prize

TORONTO (Reuters) - Man Booker Prize finalist Madeleine Thien on Monday won Canada's Giller Prize, the country's richest fiction award, for "Do Not Say We Have Nothing", about a young woman's flight...

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Trump dolls on sale in Moscow ahead of U.S. election

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Owners of a souvenir store in central Moscow say traditional Russian matryoshka dolls with portraits of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump are gaining popularity among...

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Indonesian president's call for calm makes fashion statement

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for calm after a violent protest by hardline Muslims last week, yet it was his khaki bomber jacket that excited social media and triggered...

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Keeping an Italian medieval village alive

SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO, Italy (Reuters) - Within the stone walls of the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, narrow lanes weave through stone arches, cobbled piazzas and overhanging...

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Beer experts gather in Brussels to pick best brews

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - With more than 1,000 brews from around the world on tap, international beer experts have gathered in Brussels for a three-day tasting contest.

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Vatican condemns Catholic radio that said quakes were God's wrath for gay law

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday condemned a right-wing Catholic radio station that said a series of earthquakes that hit Italy in the past three months was "God's punishment" for the...

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The grace of Beccaria's nymphs at Milan's second day of fashion

MILAN (Reuters) - Airy, ethereal and delicate designs filled the catwalk in Luisa Beccaria's show on Thursday as models took the role of water nymphs on the second day of Milan's fashion week.

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Rome reopens Spanish Steps after costly restoration

ROME (Reuters) - Rome is reopening its famed Spanish Steps after a privately funded restoration but has urged visitors to treat the 18th century staircase with greater respect to prevent it falling...

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King penguin chick shows up at Vienna zoo

VIENNA (Reuters) - A King penguin chick, hatched in Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo four weeks ago, has emerged from the folds of a protective parent's body.

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Oxford ranked as world's top university: Times Higher Education

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The University of Oxford has become the first British university to top the Times Higher Education's global league table, knocking the California Institute of Technology into...

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Bangkok edges out London as world's top travel destination: Mastercard

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai capital of Bangkok has beaten London to be crowned the world's most popular travel destination this year, according to an annual ranking by global payments and technology...

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Boats evoking refugees hang from Italy palace in Ai Weiwei installation

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has hung bright orange rubber dinghies from the walls of an elegant Renaissance palace in Florence to draw attention to the plight of refugees,...

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Frankfurt Zoo introduces new addition: a baby gorilla

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Frankfurt Zoo is celebrating a new addition at its enclosures - a baby gorilla.

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Ethnic street signs raise old tensions over identity in Lithuania

VILNIUS (Reuters) - The Lithuanian language sign in Vilnius's former Jewish quarter reads "Jewish Street" and below hangs a Hebrew version, with Star of David. Not far away, in Cyrillic letters, is...

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Burberry inspires nostalgia, Christopher Kane elevates Crocs

LONDON (Reuters) - Floral prints and Victorian ruffles defined Burberry's first "see-now-buy-now" collection at London Fashion Week on Monday, while Christopher Kane opted to spin a high-fashion...

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Bones from shipwreck may shed light on ancient Greeks' travel habits

ATHENS (Reuters) - Skeletal remains from a 2,000-year-old shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera are expected to reveal more about the sinking and could shed light on ancient travel habits, a...

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UK's famed red phone boxes get revamp - as mini-offices

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's famous red telephone boxes may no longer be used for their original purpose in an age of smartphones but one company is giving them a makeover -- as small offices.

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In Berlin, the party goes on despite threat of club closures

BERLIN (Reuters) - From swing, salsa and sex to tango, transvestites and techno, Berlin's nightlife offers something for everyone.

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Exhibition brings horrors of Syria to Buenos Aires

(Reuters) - Residents in Argentine capital Buenos Aires on Monday (September 19) were able to see the horrors of the Syrian civil war firsthand through an Amnesty International installation set up in...

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Reagans' personal items to be auctioned in New York

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Furniture, jewelry and cowboy boots are among the more than 700 personal items that once belonged to U.S. President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan set for sale by...

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Geometry, uniforms and 1980s inspire London catwalks

LONDON (Reuters) - Designers took inspiration from geometry, the 1980s and British uniforms for their London Fashion Week creations over the weekend, with more labels selling items hot off the...

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Queen's cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten says he is gay

LONDON (Reuters) - Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth, has become the first member of the British royal family to come out as gay.

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Dressed in white, thousands attend Parisian-inspired picnic in New York

(Reuters) - An estimated 5,000 people, dressed in all white, showed up at a Parisian-inspired picnic in lower Manhattan's Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park on Thursday evening wearing masks and Marie...

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Kung fu master keen to bend the trend on suogugong

BEIJING (Reuters) - For 50 years, kung fu master Li Liangui has been contorting his body into eye-watering positions while practicing one of the more unusual and less popular Chinese martial art...

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Soccer helps young refugees take a shot at new life in the U.S.

BALTIMORE, Md. (Reuters) - On a muggy day in late July, dozens of student refugees ran relentlessly after a soccer ball, stopping only to help up a fellow player who had slipped.

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Belgian brewery's pipe dream brings relief to medieval Bruges

BRUGES, Belgium (Reuters) - A Belgian brewery is turning on the taps of a pipeline buried beneath the medieval city of Bruges to transport its beer to a bottling plant some 3 km (2 miles) away.

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'Kung Fu' nuns bike Himalayas to oppose human trafficking

NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Clad in black sweatpants, red jackets and white helmets, the hundreds of cyclists pedaling the treacherously steep, narrow mountain passes to India from Nepal...

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Hollow horses in hellish boats mirror migrant crisis

Sculptures of 40 horses were installed around Rome's Colosseum and along the ancient forum as part of an exhibition exploring migration throughout history.Technicians started assembling the...

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Virtual reality in spotlight at Tokyo Game Show

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Tokyo Game Show kicked off on Thursday, with immersive virtual reality technology taking the spotlight in the industry exhibition event.

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No pork, no lard for these Hong Kong mooncakes

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Mooncake sellers in Hong Kong are offering healthier choices this festive season to attract a customer base that is growing ever more wary about its calorie intake.

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Italy to launch 500-euro arts bonus for 18-year-olds next month

ROME (Reuters) - Emerging from an underfunded school system into a bleak jobs market, Italians turning 18 this year at least have one birthday treat to look forward to -- 500 euros ($562.10) from the...

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Contestants chow down meatballs to raise funds for Italian quake victims

(Reuters) - A meatball eating contest at a restaurant on New York's Upper East Side saw patrons engorging themselves on the traditional food to raise money for victims of the earthquake that...

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New U.S. black history museum may help dialogue on race: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new National Museum of African American History and Culture may help heal the persistent problem of U.S. racism when it opens in 10 days, the head of the Smithsonian...

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Builders go back in time to construct castle the medieval way

TREIGNY, France (Reuters) - Blacksmiths, stonemasons and quarrymen are hard at work in a Burgundy forest building a 13th century-style castle using the most basic tools and materials, replicating the...

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Endangered Hawaiian crow shows a knack for tool use

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An endangered crow species from Hawaii that already is extinct in the wild displays remarkable proficiency in using small sticks and other objects to wrangle a meal, joining a...

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California to end breeding of captive killer whales

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California will no longer allow the breeding of captive killer whales such as those used in SeaWorld's famous "Shamu" shows under a measure signed on Tuesday by...

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Living the dream as a Stormtrooper in Mexico

Bo Johnson never thought the latest installment in the Star Wars saga, "The Force Awakens," would change his life but thanks to his resemblance to British actor John Boyega who plays Finn in the...

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Activists, participants clash at Spanish bull-lancing festival

TORDESILLAS, Spain (Reuters) - Animal rights activists clashed with locals holding an annual bull-lancing festival in central Spain on Tuesday at which participants were for the first time in...

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First transgender Serbian army veteran celebrates new identity as woman

BELGRADE (Reuters) - More than a year after she was sacked from Serbia's army for coming out as transgender, Helena Vukovic has finally received a passport, driving license, health and ID cards...

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Miss Arkansas crowned Miss America 2017 in pageant's 96th year

(Reuters) - Savvy Shields, a college student from Arkansas, won the annual Miss America pageant on Sunday after impressing judges with a jazz dance routine and her answer to a question about her take...

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China says more people can speak national language

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has managed to raise the proportion of the population which can speak the national language, Mandarin, but still faces difficulty in remote areas and places where ethnic...

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Food fight: British sausage thrower wins Black Pudding championship

(Reuters) - This year's World Black Pudding Throwing Championships, a more than 100-year-old tournament centered around hurling blood sausage, was won by the first thrower.

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Oxford English Dictionary gains splendiferous moobs

(Reuters) - You know, some yogalates could tackle those splendiferous moobs.

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Thousands protest bullfighting in Spain as calls for ban strengthen

MADRID (Reuters) - Several thousand people rallied in Madrid on Saturday to demand a ban on bullfighting, adding their voices to a growing animal rights movement that has prompted some local...

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India acid attack survivor redefines beauty at NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An Indian model scarred in an acid attack challenged perceptions of beauty as she strutted down the runway at New York Fashion Week to promote a ban on the sale of corrosive...

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Nicholas K kicks off New York Fashion Week with 'Urban nomad' style

(Reuters) - Luxury brand Nicholas K kicked off New York Fashion Week Thursday, bringing its desert inspired style to the city with a display of long caftan style dresses and asymmetrical jackets.

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First openly gay Miss America contestant shines light on LGBT issues

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Reuters) - The first openly lesbian Miss America contestant will not only vie for the crown at the 95th annual pageant in New Jersey this weekend, she will also aim to spotlight...

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Cerrillos' 90-year-old cyclist shows no signs of slowing down

(Reuters) - Elena Galvez is 90 years old and lives alone with her hens in the dusty rural suburb of Cerrillos in Chile.

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Japan's half-Indian Miss World contestant a challenge to its self-image

TOKYO (Reuters) - Priyanka Yoshikawa says she hopes that being crowned Miss World Japan will spur greater acceptance in her homeland of people with parents from different ethnic backgrounds, such as...

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'Go directly to a homeless shelter': game gives taste of life on the street

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - If being sent to jail without passing 'Go' or winning second prize in a beauty contest make "Monopoly" feel oddly detached from real life, a new board game - about homelessness -...

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Wooden sculpture of London goes up in flames to mark Great Fire anniversary

LONDON (Reuters) - Flames once again licked the historic buildings of Britain's capital as a wooden replica of 17th century London went up in smoke to mark the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of...

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Bolivia's transgender citizens celebrate new ID cards

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Feted by activists carrying a rainbow flag, transgender citizens in La Paz are celebrating their newfound right to register for identity cards with updated details under Bolivia's...

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Goat Yoga becomes a hit

'No Regrets Farm' owner Lainey Morse shot a video in August showcasing her unique hit idea, Goat Yoga classes carried out outdoors in calming Oregon-based surroundings.

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Is it a bird? A plane? Smartphone sent into sky for record attempt

(Reuters) - A smartphone attached to a balloon took to the skies on Monday in an attempt to set a record for the highest livestream from such a device.

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500 year-old skull goes online in 3D as part of Mary Rose project

LONDON (Reuters) - A carpenter's skull recovered from Henry VIII's warship the Mary Rose, which sank in battle in 1545, can now be viewed in 3D online -- allowing the public to see his bad teeth and...

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In Skopje, residents proud of native Mother Teresa canonization

SKOPJE (Reuters) - When Mother Teresa is made an official saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, one city will be particularly proud of its famous native, Skopje.

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Belgians bless beer in Brussels cathedral on brewers day

(Reuters) - Belgium celebrated Saint Arnould, the Patron Saint of brewers, on Friday by blessing a barrel of beer in a Brussels cathedral.

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Mother Teresa borne to sainthood by complex, mysterious process

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta on Sunday will be the culmination of a process - sometimes called "the saint-making machine" - that is long, complex, expensive,...

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Tomatoes come to town: Bunol prepares for LaTomatina

LLOSA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The ripe, round, red fruit tumbles out of crates and is piled high on trucks, while people cover balconies in plastic sheets and board up houses and shopfronts. Preparations...

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Louis Vuitton targets middle-income shoppers with perfume launch

PARIS (Reuters) - Louis Vuitton has launched its first perfume range since the founding merger of its parent LVMH in 1987, targeting middle-income shoppers amid a downturn in luxury spending.

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It's a fireball fight! Salvadoran villagers fling burning rags at each other

El Salvador's annual church festival in which young men throw fiery, gasoline-soaked rags at one another in the streets, took place on Thursday (August 31).

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Japan exhibition puts child prostitution in the limelight

TOKYO (Reuters) - "At that moment, I understood what it means to feel like I'd rather die," wrote a young Japanese woman, recalling the trauma she suffered as a pre-teen, over having sex with a man...

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Pampering pooches with pet massages in Taiwan

TAIPEI, (Reuters) - A hotel in Taiwan is having a dog masseuse pamper the pooches staying with them with pet massages using ancient Chinese techniques.

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Interactive exhibition features work of Icelandic singer Bjork

LONDON (Reuters) - London's Somerset House is hosting the European premiere of "Bjork Digital," an immersive exhibition of digital and video works produced by the famous Icelandic singer and a team...

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Thailand's first halal hotel hopes to help boost Muslim arrivals

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Predominately Buddhist Thailand has opened its first halal hotel as hopes to attract more Muslim visitors and boost one of the few bright spots in its economy.

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U.N. rights office urges French towns to repeal burkini bans

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights office has called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a "stupid reaction" that did not improve security but...

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Old machiya houses in Japan's Kyoto given new lease of life by niche loans

KYOTO (Reuters) - For generations, artisans and merchants in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto lived in thousands of traditional "machiya" townhouses that are steadily disappearing or falling into...

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Fall from a tree may have caused death of 'Lucy' the famed fossil

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Lucy, one of the best known ancestors of humans to ever roam the earth, may have died after a fall from a tree, University of Texas researchers said on Monday after studying...

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Pasta all'Amatriciana served with 'lots of love' for Italy's quake victims

Residents of the Umbrian town of Perugia gathered on Sunday (August 28) evening in the main square to eat pasta all'Amatriciana in support of the earthquake victims from neighboring communities.

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Freak lightning storm kills 323 reindeer in Norway

OSLO (Reuters) - A freak lightning storm has killed 323 reindeer in a remote mountainous area of Norway, officials said on Monday.

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Hollywood stars pose for 2017 Pirelli Calendar

LONDON (Reuters) - Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Lupita Nyong'o have posed for the 2017 Pirelli Calendar, which features a host of Hollywood's biggest names.

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French court suspends burkini ban, controversy goes on

PARIS (Reuters) - A French court on Friday suspended a ban on women wearing full-body "burkini" swimsuits on a Mediterranean town's beach but the prime minister said the debate was not over, calling...

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Australian teen completes record round world solo flight

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian teenager made history on Saturday by becoming the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation of the world in a single engine aircraft.

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Office workers turn urban gardeners on Paris luxury store rooftops

PARIS (Reuters) - Le Bon Marche and La Grande Epicerie, two landmark Paris luxury stores have turned their joint rooftops into an urban garden for staff who can grow their own crops in their free...

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Eating while petting a bunny in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's first rabbit cafe opened in a small upstairs space over the busy commercial district of Causeway Bay.

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Searching for history along the Thames

LONDON (Reuters) - A torch on his head, Jason Sandy scours the nighttime London foreshores of the Thames river, searching for objects that could offer a glimpse of life in the British capital...

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American guitarist uses music as healing force in Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) - Strumming their guitars and clapping together, American musician Lanny Cordola and his Afghan pupils sing a Bob Marley tune as they sit on a hill in Kabul.

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Belgians are hunting books, instead of Pokemon

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Inspired by the success of Pokemon Go, a Belgian primary school headmaster has developed an online game for people to search for books instead of cartoon monsters, attracting...

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Hundreds challenge human pyramid limits at Indian Hindu festival

(Reuters) - Hundreds of people attending a Hindu festival in India's western Maharashtra state on Thursday defied India's Supreme Court order limiting the height of human pyramids due to safety...

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Egypt's economic crisis weighs heavily on heritage: minister

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt cannot afford to keep its museums open let alone search for ancient buried treasures because of the economic crisis, the antiquities minister says.

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French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel dies aged 86

PARIS (Reuters) - French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, known for her brightly colored striped sweater dresses, has died at the age of 86, the owner of the fashion label she founded said on Thursday.

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Australian burkini designer profits from French ban

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian designer of the burkini said she has enjoyed increased sales of the body-covering swimwear for Muslim women since three French cities banned it.

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Czech locksmith builds plane to fly to work 10 miles away

ZDIKOV, Czech Republic (Reuters) - Frantisek Hadrava thought driving to work for 14 minutes was too much, so he built an plane to cut the commute by half.

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Thailand's tiger tourism expands despite raid on infamous tiger temple

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's tiger tourism business is booming and the captive tiger population is growing fast, experts say, more than two months after Thai wildlife authorities found scores of...

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Penguin promoted to brigadier at Edinburgh Zoo

LONDON (Reuters) - Standing in line for a special ceremony, uniformed soldiers of His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard are carefully inspected -- by a penguin.

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Vienna zoo panda twins continuing to 'develop splendidly'

VIENNA (Reuters) - The twin panda cubs born at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo turned 16 days old on Tuesday and are said to be fit and healthy.

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Disabled Afghan girl painter dreams of international fame

Like many other young artists her age, 16-year-old Robaba Mohammadi dreams of holding international art exhibitions.

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Yugos, Corvairs and Vegas: the Cream of the Clunkers at the Concours d’Lemons

SEASIDE, Calif. -- David Swan nicknamed his car Wilma, after Fred Flintstone's wife.

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Japanese monks take part in 'most handsome monk' contest

Japanese monks competed based on their inner beauty at a funeral expo to compete in the second annual "Most Handsome Monk Contest" on Monday (August 22).

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Jordanians lather up as Turkish baths become more popular

In an ornately decorated steam-filled room in Amman, a group of men are getting scrubbed, washed and massaged.

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Ark-shaped museum to show evolutionary crossroads in Israel

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Legions of insects, sea creatures and ancient fossils are lining up in a new museum shaped liked a giant Noah's Ark, telling the story of a crucial evolutionary byway across...

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Berlin Wall chunk, Ronald Reagan's cowboy boots to be auctioned

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A chunk of the Berlin Wall and a pair of cowboy boots that belonged to late U.S. President Ronald Reagan will be auctioned in September as part of the private collection of...

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Thousands flock to Mexico City streets for Pokemon Go

Mexico City, Mexico, August 21, 2016 - - Thousands gathered in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park on Sunday (August 21) to play Pokemon Go and celebrate the worldwide app phenomenon.

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World's largest indoor theme park to open in Dubai

DUBAI (Reuters) - The world's largest indoor theme park is set to open in Dubai this month to lure back some of the tourists and residents who often flee abroad during the scorching desert summer.

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The Quail is the ultimate candy shop, if your candy is cars

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. - Call it the “Lifestyle of the Rich and Automotive.” The official name of the event, which was held Friday, is “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.” To those attending Monterey...

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Eager fans line up for Kanye West's 'Pablo' clothing

(Reuters) - Rapper and fashion designer Kanye West is turning his tour merchandise into high-demand fashion, and eager fans lined up on Friday to be among the first to get their hands on the...

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Muhammad Ali auction items seen fetching heavyweight prices

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Muhammad Ali's 1974 WBC heavyweight championship boxing belt and a handwritten letter about his conversion to Islam are among items that will hit the auction block in September,...

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Gamescom fair kicks off in Germany under tighter security

COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Video games trade fair Gamescom opened its doors to fans in the German city of Cologne on Thursday, with organizers saying they had stepped up security for this year's...

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Schwarzenegger says he wants world to be fitter

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger says being a bodybuilding champion, movie star and governor of California is not enough - he wants people to be fit too.

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Spanish police try out drones to patrol beaches

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police have started using drones to help patrol some of the country's most popular beaches at a time when tourist arrivals are reaching record highs.

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Hops and glory: Belgian beer fans are brewing their own

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - In a country where some 200 breweries produce well over 1,000 different beers, surely no one is considering brewing their own?

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Treasure-hunters hopeful about search for elusive Nazi 'gold train'

STRUGA, Poland (Reuters) - Treasure-hunters said on Wednesday they were optimistic they would find a Nazi-era train believed to be hidden underground in southern Poland as they launched a second day...

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Half the world still watching Games as viewer habits change: IOC

(Reuters) - The IOC expects that by the end of the Olympics about half the world's population will have watched the Games in some way as gains in internet delivery of the event have outpaced viewing...

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Australian zoo celebrates birth of one of world's rarest monkeys

(Reuters) - Peeping out from her mother's arms, Embe, a Francois' Langur, makes her debut at Sydney's Taronga Zoo where she was born on July 21, in what conservationists hailed as great news for one...

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Munich raises security for beer festival after Islamist attacks

BERLIN (Reuters) - Organizers of the world's biggest beer festival, Munich's Oktoberfest, have raised security after Islamist attacks in Germany last month, including banning rucksacks, introducing...

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Lima zoo celebrates first lion cub birth in over 20 years

LIMA (Reuters) - A zoo in the Peruvian capital is celebrating the arrival of a lion cub, the first born there in more than 20 years.

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Thousands of Bolivian Catholics break rocks to change fortunes

(Reuters) - Every year, on the third week of August, thousands of Bolivian Catholics gather on the outskirts of capital La Paz to take a swing at fortune by breaking rocks.

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No stone left unturned in Italian artist's workshop

ZEVIO, Italy (Reuters) - Luigi Lineri's home workshop is covered in stones -- tens of thousands of them. They resemble animal heads, human faces and other forms, and the artist and poet believes may...

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Days after giving birth, giant panda wows Vienna zoo with twins

VIENNA (Reuters) - Giant panda Yang Yang gave birth nine days ago and CCTV monitoring at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo did not show her secret until late last week - she had not one but two cubs keeping...

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Long life, very long cigar: Cuban dedicates a monster smoke to Fidel Castro

HAVANA (Reuters) - A Cuban cigar maker broke his own record on Friday by rolling the world's longest cigar at 90 meters (295 feet), the length of a soccer field, dedicating the monster smoke to Fidel...

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Mermaids make a splash at diversity celebration at the Rio Games

(Reuters) - A gaggle of mermaids made a splash on the sandy shores of Rio de Janeiro's Ipanema Beach on Saturday (August 14) night at a party celebrating diversity organized at the Danish Pavilion.

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South Korea looks to generate buzz for edible insects

SEOUL (Reuters) - Bae Su-Hyeon's lunch of sweet potato soup and funghi pasta has bugs in it. They're part of the recipe.

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Iraqi artist creates sculptures out of scrap metal

He may not have attended art school or received any formal training, but Iraqi artist Abdul Qader al-Na'ib has managed to build a reputation as the man who turns scrap metal into art.

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Firefighters make leap to smokejumping

WINTHROP, Wash. (Reuters) - On a 100-degree day in early June, Matt Mueller did sit-ups in a semicircle with seven other experienced firefighters training to parachute into a wildfire.

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Brussels 'flower carpet' has Japanese theme

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of begonias and dahlias will emblazon the Grand Place in Brussels this weekend for its 20th "Flower Carpet" display, which this year has a Japanese theme.

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Bristol skies lit up by hot air balloons at annual fiesta

The night sky in Bristol was lit up by hot air balloons on Thursday as part of the city's annual four-day International Balloon Fiesta.

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'Life worth more than Pokemon,' Venezuela gamers told

CARACAS (Reuters) - A Pokemon Go player hides his cellphone in the carved out pages of a 19th-century French novel, hoping to avoid criminals on Venezuela's notoriously dangerous streets.

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My grandmother’s last months

MILAN (Reuters) - My grandmother's life and mine overlapped for 27 years. I always called her "Nonna."

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Tiny bead from Bulgaria may be world's oldest gold artifact

YUNATSITE, Bulgaria (Reuters) - It may be just a tiny gold bead - 4 mm (1/8 inch) in diameter - but it is an enormous discovery for Bulgarian archaeologists who say they have found Europe's - and...

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Gay Qatari's article provokes backlash over World Cup 'values'

DOHA (Reuters) - An opinion article about life as a gay Qatari has stirred debate about the limits of tolerance in the conservative Gulf Arab country which is due to host the 2022 soccer World Cup.

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Mystery magic spells unearthed with ancient skeletons in Serbia

KOSTOLAC, Serbia (Reuters) - Archaeologists are trying to decipher magic spells etched onto tiny rolls of gold and silver that they found alongside skeletons of humans buried almost 2,000 years ago.

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Lion that bit worker in Canada zoo is spared, back on view

TORONTO (Reuters) - A lion that bit a Canadian zoo keeper on Monday and fractured one of her vertebrae will not be killed and will stay at the zoo where the public can view it, a zoo official said on...

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Panda twins born in China's Sichuan province

(Reuters) - Twin panda cubs, a male and a female, were born at a breeding research base in China's southwest Sichuan province on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

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Stinky cheese ice cream becomes Czech summer hit

LOSTICE, Czech Republic (Reuters) - An ice cream made out of a traditional pungent cheese has become a surprise hit in a small Czech town, with happy buyers scooping all the innovative producer can...

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Venezuelan art exhibition honors legacy of Frida Kahlo

An art gallery in the Venezuelan capital is honoring the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo with an exposition featuring the works of 50 female Venezuelan artist.

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Giant panda cub born in Vienna after zoo sets the right mood

VIENNA (Reuters) - A naturally conceived giant panda cub has been born in Vienna, the city's main zoo announced on Monday, a rare event that it said is unique in Europe to the Austrian capital.

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Stop press: Last two journalists leave London's Fleet Street

LONDON (Reuters) - Three decades after media mogul Rupert Murdoch instigated its demise as the centuries-old home of Britain's newspaper industry, London's Fleet Street bade farewell on Friday to its...

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Rio's informal foods a key part of the 'Carioca' life

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - If the most popular foods of Rio de Janeiro have one thing in common, it is their informality.

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Amid economic hard times, Venezuelans turn to city farming

CARACAS (Reuters) - Facing a national food crisis, Venezuela's pumpkin-growing socialist president is exhorting compatriots to grow fruit and vegetables on balconies and roofs and in barracks across...

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Refugee crowned 'wine queen', as German tradition evolves

TRIER, Germany (Reuters) - A Syrian refugee has been crowned "wine queen" in Germany, winning a traditional annual honor that used to go to local young women from wine-growing families.

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Bosnian 'Indiana Jones' digs for controversy again with park

VISOKO, Bosnia (Reuters) - In a far-flung valley of Bosnia, volunteers are building a spiral-shaped botanical garden in a new park and carving marble obelisks with cosmic signs while visitors...

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Hostel chain targets new generation of backpackers

LONDON (Reuters) - A European hostel chain that offers youngsters the chance to stay in quirky buildings and events such as DJ sessions plans to double in size to 28 sites within five years, aiming...

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Bolivians honor Mother Earth with celebration

(Reuters) - In the Andean city of El Alto indigenous Bolivians gathered at dawn to honor "Pachamama," the goddess of the earth and fertility, on what is known locally as Mother Earth Day.

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Calais 'jungle' camp shelters set up in London installation

LONDON (Reuters) - The tents and shelters of Calais' infamous "jungle" camp have been rebuilt in London in a new installation hoping to teach Britons more about Europe's migrant crisis.

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Spectre of hunger keeps Syrian refugee children out of school

ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - With just 60 days to go before the start of the new school year, hundreds of thousands of Syrian parents are faced with the stark choice of whether to feed their...

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Opponents target North Carolina transgender bathroom law

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - For 20-year-old Payton McGarry, a transgender man and college student, the North Carolina law barring him from using public bathrooms consistent with his gender...

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British couple vow to honor rubbish food at their wedding

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A British couple committed to tackling the massive amount of food wasted daily will be serving their wedding guests a meal with a difference this weekend –...

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Actor Ewan McGregor says children in Iraq at risk of death, sex abuse, traffickers

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Scottish actor Ewan McGregor called on Tuesday for greater efforts to help refugee children in Iraq, warning they are at serious risk of death, sexual violence,...

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Lego presents Olympic model of Rio city ahead of games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Lego, the world’s biggest toymaker, has developed a large model of Rio de Janeiro city to celebrate the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, set to open in a few days.

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Pilots take to skies for World Glider Aerobatic Championships

(Reuters) - Pilots have been taking to the skies for the World Glider Aerobatic Championships in Hungary, displaying their skills in twists and loops in the air.

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Wild nature claims place in Romanian capital

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - On an early morning walk through the Romanian capital’s newest park, photographer Helmut Ignat points out cormorants, harriers, terns and several other birds flying high over...

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Oozing dim sum buns delight diners in Hong Kong

(Reuters) - At Dim Sum Icon in Hong Kong, diners are encouraged to play with their food.

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U.S. sailor lends hand to clean Rio's bay before Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Bobbing on Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay in a blue and white fishing boat, American sailor Brad Funk uses a plastic bin to scoop rubbish from the waters where Olympic...

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Teaching community through capoeira in a hardscrabble Rio slum

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Manoel Pereira Costa is a star on this sprawling mountainside in Rio de Janeiro.

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U.N. supports 'brelfies' to encourage breastfeeding

GENEVA (Reuters) - If you're hesitating about sending a brelfie, the United Nations says go for it.

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Don't play Pokemon on the railway tracks, Bulgaria says

SOFIA (Reuters) - This one might seem obvious, but.... Bulgarian state railway company BDZ is urging players of Pokemon GO to keep off the railway tracks.

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Getting pumped and pampered in hard-times Gaza

GAZA (Reuters) - Sparkling Mediterranean beaches, expensive restaurants and state-of-the-art health clubs do not readily spring to mind when it comes to the Gaza Strip.

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U.S. comic book starring transgender superhero to hit shelves

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Move over, Spider-Man and Superman. Here comes Chalice, a transgender superhero hitting the comic-book world.

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Saudi snow city tests kingdom's capacity for fun

RIYADH (Reuters) - At a shopping mall in southern Riyadh, a woman shrouded in black robes and bulgy black coat throws snowballs at her young son, giggling underneath a face covering. The boy...

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Study finds cosmic rays increased heart risks among Apollo astronauts

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Apollo astronauts who ventured to the moon are at five times greater risk of dying from heart disease than shuttle astronauts, U.S. researchers said on Thursday,...

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No winners in U.S. Powerball, jackpot grows to $478 million

(Reuters) - No one won the multi-state Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, pushing the grand prize to $478 million, the fifth largest in the game's history and the eighth-biggest lottery prize ever in...

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Lack of exercise costs world $67.5 billion and 5 million lives a year

LONDON (Reuters) - A study of one million people has found that physical inactivity costs the global economy $67.5 billion a year in healthcare and productivity losses, but an hour a day of exercise...

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Taiwan firm's concrete temples save worshippers time and money

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Some companies in Taiwan spend months building temples with bricks and cement, but Lin Fu-Chun's firm simply pours concrete into a giant mold and waits for it to dry.

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Venezuela food shortages leave zoo animals hungry

CARACAS (Reuters) - Some 50 animals have starved to death in the last six months at one of Venezuela's main zoos, according to a union leader, due to chronic food shortages that have plagued the...

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Scientist Brian Cox holds summer master class in London for kids

(Reuters) - British physics professor Brian Cox taught students at St. Paul's Way Trust School in London on Tuesday how to create fire with methane gas.

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British 'donkey whisperer' translates 'ee-aws' using technology

(Reuters) - A self-proclaimed "donkey whisperer" is encouraging people in London to use technology to help them understand donkeys' emotions and mannerisms.

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Armani chooses Paris over Milan for Emporio line September show

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani said on Wednesday his younger and more accessible Emporio Armani line would go on show in Paris in September instead of Milan but also said...

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Website urges Britons to embrace 'Brexile', seek fortune abroad

LONDON (Reuters) - In the early hours of June 24, before most Britons woke up to the fact their country had voted to leave the European Union, Peter Parkinson watched the results from his mother's...

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A summer cruise to the North Sea's oil rigs amazes tourists

OSLO (Reuters) - Bored with palm-fringed beaches and turquoise seas? Then the gigantic oil platforms of the North Sea beckon. The first ever "rig-spotting" cruise just ended off the coast of Norway,...

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Powerball jackpot grows to $422 million, eighth largest ever

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Powerball jackpot grew to $422 million ahead of an 11 p.m. EDT drawing on Wednesday, making it the eighth largest in the game's history and the 11th-biggest lottery...

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Yemen's ancient art of brickmaking endures war

SANAA (Reuters) - Traditional mud brick tower houses have always been a source of pride to Yemenis, and over a year into a devastating civil war, they are also providing some much-needed jobs in the...

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Belgian scientists make novel water-from-urine machine

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A team of scientists at a Belgian university say they have created a machine that turns urine into drinkable water and fertilizer using solar energy, a technique which could be...

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100-year global study finds world's tallest are Dutch, Latvians

LONDON (Reuters) - Dutch men and Latvian women are the planet's tallest people but Iranian men and South Korean women have grown the fastest in the last century, according to the largest ever study...

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