Strikes, protests pose new headache for Paris tourism

PARIS (Reuters) - As Paris tourism struggles to overcome last November's Islamist attacks, the world's most visited city faces a new threat: a wave of protests and further planned strikes, tourism...

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Hitler's older brother was in fact younger and died early, historian says

VIENNA (Reuters) - A brother of Hitler's who was thought to be older was actually younger and died within days, raising questions about how his death might have affected the future leader of Nazi...

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For many Chinese migrants, the lure of the city is fading

WENZHOU, China/HONG KONG (Reuters) - After two decades trying to make a life in China's entrepreneurial city of Wenzhou, Ji Shouquan and his brother Shoufang are ready to head home.

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Searchers comb forest for Japanese boy punished by parents

(Reuters) - Searchers in northern Japan spent a third day on Monday looking for a seven-year-old Japanese boy who went missing after his parents left him in a forest to teach him some discipline.

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Bosnia pays tribute to David Bowie with vast mural

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - A group of artists unveiled a huge mural of David Bowie in Sarajevo on Saturday to commemorate the British musician's humanitarian work during the Bosnian war.

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'Tourists go home': Spain tourism surge brings backlash

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (Reuters) - On the walls of the grand old houses of this Balearic port which attracts millions of foreigners every year, a new kind of graffiti has flourished: "Tourists go...

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'Human Arrow' achieves goal the Great Wall

'Human Arrow' Jeb Corliss ripped through a target on China's Great Wall on Sunday in the latest of a string of stunts carried out by the 40-year-old daredevil.

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For trans people, family rejection tied to suicide attempts, substance abuse

(Reuters Health) - For transgender or gender non-conforming individuals, as rejection from family members increases, so does their likelihood of suicide attempts or substance abuse, according to a...

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Beijing fetish restaurant teases with lobster and sex

BEIJING (Reuters) - With drinks served in breast-shaped cups and beers opened with bottle openers shaped like a wooden penis, the father and daughter team behind a Beijing S&M restaurant are...

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Transgender beauties from three faiths vie for Israeli crown

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's first transgender beauty pageant brought together contestants from the Holy Land's three main faiths on Friday in an unconventional show of tolerance and coexistence.

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Fishing for crabs: Venice's culinary Moeche delicacy

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) - For a few days every spring and autumn, the lagoon of canal-laced Venice yields a very particular kind of catch and culinary treat.

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Spellers from Texas, N.Y. state battle to tie in U.S. Spelling Bee

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (Reuters) - Nihar Janga, a fifth-grader from Austin, Texas, and Jairam Hathwar, a seventh-grader from Painted Post, New York, were named co-champions of the U.S. Scripps National...

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Edible bug industry hopes crickets and kin are the next sushi

DETROIT (Reuters) - Just like raw tuna is a favorite of foodies everywhere, Robert Nathan Allen foresees a day when crickets will make their way onto consumers' plates.

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Cinema under a bridge provides Bollywood escape for Delhi's poor

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A makeshift cinema hall under a 140-year-old bridge in the Indian capital is allowing poor rickshaw pullers and migrant laborers to escape daily hardship and sweltering heat...

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Winnie-the-Pooh turns 90, meets Britain's queen in new book

LONDON (Reuters) - Winnie-the-Pooh turns 90 this year and the much-loved children's character returns for a new adventure in which he meets someone else celebrating the same significant birthday --...

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Who will pick the carrots if Brexit stops migration?

KELLINGTON, England (Reuters) - As farmer Guy Poskitt looks across a field of pumpkin seedlings, he worries how he will get them planted and picked in future if Britain votes next month to leave the...

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For world records, Indian man removes teeth and gets over 500 tattoos

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An Indian man obsessed with setting Guinness world records got 366 flags tattooed on his body and had all his teeth removed so he could put nearly 500 drinking straws and more...

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France helps Syrian archaeologists fill in the cracks

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Young Syrians tasked with restoring their country's world famous archaeological heritage, ravaged by five years of war, are getting a helping hand from French experts.

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Paying the ultimate price on Mount Everest

KATHMANDU/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - On his way down from the top of Mount Everest, Indian mountaineer Nava Kumar Phukon saw the woman sway from side to side - a classic sign of severe mountain sickness -...

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Tunnel of lights, animal lanterns illuminate Sydney festival

SYDNEY, May 25 (Reuters) - - An arched tunnel made of tens of thousands of LED light globes and animal-shaped lanterns are among creative displays at this year's Vivid Sydney festival, an annual...

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Big night for blind Massachusetts high school teen

BOSTON (Reuters) - Precious Perez slipped into her full-length strapless prom gown and said it made her feel like story book royalty, an experience shared by many of her peers at high schools across...

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Aboriginal Australians had innovative axe to grind

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The discovery of what is believed to be part of the world's oldest axe is giving scientists an insight into the innovation and adaptation of Stone Age settlers in western Australia.

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Bidders fail to reach minimums for two rare U.S. coins at auction

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two legendary U.S. coins, one of them more than 200 years old, that were on the auction block on Tuesday in New York City did not sell after bidders failed to reach minimum...

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Private collectors display their Banksy art in Rome

ROME (Reuters) - The mysterious British street artist known as Banksy has stenciled on surfaces from London to Gaza, but now a large collection of his work is going on display in a much more...

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Saudi Arabia's rulers adapt message for social media age

DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - The participation of tens of thousands of young Saudis in a social media debate over plans to reform the kingdom's oil-reliant economy last month marked a shift in how...

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Auctioneer Christie's fined for putting undocumented ivory on sale

LONDON (Reuters) - Auctioneer Christie's has been fined 3,250 pounds ($4,750) for selling elephant ivory without the correct documentation, London police said on Tuesday.

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Dubai says opens world's first functioning 3D-printed office

DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai has opened what it said was the world's first functioning 3D-printed office building, part of a drive by the Gulf's main tourism and business hub to develop technology that...

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In quiet Crimean village, Jamala's family basks in Eurovision glory

MALORECHENSKOYE, Crimea (Reuters) - In her home in a small village on Crimea's rocky coastline, the mother of Eurovision song contest winner Jamala is surrounded by magazine cuttings about her...

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Booker International Prize winner urges fellow Koreans to read more

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean author Han Kang, whose novel "The Vegetarian" had sold just 20,000 copies in her home country before it became a candidate for Britain's prestigious Man Booker...

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Polish agency pushes to take Soviet monuments off streets

WROCLAW, Poland (Reuters) - A Polish agency is campaigning to take monuments to the Soviet armed forces off the streets, dubbing them a bitter reminder of Moscow's domination, and consign them to...

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Bone fragment of murdered archbishop of Canterbury begins English pilgrimage

LONDON (Reuters) - A fragment of bone belonging to the murdered archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, has returned to England from Hungary for the first time in 800 years.

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Wines hidden in Czech castle offer rare taste of 19th century

BECOV NAD TEPLOU, Czech Republic (Reuters) - Proving the adage 'well worth the wait', experts enjoyed a rare taste of fine wines from the 19th century, discovered under the floorboards of a Czech...

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Europe's neutral anomaly fetes 200 years beyond borders

KELMIS, Belgium (Reuters) - A small town in Belgium that spent a century living outside the map of Europe's great power system celebrates the 200th anniversary of the quirky autonomy it secured in...

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Famed Italian photographer Berengo Gardin looks back on his changing world

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's most famous photo reporter, Gianni Berengo Gardin, has spent more than half a century documenting a disappearing world and now recognizes that even his own profession is...

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Cold comfort: Korean convenience store launches hangover cure ice cream

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Koreans, Asia's biggest per capita alcohol consumers, can now soothe themselves after a big night out with hangover-fighting ice cream.

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Beyonce's Ivy Park apparel has 'rigorous ethical' program, retailer says

MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Ivy Park, the sportswear brand that is a joint venture between singer Beyonce and Topshop tycoon Philip Green, has defended itself against a Sun newspaper report...

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7-Eleven worker becomes first woman to climb Everest seven times

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A 42-year-old woman born in Nepal climbed Mount Everest for the seventh time on Friday, breaking her own record for the most summits of the world's highest mountain by any...

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Apple unveils new store design in San Francisco

(Reuters) - Apple Inc unveiled a new vision for its hugely successful retail stores on Thursday, aiming to give shoppers the experience of setting foot in the headquarters of the company credited...

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Skywatchers can see close, bright Mars looming large this month

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in a decade this month, providing sky-watchers with a celestial show from dusk to dawn starting this week, NASA said on...

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Romania calls on citizens to help buy Brancusi sculpture

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanians can collectively own a work of their greatest artist, the modernist giant Constantin Brancusi, by joining a government-led campaign to buy one of his sculptures.

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Auschwitz mug reveals jewelry hidden for more than 70 years

OSWIECIM, Poland (Reuters) - Staff at the Auschwitz museum have uncovered jewelry secretly hidden in an enamel mug since the liberation of the wartime Nazi death camp in 1945.

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Spain bans killing in controversial bull-lancing festival

MADRID (Reuters) - A bull-lancing festival known as "Toro de la Vega" (Bull of the Plain) which has spurred controversy in Spain will take place as usual in September but participants will no longer...

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Dogs to dust: pets get send-off with a human touch

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Chantal Detimmerman weeps at the funeral parlor as she spends a last few moments with her beloved Chico who has been prepared for cremation and laid out in a dog basket.

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Ai Weiwei's Greek show highlights 'shameful' response to refugee crisis

ATHENS (Reuters) - Beneath the Greek and EU flags flying outside the Athens museum hosting Ai Weiwei's new exhibition, the Chinese artist has hoisted his own to draw attention to what he calls...

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Post-it note art war engulfs ad agencies on New York City street

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A conversation conducted using sticky Post-it notes on the windows of two offices in Lower Manhattan has delighted passersby and drawn a number of neighboring advertising...

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DC Comics universe on display

Superman and Batman were brought together on Wednesday to lead a host of DC Comics' heroes and villains in a new exhibit on the Warner Bros' studio backlot in Los Angeles.  

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Blue diamond soars to world record $57.6 million at Christie's

GENEVA (Reuters) - The "Oppenheimer Blue", a large and rare diamond, sold for 56.837 million Swiss francs ($57.6 million) at auction on Wednesday, setting a world record for any gem after a dramatic...

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Pear-shaped pink diamond sells for $31.5 million at Sotheby's

GENEVA (Reuters) - A rare pear-shaped vivid pink diamond fetched 30.8 million Swiss francs ($31.46 million) at auction on Tuesday, Sotheby's said, but several other large stones failed to reach the...

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Got business in Beantown? What to do in historic-yet-hip Boston

NEW YORK - (The author is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are her own.)

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Panda in Belgium due to give birth imminently if indeed pregnant

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A giant panda could give birth "at any moment" if her artificial insemination earlier this year was successful, her keepers in a Belgian zoo said on Wednesday, saying they could...

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'Bachelor ban' in Qatar tests relations with migrant workers

AL KHOR, QATAR (Reuters) - As Nami Hader, a 30-year-old gardener from Nepal, approached the entrance to a park outside Qatar's second city Al Khor one day last month, a security guard blocked his way.

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Therapy dogs help New York immigrant kids clear reading hurdles

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Izzy rested his chin on the knee of third grader Aelane Vasquez at Public School 57 in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City on Monday and hung on every word she easily...

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On Indian building site, parents tether toddler to rock while they work

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Fifteen month-old Shivani tugs at a plastic tape her mother has wrapped around her leg and tied to a rock at a building site in western India.

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Divers find ancient Roman cargo from 1,600-yr old shipwreck in Israel

CAESAREA, Israel (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Israel have recovered bronze statues and thousands of coins from a merchant ship that sank off the Mediterranean coast some 1,600 years ago during the...

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British royals launch campaign to tackle stigma of mental health

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince William, his wife Kate and brother Harry urged Britons on Monday to ditch their prejudices about mental health in what is being billed as the biggest joint project the three...

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Samba, colorful floats at Berlin Carnival of Cultures parade

BERLIN (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of revelers defied wind and rain to attend Berlin's annual Carnival of Cultures street parade at the weekend, lining the streets of the German capital to watch...

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Museum shines rare spotlight on China's Cultural Revolution

CHENGDU, China (Reuters) - Tucked away in southwestern China's Sichuan province, a private collector stands virtually alone in exhibiting relics from the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution.

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Push-ups a push-over as Chinese policeman sets planking world record

BEIJING (Reuters) - With barely a flicker of concern, Chinese policeman Mao Weidong celebrated with push-ups after setting a new Guinness World Record for planking for eight hours, one minute and one...

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Singers, actors, riders to honor Queen Elizabeth in birthday pageant

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth is due to attend a celebration of her 90th birthday on Sunday featuring some of the leading stars of show business and almost 1,000 horses.

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Women boxers punch through social taboos in Sudan

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sweat drips from Arafat Abkar's brow as she dodges blows in an open-air arena in Khartoum's searing summer heat. Wearing only shorts and a t-shirt, the 22-year-old draws crowds...

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Stolen World War One cannon returned to California veterans hall

(Reuters) - A Northern California man has returned a stolen World War One-era cannon that he had bought without knowing it had been taken from a local veteran's hall, police said on Friday.

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Italy's violin-makers struggle to hit profitable note

CREMONA, Italy (Reuters) - Making violins is a passion in Cremona, the ancient Italian town that has been producing them since the 16th century, but turning passion into profits has not been easy.

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Polish group seeks to help the blind with free smart glasses

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish non-profit organization is hoping to help the blind and visually impaired with plans to make and give away what it says will be the world's first free smart glasses.

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Not so stupid now! Australia through to Eurovision Grand Final

(Reuters) - Be it bat or ball, Britain and Australia have long enjoyed a fierce sporting rivalry but when it comes to facing off behind the microphone in the kitsch pop music world of Eurovision,...

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Joe's Crab Shack cuts back no-tipping trial after customer, staff complaints

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - National restaurant chain Joe's Crab Shack has rolled back an experiment at select restaurants to eliminate tipping after customers and workers complained, an industry news...

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Rare vivid blue diamond goes on auction in Geneva

GENEVA - The ‘Oppenheimer Blue’ is one of the rarest diamonds available on the market and the largest ever blue diamond to ever be offered on a public sale that will go under the hammer in...

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Britons, Mexican first foreigners atop Everest since disasters

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Two Britons and a Mexican have become the first foreigners to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali side, climbing officials said on Thursday, after disasters in 2014 and 2015...

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World's largest Lego store opens in Shanghai

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - With a dragon, skyscrapers and other constructions made out of its colorful plastic bricks, toy maker Lego opened its largest store in Shanghai on Wednesday, seeking to entice...

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China tech workers asleep on the job - with the boss's blessing

The 40-year-old Beijinger got his start as an engineer, pulling 72-hour shifts at a machinery company while catching naps on the floor.

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Nine sherpas first to climb Everest after Nepal disasters

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A Nepali sherpa led a nine-man team to the top of Mount Everest on Wednesday, becoming the first to scale the world's tallest peak from the Nepali side since a deadly earthquake...

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Dating site matches Americans fleeing Trump with Canadians

TORONTO (Reuters) - A dating website is pledging to match Americans who can't live with a Donald Trump presidency to Canadians looking for love, facilitating the pledge often made by U.S. voters to...

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Climbers near Everest summit for first time in three years

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Climbers on Mount Everest are on the brink of the first attempts in three years to make the final ascent to the world's tallest peak, after fatal avalanches cut short the 2014...

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London mayor urged to honor suffragettes with first female statue on Parliament Square

LONDON (Reuters) - New London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Tuesday he would be interested in finding a prominent site for a statue to commemorate the approaching centenary of Britain's suffragette...

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Trove of Marilyn Monroe's personal belongings to go up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A collection of personal items including handwritten notes and jewelry that belonged to film star Marilyn Monroe will go up for auction in November at Julien's Auctions.

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Thirsty work! Taiwan snap up presidential beer bottles

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A batch of commemorative beer bottles to mark incoming Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen's inauguration were snapped up within two hours of going on sale on Monday, media reported.

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Syrian refugee brings his art to Lithuania

VILNIUS (Reuters) - A faceless skull with a crown of spikes and blood pouring from its wounds, symbolizing a Syrian caught in the horror of civil war, stares out from a painting on the wall in a...

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Van Gogh recycled: Four million bottles used in Taiwan replica

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A Taiwan company has used four million colorful plastic bottles to produce a giant replica of Vincent van Gogh's painting 'The Starry Night' to promote recycling.

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Rodin sculpture sets auction record at spotty Sotheby's sale

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Rodin sculpture set a new artist's auction record at Sotheby's on Monday when it sold for $20.4 million, but the strong price was likely to provide little reassurance to an art...

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Pilots, spectators get drone's-eye-view during English race

As drones zoomed through obstacles on the course and made tight turns spectators at a race in Sussex, England on Sunday were treated to vantage views of the action.

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One winning ticket sold in $429 million Powerball lottery

(Reuters) - One winning ticket matched the numbers drawn on Saturday night for the multi-state Powerball jackpot for a payout estimated at $429.6 million, the ninth-highest U.S. lottery prize in...

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'Your Mama pulls fire trucks!' is praise for StrongMoms' kids

NORWALK, Conn. (Reuters) - Still shunning alcohol because she was breastfeeding her 7-week-old baby, Jessica Hopkins grabbed a 50-pound (23 kg) beer keg with her bare hands and hurled it over a...

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A flaming passion: ex-miner creates everyday replicas with matches

RUDA SLASKA, Poland (Reuters) - Janusz Urbanski has a one of a kind chessboard he never plays, a personalised guitar he does not strum and a boat he cannot sail. Why? They are all made from tens of...

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Click bait: baby koala bites and scratches his way to stardom

BEERWAH, Australia (Reuters) - The first koala joey born at Australia Zoo this season has begun exploring his new surroundings, with his early steps out of the pouch attracting over 100,000 views on...

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Russian orchestra, Putin's friends, play Syria's Palmyra

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's Mariinsky Theatre staged a surprise concert in the amphitheatre of the Syrian city of Palmyra on Thursday, in what looked like an attempt by the Kremlin to win...

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English malaise stirs yearning for divorce from European Union

GILLINGHAM, England (Reuters) - With a tattoo of Winston Churchill's face on his right forearm and a poem about English pride on his t-shirt, Michael Clarkson is not shy about his patriotism or his...

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Syrian whose plight went viral finds refuge in Spanish soccer

MADRID (Reuters) - Mementos from the soccer world that brought Syrian refugee Osama Abdul Mohsen to Spain are strewn around the flat he shares with two of his sons, including a ball signed by Real...

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World's biggest diamond to be auctioned in London

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Lesedi la Rona," the largest gem-quality rough diamond discovered in more than 100 years, will be auctioned in London next month and is expected to sell for $70 million,...

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Cuba scrambles to keep pace with U.S.-fueled tourism boom

HAVANA (Reuters) - The number of U.S. visitors to Cuba has nearly doubled this year, its tourism minister said on Wednesday, as the island races to build hotels and expand Havana airport to keep up...

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Chanel brings glamor back to Cuba in catwalk extravaganza

HAVANA (Reuters) - French fashion house Chanel brought glamor back to Communist-ruled Cuba on Tuesday in a runway show on one of Havana's main boulevards, featuring glittering gowns, tulle cocktail...

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Selfie gone wrong fells 126-year-old statue of Portuguese king

LISBON (Reuters) - A young man's attempt to take a selfie snapshot with the statue of a 16th century Portuguese king ended badly when the 126-year-old statue crashed to the ground and shattered,...

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In Gaza, hand surgery gets remote assistance from Beirut

BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza/BEIRUT (Reuters) - At a hospital in northern Gaza, a young patient is being prepared for hand surgery as one of the doctors leading the operation watches on -- from nearly 200 miles...

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Wreckage of Captain Cook's ship Endeavour may be in U.S. harbor

BOSTON (Reuters) - The wreckage of the Endeavour, the storied British ship that 18th century explorer Captain James Cook sailed through the uncharted South Pacific, may reside submerged in Rhode...

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Lennon's lyrics, Cobain's letter and Gaga's piano up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - John Lennon's handwritten lyrics, Lady Gaga's first piano and an angry note from Kurt Cobain discussing the possibility of disbanding Nirvana after an unflattering magazine...

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California chef brings cannabis to fine dining

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Cannabis may join the herb and spice rack in California kitchens as the most populous U.S. state prepares for the possible legalization of recreational marijuana in November.

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Planned 'Star Wars' museum seeking 'locations outside of Chicago'

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Filmmaker George Lucas is seeking a city other than Chicago to host his planned "Star Wars" museum after two years of waging a legal fight for a lakefront project site opposed by...

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Beijing rock dies before it gets old with latest club closure

BEIJING (Reuters) - Mao Live House, a legendary live rock music venue in Beijing, shut its doors on the weekend, the latest closure to hit China's music scene.

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U.S. firm to turn Britain's red phone boxes into mini-offices

(Reuters) - A former venture capitalist is planning to restore the former glory of Britain's famous red telephone boxes by turning some of them into mini-offices for on-the-go workers.

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U.S. researchers may have found Captain Cook's ship Endeavour

BOSTON (Reuters) - U.S. researchers are set to announce on Wednesday that they have found what they believe are the remains of famed 18th century British sailor Captain James Cook's ship the...

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U.S. families struggling with teens' phone addiction: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half of teenagers in the United States feel addicted to their mobile phones, with most checking the devices at least every hour and feeling pressured to respond immediately to...

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth features with Obamas in light-hearted charity video

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth has appeared with U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle in a light-hearted video to promote a sporting event for injured British, American and...

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