Unusual News Items

Traffic ticket spurs fight over state services in Hawaiian language

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 23:24

(Reuters) - A Hawaiian-language activist unable to renew his driver's license after addressing Honolulu motor-vehicle officials in his traditional tongue is using a traffic court case to push for the hiring of more Hawaiian speakers in government posts.

Girls say vindicated by U.S. court win over 'Boobies' bands

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 21:00

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Two girls suspended from a U.S. school for refusing to remove "I (heart sign) Boobies!" bracelets supporting breast cancer awareness said on Tuesday they feel vindicated by a U.S. appeals court decision that says their free speech rights were violated.

NYC comptroller candidate arrested for illegal drug sales

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 20:44

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Manhattan madam who is running for New York City comptroller was arrested and charged with selling prescription pills for cash, FBI officials said on Tuesday.

U.S. daredevil to skydive in locked box

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 20:02

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. daredevil Anthony Martin is preparing for what his closest associates consider one of his most dangerous stunts ever - on Tuesday he plans to be locked in a wooden box that will be pushed out of an airplane at 14,500 feet.

Boys in Canada believed killed by snake that escaped cage: police

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 19:39

(Reuters) - Two young brothers found dead in an apartment over a reptile store in New Brunswick, Canada, were believed to have been strangled by a snake that escaped its enclosure and slithered into the building's ventilation system, police said on Monday.

French woman offers breast-feeding service to gay parents

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 12:31

PARIS (Reuters) - A woman has posted an offer on a French website to breast-feed babies of homosexual male couples for 100 euros ($130) a day, stirring up media interest just weeks after a divisive same-sex marriage law was passed.

First taste of test-tube burger declared 'close to meat'

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 08:43

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's first laboratory-grown beef burger was flipped out of a petri dish and into a frying pan on Monday, with food tasters declaring it tasted "close to meat".

Utah beauty queen among teens accused of throwing homemade bombs

Tue, 08/06/2013 - 01:46

(Reuters) - An 18-year-old Utah hometown beauty pageant winner was among four people arrested on suspicion of throwing homemade bombs at houses in a Salt Lake City suburb over the weekend, authorities said on Monday.

First taste of test-tube burger declared 'close to meat'

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 18:46

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's first laboratory-grown beef burger was flipped out of a petri dish and into a frying pan on Monday, with food tasters declaring it tasted "close to meat".

Johannesburg apologizes to Mandela for billing blunder

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 16:35

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The City of Johannesburg apologized to Nelson Mandela and his family on Monday for mistakenly posting a non-payment notice on the former South African president's house warning him his electricity was about to be cut off.

Some like it hot, but does it matter in yoga?

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 10:02

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hot yoga devotee Karla Walsh feels exhilarated after an hour of twisting her soggy limbs into pretzel shapes, but the Iowa-based writer wonders if all that swelter really ramps up her workout.

Stinky tofu: Taiwan's tasty snack packs a rotten stench

Mon, 08/05/2013 - 06:14

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The smellier, the better. That's the rule in Taiwan for stinky tofu, a popular fermented snack that assaults the nose but pleases the palate.

Tennessee musician becomes first to paddleboard to U.S. from Cuba

Sat, 08/03/2013 - 01:14

KEY WEST, Florida (Reuters) - A Tennessee musician on Friday became the first paddleboarder to cross the Florida Straits between Cuba and the United States, making the 110 mile journey in 28 hours as his father watched from a support boat.

Istanbul's last White Russians pray for church's survival

Fri, 08/02/2013 - 18:50

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - About 25 Russian Orthodox celebrated a divine liturgy on Friday for the first time in four decades at their rooftop church they fear may be demolished to make way for a tourism project.

Hunting in Harare: Zimbabwe's elusive voters' roll

Fri, 08/02/2013 - 18:32

HARARE (Reuters) - It is a list of 6.4 million names and addresses printed on A3 paper and compiled in no fewer than 1,958 binders weighing well over two tons. Or it can be reduced to a slim CD.

It's no ordinary dog's life at Vienna's Hotel Sacher

Fri, 08/02/2013 - 18:12

VIENNA (Reuters) - Many people believe the Austrian capital Vienna is friendlier to dogs than it is to children, and a new service from the city's renowned Hotel Sacher seems to bear that out.

World's largest geyser puts on rare show at Yellowstone

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 21:47

(Reuters) - The world's largest geyser has exploded to life at Yellowstone National Park for the first time in eight years, sending a high-pressure burst of steamy water 300 feet into the air, a park official said on Thursday.

Portuguese court ruling says tipsy garbage men look happier

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 18:01

LISBON (Reuters) - A Portuguese court has ordered a waste removal company to rehire an employee it fired for being drunk on his rounds and said tipsy trash men appear happier to members of the public.

"Toffs" in red trousers a turn-off for nearly half of Britons

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 16:52

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's class-conscious public have voiced their dislike of men in red trousers, associating them with elitism and garish buffoonery, according to a survey this week.

Babies given away live on air in Pakistani talk show

Thu, 08/01/2013 - 15:24

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani television is screening what many call its most controversial content yet in a ruthless quest for ratings: a talk-show host who gives away babies live on air.

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Unusual News Items

Traffic ticket spurs fight over state services in Hawaiian language

Girls say vindicated by U.S. court win over 'Boobies' bands

NYC comptroller candidate arrested for illegal drug sales

U.S. daredevil to skydive in locked box

Boys in Canada believed killed by snake that escaped cage: police

French woman offers breast-feeding service to gay parents

First taste of test-tube burger declared 'close to meat'

Utah beauty queen among teens accused of throwing homemade bombs

First taste of test-tube burger declared 'close to meat'

Johannesburg apologizes to Mandela for billing blunder

Some like it hot, but does it matter in yoga?

Stinky tofu: Taiwan's tasty snack packs a rotten stench

Tennessee musician becomes first to paddleboard to U.S. from Cuba

Istanbul's last White Russians pray for church's survival

Hunting in Harare: Zimbabwe's elusive voters' roll

It's no ordinary dog's life at Vienna's Hotel Sacher

World's largest geyser puts on rare show at Yellowstone

Portuguese court ruling says tipsy garbage men look happier

"Toffs" in red trousers a turn-off for nearly half of Britons

Babies given away live on air in Pakistani talk show

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