Reuters: Oddly Enough

Chinese businessman pays record price for Belgian racing pigeon

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:35:45 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Chinese businessman has paid a world record 310,000 euros ($398,500) for a Belgian pigeon, highlighting Asia's huge and growing interest in racing birds.

What's in a name? U.S. starts using Myanmar as well as Burma

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:35:10 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Southeast Asian nation formerly known as Burma received further backing from the White House on Monday in its campaign to be called Myanmar.

A gnome grows in Chelsea - at the flower show, that is

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:27:41 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Some spectators at London's Chelsea Flower Show wouldn't be caught dead with one in the trunk of their Bentley, but garden gnomes have turned up at the show's 100th edition this year, for charity.

Marijuana waste helps turn pot-eating pigs into tasty pork roast

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:46:42 GMT

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - With Washington state about to embark on a first-of-its-kind legal market for recreational marijuana, the budding ranks of new cannabis growers face a quandary over what to do with the excess stems, roots and leaves from their plants.

Man climbs onto dome of St Peter's to protest Italian politics

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:50:30 GMT

ROME (Reuters) - A man climbed onto a ledge on the dome of St Peter's Basilica on Monday and unfurled a banner protesting against a "political horror show", an apparent reference to Italy's embattled coalition struggling with recession and high unemployment.

Gandhi blood sample up for auction in London

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:10:43 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - Two microscope slides bearing the blood of former Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi are to go on sale in London on Tuesday and are expected to fetch from 10,000 pounds to 15,000 pounds ($15,200-$22,800).

Prague metro plans to launch love train for singles

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:45:27 GMT

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Rail passengers searching for love in the Czech capital need look no further than the daily commute as the city makes plans to designate carriages on its underground trains for singles.

Jon Stewart's humor a hit with millions of envious Chinese

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:39:58 GMT

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Humor may not always translate well, but Jon Stewart is picking up millions of fans in China, where his gloves-off political satire is refreshing for many in a country where such criticism is a rarity - especially when directed at their own leaders.

Winning ticket for $590.5 million Powerball lottery sold in Florida

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:06:33 GMT

(Reuters) - A single winning ticket for a record Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won one of the largest jackpots in U.S. history.

Germans blame euro zone crisis for Eurovision debacle

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:57:00 GMT

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting.

Powerball jackpot could go higher than $600 million

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:37:05 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Powerball jackpot Saturday night could exceed the $600 million figure being advertised, possibly rivaling the largest lottery payoff in U.S. history, a Texas Lottery official said on Saturday.

EU finds time to tell restaurants how to serve olive oil

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:20:34 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Critics ridiculed European Union bureaucrats on Saturday for taking time off fighting the euro zone's debt crisis to impose strict new rules on how restaurants serve olive oil.

Canadian astronaut wrestles with gravity after spaceflight

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:33:46 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Back on Earth, Canadian astronaut and cyberspace tweeter Chris Hadfield is getting a rough re-introduction to gravity after a five-month stint aboard the International Space Station, the former commander told reporters during a video webcast from Houston.

Dancer says showgirls dressed as Obama, nuns at Berlusconi party

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:55:24 GMT

MILAN (Reuters) - The nightclub dancer at the center of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex trial told a court on Friday that guests at the media tycoon's parties dressed as nuns, nurses and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Idaho man sentenced to seven years for killing zoo monkey

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:25:31 GMT

(Reuters) - An Idaho man who admitted to breaking into a Boise zoo last year and killing a monkey was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday, court records show.

Los Angeles ranked worst U.S. city for dog attacks on mail carriers

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:23:29 GMT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles has earned the dubious distinction for the second year in a row as the U.S. city with the most dog attacks on mail carriers, the U.S. Postal Service said.

From "bunga bunga" to "pianists" - Italy's political slang

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:56:02 GMT

ROME (Reuters) - An encyclopedia of Italian political slang has shone a light on a colorful and Byzantine world where lawmakers and journalists speak a language you won't find in any ordinary dictionary.

Parking meter 'Robin Hoods' provoke New Hampshire city's ire

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:29:13 GMT

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - In December James Cleaveland made an unusual New Year's resolution: to do all he could to keep police in the city of Keene, New Hampshire, from issuing parking tickets.

Turks see art as good investment but also path to prestige

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:49:45 GMT

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's contemporary art scene is buzzing. Collectors pay millions for the hottest works at exclusive auctions, high-end galleries are springing up by the dozen, and more and more Turkish artists are holding exhibitions abroad.

Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil dies after being hit by car

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:12:16 GMT

OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - A man less than two weeks into a planned journey to dribble a soccer ball from his home city of Seattle to Brazil, the host nation for the 2014 World Cup, died on Tuesday after being struck by a car in Oregon, police and the man's supporters said.

U.S. justices play Shakespeare tragedy for laughs

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:11:38 GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday evening sought laughs rather than legal clarity as they weighed a tragic case concerning a despotic Roman general and his overbearing mother.

Astronaut's 'Space Oddity' music video goes viral

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:45:41 GMT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A music video shot aboard the International Space Station went viral on Monday, turning an astronaut into an overnight music sensation with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie's hit "Space Oddity."

New fitness centers cater to aging baby boomers

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:48:19 GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Baby boomers, the generation that vowed to stay forever young, are getting older, designing senior-friendly gyms and becoming their own personal trainers.

Robbers target Bieber's South Africa concert, steal $330,000

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:22:17 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Robbers equipped with ropes, hammers and chisels broke into a strong-room at Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium after a Justin Bieber concert and made off with 3 million rand ($330,000) in cash, local media and police said on Monday.

Eating insects could help fight obesity, U.N. says

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:44:02 GMT

ROME (Reuters) - The thought of eating beetles, caterpillars and ants may give you the creeps, but the authors of a U.N. report published on Monday said the health benefits of consuming nutritious insects could help fight obesity.