The Other Side of Life 24/7: Reuters Oddly Enough Report

Friday, September 7, 2012

Reuters Oddly Enough Report

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09/7/2012

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

Is it a bird, a plane? No, it's Putin, human crane

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has tracked a Siberian tiger and posed with a polar bear, on Wednesday took his love of wildlife to new heights by flying with cranes - to lead them on a migration route.

Condom company fined for using French town's name

BORDEAUX (Reuters) - A maker of condoms purported to be from the town of Condom in southwestern France has been ordered to pay 10,000 euros ($12,600) for false advertising after the provenance of its prophylactics was found to be Malaysia.

Afghans use culture guides to cut "insider" attacks

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan Defense Ministry officials, trying to stop the alarming increase in 'insider' attacks, have given their troops tips on foreign culture, telling them not to be offended by a hearty pat on the back or an American soldier asking after your wife's health.

Ben & Jerry's sues over porn copycats

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ben & Jerry's has sued a maker of pornographic DVDs for allegedly infringing the names of its ice cream flavors with a movie series called "Ben & Cherry's."

Dutch province tilts at (real) windmills

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Netherlands has been famous for its windmills for centuries but now one of its most populous provinces has said it wants to ban their modern-day incarnations - wind turbines - on the grounds that they are ugly and noisy.

Chinese tourist accused of swallowing $13,600 diamond at Sri Lanka fair

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police arrested a Chinese tourist suspected of swallowing a diamond worth 1.8 million rupees ($13,600) on Wednesday at the island nation's biggest international gem and jewelry exhibition.

Swazi virgins dance in unity, defy criticism

LUDZIDZINI ROYAL VILLAGE, Swaziland (Reuters) - Thousands of bare-breasted young Swazi women paraded in front of their king to celebrate chastity and unity, dismissing criticism of the lavish ceremony in one of Africa's poorest countries for its last absolute monarch.

Dutch police release piano-playing break-in artist

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch police arrested and then released without charge a homeless man who triggered an alarm after breaking into a music shop to play the piano and get some sleep.

U.S., Canadian zoos use apps to teach apes

TORONTO (Reuters) - Humans aren't the only species on the planet with a penchant for electronic gadgets. Zookeepers across the United States and Canada are discovering that apes also get excited about apps.

Something Wilde: Book returned to Chicago library after 78 years

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A Chicago-area woman wanted to return an overdue copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to the Chicago Public Library, but first she wanted to be sure she wouldn't go to jail.