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Bear necessities? Furry visitor on the prowl in California store

(Reuters) – At a North California supermarket last week, one visitor likely had only one thing in mind – the bear necessities. Shoppers at the Kings Beach Safeway by Lake Tahoe found an otherwise routine trip to the store on Aug. 25 disrupted by an inquisitive... More »

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Girl, 3, survives wild skyride caught in tail of giant kite

(Reuters) – A three-year-old girl entangled in the tail of a giant kite survived a terrifying ride after being swept more than 100 feet (30 metres) into the air during a kite festival in Taiwan, video footage posted on social media on Sunday showed. Horrified ... More »

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Indians seek out fortune tellers to fight COVID-19 blues

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – In his golden-hued office, decked out with peacock feathers and crystal balls, Indian mystic healer and astrologer Sanjay Sharma is busy offering his clients a peek into their future as the COVID-19 pandemic has muddied their present. “Ri... More »

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‘UFO’ in Congo jungle turns out to be internet balloon

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – An unidentified flying object parachuted into dense Congo jungle to the confusion of local authorities, who detained two people for questioning until a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet confirmed the de... More »

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In China, a Trump wax statue maker laments virus impact

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – For Zeng Sheng, the manager at Shanghai Maiyi Arts, this autumn should have been a boon for business: with the U.S. presidential election, demand for the centre’s wax replicas of Donald Trump should have been off the charts. Instead, the s... More »

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New dog walking rule in Germany leaves owners scratching their heads

BERLIN (Reuters) – A new rule forcing Germans to take their dog for a walk twice a day has unleashed a debate on whether the state can decide what is best for the country’s 9.4 million pet canines. Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner announced this week she h... More »

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Big cats’ droppings help German circus weather coronavirus crisis

BERLIN (Reuters) – One creature’s droppings can be another’s treasure, as Germany’s Krone Circus is finding out during the new coronavirus pandemic. Home to 26 lions and tigers, the circus has found an unusual side income and raised money despite coronavirus-r... More »

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Havana, the ‘Paris of the Caribbean,’ gets its own Eiffel Tower

HAVANA (Reuters) – Havana was once dubbed the ‘Paris of the Caribbean’ for its beautiful architecture, vibrant arts scene, and flourishing nightlife. Now it even has its own Eiffel Tower. The illuminated four-meter (13-ft) high replica by Cuban blacksmith Jorg... More »

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Tired of Zoom calls? Company offers at-home hologram machines

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Looking for a new way to communicate during the pandemic? A Los Angeles company has created phone booth-sized machines to beam live holograms into your living room. The device made by PORTL Inc lets users talk in real time with a life-s... More »

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Snazzy face mask fashion reaches Nairobi neighbourhood

NAIROBI (Reuters) – Most of us have accepted COVID-19 face masks as an inconvenient, albeit necessary, safety measure. For the style conscious like James Maina Mwangi, however, they are an unmissable fashion opportunity. Mwangi’s brightly coloured suits and ha... More »

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Woolly mammoth skeleton found in lake in Russia’s Arctic

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian scientists are poring over the stunningly well-preserved bones of an adult woolly mammoth that roamed the earth at least 10,000 years ago, after local inhabitants discovered its remains in the shallows of a north Siberian lake. Part ... More »

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Norway plan to save giant Picasso murals divides opinion

OSLO (Reuters) – Norway began tearing down a landmark building adorned with giant murals by Pablo Picasso on Monday as part of efforts to rebuild government headquarters after a deadly far-right bombing. Oslo’s ‘Y block’ office building, with a Picasso drawing... More »

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Man parades down Oxford Street wearing nothing but mask

LONDON (Reuters) – A man strolled down central London’s most popular shopping street on Friday with only a mask to cover his nudity, leaving passerbys astounded, amused and shocked. As the man walked nonchalantly along Oxford Street, naked except for the light... More »

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Movie magic as Paris turns the Seine into open-air cinema

PARIS (Reuters) – While the cinema drive-in may have gotten a boost as lockdowns gradually come to an end amid the COVID-19 outbreak, in Paris film fans can now munch on their popcorn watching a movie from a boat on the river Seine. As part of Paris Plages, th... More »

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Coronavirus fans flames of love in Nigeria’s online dating scene

LAGOS (Reuters) – Oreoluwa Akinnawo is in his element. Lagos’s bars and restaurants are shut and Nigerians are struggling to socialise. The pandemic is his perfect time to find a soul mate online. “The dating thing during this restriction works perfectly for m... More »

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Dancing robots replace fans at Japanese baseball game

TOKYO (Reuters) – With their stadium devoid of fans due to coronavirus restrictions, Japanese baseball team Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have come up with an imaginative replacement: dancing robots. Before their most recent Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) game ag... More »

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What would Kanye West have to do to launch a late White House bid?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – If Kanye West is serious about running for president, the American rapper and fashion designer will face major obstacles to mount a serious campaign less than four months before the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. West, who said in a ... More »

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Japanese baseball fan enters empty stadium via robot

TOKYO (Reuters) – One lucky baseball fan was taken inside the otherwise empty Tokyo Dome for Yomiuri Giants’ win on Tuesday via a monitor mounted on a robot she controlled from home. Nippon Professional Baseball teams have begun their season without fans in st... More »

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Cuban dons full-body cardboard shield against coronavirus

HAVANA (Reuters) – Ever since the novel coronavirus reached Cuba, a tall cardboard box with arms and legs can be seen tottering around a Havana suburb, popping into the bakery or butchers, or browsing the newspaper stand. This is Feridia Rojas, 82, who decided... More »

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Thailand’s roving dog groomer back in business

CHONBURI, Thailand (Reuters) – Volunteer pet groomer Kriengkai Thatwakorn is thrilled to be back helping out stray dogs in Thailand, some in urgent need of a shearing after waiting three sweltering months for a trim. A domestic travel ban to contain the novel ... More »

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Animal baby boom at Palestinian zoo after people disappear

QALQILYA, West Bank (Reuters) – Peacocks, ostriches and baboons joined in an animal baby boom at a Palestinian zoo during the coronavirus closure as they let nature take its course free from human distractions. Fifteen animals were born at the tiny Qalqilya Zo... More »

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Vietnam schoolgirl creates art from the chaos of the coronavirus

HANOI (Reuters) – Stuck at home with school suspended, Nguyen Doi Chung Anh made the most of a lockdown in Vietnam by using art to demonstrate tragedy, resilience and chaos in the world’s battle against the coronavirus. The work of 10-year-old Chung Anh shows ... More »

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Robot built for Japan’s aging workforce finds coronavirus role

TOKYO (Reuters) – Mira Robotics developed its “ugo” robot to reinforce greying Japan’s shrinking workforce, but as the coronavirus threat persists, the Japanese startup is offering its machine as a tool in the fight against the outbreak, the company’s CEO said... More »

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Cate Blanchett reveals ‘a bit of a chainsaw accident’

(Reuters) – Actress Cate Blanchett suffered an accident with a chainsaw during the coronavirus lockdown with her family, she revealed during a podcast. The Oscar-winning star of films like “Blue Jasmine” and “Aviator” gave no details about the mishap but said ... More »

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Winging it: Paris gallery keeps visitors apart with extension hats

PARIS (Reuters) – An art gallery in Paris has sought inspiration in ancient China to help it enforce social distancing, by providing hats with winged extensions for visitors. The colourful papier-mâché hats are modelled on headgear from the Song dynasty, which... More »

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Get Back! Abbey Road Studios reopen after COVID hiatus

LONDON (Reuters) – London’s world-famous Abbey Road Studios reopened on Thursday after closing its doors during the coronavirus lockdown for the first time in its 90-year history. Celebrated for recording the likes of Edward Elgar, The Beatles and Lady Gaga, t... More »

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Outdoor Swiss hotel ‘rooms’ give new meaning to light and airy

WALENSTADT, Switzerland (Reuters) – Two Swiss conceptual artists are offering seven open air “hotel rooms” this summer across a “performance space” encompassing eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Guests “perform”, without an audience, by spending the night... More »

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Move over James Bond- India returns alleged bird spy to Pakistan

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) – Indian police have released a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisherman after a probe found that the bird, which had flown across the contentious border between the nuclear-armed nations, was not a spy, two officials said on Friday.... More »

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Rowing: Row me to the moon, let me scull among the stars

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Rowers from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Britain whose training on the water has been restricted due to the novel coronavirus pandemic have been challenged to help their countries row to the moon. Or at least the distance from the ... More »

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Nigerian comics fight COVID-19 with gags and slapstick slaps

LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigerian comedian Maryam Apaokagi has a sure-fire way of getting people to listen to her coronavirus health advice – she delivers it with a hard slap in the face. The 21-year-old has joined a line-up of the nation’s top performers working hea... More »

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Clawing back normality: Bangkok cat cafe reopens after virus shutdown

BANGKOK (Reuters) – As Thailand’s capital cautiously reopens many restaurants shuttered over coronavirus fears, the feline “employees” of the Caturday Cafe are back at work. The few dozen friendly cats typically lounge around the cafe, breaking up naptime to s... More »

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A British nurse is the chosen superhero in new Banksy artwork

LONDON (Reuters) – A young boy chooses a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman in a new artwork by Banksy that encapsulates the gratitude Britons have felt toward the country’s National Health Service during the coronavirus cri... More »

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Locked out of galleries, Londoners find Caravaggio street art

LONDON (Reuters) – Londoners locked out of galleries can find an alternative art fix on a wall under under some railway arches after street artist Lionel Stanhope painted a Caravaggio classic, updated for the coronavirus age. The Italian baroque master’s “Supp... More »

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Thailand’s pet groomer reopens as new coronavirus cases slow

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Chewy and Miley, both two-year-old Schnauzer dogs, are getting their hair cut at a groomer in Bangkok for the first time since the new coronavirus outbreak began in Thailand in January. Pet grooming shops are among a handful of businesses t... More »

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‘Darth Vader’ enforces lockdown in Philippine village

MANILA (Reuters) – Dressed as “Star Wars” characters, local officials in the Philippines are out and about to enforce strict quarantine measures while also handing out relief packages. With Darth Vader and Stormtrooper outfits made from rubber mats and old pla... More »

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ITV cancels 2020 Love Island due to COVID-19 in blow for ad revenues

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s ITV said its popular dating show Love Island would be cancelled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and there would not be a new series until 2021, in a big setback for the broadcaster’s advertising revenues. ITV said in ... More »

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President queries Tanzania coronavirus kits after goat test

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Coronavirus test kits used in Tanzania were dismissed as faulty by President John Magufuli on Sunday, because he said they had returned positive results on samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw. Magufuli, whose government has already... More »

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Robots on hand to greet Japanese coronavirus patients in hotels

TOKYO (Reuters) – Coronavirus patients with light symptoms arriving to stay at several Tokyo hotels are likely to get a lift from a pleasant surprise – a robot greeter in the lobby. Japan is now using hotels to house patients who have tested positive for the c... More »

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Do your bit for farmers and eat more fries, Belgians urged

MOUSCRON, Belgium (Reuters) – With potato farmers and processors struggling, Belgians are being urged to eat more fries to offset a slump in demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Belgium is the world’s largest exporter of fries and other frozen potato produc... More »

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A piece of the moon for sale: just $2.5 million

LONDON (Reuters) – One of the world’s largest lunar meteorites goes on private sale at Christie’s on Thursday, valued at 2 million pounds ($2.49 million). The moon rock, weighing over 13.5 kg, was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with... More »

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Bus-stop art gallery lifts spirits in lockdown London

LONDON (Reuters) – A London bus stop has been transformed into a children’s art gallery by a local resident who wanted to brighten the drudgery of lockdown life, creating a colourful community hub amid the anxiety and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. A hand... More »

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The man with the epidemiologist tattoo – a very Swedish tribute

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – It’s not every day that the face of a chief epidemiologist is inked as a tattoo. But then it’s not every country that has tackled the coronavirus pandemic like Sweden. Anders Tegnell was until the start of the crisis an unknown civil serv... More »

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Brady told to leave park closed due to COVID-19, says Tampa mayor

(Reuters) – Six-times Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady was told to leave a Tampa park that had been closed as part of measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the city’s mayor said on Monday. Brady was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last... More »

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Italian girls take to rooftop tennis amid coronavirus lockdown

(Reuters) – Two young girls in Italy took their tennis games to a higher level despite a nation-wide coronavirus lockdown as they staged a remarkable rally from the rooftops of neighbouring buildings. The girls in the Ligurian town of Finale Ligure coolly mana... More »

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Bathroom Banksy: Street-artist stays home for new lockdown work

LONDON (Reuters) – Street-artist Banksy has followed official advice to stay at home during the coronavirus crisis by creating a new artwork in his bathroom that shows his trademark stencilled rats running amok around the sink and toilet. The elusive artist po... More »

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Mime artist breaks silence to give coronavirus health tips in Cairo

CAIRO (Reuters) – Wearing white face paint, stripy top and bright red spectacle frames, Ahmed Naser stands in a street in Cairo distributing face masks and health advice to passing children. The 22-year-old engineering student has been entertaining youngsters ... More »

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Sex toy sales take off amid Colombia’s coronavirus quarantine

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Gerson Monje holds up his cellphone to proudly show off his online sex shop. A red banner reading “sold out!” is plastered across half of the products. While most Colombian businesses suffer during a five-week lockdown meant to curb the spre... More »

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Space scientists use COVID-19 lockdown as dry run for Mars mission

TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) – French space scientists are using the COVID-19 lockdown as a dry run for what it will be like to be cooped up inside a space craft on a mission to Mars. The guinea pigs in the experiment are 60 students who are confined to their do... More »

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Quarantine like jail joke brings fierce backlash for Ellen DeGeneres

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ellen DeGeneres, one of America’s most popular TV personalities, faced a barrage of criticism on Wednesday after comparing her self-isolation in a multimillion-dollar mansion to being in prison. DeGeneres, whose daily television talk sh... More »

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Russian space agency says Trump paving way to seize other planets

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, accused Donald Trump on Tuesday of creating a basis to take over other planets by signing an executive order outlining U.S. policy on commercial mining in space. The executive order, which Roscosmos said ... More »

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Japanese celebrity redesigns signature song as hand washing melody

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese social media celebrity Pikotaro returned as a leading twitter trend in Japan with a coronavirus hand washing song that repurposes his signature Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP) to Pray-for-People-and-Peace. The video was among the top ... More »

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Triathlon: Blame it on the husband, says triathlete Carfrae

(Reuters) – Australian triathlete Mirinda Carfrae was cruising along in second place in a virtual bike race when she unexpectedly lost her way. The former world champion, competing from her home in Boulder, Colorado, was suddenly left facing a blank screen dur... More »

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Zimbabwe turns water cannon on coronavirus

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s police began using water cannon on Friday to disinfect markets and bus ranks, turning instruments associated with repression into weapons against the new coronavirus. Zimbabwean police have a reputation for heavy-handed tactics ag... More »

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The shows must go on!: Lloyd Webber musicals to be aired for free

LONDON (Reuters) – Fans of musical theatre forced by the coronavirus pandemic to stay at home will be able to watch some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most popular shows for free on Youtube every week. The series, entitled “The Shows Must Go On!”, will kick off on ... More »

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Now listen carefully 007: James Bond guns stolen in London burglary

LONDON (Reuters) – Five guns which were used in “James Bond” movies, including the last weapon brandished by actor Roger Moore while playing 007, have been stolen from a house in north London by suspects with Eastern European accents, British police said on Fr... More »

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Coronavirus strands Peruvian singer in Finnish Arctic

ROVANIEMI, Finland (Reuters) – When Peruvian musician Victor Alarcon set out on his dream trip to shoot a music video in the Finnish Arctic for his single called ‘Aurora Boreal’ (Northern Lights), he did not expect the coronavirus outbreak to leave him strande... More »

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Eat it: Hanoi chef spreads joy with ‘Coronaburger’

HANOI (Reuters) – You’ve got to eat it, to beat it: That’s the philosophy of one Hanoi chef who is attempting to boost morale in the Vietnamese capital by selling green, coronavirus-themed burgers. Laughing in the face of the global pandemic, Chef Hoang Tung a... More »

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Who let the dogs out? A few Spaniards defy coronavirus lockdown

MADRID (Reuters) – Under partial lockdown due to the spiraling coronavirus pandemic, Spaniards are allowed to leave home only for essential outings, walking a dog being one of them. But not a rented dog, the Civil Guard police force warned on Wednesday as it s... More »

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British vicar catches fire waiting for God’s answer

(Reuters) – A British vicar got more than he expected from his first attempt at an online sermon when he leaned too close to a candle on a cross and his sweater caught fire. Stephen Beach of St Budeaux Parish Church in Plymouth, southwest England, was getting ... More »

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Bought enough toilet paper? Check this online calculator

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Worried about whether you have enough toilet paper for the coronavirus lockdown? A German website can tell you how long your supply will last. Toilet paper has become one of the commodities shoppers across the world have hoarded as the co... More »

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Olympic cauldron in Japan ignited with flame from Greece

HIGASHIMATSUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – An Olympic cauldron was ignited on Friday in Japan with a flame carried from Greece ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games, amid concerns that a coronavirus pandemic could disrupt the event planned this summer. “We will do our utmos... More »

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Somalis turn to Dr Hyena to fight depression, mental illness

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – The growls from the caged hyena reverberate through the room as Mohamed Sheikh Yakub slumps silently in a chair nearby, hoping the animal will frighten away the evil spirits he says have troubled him since his divorce. The traditional tre... More »

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Zamboni driver gets his own Hurricanes’ shirt

(Reuters) – David Ayres had never played in a National Hockey League game until Saturday, but the Carolina Hurricanes are now selling shirts to honor the Zamboni driver after he performed heroics in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes team s... More »

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Virus time crime: Hong Kong police bust toilet paper gang

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Knife-wielding robbers in Hong Kong stole 50 packs of toilet paper rolls from a supermarket delivery man, police said on Monday, in a sign of the times for a city worried sick by the coronavirus outbreak across the causeway in mainland Ch... More »

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Scott commits faux pas by driving into group ahead

(Reuters) – Adam Scott was guilty of a major golfing faux pas in the final round of the Genesis Open on Sunday after thumping his drive through the group ahead, almost hitting another player. The Australian’s tee shot at the dogleg par-four 15th landed in the ... More »