Far from war, Basra's cats lap it up in their own hotel

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - A world away from Iraq's battlegrounds, Basra's cat-lovers have found a haven for their favorite pets.

'I've never been so happy': Nobel winner Malala in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai says she has pined for her home in Pakistan's picturesque Swat Valley, even as she recalled two years living in fear under the...

No more pain for Philippine devotee nailed to cross for 32nd time

CUTUD, Philippines (Reuters) - A Philippine man who has been nailed to a cross every Easter for the past 32 years in a Good Friday re-enactment of Jesus Christ's crucifixion says he no longer feels...

Book excerpt: After MLK death, RFK 'poured his heart out'

As riots erupted and smoke billowed from black neighborhoods in the wake of Martin Luther King's assassination, Robert F. Kennedy met with black activists, politicians and celebrities in a hotel...

London zoo animals enjoy festive Easter egg treats

LONDON (Reuters) - Lemurs, monkeys and Komodo dragons enjoyed festive treats at London zoo on Thursday when keepers fed them Easter eggs.

France uncorks university diploma for wine-lovers

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - University students may be well known for prodigious drinking, but at one French university it is a skill that could earn you a serious qualification.

Book excerpt: After MLK death, RFK 'poured his heart out'

As riots erupted and smoke billowed from black neighborhoods in the wake of Martin Luther King's assassination, Robert F. Kennedy met with black activists, politicians and celebrities in a hotel...

'The world needs a sausage dog museum', so German owners provide one

A museum dedicated to the dachshund, Germany's short-legged, long-bodied "sausage dog", opens next week in the southern city of Passau, and will show more than 2,000 exhibits from dog-shaped bread to...

Huge chocolate statues spring up in Belgium

DURBUY, Belgium (Reuters) - It sounds like a chocoholic's dreamland - giant sculptures of elephants and flamingos all crafted from Belgian chocolate.

Labor of love: Vintage Vespa fans cling to the past in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - As cheap Chinese-made motorbikes flood Pakistan's roads, fans of vintage Vespa scooters are scrambling to find spare parts and preserve models that hark back to a bygone era.

Van Gogh landscape expected to fetch millions at auction

PARIS (Reuters) - A landscape painting by Dutch impressionist Vincent Van Gogh that went on display in Paris on Wednesday is expected to fetch between 3-5 million euros ($3.7-$6.1 million) when it is...

First women's yoga training center opens doors in Gaza

GAZA (Reuters) - A small group of Palestinian women in Gaza are stretching their limbs with yoga to help them teach others to cope with the stresses and traumas of living in the embattled territory.

Book excerpt: How Birmingham shaped MLK’s civil rights’ struggle

“By early 1963, Martin Luther King had stalled and – particularly to younger activists in the SNCC – seemed increasingly irrelevant. He needed to shake things up.” writes David Margolick in “The...