Reuters - Oddly Enough

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Wednesday, August 30, 2017

At Maltese festival, climbing the greasy pole is part of the fun

ST JULIAN'S, Malta (Reuters) - For more than a century, locals in the small Maltese town of St Julian's have celebrated their patron saint by running up a steeply angled log, smeared with lard, protruding over the sea.

In Japan, robot-for-hire programed to perform Buddhist funeral rites

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese company has introduced a new role for SoftBank's humanoid robot "Pepper" - a Buddhist priest for hire at funerals.

Drop-dead beautiful: Japan undertakers tested on how to dress a corpse

TOKYO (Reuters) - A 23-year-old undertaker won a contest at Japan's biggest funeral expo on Thursday that tested ancient skills in the ritual dressing of the dead.

Out of the fire, onto the BBQ: rescued piglets served to UK firefighters

LONDON (Reuters) - Young pigs that were saved from a fire in southwest England earlier this year have been served to their rescuers as sausages by the farmer who wanted to thank the firefighters for their efforts.

Police believe thieves steal Venezuela zoo animals to eat them

MARACAIBO, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela authorities are investigating the theft of animals from a zoo in western state of Zulia that were likely snatched to be eaten, a further sign of hunger in a country struggling with chronic food shortages.

Saudi police release teenager detained for dancing in street

DUBAI (Reuters) - A 14-year-old boy who was detained by Saudi police for dancing to the song "Macarena" at a traffic intersection has been released with a warning about road safety, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

Massachusetts man arrested for trying to punch police horse in face

BOSTON (Reuters) - A Massachusetts man was arrested for trying to punch a police horse in the face at a street festival, according to Worcester police.

Belgian town cooks giant omelet amidst egg scare

MALMEDY, Belgium (Reuters) - A Belgian town honored its 22-year-old tradition of making a giant omelet on Tuesday amidst an egg contamination scare, cooking 10,000 eggs in a pan four meters wide.

Boris in Union Jack underpants? Musical comedy finds the fun in Brexit

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - A retelling of Britain's vote to leave the European Union and its dramatic political consequences might perhaps be framed as high drama or extreme farce.

Bladerunners: UK lawnmowers in 12-hour endurance race

FIVE OAKS, England (Reuters) - Drivers donned their suits and climbed into their cockpits at the weekend for a 12-hour endurance race with a difference: they weren't driving rallying cars, but lawnmowers.