Fairs and festivals

Fairs and festivals

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  International literary festival opens in Myanmar

  The latest first for fast-reforming Myanmar — its first international literary festival — is putting the spotlight on dozens of the country's authors, ... 

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  Iran Zoroastrians celebrate ancient feast of fire

  Followers of Iran's minority Zoroastrian religion gathered after sunset to mark Sadeh — an ancient mid-winter feast dating to Iran's pre-Islamic past ... 

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  Rebellious Macedonian village stages carnival

  The tiny Macedonian town of Vevcani boasts its own constitution, its own currency and a passport emblazoned with a golden coat of arms. They are a ... 

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  Millions of Hindus bathe in Ganges to cleanse sins

  Millions of devout Hindus led by naked ascetics with ash smeared on their bodies plunged into the frigid waters of India's holy Ganges River on Monday ... 

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  Finnish capital lights up in winter dark

  Finland's capital is aglow with colorful lights and lasers piercing the black winter skies and lighting up downtown buildings providing a much-needed ... 

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  Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar dies at 92

  The kids at first didn't seem to know how to respond as Ravi Shankar began his four-hour set on the final afternoon of the Monterey Pop Festival, in ... 

• Kurtag premiere in Salzburg delayed until 2014

  The world premiere of an opera composed by Gyorgy Kurtag based on Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" has been delayed a year until 2014. The Salzburg Festival ... 

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  NHL cancels Winter Classic at Big House

  The NHL has put one of its signature events on ice. The Winter Classic, scheduled between Detroit and Toronto for Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium, became ... 

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  US chalk festival yields mind-bending art works

  Chalk: it's not just for blackboards. On a stretch of asphalt in Sarasota, Florida, dozens of artists from around the world are sketching, rubbing and ... 

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  Germany's Oktoberfest sees 3.6m visitors

  This year's Oktoberfest folk festival has already attracted an estimated 3.6 million visitors, the city of Munich said Sunday. Officials are expecting ... 

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  Beer flows as Germany kicks off Oktoberfest

  The world's largest beer festival opened Saturday in Germany as Munich's mayor tapped the first keg to kick off the 16-day Oktoberfest, known for its ... 

• Ai Weiwei to contribute to German show at Biennale

  Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei will contribute to Germany's pavilion at next year's Venice Biennale. Organizers of the German pavilion said Wednesday ... 

• Kurdish festival in Germany marred by clashes

  Police say clashes at a Kurdish cultural festival in southwestern Germany left 80 officers injured. Thirty-one people were detained. Police in the ... 

• Coldplay to see out London's sporting summer

  London's successful summer in the international sporting spotlight will end on Sunday with rock band Coldplay headlining a Paralympic closing ceremony ... 

• Usher puts personal troubles behind him

  Usher's had a turbulent few months, but now he's back where he belongs — on stage. On Saturday, the R&B singer kicks off the iTunes Festival in ... 

• Spanish youth dies after being charged by cow

  Spanish authorities say a 16-year-old youth has died after a young cow charged into him during a traditional festival event in the northern town of ...