Lifestyle

Sochi a point of national pride for Putin's Russia
One year before Russia hosts its first Winter Olympics, this Black Sea resort is a vast construction site sprawling for nearly 40 kilometers (25 ...
Supersonic skydiver reached 844 mph in record jump
Supersonic Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner was faster than he or anyone else thought during his record-setting jump last October from 24 miles (38 ...
Russia mulls resumption of Georgian wine imports
A Russian official said Monday that Moscow may soon resume imports of Georgian wine, mineral water and fruit after a seven-year ban, the first ...
Bolshoi ballet chief heads to Germany after attack
The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet said he knows who ordered an acid attack that left him with severe burns to his eyes and face but won't ...
Turkey pledges support for Syrian opposition
Turkey on Sunday pledged its continued support for the Syrian opposition, saying its leaders should not be pressured into talks with the regime as ...
Female commentator makes breakthrough on German TV
German football fans heard an unfamiliar voice Sunday when a woman gave a running commentary on a men's football game on national TV for the first ...
Inventor of Etch A Sketch dies in France at 86
Andre Cassagnes, the inventor of the Etch A Sketch toy that generations of children drew on, shook up and started over, has died in France, the toy's ...
Film blocked in Italy during election campaign
Producers of a documentary that takes a sharply critical view of the political, economic and social trends in Italy in recent decades are protesting ...
Alan Cumming's 1-man 'Macbeth' heads to Broadway
Alan Cumming is taking his Macbeth to Broadway — and his Macduff and Duncan and the three witches. Producers said Friday that the Tony Award-winning ...
Bertelsmann considering reducing RTL stake
German media group Bertelsmann says it is considering reducing its stake in its European television business, RTL Group, but will retain a majority ...
Colombia judge nixes ban on film on hostage's baby
A judge has spurned a prominent Colombian's attempt to prevent the release of a feature film about the odyssey of the child born to her while she was ...
Dali portrait on offer in surrealist auction
Salvador Dali's portrait of a New York style icon and Joan Miro's homage to his Catalan roots are going on sale at a London auction of surrealist ...
Icelandic girl wins right to use her given name
A 15-year-old Icelandic girl has been granted the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother, despite the opposition of authorities and ...
EU top court sides against Ryanair in volcano case
The European Union's top court said Thursday that Irish low-cost airline Ryanair has to pay out compensation to passengers that were stranded due to ...
Suppliers, grocers turning to DNA testing on meat
Ireland's surprise discovery this month of horsemeat traces in factory-produced burgers is boosting business for one trade: Forensics labs that use ...
Bolshoi ballerina says she fears for her safety
A leading ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet says she wants to stay in Canada after receiving threats — a move that follows an acid attack on the dance ...
German beer drinking hits post-reunification low
Germans are emptying fewer beer steins these days. Consumption of the national beverage fell by 1.8 percent last year to the lowest level since West ...
Algeria crisis strangling Sahara tourism
The awe-inspiring dunes and wild mountains of Algeria's Sahara have lured adventure travelers for decades, but their latest incarnation — as a ...
Hilary Mantel wins 2012 Costa Book of the Year
Two-time Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel has snagged the top honor at the Costa Book Awards for her novel "Bring Up the Bodies." The British ...
Romanians investigated in theft of Armani clothes
Police say five Romanians are being questioned in the theft of €2 million ($2.68 million) worth of clothing from Italian designer Giorgio Armani's ...
Twain then, us now, on Italian time travel trip
I came to Italy to test a French adage by way of an American writer, Mark Twain. "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose." The more things change, ...
Russia signals Georgian wine could return
A top Russian health official is signaling that imports of Georgian wine could resume nearly seven years after a ban that aggravated relations between ...
Rome's Trevi Fountain gets $2.9 million facelift
Rome's 18th-century Trevi Fountain, famed as a setting for the film "La Dolce Vita," is getting a €2.18 million ($2.9 million) restoration courtesy ...
Oil steady near $96 a barrel ahead of US data
The price of oil was steady near $96 a barrel on Monday as investors awaited the release this week of key U.S. economic indicators, including on jobs, ...
Norwegian cruise operator to cut fourth of staff
Norway's Hurtigruten cruise line says it will streamline operations and slash staff by 25-30 percent in an effort to increase profitability.