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New-found tale could be Hans Christian Andersen's
For years, the somber fairy tale about a lonely candle that wanted to be lit dwelt in oblivion at the bottom of a box in Denmark's National Archives.
Spanish botched fresco artist sells work on eBay
The 80-year-old Spanish artist who became famous because of her botched restoration of a Christ fresco in a small-town church is auctioning one of her ...
Ariz. home: 'Ditto' to neighbor's Christmas lights
An Arizona woman who knew she couldn't compete head on with her neighbor's elaborate Christmas light display is attracting attention for her response.
Americans finding dozens of ways to mark 12-12-12
A Michigan sixth-grader will put aside her nerves and get her ears pierced on her 12th birthday. Two law-enforcement officials will exchange wedding ...
Vatican: World not ending, despite Maya prediction
The Vatican's top astronomer has some assurances to offer: The world won't be ending in 10 days, despite predictions to the contrary. The Rev.
Monopoly comes to Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city
Nigeria's largest city of Lagos is no boardwalk, but now Monopoly is taking inspiration from the city's sprawling chaos. Officials unveiled a ...
Man strips at Austrian art exhibition of nude men
An Austrian museum says a man took the concept of life imitating art to an extreme when he suddenly stripped at an exhibition of pictures and ...
9 Maine students suspended over pot-laced cookies
Marijuana-laced cookies taken by a student to a Maine high school on a day ethics and values were being discussed have sickened some classmates.
Dutchman launches life-sized replica of Noah's Ark
Just as the first storms of winter roll in, Dutchman Johan Huibers has finished his 20-year quest to build a full-scale, functioning model of Noah's ...
Father Frost gets cold shoulder in Uzbekistan
Taking a leaf out of a Dr. Seuss story, the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan is reportedly stealing Christmas by keeping the local version of Santa ...
Russian premier jokes about secret files on aliens
"Men in Black" agents K and J may be about to recruit a new Russian assistant: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev has spoken about top secret ...
WVU mascot told to stop firing musket at wildlife
The musket toted by West Virginia University's Mountaineer isn't just a prop — it's a bona fide weapon, and mascot Jonathan Kimble demonstrated that ...
Gun turns up in package of frozen ribs at NM store
New Mexico authorities say they're puzzled by what turned up in a package of meat at a Roswell grocery store. A worker at Albertsons opened a case of ...
Austrian bus driver finds, turns in about $500,000
Vienna's transport authority says a city bus driver checking a bag left behind by a passenger had the surprise of his life — €390,000 (more than ...
Thief returns cash from Ohio kettle with apology
A thief who made off with cash from a Salvation Army red kettle at a northern Ohio mall this week apparently has had a change of heart. Police near ...
Police save ancient Egyptian sculpture in Italy
An Egyptian granite sculpture of a sphinx that risked ending up on the black market for antiquities is destined instead for a Rome museum. Italian Tax ...
Maine mall sacks Santa after rudeness complaints
A mall in Maine has sacked Santa Claus after children and parents complained he was rude, grumpy and wouldn't even let one child sit on his lap.
The 'royal molecatcher' outlives Versailles king
The king is dead, but the molecatcher lives on. He even signs SMS messages: "Molecatcher to the king." It's been over two centuries since Louis XVI ...
Maine police: Man says prostitute owes 10 minutes
Police in Maine say a man called them to complain a prostitute hadn't given him his money's worth — so they arrested him. Police say New Hampshire ...
Woman thanks NY cop with $1K, but he can't keep it
New York State Police are trying to find the woman who handed an on-duty trooper a holiday card with $1,000 cash inside. Under New York law, members ...
Residents put ribbon on burned-out Pa. house
Some residents of a Pittsburgh suburb have gift-wrapped something they hope will be gone by Christmas: a charred and abandoned house that burned nine ...
18th-century French chateau razed 'by mistake'
Residents of a sleepy French village in Bordeaux have been left dumbfounded after discovering their local 18th-century chateau was completely ...
Russia's leaders battered by 'sports injuries'
First, Russian President Vladimir Putin begins to hobble because of what the Kremlin describes as a sports injury. Then, Foreign Minister Sergey ...
Huston's "Infrared" wins Bad Sex fiction prize
It's the prize no author wants to win. Award-winning novelist Nancy Huston won Britain's Bad Sex in Fiction award Tuesday for her novel "Infrared," ...
Nativity scene Jesus returned, replacement swiped
A baby Jesus figure taken from a Pennsylvania church's Nativity scene last year was found cradled in the arms of a nearby statue, just hours before ...