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Ramadan in Mideast is for Fasting and Facebook, Data Shows

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with its long days of fasting and prayer meant to draw worshippers closer to God and away from worldly distractions, is being reshaped by technology.

People in the Middle East spend close to 58 million more hours on Facebook during Ramadan and watch more YouTube videos — everything from beauty tips and recipes to sports and TV dramas — than any other time of the year, making the holy month not only the most important one for Muslims, but also the prime time of the year for advertisers.

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Star's Gems Worth $4 Million 'Forgotten' on Cannes Flight

A woman left jewellery worth more than 3.5 million euros ($4 million) she was bringing for pop singer Rita Ora to wear at Cannes film festival on a plane, police told AFP Thursday.

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Hero Dog Saves Buried Baby in Northeastern Thailand

An attentive dog in northeastern Thailand is being hailed as a hero after finding and saving an infant allegedly buried in a field by his teenage mother, police said Saturday.

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Grumpy Cat, the Face that Launched a Thousand Memes, Dead at Seven

She died just as she had lived, in a blizzard of memes, tweets and news reports celebrating her feline frown and distinctly unamused expression. 

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Beyond Meat Raises $241 mn amid Growing Appetite for Vegan Food

Vegan burger upstart Beyond Meat, whose backers include Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has raised $241 million from its initial public offering, valuing the firm at about $1.5 billion as it surfs a wave of flexitarianism.

The California-based firm said it sold 9.625 million shares on the Nasdaq exchange at $25 each on Wednesday, at the top of its offer range. Reflecting strong investor demand, it had increased the offer price of its shares to $23-25 from $19-21.

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Three Selfie-Crazy Indian Teens Crushed by Train

Three teenagers were killed while taking selfies on a railway track in India, the country which researchers say has the worst record for selfie-related deaths.

A fourth youth managed to jump to safety before the accident in Panipat city in the northern state of Haryana, a police officer told AFP Wednesday.

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Daimler Says It Has No Idea How Kim Jong Un Got His Limos

German automaker Daimler, which makes armored limousines used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, says it has no idea where he got them and has no business dealings with the North.

Kim has raised eyebrows by using Daimler-branded stretch limousines at several very high-profile summits, including his meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both of his earlier summits with President Donald Trump.

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Indian Man Amputates Finger after Voting for Wrong Party

An Indian man chopped off his index finger in desperation after voting for the wrong party in the country's national election.

Pawan Kumar became confused by the symbols on the electronic voting machine and voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party instead of its regional rival in Uttar Pradesh state on Thursday, his brother told AFP.

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Banners Appear in Beirut 'in Support of Jon Snow'

Banners “backing” Jon Snow, a main character in the blockbuster TV epic 'Game of Thrones', have appeared in several Beirut streets in a humorous show of support.

“Beirut's Residents Back Jon Snow in His Battle against the White Walkers”, reads one of the banners.

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Outcry over Harry Potter Book Burning by Priests in Poland

The burning of Harry Potter "magic" books by priests in Poland triggered a wave of protest in the majority Catholic country on Tuesday with critics making comparisons with totalitarian regimes and the Inquisition.

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