President Barack Obama on Monday dismissed the perception that he is aloof and disdains the backslapping bonhomie a U.S. leader sometimes requires to drive his priorities through Congress.

Obama put his often polarizing differences with Republicans down to politics rather than personal antipathy, arguing that though he had enjoyed a round of golf with House Speaker John Boehner, it had not helped get things done.

Hong Kong's lawyers were Tuesday embroiled in a legal wrangle with a difference -- over whether solicitors should be allowed to don horse-hair wigs traditionally worn by barristers in court, according to reports.

While only barristers and judges are currently allowed to wear the curled, 17th century-style wigs, the city's Law Society says solicitors should be able to wear them during certain hearings, the South China Morning post reported.

Russia's defense minister expressed horror on Monday that soldiers were still wrapping cloths around their feet instead of wearing socks, and vowed the historic practice must end this year.

"I would like to give an order that in 2013, at least by the end of the year, we forget the word 'foot cloths'," a grim-faced Sergei Shoigu told military top brass at a televised meeting.

Some 50,000 CDs of Christmas carols sent to households in Germany by a children's charity actually contained the words to pro-Nazi songs sung by the Hitler Youth movement, German public radio NDR reported Sunday.

Spokesman for the SOS Children's Villages charity, Roger Damm, told NDR the CDs could have been hacked by a far-right group.

Hundreds of people in Mexico City doffed all but their smalls to take part in the "No Pants Subway Ride" being observed Sunday, just for laughs, around the world.

Young and old, men, women and children got in on the 12th annual round of the prank held once a year in 50 cities, the well-ventilated movement said on its website.

A Chinese bank's offer to automatically transfer most of a husband's income to his wife's account has provoked fury, with some calling it "the most atrocious banking service against men in history".

On its website China Merchants Bank (CMB), a major financial institution, describes its "capital accumulation" service as a "time- and energy-efficient" way for a couple to save money.

A 13-year-old boy ran away from his adoptive parents in Italy, taking his father's Mercedes and driving 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles) towards his native Poland before being stopped in Germany.

The boy -- a go-kart enthusiast -- managed to pass motorway toll booths and cross two international borders in his two-day drive across northern Italy, Austria and half of Germany.

Authorities in Northern California made a snappy discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana.

When Alameda County Sheriff's deputies entered the Castro Valley home on Tuesday, they not only found 34 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $100,000, but also the 5-foot (1.52-meter)-long caiman inside a Plexiglas tank guarding it in a bedroom.

An 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball Friday during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.

Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS Hussar, circa 1763 to 1780.

With its glossy pages of pouting models and racy romance tips, Myanmar's first sex education magazine has got the usually demure nation hot under the collar as it explores new-found cultural freedom.

"Hnyo" has sparked fevered debate since hitting Myanmar's bookstores in November, becoming a must-read among the young and curious, just a few months after the end of direct censorship in the former junta-ruled nation.