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Cheers and Jeers for Maids' Day off in Singapore

Singapore's decision to grant foreign maids a weekly day off was welcomed Tuesday by social workers and rights groups, but some employers grumbled and critics said the move falls short of international labor standards.

While Singapore is proud of its squeaky-clean image and widely admired for its economic development, it has been regularly criticized for its treatment of foreign workers.

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Presidential McNugget Sells for $8,100

Call it McWashington.

A Nebraska woman has sold a three-year-old McDonald's Chicken McNugget that resembles President George Washington for $8,100 on eBay.

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Cuban Sculptor Uses Tobacco to Immortalize Stars

Fidel Castro, Winston Churchill, Jack Nicholson, Groucho Marx and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- meet the cast of notables Janio Nunez has sculpted entirely out of Cuba's famed tobacco.

The Cuban sculptor uses the same sticky leaves and time-honored rolling techniques that go into the famed cigars enjoyed by his subjects, and which was celebrated at last week's 14th annual Havana Festival.

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Nose Job Lands Egypt MP in Hot Water

An Egyptian Islamist MP was forced to resign from parliament and from his party after claiming that he was injured in a carjacking, when he had in fact had a nose job, his party said on Monday.

A bruised and bandaged Anwar al-Bilkimy had appeared on television last week saying he was the victim of a carjacking and spoke of how gunmen beat him and stole 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($16,500).

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Moscow Struggles to Believe in Putin's Tears

High emotion, cold calculation or just brought on by the wind? The moment when Vladimir Putin shed tears became such a talking point in Russia Monday that it even led to naming a protest.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny coined the slogan "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" for the mass anti-Putin rally set for Monday evening, using the title of an Oscar-winning Soviet melodrama.

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Porn Mogul Offers $1 mn for Sex Dirt on U.S. Officials

Porn mogul Larry Flynt in a full page newspaper ad on Sunday offered $1 million for information about the sexual indiscretions of well-known U.S. politicians or government officials.

Flynt's offer, appearing in the Washington Post newspaper, asked readers to phone their tips to his hotline, or to send an email to a dedicated online address at his "Hustler" porn magazine.

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Japan Zoo Hunts for Escaped Penguin

The hunt was on Monday for a penguin that scaled a sheer rock face to escape from a Tokyo zoo, and was last seen swimming in a river in the Japanese capital.

The one-year-old Humboldt penguin was snapped bathing in the mouth of the Old Edogawa River, which runs into Tokyo Bay, after fleeing its home in the east of the city in an echo of the hit animated film Madagascar.

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Survey: Australian Kids Think Yoghurt Grows on Trees

Most Australian children in their last year of primary school think cotton socks come from animals while one-quarter believe yoghurt is from plants, a study warning of the growing gap between city and country found Monday.

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) survey of almost 1,000 students in grades six and 10 found widespread misconceptions about food processing and farming.

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Charbel’s Coat Stolen Twice during Romania Visit

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel’s coat was stolen twice during his visit to Romania with President Michel Suleiman earlier this week, reported the daily Ad Diyar on Sunday.

The first theft took place during a dinner thrown in Suleiman’s honor by his Romanian counterpart Traian Basescu.

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A Village becomes a Ski Resort in Poland

Just years ago, winter was a dead season for the Kotelnica Mountain, quiet under a quilt of snow.

Today Kotelnica vibrates with activity from countless ski fans who flock to the new resort, one of Poland's most trendy.

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