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Dozens of Camels Barred from Saudi Beauty Contest over Botox

Saudi authorities have conducted their biggest-ever crackdown on camel beauty contestants that received Botox injections and other artificial touch-ups, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday, with over 40 camels disqualified from the annual pageant.

Saudi Arabia's popular King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, which kicked off earlier this month, invites the breeders of the most beautiful camels to compete for some $66 million in prize money. Botox injections, face lifts and other cosmetic alterations to make the camels more attractive are strictly prohibited. Jurors decide the winner based on the shape of the camels' heads, necks, humps, dress and postures.

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Beethoven-Loving Donkeys Clean Up Turkish Town

The sun peeks over the horizon of the medieval Turkish city of Mardin as a herd of cream-colored donkeys begins its day job collecting rubbish before relaxing to classical music in the evenings.

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'Nimblewill Nomad,' 83, is Oldest to Hike Appalachian Trail

An 83-year-old from Alabama started walking when he retired more than a quarter-century ago — and never stopped.

M.J. "Sunny" Eberhart strode into the record books Sunday as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.

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Man with Knife Injures 17 People on Tokyo Train, Starts Fire

A man dressed in a Joker costume and brandishing a knife stabbed at least one passenger on a Tokyo commuter train before starting a fire, injuring passengers and sending people scrambling to escape and jumping from windows, police and witnesses said.

The Tokyo Fire Department said 17 passengers were injured, including three seriously. Not all of them were stabbed and most of the other injuries were not serious, the fire department said.

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Thai Woman Cut Rope Holding Painters 26 Floors High

A resident of a high-rise condominium in Thailand cut the support rope for two painters, apparently angry she wasn't told they would be doing work, and left them hanging above the 26th floor until a couple rescued them, police said.

The woman is facing attempted murder and property destruction charges, Pol. Col. Pongjak Preechakarunpong, chief of the Pak Kret police station north of the Thai capital, told The Associated Press.

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Baldwin Fired Shot on Movie Set that Killed Woman

Authorities are investigating after confirming that a prop firearm discharged by actor Alec Baldwin, while producing and starring in a Western movie, killed the cinematographer and wounded the director.

Santa Fe County Sheriff's officials said Halyna Hutchins, cinematographer on the movie "Rust," and director Joel Souza were shot Thursday on the rustic film set in the desert on the southern outskirts of Santa Fe.

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Russian Crew Return to Earth after Filming First Movie in Space

A Russian actress and a film director returned to Earth Sunday after spending 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS) shooting scenes for the first movie in orbit.

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Talking Trash: Jerusalem Bin Thanks You for Not Littering

If all you ask is for a simple thanks in return for not littering, this is the trash can for you.

A bin installed next to a bus stop in Jerusalem this week applauds those who use it. Drop a piece of trash in, and a recording of a child's voice says "Thank you very much!"

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North Korean Soldier in Blue Generates Buzz on Social Media

A North Korean soldier clad in a super-tight blue outfit in a state media photo has generated a buzz on social media, with some calling him "a superhero," "a captain DPRK," or "a rocket man."

He was among nearly 30 soldiers who posed for a photo with leader Kim Jong Un during an exhibition of weapons systems on Monday. North Korea published photos of the event the following day.

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A Bird Stars in Rare Feel-Good Tale about Afghan Evacuations

The mynah bird squawks from a new cage in the French ambassador's sunlit living room in Abu Dhabi, a far cry from its life as the pet of a young Afghan woman who has since found refuge in France.

Talkative, yellow-beaked "Juji" had a brief star turn on social media, its story of survival amid the frenzied evacuations from Taliban-run Afghanistan striking a nerve with a global audience.

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