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Freezing Weather Wipes out German Flea Circus

An entire troupe of performing fleas has fallen victim to the freezing temperatures currently gripping Germany.

Flea circus director Robert Birk says he was shocked to find all of his 300 fleas dead inside their transport box Wednesday morning.

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Paris Chainsaw Thief Hacks off Sun King Elephant Tusk

A man broke into the Paris natural history museum early Saturday and used a chainsaw to hack off the tusk of an elephant that belonged to King Louis XIV of France, officials said.

Police arrested the man in a nearby street as he was making his escape and recovered the three-kilogram (seven-pound) tusk, museum workers said.

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Classic Philly Cheesesteak Joint Drops 'Chink' Name

A classic Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant is changing its name after almost seven decades from "Chink's" because of fear of causing racial offense.

Chink's Steaks has been renowned for its girth-busting meat and melted cheese sandwiches since it was opened by Samuel "Chink" Sherman in 1949, according to a history on the eatery's website www.chinksteaks.com.

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French Lottery Winner Scoops 132 Million Euros

A French lottery player late Friday hit a whopping jackpot of 132,486,744 euros in the nine-nation Euro Millions, the fifth-biggest jackpot ever.

The winner, who has 60 days to make himself known to organizers Francaise des Jeux, beat odds of 116,531,000 to one.

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Greek Dog that Hounded Debt Monitors is Free Again

Ruby the anti-austerity dog is back on the streets of Athens — just in time for next week's visit by representatives of international creditors monitoring Greece's troubled finances.

The male stray gained fame this month after barking menacingly as part of a pack of dogs at European and International Monetary Fund austerity inspectors driving up to the Finance Ministry for talks.

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Titanic II Titan Unveils Australian Dinosaur Park Plan

An eccentric Australian mining magnate who is building a replica of the ill-fated Titanic on Saturday unveiled his latest scheme -- a park of giant robotic dinosaurs.

Clive Palmer, who last month in New York launched an ambitious plan to build and sail the "Titanic II", said he had ordered more than 100 life-size dinosaur robots from China to populate his north Australian resort.

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India's Jet Airways Says Sorry for Pet Cat's Death

India's Jet Airways has voiced "sincere regret" and offered a lengthy public apology to the owner of a pet cat that was run over before boarding a flight from New Delhi to Singapore.

The contrite statement of more than 1,000 words was posted on Facebook, explaining the circumstances around the "sad and tragic demise" of the cat called James Dean and promising a review of the airline's handling of animals.

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Golf and BBQ Lobbyists Behind U.S. Hour Change

Europeans will lose an hour of sleep this Sunday, something most Americans did three weeks ago. And in the fall they'll get it back a week before their U.S. counterparts.

So why this trans-Atlantic divide?

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Canadian Judge Jails Juror over Tardiness

A Canadian judge jailed a tardy juror for delaying a rape trial this week, media reported on Thursday.

Fed up with her dawdling, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Gerald Chartier reportedly discharged the woman known only as "Juror 10" and issued a warrant for her arrest on Wednesday, while the trial continued without her.

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New York Cops Told to Stay in Line When Online

New York City's police commissioner announced new restrictions Thursday for cops who want to tweet and post on Facebook.

Police will not be allowed to specify their jobs on YouTube, Facebook and other Internet platforms, NY1 television and the New York Daily News reported. They also can't post photos of themselves in uniform, unless the pictures are from an official function, NY1 reported.

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