The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched Tuesday a multi-million dollar appeal for an AIDS treatment programme in five African countries. The IFCR is seeking 21 million Swiss francs (13 million euros, 21 million dollars) for a three-year programme in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria.
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Two balloons shaped like penguins sparked a major air and sea search when they were mistaken for a crashed microlight, Scottish coastguards said Wednesday. Three coastguard teams, a lifeboat and a Royal Air Force helicopter were scrambled after a member of the public reported seeing what he though...
"A Santa in white!" screams a wide-eyed Danish boy as he catches a glimpse of a Santa Claus who ditched his traditional red garb for a white suit at a Santa convention winding up in Denmark on Wednesday. "No, no, my suit didn't lose its colour in the wash! This is my summer outfit," says this Sant...
A French couple were given a four-month suspended sentence and made to pay one euro in damages to the Canadian state for making a porn video at a World War I memorial, officials said Wednesday. The verdict came just six months after another couple were fined for taking nude photographs of themselv...
A Japanese man who took out a classified advertisement to find his lost dog wound up instead with an ulcer after being pestered by hundreds of nuisance calls, police said Wednesday. Satoshi Nagasawa, 34, saw the number of the 63-year-old man in the classifieds and dialled it up to 30 times a day for two months, said a police official in northern Akita prefecture. 
A climate change protester unsuccessfully tried to superglue himself to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at an event in the leader's residence, a government spokesman said Tuesday. Dan Glass, a 24-year-old member of Plane Stupid, which campaigns against airport expansion, tried to attach himself to Brown's suit as he was about to shake hands with the premier at his Downing Street residence. Oddities
An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused. Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking. An internal affairs report says a Daytona Beach police officer demanded free coffee and tea from a Starbucks and threatened employees with slower emergency response times if they refused. Lt. Major Garvin, a 15-year veteran, was fired July 8. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Mike Chitwood says Garvin recently failed a polygraph test that he insisted on taking. Japan's latest trendy fashion comes from a place most high-end shoppers wouldn't go looking: a jailhouse. The must-have apparel _ cotton aprons, tote bags and pouches _ is emblazoned with the character for "jail" inside a circle and are cut, sewn and assembled by inmates at Hakodate Juvenile Prison on the northern island of Hokkaido. A Tampa bride-to-be who defied doctors' expectations after being told she had a year to live four years ago has celebrated another victory _ she and her fiancee won a $100,000 dream wedding. Courtney Dempsey, 33, and Gary Courtney, 37, were among 40,000 couples who entered US Magazine's wedding contest. The prize includes a dress and honeymoon. Veteran Indian wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh is still hitting the mats in Japan. After 43 years in professional wrestling, Singh is still throwing chairs, delivering body blows and finishing opponents off with his trademark "Tiger claw." An impressive achievement for a man in his early 60s. Other Offbeat Stories
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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched Tuesday a multi-million dollar appeal for an AIDS treatment programme in five African countries. The IFCR is seeking 21 million Swiss francs (13 million euros, 21 million dollars) for a three-year programme in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Nigeria.
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Will Smith, Johnny Depp and Eddie Murphy were the best paid Hollywood actors in the past year, according to Forbes magazine's special issue "Entertainment All Stars." Smith, 39, made 80 million dollars between June 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008, thanks to blockbusters like "I Am Legend," "Hancock" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," for which he was nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars.
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Joe Calzaghe's keenly anticipated meeting with American legend Roy Jones Jr has been postponed after the Welshman suffered a hand injury in training. Calzaghe, unbeaten in 45 fights fought mainly at super-middleweight, had been scheduled to meet 39-year-old Jones - who has held world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight - in a light-heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden, New York, on September 20.
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US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed her North Korean counterpart to move rapidly on new nuclear disarmament steps Wednesday but hailed the "good spirit" at unprecedented six-party talks. Rice said she shook hands twice with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-Chun who she met for the first time as she and her negotiating partners gave him a "very tough message" for Pyongyang to meet its obligations.
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London-based Internet television service provider Joost said it launched a Chinese service Wednesday with local portal TOM Online to tap the world's largest online market. The company has also set up a joint venture with Hong Kong-listed TOM Group, parent of TOM Online, to bring a full Joost offering to China, Joost said in a statement posted on its website.
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