Hole lotta fun as Japanese dig for Golden Shovel (Reuters)
Reuters - Over a thousand people gathered on the outskirts of Tokyo, shovels and ladders in hand. Their goal: to dig their way to victory in the Japan All-National Hole Digging Competition, and claim the coveted Golden Shovel.

New record set at Wing Bowl eating extravaganza (Reuters)
Reuters - More than 17,000 mostly beer-fueled spectators packed a Philadelphia indoor arena on Friday for the city's annual early morning eating extravaganza in which competitors vie to eat the most chicken wings.

Miami named most miserable U.S. city (Reuters)
Reuters - Warm sun, white beaches, and million-dollar mansions notwithstanding, Miami has captured the dubious distinction of being the most miserable city in the United States, according to a new poll.

U.S. border cops nab go-kart hauling Mexican pot (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. border cops in far-west Arizona have seized an off-road go-kart and trailer packed with marijuana, in the latest bizarre attempt by Mexican smugglers to beat beefed up border security.

Wanted: Retirees to live in Ecuador for a month free (Reuters)
Reuters - Interested in adventure and exploring new places? An international magazine is looking for volunteers to spend a month in Cuenca, Ecuador to test its potential as a retirement destination.

Big freeze stops famed Brussels statue from peeing (Reuters)
Reuters - The Manneken-Pis, a bronze statue of a young boy urinating that is a symbol of Brussels and a major tourist attraction, has had to stop peeing because of sub-zero temperatures, Belgium's tourist office said on Wednesday.

China bans toddler palm-reading assessments (Reuters)
Reuters - China has banned kindergartens in a northern province from offering palm-reading tests that the schools had claimed could predict toddlers' intelligence level and potential, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

Italian shoemaker pays record rent at London store (Reuters)
Reuters - Italian luxury shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo is close to agreeing a deal to pay a record UK rent at its Bond Street store that will break the 1,000 pounds ($1,576) per square foot mark for the first time, a source familiar with the deal told Reuters.

German city's parking fines are just the ticket (Reuters)
Reuters - German authorities are giving parking violators in one city an unexpected break by issuing tickets without fines.

German beer drinking slide stopped by warm weather (Reuters)
Reuters - A steady slide in beer consumption in Germany was stopped cold last year thanks to warmer weather, the federal statistics office said on Monday.

San Francisco airport unveils yoga room for travelers (Reuters)
Reuters - Just cleared airport security and in need of a little deep breathing and stretching relaxation?

School bans fuzzy boots used to hide cell phones (Reuters)
Reuters - Singer Nancy Sinatra may have had boots made for walking, but she never attended Pottstown Middle School.

Babette's errant email cripples German parliament (Reuters)
Reuters - The German parliament's email system was hampered for several hours for more than 4,000 staffers and deputies when hundreds of workers responded to an errant email sent by one staffer named "Babette" to all 4,032 co-workers.

Revealed: Famous names who snubbed UK queen's honors (Reuters)
Reuters - Receiving an honor from Britain's Queen Elizabeth marks the pinnacle of many careers. But for more than 250 people named in a once-secret official document, the idea was so unappealing that they turned down the monarch's offer.

Irishman makes "billion-euro home" of shredded notes (Reuters)
Reuters - An unemployed Irish artist has built a home from the shredded remains of 1.4 billion euros ($1.82 billion), a monument to the "madness" he says has been wrought on Ireland by the single currency, from a spectacular construction boom to a wrenching bust.

Four-year-old U.S. boy pulls out marijuana at school (Reuters)
Reuters - A four-year-old U.S. boy who announced to his teacher at school snack time that he wanted to share pulled nine bags of marijuana out of his jacket pocket, police said on Wednesday.

$5 here, $37 there: Americans' indulgences add up (Reuters)
Reuters - Those venti lattes add up.

London's Big Ben is leaning, parliament sinking: reports (Reuters)
Reuters - The landmark clock tower containing Big Ben at Britain's Palace of Westminster, is tilting, while media reports Monday said the mother of all parliaments was slipping into the River Thames, raising fears over its future.

Greece publishes tax dodger list to name and shame (Reuters)
Reuters - A famous singer and a retired basketball star were on a list of 4,000 top tax dodgers released by the Greek government as part of a name-and-shame policy to get evaders to pay up.

Italy's "Get back on board, damn it!" T-shirts a hit (Reuters)
Reuters - A coast guard officer's "Get back on board damn it!" order to the fleeing captain of the capsized Costa Concordia liner is being printed on T-shirts by a company hoping to inspire Italians to rescue their country from economic crisis.