Newsletter BOX: Reuters Oddly Enough Report

09/2/2013

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

'Crazy obsession': The Singaporean man with 6,000 Barbie dolls

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The white exterior and spartan grey staircase of Jian Yang's tidy rowhouse give no hint of the shock that lies within - a pink living room floor and his collection of more than 6,000 Barbie dolls.

Ten-year-old boy wins Alaska's contest for giant cabbages

PALMER, Alaska (Reuters) - A 10-year-old boy has won Alaska's annual giant cabbage contest, submitting a 92.3-pound (41.9 kg) specimen named "Bob" to officials at the state fair.

Shell-shock: Maine lobsterman finds two-tone crustacean

BOWDOINHAM, Maine (Reuters) - It's not quite winning the lottery, but the odds are about as remote: A lobsterman off the coast of Maine recently hauled in an almost perfectly two-toned lobster - half orange, half brown.

Home of Irish whiskey woos tourists with fake shops

BUSHMILLS, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - One of the homes of Irish whiskey is fighting an economic downturn by investing in art projects to brighten up derelict shops and houses - an approach it says is boosting tourist numbers.

Fired Paraguayan bus drivers have themselves nailed to crosses

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Eight Paraguayan bus drivers have had themselves nailed to crosses to protest being fired by a transportation company after it rejected their plea for higher pay, a lawmaker said on Friday.

Florida to call on Labrador retrievers to stem Giant Snail invasion

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida officials trying to eradicate the Giant African Land Snail, one of the world's most destructive invasive species, plan to deploy a new weapon in the battle - Labrador retrievers.

Naming and shaming: Macau website targets deadbeat gamblers

Gamblers who skip out on casino debts in Macau risk being branded with these monikers and having personal details made public by a website that says it has helped to recover 50 million yuan ($8 million) so far.

Mouse body clock study offers clues to possible jet lag cure

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have found a genetic mechanism in mice that hampers their body clock's ability to adjust to changes in patterns of light and dark, and say their results could someday lead to the development of drugs to combat jet lag.

Kazakh club warned by UEFA over sheep slaughter

BERNE (Reuters) - Kazakhstan champions Shakhtar Karagandy have been warned that they could face disciplinary action if they slaughter any more sheep before European games, UEFA said on Wednesday.

'Twerk' dancing and 'selfie' photos added to English dictionary

LONDON (Reuters) - "Twerk", a provocative dance move that has gone viral, and "selfie" a photograph taken of oneself using a phone, are two new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary on Wednesday.