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Man who let snakes bite him 200 times spurs new antivenom hope

Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the September 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him.

Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain

Japan's Studio Ghibli turns 40 this month with two Oscars and legions of fans young and old won over by its complex plots and fantastical hand-drawn animation.

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The birds are back with 'Chicken Run 2'

A sequel to the hit animated film "Chicken Run" was inevitable, its makers told AFP, for the simple reason that chickens are just too funny.

'Barbenheimer' tipped to dominate revamped Golden Globes nominations

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" -- the unlikely pair of films that dominated the box office and spawned countless internet memes this summer -- are expected to lead the newly revamped Golden Globes when nominations are unveiled Monday.

Fresh start or 'unseemly' stunt? New-look Golden Globes to unveil noms

With new owners, a change of TV network and a radically overhauled membership, the Golden Globes will hope for a clean break from years of notoriety as they unveil nominations on Monday for this year's best in film and television.

From Obiang to Putin: the world's longest-serving leaders

Vladimir Putin, who on Friday announced that he will seek a fifth term as Russian president in elections next year, is one of the world's ten longest-serving elected leaders.

Police arrest Japan taxi driver after running over pigeon

A Tokyo taxi driver was arrested for deliberately driving into a flock of pigeons and killing one, police said Tuesday, reportedly because he was angry that the birds were on the road.

'No plan B': France set on Olympics river opening despite attack

The French government is insisting it will keep a plan to hold the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony on the River Seine even after a deadly attack in the French capital at the weekend amplified existing security concerns.

Feeling stressed? Cuddle a cow, says UK dairy farm

Morag, an imposing Highland cow with a caramel coat, ambles out of the main shed at Dumble Farm in northern England and stands ready to meet her guests.

Team behind 'The Taste of Things' hopes to conquer Oscars with French food

Controversy has simmered around France's entry for the Oscars, "The Taste of Things" -- a love letter to the country's culinary traditions -- but filmmaker Tran Anh Hung and star chef Pierre Gagnaire say the art of cooking is worth celebrating.

US families recount 'horrific' Gaza hostage ordeal, urge more action

Four-year-old American hostage Abigail is surrounded by family in Israel who "brought her life back" after seven weeks of captivity, her great aunt said Wednesday, as relatives stressed they will not rest until everyone held by Hamas is freed.

Bashful golden mole detected in South Africa after 87 years

A golden mole that "swims" in sand has resurfaced in South Africa after 87 years in the wilderness when many specialists feared it had become extinct, researchers have said.

Trafficked Olympic champion Mo Farah joins UN migration agency

Four-time Olympic gold medal winner Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia and trafficked to Britain as a child, joined the UN migration agency on Tuesday as its first global goodwill ambassador.

Merriam-Webster crowns 'authentic' as word of the year

In an age where forces from AI to Donald Trump have left Americans doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster says that 2023's most looked-up word was "authentic."

Irish author Paul Lynch wins 2023 Booker Prize

Irish author Paul Lynch won the 2023 Booker Prize for fiction on Sunday for his novel "Prophet Song," a dystopian work about an Ireland that descends into tyranny.

Relief in Netherlands as 'escaped' mamba never left home

The Dutch city of Tilburg breathed a collective sigh of relief Friday as a highly venomous green mamba thought to be on the loose was found safe and sound in its owner's house.

The Rolling Stones back on tour in their 80s

The Rolling Stones are still refusing to gather any moss, announcing Tuesday that they are heading back on tour across North America even as the legendary rockers hit their 80s.

UK rolls out red carpet for South Korean president's state visit

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee began a three-day state visit to the UK on Tuesday, with a pomp-filled ceremonial welcome from King Charles III and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Nicaraguan Sheynnis Palacios wins crown at Miss Universe 2023

Nicaragua's Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday at the 72nd edition of the pageant, held this year in El Salvador.

Austrian property tycoon's troubles rattle investors

The Austrian property group that co-owns New York's iconic Chrysler building has warned of an imminent "restructuring" that has cast a spotlight on several precarious projects -- and the wealthy tycoon behind the company.

Spain's Sanchez sworn in as PM, right keeps up protests

Spain's Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez was sworn in Friday as prime minister for another term with the right vowing to keep up its protests against his decision to grant Catalan separatists an amnesty.

Shakira, Shakira: Latina superstar with tax woes

Shapeshifting Colombian superstar Shakira is in comeback mode after a torrid, highly publicised split from her footballer ex, Gerard Pique.

Activists slam conditions at Europe's fur farms, seek ban

Animal rights group on Friday decried conditions at 31 fur farms in Europe, following the emergence of videos showing dead mutilated foxes lying in cages and minks with severe eye infections.

From Blade Runner to Gladiator: five Ridley Scott epics

Aliens, gladiators, women on the run, and now Napoleon -- Ridley Scott is a master of the modern screen epic.

Joaquin Phoenix on playing small 'petulant tyrant' Napoleon

Joaquin Phoenix said he was surprised to discover a version of Napoleon who was more like a soppy "teenager in love" than an all-conquering commander as he researched his epic new role.

Apple's Napoleonic $200 million gamble

Apple has coughed up another huge pile of cash to make "Napoleon", the latest epic from director Ridley Scott that hits cinemas around the world next week, with Joaquin Phoenix donning the tricorn hat of the French emperor.

Why the French can't stomach their Oscar entry

"The Taste of Things" is France's entry for the Oscars, a beautifully shot homage to love and the country's gastronomic heritage with two of its biggest stars -- what's not to love?

'Napoleon' movie too 'anti-French' for some in France

The French have had decidedly mixed early reactions to Ridley Scott's "Napoleon", which premiered in Paris this week, with one historian calling the movie "very anti-French".

Jimmy Kimmel to host Oscars for fourth time

Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel is returning -- again -- to host the Oscars for a fourth time, organizers said Wednesday.

Three held for protest targeting sacred Scottish stone

Three people have been arrested in Edinburgh, police said on Wednesday, after activists targeted the ancient Stone of Destiny used for centuries in the coronation of British monarchs.

Gun salutes mark King Charles III's 75th birthday

Gun salutes rang out across central London on Tuesday to mark Charles III's 75th birthday, just over a year since he became king and British head of state after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Footballers who fell under the spell of witch doctors

"It was like a spiral," said Gilles Yapi Yapo, a former Ivory Coast international football star who said he was cheated out of 200,000 euros ($213,000) by a witch doctor.

King Charles III leads silence for British war dead

King Charles III on Sunday led Britain in a two-minute silence to honour its war dead in his first remembrance service since being crowned, a day after violence marred commemorations.

Italian circus says escaped lion posed no risk

The lion that escaped from a circus near Rome posed no threat to the public, his handler insisted Sunday, as campaigners called for Italy to ban wild animals in entertainment.

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