InfoAnda - Facebook, Twitter top list of weird stories in 2009 |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Iraqi relatives urge death for U.S. rape soldier | 8 May 2009
US Fed vows to act if jobs market flounders | 23 July 2010
Think Like a Man scores second box office win | | 29 April 2012

Crisis-hit Iceland heads for early election | International | | 23 January 2009

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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared U.S. missile shield holding up nuclear deal: Putin 6:31am EST Employers see uptick in hiring in 2010 8:09am EST Obama says U.S. will pursue plane attackers | Video 8:15am EST Pro-government rallies reported across Iran | Video 9:44am EST Thousands mourn Pakistan bomb victims | Video 8:43am EST "Dead" man wakes up under autopsy knife 17 Sep 2007 Older white women join Kenya's sex tourists 26 Nov 2007 Italy toy store opens at 4 a.m. to help frantic mother 26 Dec 2009 Oklahoma firm recalling beef products in six states 26 Dec 2009 Man jailed for eating rare tiger 22 Dec 2009 Pictures Pictures of the year: Technology A look at the year's best science and technology photos. Slideshow Facebook, Twitter top list of weird stories in 2009 Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:10am EST Related News In New York, job winners will tweet from toilets Tue, Nov 24 2009 BERLIN (Reuters) - From the German town that unwittingly advertised pornography on its website to the American who interrupted his wedding to update his Facebook and Twitter accounts, the world was full of weird stories in 2009. Technology | Lifestyle "Standing at the alter with @TracyPage where just a second ago she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss the bride" is how Dana Hanna kept the world posted between "I do" and that kiss. Cartoon character Marge Simpson made it on the cover of Playboy magazine, two White House gate-crashers celebrated their triumph on Facebook, and the world was fooled into believing a 6-year-old boy was caught in a runaway home-made helium balloon. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube proved fertile ground for many of the bizarre stories. British physicians were advised to ignore amorous advances from patients after some were propositioned on Facebook, Dutch lawmakers were told off for tweeting in parliament and in Canada an MP had to apologize for insulting a rival on Twitter. In New York, five "restroom ambassadors" got jobs tweeting from the toilets at Times Square: greeting tourists and shoppers -- and then sending short dispatches on their encounters. Britain's High Court ordered its first injunction via Twitter to stop an anonymous Tweeter impersonating someone else. The U.N.'s World Food Program sent text messages to Iraqi refugees in Syria so they could redeem the virtual vouchers for fresh food in local shops. A U.S. survey found that one in five drivers read or sent text messages from behind the wheel. "The new technologies that help us multi-task in our everyday lives and increasingly popular social media sites present a hard-to-resist challenge," said U.S. motor club head Robert Darbelnet -- a fitting description for the whole year. FUNERAL HOME GOES GREEN Swine flu, or H1N1, presented another challenge -- and rich source of weird stories. In Egypt, thousands of pigs were slaughtered even though the United Nations said the mass cull was a "real mistake" because the strain was not found in pigs. Russian soccer fans were instructed to drink whisky on a trip to Wales for a World Cup qualifier match to ward off the H1N1 virus. In Japan, candidates stopped shaking hands. In Italy an inventor devised an electronic holy water dispenser. The spread of new media got people in trouble. Dutch muggers were caught with the help of a Google street view camera. A vain British burglar sent a picture of himself to his newspaper because the wanted criminal said he did not like the police mugshot. A picture of a student urinating on a British war memorial published in a newspaper led to his being charged. A German student thrown off a train for riding without a ticket got in trouble on his own. He stuck his backside against the window at railway staff but his trousers got caught in a train door. He nearly died mooning as he was dragged half-naked along the platform, out of the station and onto the tracks before the train stopped. In India, a mid-air scuffle broke out between pilots and crew of one flight. In the U.S., two Northwest pilots overflew their destination by 250 km (155 miles). They said they lost their bearings while using their personal laptops in the cockpit. A Saudi court sentenced a man to five years in jail and 1,000 lashes for boasting about his sexual exploits on TV. Australian horse racing officials were denounced for holding a dwarf racing competition. The race involved men charging down a course with dwarfs dressed in jockey silks riding piggyback. The Paris tourist board urged locals to do their part to battle a 17-percent plunge in visitors: Smile! S'il vous plait. In Norway happy cows proved to be more productive. Since new rules were introduced in 2004 allowing the cows to relax for up to half a day on soft rubberized mattresses, officials reported they are producing more milk and have fewer udder infections. An Irish school told children to bring their own toilet paper to help the school save money while Cuban officials said the country was facing a severe shortage of toilet paper. Climate change was another big theme in 2009. To save water and electricity in Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez urged people to stop singing in the shower. Those wishing to be cremated but worried about producing greenhouse gases even after dying learned about a funeral home in Florida that has come up with a greener way to go by dissolving the body using a chemical process. (Writing by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Paul Casciato) Technology Lifestyle Add a Comment More from Reuters Home prices flat after five months of gains NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. home prices were unchanged in October, according to the widely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller indexes released on Tuesday, indicating stabilization in the hard-hit housing sector though the figures dashed hopes for a sixth straight monthly increase. Consumer confidence at three-month high in December Employers see uptick in hiring in 2010 Wall Street little changed after consumer data | Video Pro-government rallies reported across Iran | Video Pilgrim's Pride bucks trend in classic turnaround » More Top News Taking a swipe at credit cards New legislation meant to protect consumers could be a "game changer" for the industry -- and not in a good way. Full Article Holiday spending perks up Video: Shoppers show holiday spirit Economy Placing their bets Two IPO filings will test investors' appetite for risk that they probably would've avoided in the past year. Full Article Hot sectors in a tepid recovery Video: IPOs to pick up in 2010? DEALS © Copyright 2009 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts.com Buyouts Europe: Buyouts Conferences: Venture Capital Journal ECVJ International Financing Review International Securitisation Report Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Tuesday, 29 December 2009
White House opposes new Jerusalem-area construction
Ukraine wants to change Russia oil transit deal
Qaeda wing says behind attack on U.S. plane: website |
Consumer groups try to block Google purchase of AdMob
European stocks climb after Asian gains
'Ten Afghan civilians killed' in military operations
Netanyahu wants Israeli force on Palestinian border
Japanese researcher unveils 'hummingbird robot'
Opposition party rejects PM Netanyahu's unity bid
England's Cook defies South African bowlers
Chavez says Obama illusion over |
Swiss watchdog to examine Orange/Sunrise deal
Yemen says Somali pirates seize Yemeni cargo ship |
Israeli building plan prompts U.S. criticism |
Palestinians condemn planned Jerusalem settler homes
Activists blocked from planned march to support Gaza |
Three Saudis killed by gunmen in Niger |
Missing US missionary devoted to NKorea's plight
Advocacy groups urge FTC to bar Google-AdMob deal |
Suicide attack on Pakistani Shiites kills 30
AT&T site not selling iPhone to NYC residents |
Al-Qaida in Yemen claims attack on US airliner
Thai troops deport 4,000 Hmong to Laos
Times Square shredders offer good riddance to 2009
Bomb at Shi'ite procession in Pakistan kills 25
Court hearing in airline attack postponed to Jan.
Alfa Romeo wins Sydney to Hobart yacht race
AP NewsAlert
Homeless man charged with stealing, crashing plane
Controlled explosions topple aging NY-VT bridge
Pakistan bombing kills 25 at Shiite procession
Thailand deports Hmong to Laos despite protests
Mass. fires: Set by thrill-seekers or villain?
ADGAS formalises $1bn deal with Hyundai Heavy Ind.
Nelly offers reward in burglary of his home
Tyra Banks bringing end to TV talk show |
Netanyahu to Egypt to discuss peace, prisoner swap
Russian oil transit through Ukraine to continue
AT&T site not selling iPhone to NYC residents
Better pay boosts morale in Afghan army
Iran holds bodies of slain protesters
Putin says U.S. missile shield hinders nuclear deal |
Weakened at home, Spain's Zapatero eyes EU spotlight
Obama: 'We will not rest' until air terror plotters caught
Ukraine wants change in Russia oil transit deal: officials
Somali pirates release Singaporean container ship |
Iran cracks down on dissidents after deadly protests
Moscow approves direct flights from Tbilisi: ministry
Israeli building plan prompts U.S. criticism
City surveys bomb damage, Pakistan police on patrol |
Activists blocked from planned march to support Gaza
Spain's new-car subsidies 'to expire in mid-2010'
North Korea says U.S. man arrested for illegal entry |
China executes Briton over drugs; Brown slams decision |
Pot-stuffed teddy bear found at Calif. toy store
Standoff over US base closure sours US-Japan ties
CAPITAL CULTURE: Big first year leaves Obama tired
China confirms Briton's execution, despite UK plea
Bristol Palin seeks full custody of baby
47 Sri Lankan leave for Australia, Romania
RC2 Corp. to pay $1.25 million for lead in toys
Suicide attack on Pakistani Shiites kills 33
SKorean government to pardon ex-Samsung chairman
Israel PM in Cairo for talks on peace process
North Korea: American detained after illegal entry
Sarah Palin's daughter seeks full custody of baby
Thai troops deport 4,000 Hmong to Laos
US calling friends, allies on Iran sanctions
US vows to hunt extremists, Al-Qaeda claims jet attack
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
China executes British national despite pleas
Airport security tests patience
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 860
AP NewsAlert
Seoul shares shed 0.8 pct; Kumho issues tumble
Google faces China lawsuit over book scanning
Pakistan receives $1.2 bln payment from IMF
South Korea to pardon former Samsung chairman
Chinese auditor says $34.4 billion misused
Japan's finance minister hospitalized
PAKISTAN
Nufarm ends Sinochem talks, deals with Sumitomo
Seoul shares slip weighed by telcos, banks
Vampires rule, Transformers divides movie fans |
Seoul shares open lower, weighed by banks, telcos
Charlie Sheen's wife claims knife threat in assault |
Drummer for Avenged Sevenfold found dead at home
Singer Van Morrison a father again, at 64 |
India's transsexuals try Internet dating
Grand past but uncertain future for Malaysia's Carcosa
Mayan glyphs detail priest's life, blood sacrifices
Singer Boyle brings act to Japan
Susan Boyle in Japan for NYE music gala
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Singer Van Morrison a father again, at 64
Argentina hosts first gay marriage in Latin America
`Avatar' trumps new releases in its second weekend
After foiled US plane attack, scanners revisited
Afghan civilian casualties up 10%: UN
London, Frankfurt stock markets hit 2009 peaks
Facebook, Twitter top list of weird stories in 2009
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Pro-government rallies reported across Iran |
Iraq inks oil deal with Lukoil
Putin accuses Ukraine of 'abuse' over oil transit
Officials: Gunmen kill 5 Sunni Awakening members
WHO chief says too early to declare flu victory
Afghan parliament vote must be held on time: palace |
'Hydra-headed' leadership takes over EU
Nobel laureate Ebadi says Iran arrested her sister
China executes British national despite pleas
Page Not Found |
Israeli warplanes fly over Lebanon, draw army fire |
Guinea releases soldiers arrested in 2008 coup |
Microsoft pegs China search market as top priority |
Facebook, Twitter top list of weird stories in 2009 |
China sentences 2 men to death in gang crackdown
Thousands mourn Pakistan bomb victims
Detroit scare sparks debate on full-body scanners |
2nd Mass. city investigates suspected arsons
Japan sets up year-end homeless shelter
Mass. man settles wrongful conviction suit
Phone points illegal border crossers to water
China drops hepatitis B check for school, work
U.S. missile shield holding up nuclear deal -Putin
Officials probe Miss. apartment fire that killed 9
Obama orders review of airline safety procedures
N.Korea says it detained American for illegal entry
Hawaii teachers OK deal to reduce furlough days
Australians urged to flee 'house-high' wildfires
Russia needs new arms to counter US shield: Putin
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Death toll from Karachi bombing reaches 43
Taiwan to restore partial ban on US beef
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S.Korea LG, Hyundai win $1.48 bln Turkmen gas plant
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China says billions missing from public funds
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