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Poland to Honor Wikipedia with Monument

A university professor says that a western Polish town is taking up his suggestion and will put up a monument to honor the authors of Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia which allows anyone to contribute.

Krzysztof Wojciechowski, director of the Collegium Polonicum in Slubice, said Thursday that he is in awe of the huge and reliable job done by Wikipedia, vastly popular in Poland. More than 1 million entries in Wikipedia are in Polish, rivaling the number in French or Spanish.

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No wings, but Maybe $10: Red Bull Settles False Ad Suit

A can of Red Bull won't give you wings, but those who bought the energy drink and were disappointed could end up with a few extra bucks, thanks to a class-action lawsuit.

According to the Morelli Alters Ratner law firm in New York, the Austrian drink maker recently agreed to pay $13 million to settle a false advertising complaint.

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IMF Chief Promises 'Belly-Dance' if U.S. Endorses Reforms

Frustrated with the U.S. Congress's refusal to vote through crucial reforms at the International Monetary Fund, IMF chief Christine Lagarde promised Thursday a show if they do -- a belly dance.

The reforms, which aim to strengthen financial resources of the global crisis lender and give more voting power to emerging economies like China, have been endorsed by all the world's economic powers but one.

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Father of Philosophy Comes under Forensic Scrutiny

After digging up the past of Joan of Arc, Richard the Lionheart and Napoleon Bonaparte, a top forensic sleuth on Friday unveiled a medical secret of Rene Descartes, a founder of modern philosophy.

A hi-tech scan of Descartes' skull revealed he had a massive bony growth in his right sinus, lodged near the bridge of his nose, French medical anthropologist Philippe Charlier reported in The Lancet.

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Putin's Rare Russian Tiger Emigrates to China

An endangered Siberian tiger released into the wild by Vladimir Putin has become Russia's latest export to China, after the beast wandered over the border in search of a meal, Chinese state-run media said Thursday.

The animal, named Kuzya, was among three Siberian tigers set free by the Russian president in May and crossed a river forming the border between the two countries, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

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Official Says Beer Bars are Too hot in Vietnam

A ministry official is proposing that the temperature in restaurants selling beer in Vietnam should not exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), a rule that will be hard to enforce considering outdoor beer parlors are hugely popular in the country's big cities.

Wednesday's Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Nguyen Phu Cuong, an official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade which was drafting the regulation, as saying the rule aims to "protect consumers."

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California Solar Tower that Can Kill Birds Dropped

A solar-energy company has dropped a proposal to build a 75-story tower in California that uses a new kind of technology that can cause some birds to ignite in midair.

The California Energy Commission was slated to vote on BrightSource Energy's project this month before the company withdrew its application.

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A New Vision for Hong Kong? Protest Site Becomes Traffic-Free Oasis

Pedestrianised streets, al fresco art, urban picnic zones and recycling points have become part of the landscape in central Hong Kong as a result of mass protests -- and some residents would like to keep it that way, regardless of their politics.

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Chinese Premier's Email Trail Goes Stale

A slick new English-language Chinese government website offering contact with Premier Li Keqiang appeared to have hit a snag on Thursday, with emails to the address failing to deliver.

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U.S. Appeals Court to Decide if Chimps 'Legal Persons'

A New York State appeals court on Wednesday heard arguments on whether chimpanzees held in captivity should be recognized as "legal persons" entitled to live in freedom.

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