Frozen sauerkraut causes German motorway chaos (Reuters)
Reuters - Piles of sauerkraut tumbled out of a truck on a busy German motorway and quickly froze to the autobahn surface, causing a massive traffic jam near Frankfurt during Tuesday's morning rush hour, police said.

Mum tells Westwood to say sorry for swearing (Reuters)
Reuters - Lee Westwood was forced to apologize after his mum caught him swearing on live television at last week's Qatar Masters, the world number three said on Tuesday.

German police use Facebook pictures to nab crooks (Reuters)
Reuters - Police in the German state of Lower-Saxony will soon use their networks of Facebook "friends" to find missing persons and hunt out suspected criminals, according to the state's interior minister.

South African man escapes zombies but not police (Reuters)
Reuters - South African police have arrested a suspected fraudster for impersonating the award-winning traditional singer Khulekani Kwakhe "Mgqumeni" Khumalo, who died in 2009.

Anfield cat becomes Internet hit (Reuters)
Reuters - A cat that invaded the famous Anfield turf for three minutes during Liverpool's 0-0 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday has become an internet celebrity.

Indonesia pilot grounded in pre-takeoff crystal meth check (Reuters)
Reuters - Lion Air's slogan "We make you fly" came a bit too close to home this weekend when one of the Indonesian airline's pilots tested positive for crystal meth after being arrested just hours before he was due to take off.

Mustache film festival to be held in Maine (Reuters)
Reuters - Move over, Cannes. Maine will be playing host to its first-ever international mustache film festival, part of its annual pageant that celebrates the bristly facial hair.

Aww, man! Bart Simpson joins Barbie in Iran ban (Reuters)
Reuters - The Simpsons are corroding the morals of Iranian youth, an official said on Monday, as dolls based on Bart, Homer and the rest of the American cartoon family joined the shapely Barbie among Western toys targeted by a new crackdown in Tehran.

Toledo hot dog chain made famous on "M*A*S*H" sold (Reuters)
Reuters - A troubled Ohio hot dog restaurant chain made famous in the TV series "M*A*S*H" has been sold after months of legal wrangling, allowing descendants of the eponymous Tony Packo's to keep running Cpl. Klinger's favorite frankfurter place.

Germany hunts out deer calling champion (Reuters)
Reuters - Hunting enthusiasts grunted, bawled and bellowed in the battle to be named Germany's champion deer caller.

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.