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The Canadian Press

Last Updated: November 20 2009, 10:41 PM

Senator: Postal Service to allow volunteers in Alaska town to write 'Dear Santa' responses

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - North Pole elves have good reason to celebrate again, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Postal Service to resume a Santa Claus letter program that's thrilled children from around the world for decades.

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Last Updated: November 20 2009, 10:38 PM

Authorities say man who fastened lizards to chest caught at Los Angeles airport customs

LOS ANGELES - Federal officials say they arrested a man who strapped 15 live lizards to his chest to get through customs at Los Angeles International Airport.

Last Updated: November 20 2009, 7:46 PM

Overweight students at university in US told to take fitness class or risk diplomas

PHILADELPHIA - A university's requirement that overweight undergraduates take a fitness course to receive their degrees has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts.

A member of the media tours the Royal Ontario Museum`s latest addition, the Lee-Chin Crystal which will open this weekend, in Toronto, Thursday May 31, 2007. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld) CANADA

Last Updated: November 20 2009, 7:07 PM

Tourism website includes Toronto museum addition on ugly buildings list

TORONTO - A tourism website has put an addition to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on its second annual list of the "World's Top 10 Ugly Buildings."

Debbie Rijvers from The Netherlands is seen in front of a painting of a young girl with red hair during the "Redhead Day," in Breda, Netherlands, Sunday Sept. 7, 2008. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ Ermindo Armino)

Last Updated: November 20 2009, 5:41 PM

Hugs, not harassment: Facebook groups slam day of violence against redheads

TORONTO - Have no fear, redheads - it appears this Nov. 20, you were more likely to be hugged than harassed, consoled rather than kicked.

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The Canadian Press

In this image provided by Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza di Firenze shows a finger attributed to Galileo Galilei. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza di Firenze/ho)

Last Updated: November 20 2009, 4:12 PM

Florence museum: lost Galileo relics, a tooth and 2 of astronomer's fingers, found again

ROME - Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again, a Florence museum said Friday.

From the collection of Wall Street executive, William H. Gross, this 1851 Canadian 12 Pence denomination postage stamp, shown in this handout photo, sold for a record $260,000 (US) in a public auction conducted by Spink Shreves Galleries in New York City on Thursday, November 19, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Spink Shreves Galleries

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 11:09 PM

Canadian stamp sells for more than a quarter of a million at New York auction

NEW YORK - A 12 pence Canadian stamp more than a century old has sold for US$260,000 at a New York auction, the highest price ever paid for a single Canadian stamp.

Santa Claus, also known as Patrick Farmer, at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska Wednesday Nov. 18, 2009, holds letters from children sent this year that the U.S. Postal Service says they will no longer deliver. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Sam Harrel)

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 9:38 PM

Volunteers in US state strive to save Santa letter service after Postal Service puts it on ice

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A group of volunteer Santa Claus "elves" in Alaska's frigid interior is determined to save a popular holiday letter service featuring the North Pole's most beloved icon.

Doug Collins, who is reputed to have the most contagious laugh in the world, and Jennifer Philbrook, a Toronto laughercize instructor are shown in a handout photo. Vancouver may be priming for the 2010 Winter Games, but Toronto is about to be the site of a dry run for the World Laughter Games. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Elevator Films

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 5:49 PM

Dry run for World Laughter Games planned for Toronto on Saturday

MONTREAL - Ah, Vancouver. Basking in the glow of international attention as it prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Little does it know there is a move afoot in Toronto to shanghai its worldwide sports thunder.

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 3:29 PM

Anatomical art once owned by Ben Franklin go on display at Philadelphia hospital

PHILADELPHIA - Rare anatomical drawings that once belonged to Benjamin Franklin are on display in a new exhibit at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 5:42 AM

Moldovan army gives soldiers extra onions and garlic to fight swine flu after 24 fall sick

CHISINAU, Moldova - Moldova's army is feeding its soldiers onions and garlic to help them ward off swine flu.

A wild turkey walks across the toll booths at exit 14B of the New Jersey Turnpike in Jersey City, N.J., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2009. The turkey, who toll workers named Tammy, was caught Wednesday by New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists after spending about two months in the area. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mel Evans)

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 1:29 AM

Turkey that challenged US highway traffic and taunted toll collectors is captured

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - A wild turkey that has been running wild along the New Jersey Turnpike won't have to dodge Thanksgiving traffic.

Last Updated: November 19 2009, 12:42 AM

Police: In self-made videos, US teens steal Christmas presents

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - A suburban Philadelphia police chief says two teenagers are being held after officers arrested them and found video recordings they made of themselves burglarizing homes.

Charles, a male silverback gorilla, picks a piece of fruit from the "Nassir" station on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2009 at the Toronto Zoo in Toronto. The zoo set up piles of fruit at stations with five different name choices, deciding whichever fruit pile the dad ate from first would be the baby`s name. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Last Updated: November 18 2009, 10:30 PM

Toronto Zoo gorilla picks son's name by choosing one of five fruit piles

TORONTO - Charles the gorilla eyed a bank of cameras for a minute Wednesday morning before languidly reaching for a piece of fruit, unwittingly selecting his 2 1/2-month-old son's name.

Last Updated: November 18 2009, 7:08 PM

Gotta have faith: Woman leaves $40,000 at shrine for safekeeping, gets it back a week later

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - A woman quietly left $40,000 worth of rare U.S. coins near a Catholic shrine for safekeeping so the Virgin Mary could watch over her life savings while she was out of town, and apparently it worked: The money was returned to her when she got back a week later.