Venezuela candidates torched in Easter effigy Venezuela's two presidential candidates were burnt in effigy Sunday in an Easter tradition that replaces the biblical Judas Iscariot with disliked public figures.
Tens of thousands kick off Venice CarnivalSome 70,000 revellers, many wearing elaborate costumes and masks, thronged Venice's St Mark's Square on Sunday to watch the traditional "flight of the angel," a highlight of the annual Carnival.
04 February 2013
Australia to go to the polls on September 14: PM Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday broke with tradition and announced the nation would go to the polls on September 14, saying she wanted to give "shape and order" to the year.
31 January 2013
After tobacco, Turkey bans hookah in public places After banning smoking in public places, the Turkish government has gone one step further by clamping down on an ancient tradition -- the hookah, or water pipe.
28 January 2013
Lets's get small! Bolivians stage miniature festival Bolivia is throwing a little party. Literally. It's a yearly festival in which street vendors hawk everything miniature -- from houses to clothes to passports -- for small bills of fake money.
26 January 2013
Presidential inaugurations: a long, chilly US tradition The US presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition, but despite the warmth and affection offered an incoming leader, the quadrennial ceremony is often a bitterly cold affair.
16 January 2013
Thousands of Mexicans devour enormous king cakeTens of thousands of Mexicans wolfed down a 1.9-kilometer (1.2-mile) long king cake on Thursday, polishing it off in less than half-an-hour during the traditional feast in downtown Mexico City.
05 January 2013
Record 40,000 Dutch in New Year North Sea dip A record 40,000 people braved icy temperatures on the Netherlands's North Sea coast Tuesday to take a cold plunge, setting a new record for the traditional New Year's Day dip.
Millions across Philippines visit their dead Millions across the Philippines visited cemeteries Thursday to pay respects to their dead, in an annual tradition that combines Catholic religious rites with the country's penchant for festivity.
Thailand grapples with killer student gangs Sweat dripping from their foreheads as they complete a set of press-ups, students at a Thai army boot camp are momentary allies, but a spate of gang shootings suggests it is an uneasy peace.
09 September 2012
Indian Sikhs push 'turban pride' The evening turban-tying class in the Sikh-dominated Indian city of Amritsar is packed with pre-teen boys learning a centuries-old tradition -- that religious leaders fear is under threat.