Stories in English

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A photo of a prize winner holding an over-sized check that promised $5,000 for life

They promised $5,000 a week for life—then declared bankruptcy

November 10, 2025:

Publishers Clearing House made its name by offering magazine subscriptions through the mail—along with the chance to win big prizes. The lure of big winnings helped the company sell millions of subscriptions. Some winners received $5,000 a week for life. But the company recently declared bankruptcy, and the "lifetime" payments stopped.

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Taormina, a town in Sicily, where Season 2 was filmed — 815

Solomonn Levi; CC BY-SA 4.0; via Wikimedia Commons

Four Seasons hotels are the co-stars of “The White Lotus” TV series

November 6, 2025

The White Lotus may be fictional, but the luxury hotels in the show are real—and they’re getting a lot more attention. All three seasons of the HBO hit show "The White Lotus" were filmed at Four Seasons resorts. It all started with a risky bet during the pandemic, but now the hotel chain is finally embracing its onscreen fame.

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Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez; CC0; via Wikimedia Commons

Louvre robbery: How the brazen daylight robbery went down

November 3, 2025

On a Sunday morning in October, four thieves disguised as construction workers used a ladder truck and power tools to break into the Louvre museum. In just seven minutes, they smashed display cases and escaped with eight priceless pieces of French crown jewelry, including emeralds, sapphires, and pearls once worn by empresses.

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The River Liffey runs through the center of Dublin — 539

Dublin: Explore music, literature, and (obviously) drinks in Ireland’s capital city

October 30, 2025

Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, is a great place to explore the best of Irish culture: the music, the drinks, and the literature. While you're there, you can also explore the Irish Emigration Museum, cross the Ha'Penny bridge, and fill up with a full Irish breakfast. Plus, learn the English expression "plan ahead."

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A selection of popular Stories from our archives

Everyone in South Korea will take a year or two off their ages this year

July 20, 2023

South Korea scraps its unique age and everyone gets a year or two younger

New 'age' brings the country into alignment with how other countries calculate age

South Korean pop culture is spreading around the globe.

May 21, 2020

A wave of Korean culture is crashing over the world—and it’s amazing

From pop music to cosmetics (and now sports) Korean culture is everywhere

A view of a Japanese pagoda with mountains in the distance on a clear day

January 23, 2020

Family comes first: Japan to restore traditional family-name-first convention

Japan originally put the given name first as a way to integrate with Western cultures

May 28, 2018

Chinese pilot hailed as a hero after windshield blows out mid-air

Emergency at 32,000 feet

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Electric vehicle sound requirement — 498

Governments are requiring electric cars to make more noise for safety

October 26, 2025

Electric vehicles are eerily quiet, which is causing safety problems for pedestrians and cyclists

A close up of trash bags on the streets of New York — 813

Update story: New York takes out the trash; Parisians swim; BTS is back; and more

October 23, 2025

Plus: a Birkin bag sells for a record and Ethiopia opens a controversial dam

A close up of one façade of the Sagrada Familia in summertime — 812

A century after Gaudí’s death, the Sagrada Familia nears completion

October 20, 2025

Basilica's central tower nears completion and will soon be world's tallest church

Merchandise with the slogan 'Keep calm and carry on' and variations — 811

GrindtXX at English Wikipedia; CC BY-SA 3.0; via Wikimedia Commons

How ‘Keep calm and carry on’ became a famous cultural slogan

October 16, 2025

A forgotten wartime poster finds a new life in the age of internet memes

Sycophancy, or why your AI chatbot always thinks you’re brilliant

October 13, 2025

Archaeologists uncover new details from the ruins of Pompeii

October 9, 2025

More schools are banning cell phone use (and teachers love it)

October 6, 2025

Water bottles (yes) are the new status symbol

October 2, 2025

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are dominating tennis (and they’re just getting started)

September 29, 2025

Canada taps maple syrup reserves to prevent global shortage

September 24, 2025

How stolen vehicles go from suburban driveways to the streets of West Africa

September 18, 2025

A global black market for stolen cars is targeting suburban driveways

September 15, 2025

Women are slowly breaking into the ranks of men’s sports officials

September 11, 2025

Sicily could get world’s longest suspension bridge by 2033

September 8, 2025

The rise of baggy clothing in a post-pandemic world

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How a Coldplay concert moment became a viral scandal

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