AFP Video - Lifestyle & Leisure

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Nicknamed "spiders" for their gravity-defying skills in web-like constructions, Hong Kong's bamboo scaffolders have risen above predictions that their trade would disappear. They remain a common sight high above the streets of the city, scaling the sides of towering, ultra-modern steel and glass buildings on traditional bamboo poles linked through ancient design concepts. Duration: 02:14

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Truffles have long been a gastronomic object of desire. But the white truffles found in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy are the most sought after species by far. During the four month season, thousands of hunters go in search of the edible fungi, which can fetch staggering sums at auction.

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Baghdad's Al-Zawraa zoo is enjoying a baby boom particularly among its big cats. Recently, Siberian tigers gave birth to twins and Bengal tigers have also produced a cub. Swelling numbers among its residents is also reflected in the expanding number of visitors. It's a rebirth for a zoo which was in dire straits back in the dark days of 2003.

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In Rio de Janeiro, the physically disabled get a chance to do something that might seem out of reach for many: surf lessons, courtesy of three friends who started a nonprofit that uses the ¿adaptsurf¿ method to get handicapped men and women out on the waves. 

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Bangkok's so-called "bodysnatchers" race through traffic at breakneck speed. The volunteers collect victims of accidents and take them to hospitals -- for a fee. Duration: 02:02

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The Swedish island of Gotland has discovered huge reserves of Burgundy truffles whose quality matches the best of what France has to offer. Swedish chefs already prefer the local variety, even though it's more expensive. AFP goes foraging for delicacies in the newfound truffle trove.

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How would you pair French wine with braised abalone? A year after Hong Kong scrapped a 40 percent tax on wine, sales are booming, and the territory is positioning itself as the wine capital of Asia. Duration : 01:56

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Carrying around a dash of eloquence and a well-groomed moustache, cheese-maker Bernard Mure Ravaud has won several prices and, over 25 years, his cheese-shop in the French Alps city of Grenoble has proved a hit. Duration: 01:54

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A surf culture is beginning to develop on China's tropical island of Hainan as both middle-class and counter-culture hippie types learn to ride the waves. Surf operators, including foreign veterans of the sport, are popping up to service this new clientele, and this coming weekend, Hainan will host China's only surfing competition -- the Hainan Open. Duration: 02:03.

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Pink swimming costumes and gold cocktail dresses were the order of the day at Miss International Queen 2009 in Thailand. Transsexual contestants from across the globe locked stilettos in the battle to be fairest of them all. Duration: 01:56

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Noisy crowds, long queues, and traffic jams plunged McDonald's restaurants in Iceland into a state of siege Saturday, as the chain served its final burgers on the island. Icelanders flooded the three branches of the US fast-food restaurant in Reykjavik several hours before the outlets shut for the last time, forced to close after the island's economic collapse caused running costs to soar. Duration: 00:53

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The cafe has been a quintessential part of French life for centuries. It's where writers like existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre held court. But times are changing and this tradition is losing ground as discontent brews among its once loyal customers. Duration: 01:55.

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The live fish facing death in the glass tanks in Hong Kong's famous seafood restaurants tell a strange tale of a looming global tragedy. At the heart of their story is the bizarre fact that there are more fine fish swimming in the tiny tanks than there are in the surrounding sea.

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Diners are flocking to a popular restaurant in Italy -- but the eatery is inside a high-security prison and the waiters are criminals. Once a month, about 100 people sample fine cuisine in Volterra jail in Tuscany. Under the watchful eye of professional chefs from outside, the inmates prepare and serve gourmet dishes. Profits from the venture go to charity. Duration: 01:26

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The life story of a woman who adopted 46 children and had 4 of her own, has been made into a movie that will be screened at the United Nations at the end of this year. Flordelis, a 48-year-old woman who herself grew up in the favelas, is a savior to children abandoned in some of Rio’s poorest neighborhoods. Duration: 01:37