Missing the office? Have the sounds of the workplace in your home
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Help is at hand for office workers who are feeling lonely as they work from home during the coronavirus pandemic: websites and apps offering the recorded sounds of busy offices. So if you are missing the sound of keyboards, photocopiers and background chat, then head to soundofcolleagues.com or YouTube.
Israeli jeweller produces $1.5m face mask
An Israeli jeweller is working on what he hopes will be the world’s most expensive coronavirus mask - a gold, diamond-encrusted face covering with a price tag of $1.5m. Designer Isaac Levy says the 18-carat white gold mask will be decorated with 3,600 white and black diamonds and fitted with top-rated N99 filters at the request of the buyer.
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New Zealand wizard to retire at 87
A New Zealand man is hanging up his pointed had after decades as his city’s official wizard. Since 1998, Ian Brackenbury has been paid $10,400 a year for “wizardry” in Christchurch. His successor is expected to be a 39-year-old man called Ari Freeman, who teaches guitar and fronts a psychedelic funk band.
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August 23 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include deficit dimness, steamroller-in-chief, and more
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5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge
Cartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
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Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
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Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
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The IDF's manpower problem
The Explainer Israeli military's shortage of up to 12,000 troops results in call-up for tens of thousands of reservists
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Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
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Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip
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An ancient Israeli cave teaches new archaeological lessons
The Explainer The cave is believed to be one of the world's oldest burial sites
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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Israeli NGOs have started referring to Gaza as a 'genocide' — will it matter?
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28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks