Queen returns lost toy monkey to Australian girl

Sydney: A toy monkey accidentally left behind at Buckingham Palace by a five-year-old girl has returned home to Australia after enjoying royal treatment by palace staff and gaining a travelling companion — a toy corgi. Harriet, one of six toy monkeys from Woodside Kindergarten in Adelaide, was taken on holiday to Europe by Savannah Hart and her family when it was misplaced. Staff members from Woodside Kindergarten wrote to the Queen, asking her to search for the beloved monkey. The Palace responded that Harriet was in good care. Harriet soon arrived back in Australia with a new friend in tow — ‘Rex’ — a stuffed corgi from the palace gift shop. Reuters 

Paris tests new bubble-shaped water taxi

Paris: Paris is testing out a new form of travel: an eco-friendly bubble-shaped taxi that zips along the water up and down the Seine River. Organisers are holding test runs this week on the white, oval-shaped electric hydrofoil boats that resemble tiny space shuttles gliding past Paris monuments. They can fit four passengers, and if they get approved, can be ordered on an app like land taxis, shared bikes or other forms of transport. AP

First Lady gives White House a makeover

Washington: She’s done a lot with the place. Like anyone who has ever spruced up their home, Melania Trump will have a few new touches to showcase on Friday when guests visit the White House for only the second state dinner of the Trump presidency. There’s refreshed wall fabric in the Red Room, repurposed draperies in the Green Room and restored furniture in the Blue Room. PTI