June 27 - Every week, Reuters journalists produce scores of multimedia features and human-interest stories from around the world.
Below are some stories from this week selected by our editors, as well as explanatory context and background to help you understand world headlines. For a full schedule of news and events, please go to our editorial calendar on Reuters Connect.
Self-taught Cuban glass blower turns recycled glass into art
HAVANA - Cuban Eduardo Viciana taught himself to blow glass using the most basic of tools and raw materials, one of a handful of artisans to master the art on the Caribbean island nation. (CUBA-ART/GLASS (PIX, TV), 238 words)
Age is but a number for Euro 2024's oldest volunteer
LEIPZIG, Germany - Luka Modric is the tournament's oldest goalscorer and Cristiano Ronaldo has now played at six European Championships but neither can get even close to Euro 2024's oldest volunteer. (SOCCER-EURO/OLDEST VOLUNTEER (TV), 273 words)
6,101 pieces of history: Brazilian owns world's largest soccer shirt collection
SAO PAULO - Brazilian Cassio Brandao walks through rooms filled with clothes racks that in April made him a Guinness World Records title holder as the owner of the world's largest collection of soccer shirts. (SOCCER-COPA/JERSEY (PIX, TV), 338 words)
Historic tall ship to bring touch of Italy to foreign shores
ROME - The Amerigo Vespucci, which Italians call the world's most beautiful ship, is taking a taste of its homeland on a round-the-world tour, with temporary expositions at several stops showcasing Italian products and heritage, authorities said. (ITALY-VESPUCCI/ (PIX, TV), 350 words)
Greece opens ancient life artifacts' exhibition at Acropolis museum
ATHENS - Greece has opened to the public an exhibition of more than 1,100 artifacts, from statues and table games to children's toys, found in an ancient Athens neighborhood during excavations in the area of its modern Acropolis museum. (GREECE-ACROPOLIS/EXHIBITION (PIX), 304 words)
Kafka letter, in which he says he can no longer write, goes to auction
LONDON - A letter from Franz Kafka in which he tells a friend he can no longer write is being offered at auction 100 years after his death, with an estimate of up to $114,000. (AUCTION-FRANZ KAFKA/LETTER (TV, PIX), 337 words)
NBCUniversal's Paris Olympics coverage to include more pop culture, drama
NBCUniversal will modernize its coverage of the Paris Olympics by including more behind-the-scenes footage and discussion of pop culture, the media company said. (OLYMPICS-2024/NBCUNIVERSAL (UPDATE 1, PIX), 324 words)
Indonesian Muslim metal group braces for biggest stage yet
JAKARTA - With their Islamic headscarves and high-octane metal music, the women of the Indonesian band Voice of Baceprot have played stages from the United States to France. But they are nervous about this week - the trio will be the first Indonesians to play at the Glastonbury Festival. (MUSIC-GLASTONBURY/INDONESIA (TV, PIX), 483 words)
Simon Cowell looks for UK's next megastar boy band again
LONDON - Fourteen years after launching One Direction on "The X Factor," music mogul and television personality Simon Cowell is looking for the UK's next big boy band, embarking on a new project differing from the talent shows he is known for. (PEOPLE-SIMON COWELL/ (UPDATE 1, TV, PIX), 555 words)
Tencent's 'Dungeon & Fighter' game dominates China's mobile download charts
BEIJING - Tencent Holdings Ltd's newly launched "Dungeon & Fighter" has got off to a strong start, dominating top-grossing charts on Apple's iOS platform in China for nearly a month, industry data showed. (TENCENT-GAME/ (PIX), 488 words)
'Daddio' film eschews glitz for deep conversation between Sean Penn, Dakota Johnson
LOS ANGELES - Dakota Johnson knew two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn was exactly who she wanted to star in the film “Daddio” as the male lead, but at first, she was not sure how to make it happen. (FILM-DADDIO/ (TV), 333 words)
Chinese liquor makers endeavor to give Westerners a taste for baijiu
LONDON/SHANGHAI - Makers of the Chinese liquor baijiu are reformulating the fiery grain liquid to appeal to a wider client base, including cocktail drinkers in New York, Los Angeles and London, as sales at home slow. (CHINA-SPIRITS/BAIJIU-EXPANSION (FOCUS, PIX), 897 words)
EXPLANATORY CONTENT
TIMELINE-From Kennedy-Nixon to Biden-Trump: six decades of U.S. presidential debates
NEWSMAKER-Mark Rutte, dealmaker, Putin critic, and next NATO leader
(Compiled by Mark Porter and Patrick Enright)
