
-
South Korea's Ryu and Japan's Saigo share LPGA Chevron lead
-
Canada leaders make closing pitches in campaign upended by Trump
-
De Bruyne's Man City exit 'so difficult' for Guardiola
-
'No regrets' for Amorim over Man Utd move
-
Lyon and Strasbourg win to close in on Europe, Montpellier relegated from Ligue 1
-
Toulouse thrash Castres as Top 14 pursuers stumble
-
Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener, Swiatek advances
-
Olympic champs Russell, Davis-Woodhall win at Drake Relays
-
Browns end Sanders long draft slide
-
Cavs crush Heat, on brink of NBA playoff sweep
-
Fire rages after major blast at Iran port kills 8, injures hundreds
-
Kiwi Beamish wins Penn Relays 1,500m crown with late kick
-
Mbappe on Real Madrid bench for Clasico Copa del Rey final
-
England survive France fightback to seal Women's 6 Nations slam
-
Palace sweep past Villa to reach FA Cup final
-
CAF appoint Moroccan Lekjaa first vice-president
-
Major blast at Iran port kills 5, injures hundreds
-
Rodgers vows to stay with Celtic after fourth successive Scottish title
-
Ipswich relegated as Newcastle, Chelsea boost top five bids
-
Canada leaders make final pitches in campaign upended by Trump
-
Mullins -- Ireland's national training treasure
-
US, Iran say progress in 'positive' nuclear talks
-
Mullins emulates O'Brien with second successive trainer's title
-
Ipswich relegated after one season in Premier League
-
Just Stop Oil activist group holds final march
-
Djokovic crashes to nervous Arnaldi in Madrid opener
-
Syria's Kurds demand 'democratic decentralised' Syria
-
Leverkusen win to delay Bayern and Kane's title party
-
Buenos Aires farewells native pontiff with tears and calls to action
-
Turkey's opposition says Erdogan's canal plan behind latest arrests
-
Maresca hails 'nasty' Chelsea as top five bid stays alive
-
Trump raises Putin doubts after Zelensky talks at pope's funeral
-
Major blast at Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
-
Napoleon's sword to be sold at auction in Paris
-
Iran, US discuss nuclear deal in third round of talks
-
Buenos Aires farewells native pontiff with call to action
-
Warholm sets hurdles world record at Diamond League, Holloway shocked
-
US students 'race' sperm in reproductive health stunt
-
Wikileaks founder Assange joins crowds for pope funeral
-
Leader Marc Marquez claims Spanish MotoGP sprint victory
-
Celtic win fourth successive Scottish Premiership title
-
Jackson ends drought as Chelsea boost top five push
-
Warholm sets 300m hurdles world record in Diamond League opener
-
Major blast at south Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds
-
Russia says retook Kursk from Ukraine with North Korean help
-
Francis laid to rest as 400,000 mourn pope 'with an open heart'
-
Trump, Zelensky meet on sidelines of pope's funeral
-
'Shared loss': Filipino Catholics bid Pope Francis farewell
-
Families unable to reunite as India-Pakistan border slams shut
-
Major blast at south Iran port injures hundreds

Bosnian embraces 'Viking' lifestyle after binge-watching TV series
With his thick grey beard, plaited hair and an arsenal of medieval weapons, Bosnia's "first Viking" relaxes by hurling axes in the attic of his stone cottage.
Over the past five years, Stipe Pleic has undergone a steady transformation from builder to Nordic warrior in homage to the popular television show "Vikings".
The metamorphosis began after Pleic returned home to Tomislavgrad in southern Bosnia after years working on construction sites in Germany.
What started as binge watching evolved into an obsession with the show's protagonist Ragnar Lothbrok and the lives of the Nordic warriors, who launched raids across large swathes of Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries.
"I had a lot of free time because I live alone here. And then when I was watching the series I saw Ragnar's axe, I liked it and wanted to do the same," says the 57-year-old, who also works as a driver for the regional government.
Following in Ragnar's footsteps, he began making weapons by hand, decking the walls of his cottage with swords and shields, and dressing the part.
Wearing a tunic and matching trousers, the towering Pleic could easily pass for one of the show's main characters.
His workshop now resembles a movie set, complete with an axe-studded throne and fox fur armrests.
Blood-red shields coupled with Swedish and Norwegian flags hang alongside massive posters of series stars Travis Fimmel and Katheryn Winnick.
And in his garden, he has built a replica of a drakkar -- a flat-bottomed boat capable of crossing oceans -- which he occasionally sails on a nearby lake.
"My life has turned 180 degrees. My goals are different," Pleic says of his dramatic transformation, citing the harmony that comes with the Viking lifestyle.
He has even taken on a new persona -- Ragnar Kavurson -- a reference to both the name of his hometown during the Ottoman era and the word for "miscreant".
Over the years, he has made hundreds of axes, spears, bows, shields and pretty much anything else he spots on the TV show. Some projects take weeks of meticulous work to finish.
Most of his hand-crafted axes have been offered to friends or sold, with some pieces fetching up to 300 euros ($330).
"I put a bit of myself into each of these," Pleic explains, adding he also practices throwing axes every day, alone or with friends.
"It is also a discipline that is recommended by psychiatrists. It's very relaxing," he says.
In the future, he hopes to share his obsession with others by organising the first Bosnian axe-throwing championship and building an entire Viking village for tourists.
"I used to earn more money per day in Germany than I do now per month," he says. "But I wasn't happy. Now I am happy."
A.Rodriguezv--AMWN