People take part in the annual World Conker Championships, near Oundle, Northamptonshire (@ Emma Wood/Photolibrary)

People take part in the annual World Conker Championships, near Oundle, Northamptonshire (@ Emma Wood/Photolibrary)

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• Get ready for a smashing time near Oundle, Northamptonshire today.""The World Conker Championships are taking place
• The competition was first held in 1965 by a group whose plans to go fishing were scuppered by poor weather.""It\s now a ‘whacky\ annual event, as these pics show.
• Don\t be fooled: all but one of these ‘nuts\ are not nuts at all – can you guess which one?""Horse chestnut, pistachio, cashew, pecan, pine nuts
• Conkers is a cracking game to play in the playground but as you get older you might want to raise the stakes a little.""Let\s see how the boys from Top Gear would do it…

Dubrovnik, Croatia (@ SIME / eStock Photo)

Dubrovnik, Croatia (@ SIME / eStock Photo)

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• Just 20 years ago this pristine piazza was under siege in a three-month bombardment.""It has now been fully restored to reclaim its title as the Pearl of the Adriatic
• In the 15th and 16th centuries these streets were filled with wealthy merchants and traders in a city that rivaled Venice.""Find out more about the Republic of Ragusa
• Although not a big city, with only around 44,000 residents, it swells to take in more than a million tourists every year!""It\s not hard to see why
• This region\s dandy fashion accessory is named after a corruption of the native name for the country, Hrvat.""Can you guess what it is?

Pink dragon fruit (@ Asia Images Group/Photolibrary)

Pink dragon fruit (@ Asia Images Group/Photolibrary)

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• They may look hard and spikey on the outside but these fruits are deliciously soft and squishy underneath.""See more pictures
• Although exotic fruits are becoming easier to find in the shops, they don\t half cost a pretty penny.""Why not try growing your own?
• If you fancy yourself as a dragon slayer then you\re going to have to know what to do with it when you\ve finished the job.""How about making it into a tasty pudding?
• Although native to central America, most of these fruits now come from a cactus that grows in the far corners of Asia.""And they\re not the only dragons you\re likely to see there…

Chameleons (@ Exactostock/SuperStock)

Chameleons (@ Exactostock/SuperStock)

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• The name of these animals comes from Ancient Greek meaning ‘ground lion\.""Find out more about these colourful creatures
• These are formidable predators - with tongues longer than their body which can flick out in the blink of an eye.""You\ll be tongue-tied after seeing it in action
• It is believed these animals originated on an island where most of the creatures are endemic to it.""See more pictures of this unusual place
• Chameleons famously change colour but it is actually for social signalling rather than camouflage.""Here\s another signal they give that is a lot more human

International Space Station over the Pacific Ocean (@ StockTrek/White/Photolibrary)

International Space Station over the Pacific Ocean (@ StockTrek/White/Photolibrary)

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• On this day in 1957 the first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into orbit.""That\s why we\re celebrating World Space Week
• This extraordinary image is of a space station that has been continually inhabited for more than 10 years.""Where is this mobile home that travels at nearly 28,000kph?
• If the thought of drifting off to sleep takes your fancy, it takes a whole new meaning up here.""See what life is like on a space station
• How do you suppose we could be catching a lift up here in the future?""There is a literal option…

The raw materials traditionally used by Peruvian Indians to dye wool in subtle colours (@ Nigel Pavitt/Aurora Photos)

The raw materials traditionally used by Peruvian Indians to dye wool in subtle colours (@ Nigel Pavitt/Aurora Photos)

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• This wool is being dyed by using natural ingredients to give its delicate hue.""See the colourful clothes they will one day turn into
• This soft and luxurious wool has been spun by the locals here for thousands of years.""What creature does it come from?
• If you can understand what k2tog tbl or sk2p means then no doubt you\ll be enjoying the next few days.""It\s National Knitting Week
• If your collection of knitwear goes only as far as the jumper your grandma made you for Christmas, maybe it\s time to try your hand at it.""Here are a few tips to get you started

An illuminated Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China (@ Christian Kober/Corbis)

An illuminated Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China (@ Christian Kober/Corbis)

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• There are three performance halls in this glass and titanium building known locally as The Egg.""What is it?
• This spectacle lies in the heart of the city with other amazing sites such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.""Find out where it is
• This futuristic city has been around for nearly 3,000 years but there is a resident who is even older.""He\s believed to be more than 700,000 years old!
• Want to know what the folk get up to inside this big golden egg?""Here\s a tasty sample