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Geopolitics

Venice Submerged: 15 Incredible Flood Photos From The Lagoon City

Worldcrunch

Almost three quarters of central Venice was underwater Monday as severe weather and strong tides submerged the Floating City. However, nothing could put a damper on tourists' spirits, choosing to snub the gondolas for a dip in St. Mark's Square. Take a look at these 15 photos that show Venice as one of the most romantic cities on earth, whatever the weather:

@DreamOfVenice via Twitter

[rebelmouse-image 27085994 alt="""" original_size="612x612" expand=1]@loveTaza via Twitter


@instagram

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@loveTaza via Twitter


@DuyguGollu via Twitter


@ladyironchef via Instagram

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@russelldlight via Twitter


@crimion via Twitter


@Niebbo via Twitter


@francescaturchi via Twitter

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@enricoferro1 via Twitter

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@a_piccioni via Twitter

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@alex_maxwell via Twitter

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@travelitach via Twitter

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@a_piccioni via Twitter

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Society

Tales From A Blushing Nation: Exploring India's 'Issues' With Love And Sex

Why is it that this nation of a billion-plus has such problems with intimacy and romance?

Photo of Indian romance statues

Indian romance statues

Sreemanti Sengupta

KOLKATA — To a foreigner, India may seem to be a country obsessed with romance. What with the booming Bollywood film industry which tirelessly churns out tales of love and glory clothed in brilliant dance and action sequences, a history etched with ideal romantics like Laila-Majnu or the fact that the Taj Mahal has immortalised the love between king Shahjahan and queen Mumtaz.

It is difficult to fathom how this country with a billion-plus population routinely gets red in the face at the slightest hint or mention of sex.

It therefore may have come as a shock to many when the ‘couple-friendly’ hospitality brand OYO announced that they are “extremely humbled to share that we observed a record 90.57% increase in Valentine’s Day bookings across India.”

What does that say about India’s romantic culture?

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