US bans bidis made by Indian tobacco company
US regulators on Friday banned four types of small cigarettes known as bidis made by an Indian company, marking the Food and Drug Administration's first-ever oversight action against a tobacco product.
23 February 2014 18:44
Reunited Korean families hold tearful final farewell
The joy of being reunited for the first time in decades turned to grief for North and South Korean families Saturday as a rare cross-border visit ended, with participants unlikely to ever see their relatives again.
23 February 2014 18:44
New Louis Vuitton designer is star of Paris fashion
Four months after Paris fashion bid farewell to Marc Jacobs, the man who transformed Louis Vuitton into a global style giant, all eyes will next week be on his successor.
23 February 2014 13:58
Bulgaria chokes on air pollution fuelled by poverty
The smokestacks of Kremikovtzi steel mill on Sofia's outskirts may have shut down years ago, but ancient cars ensure that Bulgaria's capital is still the most polluted in Europe.
International adoption: sick children are healthy?
Kazakhstani orphans are falsely diagnosed with heavy illnesses to be later adopted by foreigners while childless Kazakhstanis continue to wait for their chance of adoption.
Bhutan celebrates birthday of 'Dragon King'
The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan on Friday celebrated the birthday of its revered "Dragon King" in a swirl of colourful dances and traditional music.
21 February 2014 16:45
Indonesia announces world's biggest manta ray sanctuary
Indonesia on Friday became home to the world's biggest manta ray sanctuary covering millions of square kilometres, as it seeks to protect the huge winged fish and draw more tourists to the sprawling archipelago.
21 February 2014 16:08
Big brands parade but Milan fashion fest looks beyond
With big brands defending their dominance and the fashion press wary of taking a gamble, new designers sometimes struggled to be heard in Milan but Vogue Italia's editor told AFP that is all in the past.
21 February 2014 14:46
Study predicts Antarctic ice melting will endure
The melting of ice in the Antarctic is considered a top threat to global sea level rise, and scientists said Thursday the trend could continue for decades or even centuries to come.
21 February 2014 12:20
Florida man, 101, runs for Congress
A Florida great-great grandfather has launched a campaign to run for the US Congress in November, running on a record of 101 years of life experience.
21 February 2014 11:00
World's only captive leopard seal put down
The world's only captive leopard seal, which washed up in Sydney with a shark bite to his abdomen seven years ago, has been put down at an Australian zoo.
S. Koreans head for bittersweet family reunion in North
A group of 82 elderly, frail South Koreans, two of them in ambulances, left for the North Korean border Thursday to attend the first reunion in more than three years for families divided by the Korean War.
