Mexico City steps up dog neutering drive after killings
- Hundreds of Mexico City residents brought poodles, labradors and chihuahuas to mobile sterilization units Thursday as the city stepped up a campaign to reduce the number of street dogs after a string of deadly attacks.
Pollution turns Hong Kong harbour from 'fragrant' to foul
Hong Kong's name may mean "fragrant harbour", but cargo ships burning dirty fuel in what is one of the world's busiest ports add to a foul layer of pollution that kills more than 3,000 people a year.
Kazakhstan eagle that escaped from its British owner feels good in the wild
Kazakhstan golden eagle named Stan has flown away from its British owner and feels good in the wild.
Kazakhstan circus gymnasts won Golden Clown award in Netherlands
Astana circus artists demonstrated a 5-minute long event that impressed both the audience and the jury of the Enschede Circus Festival.
Red-dust sunset as west Australia braces for cyclone
Western Australians were bracing Friday for a cyclone with residents warned to batten down for storms and destructive winds gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour (90 mph).
Passengers amazed as Australian snake clings to plane
It was not quite a "Snakes on a Plane" scenario, but passengers on a Qantas jet watched in amazement as a three-metre (nine feet) python clung to the outside of their aircraft during a flight.
Marseille hopes for image makeover with culture year
Long plagued by a reputation for gang crime and lawlessness, France's port city of Marseille is hoping its year as the European Capital of Culture will finally give its image a makeover.
US National Cathedral opens doors to same-sex weddings
The Washington National Cathedral, a focal point of Christian worship in the United States, said Wednesday that, effective immediately, it will officiate same-sex weddings.
Japan to survey Pacific seabed for rare earth
Japan will launch a survey of its Pacific seabed, an official said Thursday, hoping to find rare earth deposits large enough to supply its high-tech industries and reduce its dependence on China.
Insulin breakthrough could see end to needles
Breakthrough Australian research mapping how insulin works at a molecular level could open the door to novel new diabetes treatments, ending daily needle jabs for millions.
Breeding season underway for famed Galapagos tortoises
Breeding season is underway for the endangered tortoises of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, whose mating and nesting habits are carefully watched by wildlife specialists hoping to save them from extinction.
Switch out of wood-burning stoves saves lives
Reducing the use of wood-burning stoves in an Australian city led to a sharp fall in deaths from respiratory diseases and heart failure.
US Congress less popular than cockroaches: poll
The little loved US Congress, fresh off its fiscal cliff budget crisis, is now less popular than cockroaches and lice, a survey released Tuesday found.
US trying to help families adopt Russian kids
Washington is trying to help hundreds of American families whose dreams of adopting a child from Russia are in limbo after the passage of a controversial Russian law.
House of one of the few open transsexuals in Kazakhstan burnt during New Year holidays
Ramil Khassanov from Almaty oblast famous for being the first Kazakhstan transsexual to openly talk about his sexual preferences in Kazakhstan TV show lost his home and property.
2012 warmest on record for US, had historic extremes
2012 marked the warmest year on record for the United States and was also the second most extreme ever, the US government agency charged with monitoring weather events said.
Pregnant Kate turns 31
Prince William's wife Catherine marks her 31st birthday on Wednesday, but her well-documented pregnancy is likely to make it a low-key celebration.
Syria's other struggle: balancing sharia and justice
In the heart of Syria's rebel territory, away from the blasts and bullets of the frontlines, another struggle is playing out: one for a new justice system that could shape the future face of the country should the regime fall.
World remembers Italy cruise tragedy one year on
A year on from the Costa Concordia tragedy in which 32 people lost their lives, the giant cruise ship still lies keeled over on an Italian island and its captain Francesco Schettino has become a global figure of mockery.