Anger at suicide of US Internet activist
Angry activists poured scorn on prosecutors Sunday for leading an overzealous campaign against Internet freedom fighter Aaron Swartz, with his family suggesting it contributed to his suicide.
As Australia bushfires rage, warning of more heatwaves
Firefighters were battling scores of wildfires raging in Australia Saturday, as a government commission warned that climate change had raised the risk of scorching heatwaves becoming more frequent.
13 January 2013
French unions, employers agree changes to labour laws
French President Francois Hollande led a chorus of approval after unions and employers reached a deal on reforms to the country's complex labour laws after more than three months of talks.
12 January 2013
Myanmar gets steamed up by sex education magazine
With its glossy pages of pouting models and racy romance tips, Myanmar's first sex education magazine has got the usually demure nation hot under the collar as it explores new-found cultural freedom.
12 January 2013
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.
12 January 2013
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.
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).
11 January 2013
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.
11 January 2013
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.
11 January 2013
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.
11 January 2013
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.
10 January 2013
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.
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.