Last will and testament of Alfred Nobel, prize creator
Swedish inventor and scholar Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), who made a vast fortune from his invention of dynamite in 1866, ordered the creation of the Nobel prizes in his will.
04 October 2013
China's e-cigarette inventor fights for financial rewards
The Chinese inventor who dreamed up the electronic cigarette in a nicotine-induced vision says that despite its global popularity, copycat versions and legal disputes mean he has battled to cash in on his creation.
Belgrade bans Gay Pride parade again
Serbia on Friday banned Gay Pride for the third year running, saying the risk of allowing the parade to go ahead was too high.
28 September 2013
Myanmar's 'tallest man' undergoes successful surgery
Myanmar's tallest man -- "Big Zaw" -- has returned from Singapore where doctors said he underwent successful brain surgery to remove a tumour responsible for his excessive growth.
28 September 2013
Naked protest as Spanish king undergoes hip operation
Spain's King Juan Carlos underwent a hip-replacement operation Tuesday, his eighth operation in just three years, but this time with the spectacle of a naked protester outside his Madrid hospital.
Foreigners flock to New Zealand for gay marriage
More than 80 same-sex couples, including 24 from overseas, have said "I do" in New Zealand since a law legalising gay marriage took effect a month ago.
Japan's Murakami favourite for Nobel prize -- again
Japanese literary superstar Haruki Murakami is favourite for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature, betting odds showed Friday, after repeatedly being mentioned as a contender for the prestigious global gong.
'Italy is not racist,' Africa-born minister says
Italy's first black minister defended her adopted homeland Friday, insisting it is not racist even though she endured a series of racially-charged threats and taunts since assuming her post.
14 September 2013
Chile's top court acknowledges Pinochet-era failures
Chile's Supreme Court took for the first time Friday recognized its "omissions" during Augusto Pinochet's brutal 1973 to 1990 dictatorship, but it declined to apologize to victims and their relatives.