'Digital eternity' beckons as death goes high-tech
Death is no longer the fusty business it once was: from swipeable bar codes on headstones to designer urns, webcam-based ceremonies and virtual memorials, funerals have shot into the 21st century.
Shark kills California surfer, second on same beach
A shark killed a surfer near Santa Barbara, California on Tuesday, officials said, nearly two years to the day after another rare but deadly attack off the same US beach.
Ex-US presidential candidate McGovern dies at 90
Former US senator George McGovern, a liberal icon who vowed to end the Vietnam War but lost a landslide presidential election to Richard Nixon in 1972, died early Sunday at the age of 90.
Evidence of mass murder after Kadhafi's death: HRW
New evidence implicating militias in executions after ousted Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi was captured and killed in Sirte last October 20 raises fresh questions over his death.
Cambodia's ex-king Norodom Sihanouk dies in Beijing
Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk, whose life mirrored the turbulent history of his nation where he remained a revered figure, died in Beijing on Monday at the age of 89.
Africa, South Asia lag in boost to global child health
The global mortality rate for young children has been nearly halved in the past two decades, but Africa and South Asia have not kept pace.
One million people commit suicide each year: WHO
One million people die by their own hand each year, accounting for more deaths than wars and murders put together, the World Health Organisation said Friday, calling for urgent action to address the problem.
Promoters voiced Jackson doubts before death: report
The promoters of Michael Jackson's ill-fated 2009 comeback concert series in London feared he was unstable, with one describing him as a "mess".
'Green Mile' actor Duncan dead at 54: reps
Michael Clarke Duncan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "The Green Mile," an adaptation of a Stephen King work, died Monday at age 54.
Unification Church founder Moon dies at 92
Sun Myung Moon, the self-styled messiah from South Korea who founded the controversial Unification Church and a business empire with interests spanning cars to sushi, died Monday at the age of 92.
15 years on, Diana remembered in London
Dozens of bouquets of flowers, posters and cards were left at the gates of Kensington Palace on Friday as Princess Diana was remembered on the 15th anniversary of her death.
Diana's death 'shaped British royals of today'
Princess Diana's death 15 years ago this week made the British monarchy more attuned to their own image and changed forever the way the young royals behave to their subjects, royal watchers say.
Two Tibetans self-immolate in China: groups
Two Tibetan men have died after setting fire to themselves in China, a US broadcaster and two overseas pressure groups said Tuesday, taking the number of such protests to more than 50 since 2009.
Rebels killed at least 24 South Sudan soldiers: officials
Rebels in South Sudan's Jonglei state have killed at least 24 soldiers, with several others missing or wounded, in the latest outbreak of violence in the troubled region, officials said Sunday.
S.Africa platinum mine reopens after deadly clashes: Lonmin
Embattled platinum giant Lonmin resumed operations Monday at the South African mine where 44 people were killed in a wildcat strike, and gave workers another day to come back to the job.
'Top Gun' director Tony Scott jumps to his death
Prominent Hollywood film director Tony Scott, whose signature works included "Top Gun," jumped to his death from a bridge in San Pedro, California.
Severed head, foot found in Canada
Canadian police found Thursday the head from what is believed to be a woman's dismembered body in eastern Ontario province near Toronto, after retrieving a severed foot from the same river.
Cosmo editor Helen Gurley Brown dies at 90
Helen Gurley Brown, the saucy Cosmopolitan editor who delivered thousands of sex tips to single women and more than a few curious men, died Monday. She was 90.
7 corpses discovered in forest near Almaty
7 corpses have been discovered in Ile-Alatau national park near Almaty. Some of them show signs of violent death.
Hollywood, Broadway composer Hamlisch dead at 68
Marvin Hamlisch, the composer behind a string of Broadway and Hollywood hits including "A Chorus Line," "The Way We Were" and "The Sting," has died.