Hollande tackles Middle Eastern crises on Saudi visit
French President Francois Hollande and Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday held talks on escalating tensions in the Middle East, with a focus on Lebanon and Syria, during a visit also aimed at boosting commercial ties.
Greece eyes return to bond markets in 2nd half of 2014
Bailed-out Greece is hoping to return to bond markets in the second half of 2014 -- but only if growth and a primary budget surplus permits, its finance minister said Sunday.
Huge crowds hold Madrid mass after new abortion law
Tens of thousands of Roman Catholics joined in an open-air mass in central Madrid on Sunday to celebrate the Holy Family, just days after the Spanish government agreed to tighten the abortion law.
Top French court approves 75% company tax on high salaries
France's top court Sunday approved a proposal for companies to pay 75 percent tax on annual salaries exceeding one million euros in line with President Francois Hollande's drive to limit executive pay at a time of economic hardship.
'I'm not anti-Semite,' French footballer Anelka says amid row
French footballer Nicolas Anelka on Sunday strongly defended a controversial gesture he made during a weekend match, saying "I am neither anti-Semite nor racist", even as British football authorities mulled possible punishment.
Final amnestied foreign Greenpeace activist leaves Russia
The last of the 26 foreign Greenpeace activists who were detained after an Arctic protest flew out of Russia on Sunday, the group announced, finally ending a saga that had caused global concern.
Alma Shalabayeva and her daughter on their way to Italy
Alma Shalabayeva, the wife of Kazakhstan's fugitive banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, and her daughter Alua have left Kazakhstan for Italy.
Sherlock Holmes is free, US judge rules
The beloved British detective Sherlock Holmes is now free to be reimagined in the United States after a federal judge ruled that licensing fees are no longer required.
Golovkin loses to Stevens in Breakthrough HBO Fighter
To the disappointment of Gennady Golovkin’s fans, the Kazakh boxer has lost to Canadian Adonis Stevenson in the Breakthrough HBO Fighter.
German growers push into craft beer market with new hops
In a microbrewery in a trendy Berlin neighbourhood, Thorsten Schoppe, one of a wave of beer-makers using new German ingredients to create non-traditional brews, pours hop pellets into a copper vat.
Fireworks but no joy as Latvia joins eurozone
Fireworks will light up the skies above Riga when Latvia adopts the euro on January 1, but on the ground the feeling will be far from festive among those fearing the impact of the switch.
Britain to become Europe's biggest economy by 2030: report
Britain will surpass France and Germany to become Europe's biggest economy by 2030, according to a study released on Thursday.
Bolashak Scholarship to shift gears to Journalism and Cultural Studies together with BBC
In 2014 the scholarship is having two new categories - Media and Cultural Studies - that include journalism, cinematography, TV journalism and other similar majors.
Coloured tattoos escape ban in France
Tattoo artists in France, who were up in arms about a government ban on certain dyes, say the health ministry has reassured them they will be able to keep using coloured ink, attributing the uproar to a misunderstanding of thousands of pages of regulations.
Queen Elizabeth calls for 'quiet reflection' in 2014
Queen Elizabeth II urged people to take the time for quiet reflection in 2014, in her annual Christmas Day message to the Commonwealth.
Turkey PM reshuffles cabinet amid graft scandal
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan replaced nearly half his cabinet in a dramatic reshuffle after a spreading graft scandal forced the resignation of three top ministers.
Ralph Fiennes reveals other Dickens in 'Invisible Woman'
For his second film as director, British actor Ralph Fiennes lifts the cover on a little-known secret about classic English author Charles Dickens: his decade-long adulterous affair with a young actress.
Arctic protester vows to fight on after Russian case closed
A British Greenpeace protester Tuesday said he was "jubilant" after Russia closed the criminal case against him for staging a protest on an oil rig, and vowed to keep fighting for environmental issues.
Pope marks first Christmas as crowds flock to Bethlehem
Pope Francis held his first Christmas Eve mass in the Vatican on Tuesday by highlighting the role played by humble shepherds in the Nativity, as thousands flocked to the historic site of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem.