$1mn Picasso yours for just $135Still stumped for a Christmas present? Then what about an exquisite $1 million Picasso for the living room, yours for just $135 at an online charity raffle.
04 December 2013
Cartier the 'King of Jewellers' shines in Paris expoFrom the royal diadem worn by Kate Middleton at her wedding to an outsized maharaja's necklace, hundreds of glimmering treasures go on show this week in a major Paris exhibit on Cartier.
04 December 2013
France to allow armed guards on ships to ward off pirates: PMFrance will authorise the deployment of armed guards on ships as part of anti-piracy measures, a move long sought by shipping companies, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview published Tuesday.
04 December 2013
Bike-friendly Copenhagen faces cyclist backlashIn one of the world's best cities for bicycles, Copenhagen cyclists are earning a reputation for recklessness and arrogance, prompting calls for politicians to back-pedal on plans to further boost bike traffic.
03 December 2013
Football: Spanish clubs fined for TV rights breachSpanish financial regulators on Monday fined four football clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as a big television producer millions of euros for allegedly breaking the rules on the sale of television rights.
03 December 2013
Bob Dylan charged in France over Croat comments: sourceBob Dylan has been charged with insulting behaviour and incitement to hatred in France after a Croat group filed a complaint about an interview he gave to Rolling Stone magazine.
03 December 2013
Almaty native among richest men of SwitzerlandVasili Anisimov, 62, an Almaty-born Russian billionaire, made it into the 300 Plus Richies list according to Swiss economy magazine Bilan.
03 December 2013
Suspected French cannibal served in Afghanistan: armyA suspected cannibal who killed a 90-year-old man in southern France apparently to eat his heart and tongue was a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, an army source said on Monday.
30 November 2013
French MPs vote to penalise sex workers' clientsFrench lawmakers on Saturday adopted a highly controversial provision in a bill that punishes clients of prostitutes amid fierce argument that the new measure will be counterproductive.
30 November 2013
Is EU's eastern Europe policy in tatters after Russia row?Though the European Union appears to have lost to Russia in the first round of an East-West tussle over winning friends and influence in eastern Europe, some analysts would disagree.
Scottish police helicopter pub crash causes numerous casualtiesA police helicopter smashed through the roof of a crowded pub in the Scottish city of Glasgow, causing numerous casualties including probable deaths and leaving several people trapped in the rubble, officials said Saturday.
30 November 2013
Crisis what crisis? Portugal's richest get richerPortugal may be mired in a debt crisis, but its 25 richest people got 16 percent wealthier in 2013, with fortunes equivalent to nearly 10 percent of the country's GDP, rankings published Thursday showed.
29 November 2013
Japan 'human zoo' defamed indigenous Taiwanese: courtA Japanese court has ordered public broadcaster NHK to pay $10,000 in damages to an indigenous Taiwanese woman for defaming her by using the term "human zoo" in a programme, officials said Friday.
29 November 2013
Belgium close to agreeing euthanasia for childrenEleven years after making euthanasia legal for adults, Belgium came a step closer to extending mercy-killing to terminally-ill children Wednesday after an intense public debate on the ethical issues at stake.
29 November 2013
Fireworks at world's tallest tower as Dubai wins Expo 2020Dubai beat off opposition from Brazil, Russia and Turkey on Wednesday to win the right to host the 2020 World Expo, sparking celebrations in the Gulf city and a stunning fireworks display at the world's tallest building.
29 November 2013
Hollywood film-shoots boost struggling Spanish islandsBarefoot young men in ragged clothes disembark from a 19th century-style whaling ship bobbing in the bay off the Spanish island of Gomera. Despite their shipwrecked appearance, they are here on business.
28 November 2013
UN women's rights resolution passed despite backlashA UN General Assembly committee has agreed a landmark first resolution on women's rights defenders such as Malala Yousafzai, despite a hard fought campaign by an alliance including the Vatican to weaken the measure.
28 November 2013
Croatia gays say marriage referendum major setbackAfter six years together, Hana and Iva both decided they had met "the one" -- but the Croatian couple's dream of getting married and having children risks being derailed by a referendum to outlaw same-sex marriage.
28 November 2013
Summit to spotlight EU-Russia row over Soviet-era statesAn EU summit designed to draw six ex-Soviet states to the West opens with its ambitions dented Thursday after Ukraine, the biggest of the six, caved into Moscow to hand Europe a mighty "Nyet".