Afghanistan signs satellite deal to boost booming media
Afghanistan started using its first ever satellite on Saturday in a bid to boost its national broadcasting and telecommunications infrastructure as well as its international connectivity.
Samsung chief has emergency heart operation
The head of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest business empire, underwent an emergency operation Sunday after developing symptoms of heart failure, hospital officials said.
Pope attends 300,000-strong rally for Catholic schools
Pope Francis on Saturday attended a giant rally for children and teachers from Italy's Catholic schools, with the Vatican saying that 300,000 people turned out for the event in and around St Peter's Square.
London tops super-rich city list, survey shows
London has more billionaires than any other city in the world, and Britain has more billionaires per head of population than any other country, new data showed.
Lithuania's 'Iron Lady' poised for victory amid Russia fears
Lithuanians began voting Sunday to elect their president, with incumbent "Iron Lady" Dalia Grybauskaite a shoo-in as fears in the EU Baltic state soar over a resurgent Russia.
China's Xiaomi leads Asia's low-cost smartphone drive
Xiaomi may be little known outside China, but the fast-growing smartphone maker is at the forefront of a new wave of Asian brands challenging the dominance of Apple and Samsung with high-spec, low-price phones.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev meets US Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns
William J. Burns reiterated the USA’s long-term commitment to the strategic partnership with Kazakhstan.
Two bodies found after US hot air balloon fire
Dozens of US workers searched Saturday for the third occupant of a hot air balloon that went up in flames after hitting a power line in Virginia, killing two other people aboard.
Bearded Austrian drag queen wins Eurovision
Bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst won the Eurovision contest early Sunday with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix", beating expectations that the eye-catching performance would be too controversial in socially conservative countries.
US restauranteur buys Pablo Escobar's Miami house
The owner of a Miami restaurant chain has paid nearly $10 million for a luxurious beach-front home in the US city once owned by famous Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar.
Famed Sarajevo library reopens 22 years after destruction
Sarajevo's famed architectural jewel, "City Hall", or the National Library, reopened on Friday, 22 years after it was destroyed by Bosnian Serb forces' shelling during the 1992-1995 war.
Warsaw uprising comes to life on the big screen
A new film on the 1944 Warsaw uprising has all the blood and gore of a Hollywood thriller but is entirely pieced together from real footage of the doomed anti-Nazi revolt.
Red Cross says workers detained in east Ukraine freed
Nine Red Cross members whom rebels said they had detained in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk have been released, officials from the organisation told AFP Saturday.
Strong quake shakes Mexico
A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook southern Mexico and the nation's capital early Saturday, two days after a similar temblor rattled the country.
Freighter runs aground in the Galapagos
An Ecuadoran freighter ran aground Friday in the Galapagos islands, but "for the moment" does not pose a threat to the Pacific archipelago's unique environment, the Galapagos National Park said.
Bitterly fought India election campaign enters final day
Campaigning in India's bitterly fought general election was set to end Saturday ahead of next week's final voting with the Hindu nationalist opposition already scenting victory.
Peru man survives 1,500-meter fall with tangled parachute
A Peruvian air force NCO whose parachute malfunctioned during a training exercise survived a 1,500-meter (5,000-feet) fall with nary a broken bone.
US judge jails Chris Brown for violating probation
Troubled singer Chris Brown admitted Friday to violating his probation and was jailed for a year in Los Angeles, though he was given credit for about eight months already served.
Rakhat Confectionary to expand to China and South Korea
Rakhat, a major Kazakhstani confectionary company, plans to expand into foreign markets.
Nauru applies for IMF membership
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially lodged an application for entry to the International Monetary Fund, the global financial body said.
