Palmyra temple appears intact after blast: Syria official
A blast rocked the ancient ruins in Syria's Palmyra on Sunday but the site's famed Temple of Bel appeared to be largely intact.
Obama tries to strike a balance in Alaska
Barack Obama arrives in Alaska for a trip aimed at highlighting the pace of climate change. But not everyone in this oil-rich state is welcoming the US president with open arms.
Taylor Swift queen of MTV awards, Kanye eyes presidency
Taylor Swift was crowned queen of the MTV Video Music Awards as rapper Kanye West announced an improbable run for president in 2020 and Miley Cyrus released her new album for free.
Legendary horror director Wes Craven dead at 76
Wes Craven, a master of cinema horror whose directorial credits include "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream," died Sunday aged 76.
London's colourful Notting Hill Carnival kicks off
London's Notting Hill Carnival kicked off with a riot of colour despite grey skies, in a celebration of Caribbean culture reputed as Europe's biggest street party.
EU ministers to meet September 14 for urgent migrant talks
European Union home affairs ministers will hold emergency talks on September 14 in Brussels on the continent's escalating migration crisis.
Tsipras asks Greeks for outright majority in September vote
Greece's ex-prime minister Alexis Tsipras called for voters in upcoming snap elections to give his radical left Syriza party a "strong mandate" to lead the crisis-hit nation.
Australian PM rules out random visa checks
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott distanced himself from a police operation in Melbourne which was cancelled amid public outrage about possible spot checks on people's visas.
'Cure' for Chernobyl children: sun, sea, clean air in Portugal
Anya wasn't even born when Chernobyl exploded nearly 30 years ago, but even today its radioactive fallout stalks her and other Ukrainian youngsters growing up near the disused plant.
Pentagon joins Silicon Valley in 'flexible' tech hub
The Pentagon is building a tech hub in Silicon Valley to help create new gadgetry for the supersoldiers of the future as well as tech-savvy consumers.
UN chief urges stronger response to migration tragedies
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to governments to step up their response to Europe's migrant crisis.
Trump denies he wants to buy Pope's favorite football team
It seems not even bombastic billionaire Donald Trump would go so far as to snatch something so close to the heart of Pope Francis.
Clinton on US gun violence: 'Something is deeply wrong'
Hillary Clinton reiterated her call for gun safety reforms, saying this week's murder of Virginia journalists during an on-air broadcast shows that "something is deeply wrong" in America.
Tens of thousands take holy dip at India's Kumbh Mela
Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims and holy men washed away their sins with a religious dip on the first main bathing day of India's Kumbh Mela festival.
Greece vote set for Sept 20 as Syriza takes poll lead
Greece geared up for a snap election next month, with an opinion poll showing the leftist party Syriza ahead despite a wave of defections over the country's massive new bailout.
Bush praises New Orleans 'resilience' after Katrina
Former president George W. Bush, who faced fierce criticism for the botched government response to Hurricane Katrina, returned to New Orleans to mark the storm's 10th anniversary.
Berlin pledges police backup to refugee flashpoint town
Berlin pledged to send police reinforcements to the eastern German town hit by violent anti-migrant protests.
Russia launches Proton rocket with British satellite
Russia successfully launched a Proton rocket with a British satellite in the first such launch since an engine failure in May resulted in a Mexican satellite being destroyed.
Greece's top judge takes over as caretaker PM ahead of snap vote
Greece's top judge became the country's first female prime minister, taking over a caretaker administration to organise early elections next month.