Palm oil companies behind Singapore smog: Greenpeace
Fires on Indonesia's Sumatra, which have cloaked Singapore in record-breaking smog, are raging on palm oil plantations owned by Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean companies.
Kim, Kanye named newborn North West
Rap star Kanye West and reality TV star Kim Kardashian have named their newborn North West, prompting an outbreak of wisecracking Friday on Twitter.
Facebook admits bug shared 6 mn users' contact details
Phone numbers and email addresses belonging to some 6 million Facebook users have been improperly shared due to a software bug.
Nazarbayev signs pension reform law
Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has signed the law reforming the pension system and gradually increasing women's pension age from 58 to 63.
Germany-Turkey tensions flare over EU bid
Amid a sharp spike in tensions between Turkey and the EU, Berlin and Ankara summoned each other's ambassadors in tit-for-tat moves Friday as fresh obstacles to the Turkish bid to join the bloc emerged.
Hershey pays $4 mn fine for chocolate price-fixing
US candy maker Hershey on Friday pleaded guilty to participating in a chocolate price-fixing scheme and paid a CAN$4 million (US$4.2 million) fine.
Pixar goes back to class with Monsters prequel
Pixar sends its Monsters back to class this weekend with "Monsters University," the first time the animation giant has made a prequel to a member of its stable of hit franchises.
Miss Algeria crowned for first time in 10 years
After an absence of 10 years, the Miss Algeria beauty contest was held Friday in the western city of Oran, with 19-year-old science student Rym Amari taking the pageant honours.
Australian PM launches discrimination inquiry
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick will oversee a national survey to assess the prevalence, nature and consequences of discrimination relating.
Wine producers go hi-tech to outsmart fraudsters
Making sure a glass of wine is everything it promises on the label was once a relatively simple process: hold against the light, tilt and observe the shade, swirl a little and give it a good sniff.
US to sell military helicopters to Thailand
The United States plans to sell six Lakota military helicopters to Thailand worth an estimated $77 million.
100,000 flee flooding in Canada
Flooding forced the evacuation on Friday of some 100,000 people in the western city of Calgary and nearby towns in the heart of the Canadian oil patch.
Facebook adds video sharing to Instagram
Facebook on Thursday added smartphone video-sharing to its Instagram photo-based social network, in a move challenging Twitter's popular Vine service.
Singapore smog in new high, danger to ill and elderly
Singapore's smog index hit the critical 400 level on Friday, making it potentially life-threatening to the ill and elderly people, according to a government monitoring site.
More EU pressure on Iran, Israel PM tells Ashton
Europe must take a firmer line with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday at the start of a working meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Latvian presidential palace Riga Castle ablaze
Firefighters were called Thursday night to a massive roof fire at the centuries-old Riga Castle, normally the seat of the Latvian president but currently under renovation.
A woman's face drives relationship length: study
Men looking for a quick fling prefer women with more "feminine" facial features, said a study Friday that delved into the evolutionary determinants of the mating game.
Rebels barring access to Sudan conflict zones: UN
Rebels battling government forces in two southern states in Sudan are holding up relief and medical supplies into areas they control.
'Friends of Syria' meeting in Doha to discuss aid for rebels
Foreign ministers of the "Friends of Syria" group meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss military help and other aid for rebels after an onslaught by government forces who have retaken key areas.
US Navy's cereal scandal: Cap'n Crunch not a captain?
A veteran naval officer who has saluted from cereal boxes for 50 years -- Cap'n Crunch -- may not be a real captain after all.
