India to hand plots of land to rural poor: reports
India's government is drawing up a major new welfare reform which would hand small plots of land to millions of homeless poor in the countryside.
Paris train services with Brussels, London resume
High-speed train services resumed Wednesday between Paris, London and Brussels after heavy snow stopped them the day before.
Less sleep leads to more eating, weight gain: study
Sleeping a mere five hours a night during a workweek with unlimited access to snacks isn't good for your waistline.
In Mali, abandoned weapons kill and maim children
Intrigued, Amadou picked up a discarded grenade to play with outside an earth hut in central Mali. When he threw it, it exploded and he lost all the fingers on his left hand.
Thousands of ethnic Hungarians march for autonomy in Romania
Around five thousand ethnic Hungarians rallied Sunday in the central Romanian city of Targu Mures to call for autonomy for the Szeklers' Land, home to most of their minority.
Shortages of food, fuel, power as Syria battered by war
"Yesterday I did not make anything to eat as there was no electricity for the entire day," says Umm Fadi, a resident of Artuz district near Damascus that has been caught up in the fighting between rebels and regime forces.
Venezuela gives Chavez lavish farewell
Venezuela gave Hugo Chavez a lavish farewell at a state funeral Friday that brought some of the world's most notorious strongmen to tears, with music, prayers and a fiery speech by his successor.
Hope and despair as Japan marks tsunami anniversary
In the dark months after a catastrophic tsunami smashed into Japan, killing almost 19,000 people and sparking a nuclear disaster, hopes for a rapid recovery and a national rebirth were frustrated by political paralysis.
Chavez lies in state with open casket for farewell
Venezuelans filed past the open casket of late President Hugo Chavez as he lay in state Wednesday after throngs of weeping loyalists gave the firebrand leftist a rousing farewell on the streets.
Obama: US supports Venezuelan people after Chavez death
President Barack Obama Tuesday said the United States was interested in a "constructive" future relationship with Venezuela after the death of President Hugo Chavez, a long-time American foe.
Personality traits probed in high-res brain scans
US researchers on Tuesday published incredibly detailed images of the human brain as part of an international project aimed at uncovering how brain architecture influences personality.
Chavez breathing woes worsen: govt
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is suffering from a "new and severe" infection that has worsened his breathing as he undergoes intensive chemotherapy.
Fishermen rescue another 63 Rohingya off Indonesia
Fishermen in western Indonesia rescued more than 60 ethnic Rohingya asylum-seekers from Myanmar found adrift in a wooden boat, police said Friday, in the second such arrival this week.
Beijing restaurant removes 'racist' sign after fury
A defiant Beijing restaurant manager refused to apologise Thursday despite removing a "racist" sign barring citizens of states in maritime disputes with China, along with dogs, following an international outcry.
Pakistan's Hazara community under attack
Pakistan's Hazaras, a prosperous, moderate community who found refuge after brutal crackdowns in Afghanistan, are again living in fear as they suffer record levels of sectarian violence.
With Chavez still sick, supporters turn to religion
A priest sang the name of deities, drummers provided the beat and 150 people dressed in white danced in a room that became hotter with every incantation -- all for the health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Over 4 thousand people missing in Kazakhstan
843 underaged and 630 elderly people (from 50 and older) are currently missing in Kazakhstan.
Turkey blasts Assad regime as Aleppo toll rises
Turkey lashed out against Syria as the death toll from a missile strike on Aleppo rose to 58 Sunday, while a US official urged the opposition to reconsider its boycott of international meetings.
Historic week looms for Vatican with papal resignation
Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square will signal the start of a week in the Vatican that will make history with the first voluntary papal resignation in more than 700 years.
Britain braces for fresh Eastern European immigration wave
Coils of Polish sausages glisten on shop counters and vodka bottles line the shelves. In this corner of the English countryside, much of the chatter is in Latvian or Lithuanian.