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International rescuers join search for Vanuatu quake survivors
Overseas rescuers joined a hunt for survivors in the rubble of shattered buildings in earthquake-struck Vanuatu on Thursday, with officials saying the toll of nine dead is set to rise.
France's Macron in cyclone-hit Mayotte to assess devastation
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to arrive in Mayotte Thursday to assess the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the Indian Ocean archipelago, as rescuers race to search for survivors and supply desperately needed aid.
Storm fears overshadow India coast decades after tsunami
The deadly tsunami that swamped India's southern coast two decades ago was a one-off disaster, but storms that are growing ever more intense spark panic each time howling gales whip up waves.
Rescuers fly in to join search for Vanuatu quake survivors
Foreign rescuers joined a hunt for survivors in the rubble of shattered buildings in earthquake-rocked Vanuatu on Thursday, with officials saying the toll of nine dead is set to rise.
Hanoi karaoke bar fire kills 11, arson suspected
A fire ripped through a karaoke bar in the Vietnamese capital, killing 11 people and injuring two others in a case of suspected arson, police said Thursday.
Verdicts awaited in rape trial that shocked France
The French man who has admitted to enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily-sedated wife on Thursday faces being jailed for up to 20 years as the court issues its verdicts after a three-month trial that shocked France and resonated around the world.
Spain targets Airbnb in illegal ads probe
Spain's leftist government on Wednesday opened an investigation into holiday rental platform Airbnb for allegedly failing to take down adverts for thousands of apartments without a tourist licence.
Stone tablet engraved with Ten Commandments sells for $5 million
A stone tablet carrying engravings of the Ten Commandments sold for $5 million at auction on Wednesday, Sotheby's announced.
Notre Dame cathedral unveils controversial new stained glass windows
Designs for six new stained glass windows in fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral were unveiled for the first time on Wednesday, with contemporary French painter Claire Tabouret chosen for a project intended to add a modern flourish to the 12th-century masterpiece.
'Ordinary and out of the ordinary': covering France's mass rape trial
France's trial of a man who drugged his wife so dozens of strangers could rape her while unconscious has been both ordinary and extraordinary, AFP journalists who have been covering it say.
Russian oil spill contaminates 50km of Black Sea beaches
Russia Wednesday expanded an operation to clean up thousands of tonnes of oil that spilt into the sea and contaminated 50 kilometres of beaches after tanker ships were wrecked in a storm.
Climate change made Cyclone Chido stronger: scientists
Climate change intensified Cyclone Chido as it barrelled toward the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, said a preliminary study by scientists studying the link between global warming and tropical storms.
Spain PM's wife testifies in corruption case
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez testified in court on Wednesday in a probe into misappropriation allegations, one of several sensitive legal cases undermining the minority left-wing government.
Devastated Mayotte battles to recover from cyclone 'steamroller'
The district of La Vigie on the French overseas territory of Mayotte was until last week a bustling hub of life. Now it no longer exists.
Rescuers hunt for survivors in Vanuatu quake, nine dead
Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped in crumpled buildings in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least nine people, burying some in rubble and landslides.
Hitting hard in Ghana's boxing hotspot
The dusty concrete floor, worn gloves and battered punching bags at Ghana's Attoh Quarshie "Home of the Sweet Science" gym might not look like much.
Mayotte reels from cyclone devastation, France's Macron to arrive Thursday
Rescuers searched desperately for survivors as they sought to assess the full scale of devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the French overseas territory of Mayotte, which emerged on Wednesday from a first night spent under curfew.
Anger as Amsterdam allows 'ugly' solar panels on historic canal houses
Amsterdam's world-famous canalside houses will soon be allowed to have visible solar panels on their roofs, much to the dismay of local heritage groups, who say they will be an eyesore.
'End of the world': tsunami body collector's torment 20 years on
Djafaruddin says he has recovered from the trauma of collecting bodies when the world's deadliest tsunami devastated Indonesia's western coast two decades ago, but he still breaks down when thinking about the orphaned children.
Indian Ocean nations to mark 20 years since devastating tsunami
Tsunami-hit nations will next week commemorate the more than 220,000 people who died in the Boxing Day disaster two decades ago, when huge waves tore into coastal communities around the Indian Ocean.
Filipina on Indonesia death row arrives home to 'new life'
A Filipina who spent nearly 15 years on Indonesia's death row tearfully reunited with family members Wednesday after arriving in Manila, where she now awaits a hoped-for pardon in a women's prison.
Rescuers hunt for survivors in Vanuatu quake, 14 dead
Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped in crumpled buildings in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least 14 people, some of them buried in rubble and landslides.
Morocco's women rug weavers battle to save age-old craft
In southern Morocco, women are the guardians of the age-old craft of carpet weaving, an intricate art form that often leaves them with meagre earnings.
Rescuers hunt for survivors in Vanuatu capital, 14 reported dead
Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped beneath crumpled buildings in Vanuatu on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck the capital Port Vila, leaving at least 14 people reported dead.
Rescuers hunt for survivors in Vanuatu capital, 14 feared dead
Rescue teams dug for survivors trapped beneath crumpled buildings in Vanuatu on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck the capital Port Vila, leaving at least 14 people reported dead.
US CEO slaying suspect charged with murder as 'act of terrorism'
US authorities on Tuesday charged the man suspected of gunning down a health insurance CEO in New York earlier this month with murder, including a charge of second-degree murder "as an act of terrorism."
France imposes curfew for cyclone-hit Mayotte as toll rises
Authorities announced a nighttime curfew Tuesday to curb looting after a devastating cyclone hit the French overseas territory of Mayotte, with the country's prime minister warning the death toll could rise.
Major quake crushes buildings in Vanuatu capital, 14 feared dead
A powerful earthquake hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday, smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila, including one used by foreign embassies, and leaving at least 14 people reported dead.
Filipina on Indonesia death row flies home to 'new life'
A Filipina inmate on death row in Indonesia for nearly 15 years was transferred home Wednesday to what she called a "new life", following an agreement for her repatriation after years of negotiations.
Bolivia's Morales slams 'brutal judicial war' after warrant issued
Bolivian ex-president Evo Morales accused his successor on Tuesday of launching a "brutal judicial war" against him, after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant over his alleged relationship with a minor.
Filipina on Indonesia death row handed to Philippine officials
A Filipina inmate on death row in Indonesia was handed over to Philippine officials in capital Jakarta Tuesday, before flying home after the countries signed an agreement for her repatriation.
Ireland fines Meta 251 mn euros over Facebook hacks
An Irish regulator helping police European Union data privacy on Tuesday said it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 251 million euros ($263 million) for a data protection failure that saw users' accounts hacked.