`Green` revolution under way in rural China
In the northwest of China`s mountainous Yunnan province, among the world`s most biodiverse areas, a green revolution is under way among rural residents.
Lucky fans get news on Jackson memorial tickets
Some lucky Michael Jackson fans got the e-mails they were hoping for Sunday, saying they`ve won two free tickets to Tuesday`s memorial service.
Mudslide forces some 7,500 people from homes in south China
Days of heavy rain caused a mudslide at a reservoir in southern China with more than 7,440 people forced to flee their homes, the Xinhua news agency said on Friday.
French court could review ruling on Belenkaya case - lawyer
A lawyer for Irina Belenkaya, a Russian woman embroiled in a custody battle with her estranged French husband over their daughter, has said a French court`s decision to award custody to the father could be reviewed.
Italy declares state of emergency in blast-hit town
Italy`s council of ministers approved imposing a state of emergency on Friday in the Italian town of Viareggio hit by a powerful gas blast late on Monday.
China can do without US dollar?
China ▓s announcement overnight that it will allow companies to settle international trade claims in yuan shows how serious the Chinese authorities are about building a local currency market.
Seven banks in USA fail, pushing 2009 tally to 52
Seven banks were shut down by authorities Thursday, pushing the tally of failed banks for 2009 to 52, more than doubling the failures in 2008.
Naked passenger forces U.S. Airways plane to land
A U.S. Airways plane en route to Los Angeles was forced to land at an airport in Albuquerque after a passenger stripped off his clothes and began running around the plane naked, U.S. media said.
British charity worker starts `world`s best job`
A former British charity fundraiser, who was selected for the "best job in the world," took up his duties on Wednesday on a tropical island in Australia`s Great Barrier Reef where he will work as a caretaker.
Jackson family alarmed by suicide rise after singer`s death
The family of Michael Jackson is concerned by reports that fans of the late King of Pop have committed suicide following his death, local media said.
U.S. lawyer freed from Belarus jail on pardon
A high-profile U.S. lawyer has been released from a Belarusian prison on a presidential pardon after more than a year in custody on industrial espionage charges.
Over 300 cats in Shanghai saved from dinner table
Members of a Chinese animal rights group have rescued over 300 cats, who were due to be served as a delicacy in southern Chinese restaurants, the Shanghai Daily said on Monday.
Russia `to face swine flu wave in November`
Russia will face a wave of A/H1N1 influenza cases in November, the head of the Russian Academy of Sciences` Influenza Research Institute said Monday.
Floating Russian island visits Estonia
A four-hectare island drifting on the Narva Reservoir has crossed the border between Russia and Estonia and floated to the Estonian shore, the Pohjarannik newspaper said on Monday.
Number of global swine flu cases tops 52,160 - WHO
A total of 52,160 cases of human A/H1N1 infection have been registered in 99 countries worldwide, with 231 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report on Monday.
North Korea closes coastal waters for 16 days over military drills
North Korea is to close for shipping its coastal waters near the port of Wonsan from June 25 until July 10 due to military exercises in the area, Japanese television reported on Tuesday.
Factory explosion kills 16 workers in east China
At least 16 people were killed and 44 wounded in an explosion at a factory in eastern China, national media reported on Sunday.
North Korea accuses South and U.S. of plotting nuclear war
North Korea has accused the leaders of the United States and South Korea of plotting a nuclear attack on the country at their recent meeting.
First 11 bodies of Air France crash victims identified
Brazilian forensic experts have identified 11 bodies of people killed in an Air France A330 crash three weeks ago, Brazil`s federal police said on Monday.
Cruise ship quarantined after swine flu outbreak
A visiting cruise ship has been quarantined off Venezuela`s coast following an outbreak of swine flu on board.
French mother jailed for 8 years in `case of frozen babies`
A French court has sentenced a woman to eight years in jail for killing three babies she gave birth to in secret, hiding two of the bodies in the freezer of her family home, local media said.
World`s oldest man dies in Japan at 113
The world`s oldest man, Tomoji Tanabe, died of heart failure on Friday at the age of 113 in Miyakonojo on Japan`s southern island of Kyushu, national media reported on Friday.
Rescuers find 50th body from crashed Air France plane
Another body has been found in the Atlantic Ocean where an Air France plane went down on June 1, bringing the total to 50, the Brazilian Navy and Air Force said at a joint press conference.
Political situation in Iran ready to explode
Iran is standing on the verge of chaos after sitting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the first stage of the presidential election in the country on June 12. His three rivals received less than a third of all votes, which triggered massive riots across the nation. Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who obtained 33 percent of the votes cast, stated that the election had been totally fabricated. Two other candidates - Mohsen Rezaee, former Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Mehdi Karroubi, former Speaker of the Majlis, - said that they would support Moussavi in his endeavor to revise the election results.
Russia puts talks on Belarus dairy imports on hold
Negotiations with Belarus on the country`s dairy exports, which are currently banned from Russia, have been suspended until the Belarusian position is clarified, Russia`s top sanitary official said on Tuesday.