World News

Fishing boats finds WW2 mustard gas bomb in catch

Danish fishermen fishing around the island of Bornholm, south of Sweden, found a dangerous mustard gas bomb among their catch after trawling the hazardous region of the Baltic Sea.

Rights abuses fuelled rise of Islamic militants: HRW

Birut - Governments increasingly view human rights as "a luxury" they can ill afford, Human Rights Watch said Thursday, warning that abuses fuel crises in world trouble spots like Syria and Ukraine.

Worldwide marches in solidarity with France

Washington - About a hundred thousand people rallied worldwide in solidarity with France on Sunday, with marchers across Europe and the Middle East chanting "Je suis Charlie" and holding pens in the air.

European leaders to show solidarity at Paris attacks rally

Brussels - European leaders will make an extraordinary show of support for France by joining a mass rally in Paris this weekend, amid a wave of solidarity following after the bloody end to the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Global condemnation, solidarity after 'barbaric' Paris attack

Paris - The UN Security Council led global condemnation of the "terrorist" shooting at French magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday which left 12 people dead, in a shocking attack on freedom of speech in Europe.

Revellers welcome 2015 but celebrations turn deadly in China

Shanghai - Millions of revellers took to the streets around the world from Sydney to New York to usher in 2015 on Thursday, but in China celebrations turned to tragedy when 35 people were killed in a stampede in central Shanghai.

Pope condemns religious persecution in Christmas address

- Pope Francis on Thursday roundly condemned jihadist violence and the "brutal persecution" of religious minorities in a Christmas message to the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and millions of others.

Pope likely to address year of conflicts in Christmas message

- Pope Francis will celebrate Christmas on Thursday by sending the world's 1.2 billion Catholics and millions of others his traditional "urbi et orbi" message at the close of a year plagued by war and religious fundamntalism.

Pope urges 'tenderness' as millions celebrate Christmas

- Pope Francis led Christmas Eve mass in the Vatican calling for "tenderness" and "warmth" after a violence-plagued year as millions of Christians began marking the holiday.

Christmas pilgrims gather in Bethlehem after hard year

Bethlehem - Millions of Christians around the world began Christmas celebrations Wednesday, with worshippers in the Middle East marking the occasion after a violence-plagued year that brought suffering to many.

What would a world without microbes be like?

A leading microbiologist argues that eradicating of microbial disease would be likely to be accompanied by poor quality of life for remaining species.

Lighting strikes twice on San Francisco Bay bridge

San Francisco - Funding has been found to turn 25,000 temporary flashing lights on the western span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge into a permanent art installation, the nonprofit arts group behind the project said this week.

U.S. issues worldwide travel alert

Washington - The United States issued a worldwide travel alert, warning Americans to be vigilant during the holiday period, especially in the wake of a deadly siege in Australia.

Pope leads global praise for 'historic' U.S.-Cuba rapprochement

Paris - Pope Francis led a chorus of global plaudits for Wednesday's breakthrough in US-Cuban relations, hailed as "historic" in Europe and South America and prompting celebrations on the streets of Havana.

Taliban attack on Pakistan school draws global revulsion

Washington - World leaders Tuesday condemned the Taliban massacre of Pakistani schoolchildren as "heinous" and "an act of horror" in an outpouring of global revulsion at the attack which killed 141 people.

Campaigners winning war to wipe out landmines

Washington - Global efforts to eradicate landmines are bearing fruit, campaigners said Wednesday, noting that the number of victims injured by the deadly weapons have fallen to the lowest level in 14 years.

Corruption on rise in Turkey, China: Transparency Int'l

Berlin - Corruption is feared to be worsening in China, Turkey and other fast-growing economies, an anti-graft watchdog warned Wednesday, also urging the world's banking centres to help combat sleaze and money-laundering.

Alarm sounded over attacks on defenders of land rights

Paris - As populations grow and land becomes scarcer, attacks on those trying to defend their land are becoming increasingly frequent, a top rights group warned Tuesday, citing Latin America and Asia as the main problem areas.

World's longest train journey — China to Spain opens

China has inaugurated the world's longest train journey, traversing the whole of Central Asia and Europe. Dubbed the new Silk Road, it is expected to give a major economic boost to trade between China and the EU.

Global October temperatures record high for month

Washington - Global temperatures in October, as well as for the entire calendar year so far, were the hottest on average since record-keeping began in 1880, the US government said Thursday.

Modern slavery 'traps 35.8 million people'

Paris - Forced to pick cotton, grow cannabis, prostitute themselves, fight wars or clean up after the wealthy -- some 35.8 million people are currently trapped in modern-day slavery, a new report said Monday.

The Barr Brothers jump into sonic adventures Special

With a mix of soul, folk, and desert blues going into their brand of rock and roll, the Barr Brothers are creating a space for their music that soars past tidy categorizations.

European stocks shaken by fears of return to crisis

London - European stocks closed mixed on Thursday, with German shares staging a late comeback after fears the eurozone could be heading toward a fresh crisis spread turmoil through markets for much of the day.London's benchmark FTSE 100 index ended down 0.