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Court to rule on first climate lawsuit against Italian state

An Italian court is to rule on the country's first climate lawsuit against the state, with claimants hoping Rome will be ordered to slash greenhouse-gas emissions sharply.

After a year in turmoil, the Louvre faces uncertain future

The Louvre is gradually plugging the security gaps exposed by the spectacular burglary of October 19 last year, but its reputation has taken a battering and its creaking infrastructure is a growing source of concern.

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Three French police charged over man's death during riots

Three French police were charged Thursday over a 27-year-old man's death during nationwide rioting earlier this summer, prosecutors said, an uncommon instance of officers facing a criminal case over on-duty violence.

Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight set to take off

The long-awaited, first civilian space tourism flight by Virgin Galactic was set for takeoff Thursday, carrying an 80-year-old ex-Olympian and a mother and daughter who won their tickets in a sweepstakes.

Hawaii town 'destroyed' by wildfire, at least 36 dead

At least 36 people have died after a fast-moving wildfire turned a historic Hawaiian town to ashes, officials said Wednesday, as visitors asked to leave the island of Maui found themselves stranded at the airport.

Shot dead: recent political assassinations

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead Wednesday at an election rally in the nation's capital.

Angry Birds maker Rovio's shareholders accept Sega's bid

Shareholders of Finland's Rovio, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, have overwhelmingly accepted Japanese Sega's offer to buy the company, allowing the deal to go through, the Finnish company said Thursday.

French holiday home in deadly fire 'breached safety norms'

A holiday home in eastern France where 11 people were killed in a fire was flouting the fire security standards required for such a property, a prosecutor said on Thursday.

Indonesian maid's torture highlights lack of legal protections

Beaten, forced to eat animal faeces and chained to a dog cage -- the abuse of an Indonesian maid highlights the government's failure to protect domestic workers at home even as it moves to help those abroad, critics say.

Philippine director puts women at the 'heart' of drug war film

Widows and mothers are at the "heart" of a gritty documentary by Philippine filmmaker Sheryl Rose Andes, who turns the camera on women left behind by former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug war.

Hollywood's video game craze takes meta turn with 'Gran Turismo'

Ever since the huge successes of "The Super Mario Bros Movie," "Uncharted" and "The Last Of Us," films and TV shows adapted from video games have been all the rage in Hollywood.

Wind-whipped Hawaii wildfire razes town, deaths feared

Wildfires whipped by hurricane winds tore through a Hawaiian town Wednesday, razing homes and forcing residents to jump into the ocean, with officials saying they feared people had died in the fast-moving flames.

Outcry as Turkish journalist jailed by text message

Even in a country which regularly holds the world record for jailing journalists, the case of Turkish investigative reporter Baris Pehlivan stands out.

Outcry as Turkish journalist jailed by text

Even in a country which regularly holds the world record for jailing journalists, the case of Turkish investigative reporter Baris Pehlivan stands out.

Assad says destroyed Syria infrastructure blocks refugee returns

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Wednesday that the biggest obstacle to millions of refugees returning home is a lack of infrastructure, devastated by more than a decade of civil war.

Nine dead, two missing in France holiday home fire 'tragedy'

Nine bodies were found and two people were missing Wednesday after a fire in France tore through holiday lodging for a group of adults with learning disabilities, an incident the president called a "tragedy".

Eleven missing in France holiday lodging fire: official

Eleven people were missing Wednesday following a fire at a centre in eastern France where a group of adults with learning disabilities were taking their holidays, authorities said.

Winning $1.58 bn Mega Millions jackpot ticket sold in Florida

A lottery player in the US state of Florida won a record $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday, the lottery announced.

Travel giant TUI on track for 'strong' summer despite wildfires

The world's largest tourism operator TUI said Wednesday it was on track to meet its full-year targets thanks to a "very good travel summer", despite the upheaval caused by heatwaves and wildfires in Europe.

Heavy rains unleash landslides, flooding in Scandinavia

Heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in Sweden and Norway on Tuesday while strong winds caused a Danish wildfire to spread out of control, authorities said, with more heavy rain forecast.

Portugal, Spain battle wildfires amid heatwave alerts

Hundreds of firefighters were on Tuesday battling a wildfire that has burned for four days in Portugal, which, like neighbouring Spain, is sweltering in a heatwave that has triggered widespread weather alerts.

Jailed ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan's lawyers file legal challenge

Lawyers for former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan filed an appeal Tuesday against his conviction for graft, as he languished in a small cell in a century-old prison at the start of a three-year jail term.

China drafts rules for using facial recognition data

Firms using facial recognition in China will be required to obtain consent or legal permission before collecting personal information, draft regulations released Tuesday said, while stipulating the rules would not apply to some bodies.

Ireland to bid farewell to singer Sinead O'Connor

A funeral service for Sinead O'Connor, the outspoken singer who rose to international fame in the 1990s, is to be held on Tuesday in the Irish seaside town of Bray.

Trump says prosecutors seeking to restrict his free speech rights

Donald Trump pushed back on Monday against a bid by government lawyers to restrict what he can share publicly about his historic prosecution for allegedly conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

'Alarming' rise in kidnapping of Haiti children, women: UNICEF

Some 300 women and minors were kidnapped in Haiti by criminal gangs in the first half of this year, UNICEF said Monday, warning of a disturbing rise in abductions that leave "deep physical and psychological scars."

Three dead as firefighting helicopters collide in California

Three people died after two firefighting helicopters collided in the US state of California, causing one to crash into a hillside killing everyone on board, emergency officials said early Monday.

German arrested in France for holding wife captive for 12 years

French police on Monday said they had arrested a 55-year old German national after his wife was discovered naked and with broken bones following 12 years in captivity at the couple's home.

French billionaire Drahi feels 'betrayed' as graft claims swirl

With corruption claims threatening to engulf his global business empire, French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi said Monday that he felt "betrayed and deceived" by a small group of his colleagues.

Death toll from Slovenia flooding climbs to six

The death toll from days of heavy rains and flooding in Slovenia has climbed to six, media reports said Monday, as clean-up operations continued with help from neighbouring countries.

Iran building collapse death toll rises to five: media

Five people including two policemen were killed and at least 11 others injured during the collapse of several buildings in Iran's capital, local media reported on Monday.

Spain on heat alert as wildfires burn

Three wildfires that scorched more than 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) in Spain over the weekend were under control Monday but the country remained on high hot weather alert as it faced its third heatwave of the summer.

After heatwave, typhoon forces S. Korea to evacuate scout jamboree

Organisers of the World Scout Jamboree asked host South Korea Monday to "urgently" evacuate tens of thousands of children from their campsite ahead of a typhoon, just days after a heatwave caused mass scout illnesses.

South Korean jamboree to end early over typhoon warning

The World Scout Jamboree in South Korea will end early due to an approaching typhoon, organisers said Monday as they called for the government to "urgently" help with efforts to send tens of thousands of children home.

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