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Lala, now a hurricane, dumps heavy rain on Hawaii

Hurricane Lala on Saturday lashed Hawaii's Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds, as forecasters warned of potentially dangerous flooding across the US Pacific island state.

Villagers evacuate as Belgium battles record wildfire

Hundreds of villagers were under evacuation orders in eastern Belgium on Saturday as firefighters battled one of the country's worst-ever wildfires, with vast swathes of nature reserve turned to a singed wasteland.

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60 Zimbabweans killed by elephants this year

Sixty Zimbabweans have been killed by elephants so far this year, as a conservation success story has led to increased conflict with humans, the government spokesman said Tuesday.

Freed Taiwan activist recounts 'fascist circus' of Chinese court

A Taiwanese democracy activist, jailed in China for five years, on Tuesday described the court proceedings as a "fascist circus" and said he was told he might be released if he admitted to being a spy.

Ecuador prison riot leaves 44 dead, 108 on the run

At least 44 inmates died on Monday in Ecuador's latest grisly prison riot, the public prosecutor said, as another 100 prisoners managed to escape.

Egypt's ancient 'zar' ritual puts exorcism on stage

A stage, lights, a mesmerised audience: it looks like an Egyptian folkloric concert but Umm Sameh is singing to heal the sick by driving out the demons that possess them.

Jailbreak drama ends with arrest, death of prison guard

A bizarre drama that riveted America ended in tragedy Monday as a female prison guard arrested with a fugitive ex-con she allegedly helped to escape died after shooting herself as police moved in to nab them in the climax of a 10-day manhunt.

Match Group takes Google app store war to court in US

Tinder parent Match Group on Monday filed a lawsuit in a federal court in San Francisco accusing Google of abusing monopoly power at its Play Store that sells digital content for Android-powered phones.

Syrian mothers mourn two brides-to-be lost off Lebanon

With tears pouring down her cheeks, Syrian mother Shawafa Khodr mourns her daughter, missing since the crowded migrant boat she boarded hoping to join her fiance in Germany sank in the Mediterranean.

Three decades after Pablo Escobar's death, drugs ravage Medellin

Three decades after cartel boss Pablo Escobar was shot dead by police on a rooftop in Medellin, the very city he had sought to uplift with drug money is being ravaged by it.

Death toll rises to 40 in Havana hotel blast

The death toll from an explosion at a luxury hotel in the old quarter of Havana has risen to 40, the health ministry said Monday.

US authorities capture jailbreak couple after manhunt

US authorities said they captured Monday a fugitive inmate and a prison guard believed to have helped him escape, after an intense 10-day manhunt that riveted America.

Ecuador prison riot leaves 43 dead, 108 on the run

At least 43 inmates died on Monday in Ecuador's latest grisly prison riot, the public prosecutor said, as another 100 prisoners managed to escape.

Eight Turks among 12 kidnapped by gang on bus in Haiti

Twelve people, eight of them Turkish citizens, were kidnapped while travelling by bus in Haiti, officials said Monday, as the Caribbean country struggles with a surge of attacks by increasingly powerful gangs.

In Mexico, some spend Mother's Day looking for missing children

While most Mexicans celebrate Mother's Day on Tuesday, thousands of women will mark the occasion by continuing their desperate mission to find out what happened to their missing children.

NY Times Wordle solution 'fetus' causes kerfuffle

The New York Times, owner of the hit game Wordle, hastily changed the solution Monday from "fetus," a term recently catapulted into the news as US abortion rights face possible restrictions by the Supreme Court.

Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead

At least 43 inmates died on Monday in Ecuador's latest grisly prison riot, the public prosecutor said.

French court upholds fake-job verdict against former PM Fillon

A French appeals court on Monday upheld a conviction against former right-wing prime minister Francois Fillon for providing a fake parliamentary assistant job to his wife that saw her paid hundreds of thousands of euros in public funds.

Saudi fights to lead 'saturated' MidEast aviation market

Saudi Arabia on Monday pitched aviation industry leaders on its plans to become a global travel hub, drawing scepticism from analysts who questioned how it could compete against regional heavyweights.

Havana hotel blast toll rises to 35

Rescue workers have pulled another four bodies from the ruins of a Havana luxury hotel wrecked in an explosion last week, raising the death toll to 35, an official said.

UK urges N. Ireland parties to form a new government

UK Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis on Monday called on all parties in the province to form a new power-sharing government in Belfast, after historic elections and despite unresolved Brexit disputes.

More violence after Israel arrests Palestinian suspected axe murderers

Two Palestinians were shot dead and another was wounded in separate incidents in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem on Sunday, officials said, the latest in a spate of violence.

Court to rule on former French PM Fillon's fake job row

Former French prime minister Francois Fillon will learn Monday whether an appeals court has upheld his conviction for setting his wife up with lucrative fake jobs.

Havana hotel blast toll rises to 31

The death toll from an explosion at a luxury hotel in Havana's old quarter rose to 31 on Sunday, authorities said, as Cuban firefighters continued to comb through the rubble.

As Russia readies military pomp, Ukraine blames it for deadly school attack

A Russian strike on a school sheltering civilians claimed 60 lives, Ukraine said Sunday, as the G7 reaffirmed their unity with Kyiv on the eve of Moscow's plans for a flashy World War II victory commemoration.

Colombia beefs up offensive against drug cartel

The Colombian government on Sunday reinforced a nearly 50,000-strong military deployment against a drug cartel that has burned cars and threatened people as reprisal for the extradition of its leader to the United States.

Havana hotel blast toll rises to 30

The death toll from an accidental explosion at a luxury hotel in central Havana rose to 30 on Sunday, authorities said, as firefighters continued to comb through the rubble.

Ukraine battles to hold eastern bastions as US First Lady visits

Ukrainian forces braced Sunday to defend their final bastion in the devastated port city of Mariupol, desperate to deny Russia a symbolic win on the eve of Moscow's Victory Day celebrations.

Afghan women defiant but feel 'imprisoned' by order to cover faces

Women in Afghanistan expressed defiance on Sunday after the Taliban issued a directive ordering them to cover fully in public, including their faces, or stay indoors, saying the change would effectively leave them "imprisoned".

Crowds jeer Sri Lankan PM on rare outing

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was booed and heckled Sunday on his first public outing since protests erupted across the country demanding his ruling family resign over the worsening economic crisis.

Year after riot, Israeli chef rebuilds on sensitive foundations

On May 4 of last year, star Israeli chef Uri Jeremias was at a meeting of inter-faith leaders where his hometown of Acre was applauded as a "symbol" of Jewish and Arab co-existence.

Rescuers comb through Havana hotel blast rubble, death toll climbs to 27

Rescuers combed through what remained of a luxury Havana hotel Saturday, as the death toll after a powerful blast due to a suspected gas leak climbed to 27, authorities said.

Mexican tiger fight ritual draws blood to bring rain

Seeking to appease the god of storms and end a drought, men and women in tiger costumes whip each other mercilessly into submission in an ancient ritual in southern Mexico.

Rescuers comb through Havana hotel blast rubble, death toll climbs to 26

Rescuers combed through what remained of a luxury Havana hotel Saturday, as the death toll after a powerful blast due to a suspected gas leak climbed to 26, authorities said.

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