Beijing apartment fire kills 17
A fire in China has killed 17 people in an apartment block on the outskirts of Beijing, prompting city officials to vow to pursue those responsible for the blaze.
Libya: man who tried to hijack Italian plane overpowered
A man who tried to hijack a Paris-Rome flight on Sunday night and take it to Libya was overpowered by cabin crew during the flight and arrested when the plane arrived in Rome, officials said.
US: Young Killers Jailed for Life Seek Reprieve
More than a decade ago, a 14-year-old boy killed his stepbrother in a scuffle that escalated from goofing around with a blowgun to an angry threat with a bow and arrow to the fatal thrust of a hunting knife.
Hainan duty free gives shoppers a good deal
The opening of a duty free store in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday has grabbed the attention of shoppers across China, many of whom will be relishing the prospect of being able to purchase luxury imported goods at competitive prices without embarking on long trips abroad.
France’s false ‘battle of the veil’
When the French debate on the full-face veil was launched in April 2009 by Communist MP André Gérin and later championed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, the political stunt appeared too obvious to swallow. A government only too happy for some breathing space as it struggled to overturn its widespread unpopularity.
Nigeria president: Vote to go ahead despite riots
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Thursday that next week’s gubernatorial elections will go ahead, despite the riots that have left more than 100 dead and forced 40,000 others to flee following the recent presidential vote in Africa’s most populous nation.
US: Gays Fight for Identity at Religious Colleges
Battles for acceptance by gay and lesbian students have erupted in the places that expect it the least: the scores of Bible colleges and evangelical Christian universities that, in their founding beliefs, see homosexuality as a sin.
Farmer appeals after being sentenced to death for raping 116 women
A Chinese farmer has appealed the death sentence he was given for raping 116 women, a state-run newspaper said Tuesday.
Man stabs 6 then kills himself in Xinjiang
A man stabbed and wounded six people in China’s restive northwestern region of Xinjiang before slitting his own throat and dying, state media reported on Tuesday.
World losing battle against piracy
The world is losing the battle against piracy, the Somali transitional government’s foreign minister warned on Monday in Dubai as he and other officials emphasised that the solution to piracy lies on land.
