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NGO asks France, Spain, Greece for help in migrant stand-off
Migrant rescue group SOS Mediterranee said Thursday it had called on the governments of France, Greece and Spain to help find a port for 234 people rescued while trying to reach Europe, after Italy and Malta failed to respond.
Millions at risk of severe hunger in South Sudan: UN
Almost eight million people in South Sudan, or two-thirds of the population in the deeply troubled country, are at risk of severe hunger, the United Nations warned on Thursday.
Ethiopia fractured and fragile after two years of war
Two years after war broke out in northern Ethiopia between federal forces and Tigrayan rebels, the country remains in deep crisis, with its once-vibrant economy in ruins and a humanitarian disaster roiling Tigray.
More rain on the way as Philippine storm death toll hits 150
The death toll from a powerful storm that triggered flooding and landslides across the Philippines has reached 150, disaster officials said Thursday, as more rain was forecast in some of the hardest-hit areas.
Parkland shooter jailed for life, confronted by victims' relatives
The gunman who murdered 17 people in a 2018 high school rampage was formally sentenced to life in prison Wednesday in a Florida court, where he was verbally confronted by furious parents.
Troops deployed in Ecuador after spate of organized crime attacks
Police and soldiers on Wednesday patrolled the terror-stricken streets of two Ecuadoran cities after a spate of attacks blamed on organized crime groups waging a deadly drug war.
Albanian PM blasts UK for 'discrimination' over migrant comments
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama lambasted the British government on Wednesday for allegedly "discriminating" against Albanians, after a top UK official singled out the nationality for their role in illicit migration to the country.
New UN rights chief decries women's rights 'pushback'
The new United Nations rights chief voiced deep concerns Wednesday over a swelling "pushback" on women's rights across much of the world.
Damning UK report slams police for inadequate vetting of officers
A culture of misogyny and predatory behaviour is "prevalent" in many police forces across England and Wales, and fuelled by lax vetting standards, according to a report published Wednesday after a high-profile murder.
Seoul's Halloween crush 'predictable, preventable,' analysts say
On what should have been a night of fun for tens of thousands of Halloween revellers, a bottleneck in a narrow alley of Seoul's entertainment district instead claimed 156 lives, with analysts and top officials blaming a crowd control failure.
Costa Rica ends search for downed plane carrying German fitness billionaire
Costa Rican authorities on Tuesday ended the search for the plane in which German billionaire Rainer Schaller and his family were traveling, nearly two weeks after it crashed in the Caribbean.
Seoul distress calls show four hours of mayhem, police inaction
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo vowed on Wednesday to hold police accountable for Seoul's deadly Halloween crowd surge, after a log of emergency calls showed authorities were slow to respond.
Ecuador declares emergency after 5 police officers gunned down
Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of exception in two provinces Tuesday, after at least five police officers were killed and prison guards taken hostage in the latest wave of attacks in the deadly gang war consuming the country.
Will Brazil's Bolsonaro, now defeated, go to jail?
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro once took a stab at predicting the outcome of his 2022 re-election bid: "Prison, death or victory."
Netanyahu in lead after Israel vote
Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu inched towards reclaiming power Wednesday after projected election results showed a majority government was within reach for the veteran right-winger, though the outlook could shift as ballots are counted.
Ecuador declares emergency after 5 police gunned down
Five police officers were killed, several more wounded and prison guards taken hostage Tuesday in the latest wave of attacks in a deadly gang war consuming Ecuador, authorities said.
US requests for overseas abortion pills surges: study
Requests by Americans for abortion pills from outside the United States have surged since the US Supreme Court's explosive decision last summer to overturn the nationwide right to the procedure, according to a study published Tuesday.
Netanyahu ahead in Israel election, exit polls show
The party of Israel's hawkish ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu was set to come first in Tuesday's vote, initial projections indicated, but there was no guarantee the right-wing veteran could form a government.
Spider-Man and friends arrest Peru drug dealers
Four of The Avengers swooped into a dangerous Lima neighborhood over the weekend, when Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor and the Black Widow broke down a door and arrested several wanted drug dealers.
Julie Powell of 'Julie and Julia' fame dies at 49
Julie Powell, the writer whose yearlong mission to cook through Julia Child's "French Cooking" masterpiece was immortalized in print and film, has died of cardiac arrest, The New York Times said Tuesday. She was 49 years old.
Police killed, guards taken hostage in Ecuador gang violence
Two police officers were killed, two more wounded and prison guards taken hostage Tuesday in the latest wave of attacks in a deadly gang war consuming Ecuador, authorities said.
Italy opposition cries foul after Meloni cracks down on raves
The Italian opposition has voiced fears for public freedoms after the new far-right government stepped up fines and jail terms against the organisers and followers of illegal rave parties.
Rapper Takeoff, member of Migos, shot dead at 28
The rapper Takeoff, a member of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was fatally shot at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas Tuesday, according to local media. He was 28 years old.
Police killed, guards held in gang violence-stricken Ecuador
Two police officers were killed, two more wounded and prison guards taken hostage Tuesday in the latest wave of attacks in a deadly gang war consuming Ecuador, authorities said.
Modi visits site of deadly Indian bridge collapse
Divers searched for more bodies on Tuesday after the collapse of a newly renovated pedestrian bridge killed 134 people in western India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the disaster site.
Modi to visit site of deadly Indian bridge collapse
Divers searched for more bodies on Tuesday after the collapse of a recently renovated suspension bridge killed 134 people in western India, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi preparing to visit the disaster site.
Timeline of a disaster: Seoul's fatal crowd crush
After South Korean officials concede that there were errors in crowd control on Halloween, AFP uses official data, media reports and eyewitness testimony to examine the timeline of the disaster that left 156 people dead.
South Korea police admit crowd surge response was 'insufficient'
South Korea's police chief said Tuesday that officers had received multiple urgent reports of danger ahead of a deadly crowd crush at a Halloween event but their handling of them was "insufficient".
'Huge step forward': Tokyo recognises same-sex relationships
Tokyo began issuing partnership certificates to same-sex couples who live and work in the capital on Tuesday, a long-awaited move in a country without marriage equality.
S. Korea police chief says crowd surge response was 'insufficient'
South Korea's police chief said Tuesday that officers had received multiple urgent reports of danger ahead of a deadly crowd crush at a Halloween event but their handling of them was "insufficient".
Filipinos flock to cemeteries for All Saints' Day
Filipinos clutching flowers and umbrellas poured into cemeteries across the Catholic-majority Philippines Tuesday to pay tribute to their dead loved ones on All Saints' Day for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Top court orders France to introduce motorbike inspections
France's top administrative court on Monday ordered the introduction of safety inspections for motorcycles, overturning the government's decision to drop the measure.