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S.African anti-apartheid activists sue govt over lack of justice

Twenty-five families of victims and survivors of apartheid-era crimes are suing the South African government over a "gross failure" to investigate and prosecute perpetrators, said the rights group representing victims on Thursday.

Cocaine seizures in Rotterdam down sharply

Europe's largest port Rotterdam saw a significant decrease in cocaine smuggled through its gates last year, Dutch law authorities said Thursday, citing increased security measures and stronger international cooperation.

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Biden commutes sentences for 37 of 40 federal death row inmates

US President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the death sentences of 37 of 40 federal inmates, taking action ahead of the return of Donald Trump who oversaw a sweeping number of lethal injections during his first term.

Police arrest suspect who set woman on fire in New York subway

New York City police arrested a man suspected of setting fire to a woman on the subway in Brooklyn who died from the incident, authorities said, calling it "one of the most depraved crimes" a person could commit.

China vows 'cooperation' over ship linked to severed Baltic Sea cables

Beijing on Monday promised to continue "cooperation" with regional authorities over a Chinese ship linked to the recent severing of two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

Afghan bread, the humble centrepiece of every meal

Every day before dawn, Jamil Ghafori gets to work on the floor of a cramped Kabul bakery with five other men churning out thousands of traditional flatbreads -- the staple of every Afghan meal.

'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying

A US health boss's murder sparked a torrent of online misinformation and calls for violence against other executives, suggesting a failure of social media moderation that analysts fear could translate into real-world harms.

Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds

Rome's famous Trevi Fountain reopened Sunday following a three-month clean-up, but visitors will for now be limited to 400 to avoid the crowds of the past, said the city's mayor.

Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza

Pope Francis doubled down Sunday on his condemnation of Israel's strikes on the Gaza Strip, denouncing their "cruelty" for the second time in as many days despite Israel accusing him of "double standards".

Death toll in Brazil bus crash rises to 41

Authorities on Sunday raised to 41 the death toll in a weekend bus crash in southeastern Brazil that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a "terrible tragedy."

Germany pledges security inquest after Christmas market attack

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government on Sunday pledged to investigate whether security services could have prevented the Christmas market car-ramming attack that killed five people and injured over 200.

Cyclone Chido death toll rises to 94 in Mozambique

Cyclone Chido killed at least 94 people in Mozambique in its deadly rampage through the Indian Ocean last week, the country's disaster management agency said Sunday, raising a previous death toll of 76.

Angry questions in Germany after Christmas market attack

The German government faced growing questions Sunday about whether more could have been done to prevent the Christmas market car-ramming attack that killed five people and injured over 200.

Large earthquake hits battered Vanuatu

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake rattled buildings on Vanuatu's main island early Sunday but did not appear to have caused major damage, five days after a more powerful quake wreaked havoc and killed 12 people.

Strong quake strikes off battered Vanuatu

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake rattled buildings on Vanuatu's main island early Sunday but did not appear to have caused major damage, just days after a massive, deadly quake wreaked havoc on the Pacific archipelago.

Calls for more safety measures after Croatia school stabbings

Teachers and parents on Saturday condemned the lack of security at schools in Croatia, a day after a stabbing spree in the Croatian capital Zagreb in which a seven-year-old was killed and four others wounded.

At least 38 die in bus accident in southeastern Brazil

At least 38 people were killed in a bus crash in southeastern Brazil on Saturday, officials said, in what President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a "terrible tragedy."

At least 32 die in bus accident in southeastern Brazil

At least thirty two people were killed in a bus crash in southeastern Brazil on Saturday, officials said, adding that the death toll could still rise.

Chinese ship linked to severed Baltic Sea cables sets sail

A Chinese ship linked to the recent severing of two undersea cables and anchored off Denmark's coast since November 19, departed Saturday, Sweden's coast guard said.

Google counters bid by US to force sale of Chrome

Google late Friday countered a US call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the firm from making favorable treatment of its software a condition of licensing.

Saudi man arrested after deadly car attack on German Christmas market

German police arrested a Saudi Arabian man after a deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market Friday in which an SUV barrelled through a crowd of revellers at high speed, leaving a trail of bloody carnage.

French court hands down heavy sentences in teacher beheading trial

A French court on Friday handed heavy sentences to several men convicted of having played a role in the jihadist beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty in 2020 -- a murder that horrified France.

Inter-American Court rules Colombia drilling violated native rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled Friday that Colombia had violated the rights of the U'wa Indigenous people by authorizing oil, gas and mining projects on their ancestral lands.

US diplomats meet with Syria's new ruler

US diplomats met with Syria's new ruler on Friday, an official told AFP, as outside powers seek assurances the country's Islamist-led authorities will be moderate and inclusive.

Seven-year-old dies in stabbing attack at Croatia school

A seven-year-old pupil was killed and several others injured in a stabbing attack at a school in the Croatian capital Zagreb on Friday, with a 19-year-old man arrested as a suspect, authorities said.

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

French court to issue verdict in teacher beheading trial

A French court on Friday was expected to deliver a verdict against eight people charged in connection with the jihadist beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty in 2020, a murder that horrified France.

Italy's Salvini defiant as verdict due in migrant trial

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was defiant Friday as he arrived for the verdict in his long-running trial for blocking a migrant rescue ship at sea, for which he risks six years in jail.

Malaysia agrees to resume search for missing MH370 plane

Malaysia announced on Friday it has agreed to launch a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago in one of aviation's greatest enduring mysteries.

'You always feel vulnerable': Britons impacted by no-fault evictions

Sitting by the fireplace in her house in the south of England, Jackie Bennett recalls the shock she felt when she received out-of-the-blue an eviction notice giving her just two months to move out.

Cod is king in Portugal at Christmas

Salt cod has long been a national staple in Portugal, where it is said there are as many recipes for this humble fish as there are days in the year.

Macron extends visit cyclone-hit Mayotte after locals vent anger

French President Emmanuel Macron extended his visit to cyclone-devastated Mayotte on Friday after angry residents vented exasperation and despair over the scale of the disaster.

Rescuers extend search for Vanuatu quake survivors

Rescuers say they have expanded a search for survivors in quake-rocked Vanuatu to "numerous places of collapse" beyond the stricken capital, as the reported death toll climbed to 10.

Bride, groom, spy: India's wedding detectives

From an anonymous office in a New Delhi mall, matrimonial detective Bhavna Paliwal runs the rule over prospective husbands and wives -- a booming industry in India, where younger generations are increasingly choosing love matches over arranged marriage.

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