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Art not sex, dancers take a stand

Like geishas of Japan, they were connoisseurs of fine arts before status deteriorated under British rule

Sotheby's rebounds with a steady sale of contemporary art

Cheers of relief rang out on Wednesday as the hammer fell on the last lot of Sotheby's contemporary and postwar art auction, which met expectations and helped dim the memory of its shaky Impressionist and modern art sale just 48 hours earlier.

Pieces 'almost certainly' from missing plane

The jetliner from Malaysia vanished more than 2 years ago with 239 people on board

Italy joins rest of EU in recognizing gay unions despite church objections

Italy joined the rest of Europe on Wednesday in giving some legal rights to gay couples after a yearslong battle and opposition from the Catholic Church to anything that smacked of authorizing gay marriage.

Experts: Ancient sites not exposed to risk as in Syria, Iraq

Libya has not faced the same risk to its antiquities as Syria and Iraq, though there is evidence Islamic Sate is involved in the smuggling of antiquities, Libyan and international experts said on Wednesday.

Critics demand improvements at 'zoo of death'

So many animals have perished at Indonesia's biggest zoo that wildlife activists call it the "zoo of death" and are demanding an overhaul of its management.

Cannes opens amid heightened security, controversy

The 69th Cannes Film Festival opened on Wednesday with stormy skies, heightened security, the premiere of a new Woody Allen film and resurrected sex abuse allegations against the 80-year-old director regarding his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow.

US activates missile defense site, angering Moscow

Kremlin says NATO is trying to encircle it close to the strategically important Black Sea

Streamed suicide on social media leads to inquiry

French authorities have opened an investigation after a teenager allegedly live-streamed video of her suicide on the popular app Periscope.

Nation tense as policemen block demonstration against president

Riot policemen fired tear gas to head off a protest march on Wednesday by opponents of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, who are demanding a referendum on removing him from office.

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