Fertilizers poison tap water in California

In California's Central Valley, where verdant fields of fruit and vegetables unfurl under sunny skies, the water that feeds them - and flows into taps across the region - contains a toxic and silent poison.

'Children's cafeterias' combat poverty, neglect

Laughter and lively chatter filled a room at a modest apartment in Tokyo one recent Thursday night as more than two dozen kids and volunteers gathered around tables laden with curry, rice, salad and fruits.

Frenchman throws epic tantrum during hitchhike

A French hitchhiker who flew into a rage after spending four days unsuccessfully trying to thumb a ride out of a small New Zealand town pleaded guilty to criminal damage on Tuesday.

Investigators seek NY attack motive

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was arrested on Monday in Linden, New Jersey, following a dramatic gunbattle with police after they were summoned by a neighborhood bar owner who thought the bearded man sleeping against his closed tavern's front door in the pouring rain resembled the bombing suspect.

Orphaned koala finds toy friend

An orphaned baby koala in Australia has found solace cuddling a fluffy toy marsupial in the absence of his mother as he recovers from the trauma of her death.

Google faces investigation over possible unpaid taxes

Indonesia's tax office will investigate Alphabet Inc's Google for suspected unpaid taxes from billions of dollars worth of advertising revenue, a senior Finance Ministry official said on Thursday.

FARC guerrilla raps in jungle for peace

John Esteban Perez was 13 when he joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels in Colombia. Now 26, he has spent half his life as a guerrilla.

Cease-fire deal falters amid deadly strikes on aid convoy

Syria's cease-fire has faltered further after an aid convoy was hit by airstrikes, with a monitoring group saying at least 12 people were killed in the attack, mostly truck drivers and Red Crescent workers.

Battered by conflict, wheat crop halved this year to new low

Syria's wheat harvest nearly halved to 1.3 million tons this year, the lowest in 27 years, as fighting and poor rainfall further degraded the farming sector and the nation's ability to feed itself.

Thousands flee migrant camp fire

Thousands of migrants were forced to flee to safety on Monday when their camp on the Greek island of Lesbos was badly damaged in a fire apparently set on purpose, police said.

Video shows unarmed man had hands up before police shooting

An unarmed black man killed by a white Oklahoma officer who was responding to a stalled vehicle can be seen in police video walking away from officers and toward his SUV with his hands up before he approaches the driver's side door, where he drops to the ground after being shocked with a stun gun then fatally shot.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)