Italy launches massive relief effort

A devastating earthquake rocked central Italy early on Wednesday, collapsing homes on top of residents as they slept, killing dozens and leaving thousands homeless.

Secret data leak hits submarine maker

French defense contractor DCNS has been hit by a massive leak of secret data on its submarines likely to alarm India, Malaysia and Chile which use the boats, The Australian newspaper reported on Wednesday.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

New buses offer swift, clean transit

Sweaty passengers crammed into battered buses and stuck in traffic jams look on enviously as Tanzania's shiny new commuter buses fly by on the pristine asphalt of dedicated highway lanes.

Contemporary art hits Accra's streets

A satirical cartoon depicting a celebrity in Ghana schooling a British diplomat on how to speak pidgin English won laughter and praise from the crowd at a street festival in Accra.

Glacier monitoring expanded to reduce flooding threats

Pakistan will invest $8.5 million to expand a network of glacier monitoring stations tracking the pace of glacial melt in the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges, in an effort to strengthen early warning systems and reduce the impact of flooding.

Drugs likely came to Prince illegally

The disclosure that some pills found at Prince's Paisley Park home and studio were counterfeit and contained the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl strongly suggests the pills came to the superstar musician illegally.

S.R. Nathan, longest-serving president, dies

Sellapan Ramanathan, Singapore's president from 1999 to 2011, died on Monday at age 92, the government announced.

Concern grows worldwide over 'too many immigrants'

People throughout the world are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with immigration levels which are higher than any time since the World War II, according to a new survey published on Monday.

Tiger tourism expands despite raid on popular temple run by monks

Thailand's tiger tourism business is booming and the captive tiger population is growing fast, experts say, more than two months after Thai wildlife authorities found scores of dead cubs while rescuing animals from the popular Tiger Temple.

Tourists from US told to leave guns at home

A rash of gun-toting Americans visiting Canada prompted its border agency to launch a public awareness campaign on Monday reminding Americans about their northern neighbors' relatively strict firearms laws.

'Absolute beast' of a truffle unearthed in Victoria

An Australian has uncovered what is thought to be the largest black truffle ever discovered in the country, a 1.5 kilogram monster that could also be a world-beater.