Legal shield may be limited for US base staff

Some US civilians working on military bases in Japan are likely to lose their protected legal status under planned changes announced on Tuesday, as anger rages over the rape and murder of a local woman.

Hot dog-eating champ tastes victory again

Legendary competitive eater Joey "Jaws" Chestnut wolfed down a record 70 hot dogs - buns and all - in just 10 minutes on Monday to reclaim his crown at an annual New York competition.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

'Nothing will change' after attack in Istanbul

11 more foreigners arrested for suspicion of being members of Islamic State cell linked to bombers

Exercise to improve mutual understanding

Under a sunny sky on Thursday morning, the five Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy ships docking respectively at Piers 7 and 8 of Pearl Harbor look shiny.

Election seen as dead heat, minor parties are likely power brokers

Australia braced for an election that was too close to call on Friday, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warning of economic chaos if his gamble on an early poll backfires and leaves him without the outright majority he needs to enact major reforms.

Politics in chaos as Johnson quits race for leadership

The British public, already rocked by the narrow referendum vote to leave the European Union, was further shocked as former London mayor Boris Johnson, one of the leaders of the narrowly successful "Leave" campaign, defied predictions and said he would not stand as a candidate to replace Prime Minister David Cameron, who is resigning.

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Rosetta to give 'final kiss' to comet

Swansong announced as trailblazing space laboratory starts to run low on energy

Fidel Castro's birthplace sees rise in visitors

At the end of a dirt road lined with fields of sugar cane, royal palms and tropical fruit trees, a cluster of wooden houses painted in brilliant yellow, blue and white draws thousands of Cuban and international tourists a year.

Schoolchildren learn lessons in cave

Syrian student Ali Khaled Stouf has to walk down several steps into a hole in the ground to get inside his school - a cave.

Rio Olympic gold not what it seems

Ask athletes what goes into Olympic gold medals, and they will likely say sweat and years of training. For Brazil's National Mint the answer is simpler: recycled silver.