Fortune hunters flock to Madagascar sapphire mines

The dusty figure is lowered slowly into the ground like a bucket into a well, armed with just a crowbar, a shovel and an old, unreliable headlamp.

Zuma's ex-wife given boost in South Africa leadership race

The chances of South African President Jacob Zuma's ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, becoming the next leader of the African National Congress were given a boost on Saturday with the endorsement of the ruling party's women's division.

Envoys appointed by Obama asked to quit

US president-elect Donald Trump's transition team has issued a blanket mandate requiring politically appointed ambassadors installed by President Barack Obama to leave their posts by Inauguration Day, the US ambassador to New Zealand said on Friday.

Japan to recall ambassador from Seoul over 'comfort women' statue

Japan said on Friday it was temporarily recalling its ambassador to South Korea over a statue commemorating Korean women forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II which it said violated an agreement to resolve the issue.

Four charged with hate crimes over beating shown on Facebook

Four African-Americans accused of attacking an 18-year-old man with special needs while making anti-white racial taunts and broadcasting the assault on Facebook were charged with hate crimes in Illinois on Thursday.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Look atme! selfies of the year

The world's self-portrait fixation continued in 2016, the CNN selects its favorites.

Derailment probe' could take days'

It could take days before it is known why a Long Island Rail Road train crashed at the end of a platform as it pulled into a major transportation hub, injuring 100 people, federal transportation investigators said.

Lone master of metal keeps the fire burning on blacksmith street

Sitting before a bright orange flame, Vietnamese blacksmith Nguyen Phuong Hung prods a fire pit with a long metal rod before he hammers, bends and contorts glowing steel into a giant drill bit.

Japan's 'Tuna King' continues reign with $636,000 bluefin win

Japan's self-styled "Tuna King" has done it again - paying more than $600,000 for a single fish.

Why growing number of artists shun the limelight

"I love being famous," the black US comedian Chris Rock once quipped. "It's almost like being white."

'Flying car' drone moves closer to delivery

After 15 years of development, an Israeli tech firm is optimistic it will finally get its 1.5 metric ton passenger carrying drone off the ground and into the market by 2020.