Hundreds of thousands in Barcelona unity rally

BARCELONA, Spain - Hundreds of thousands who want Catalonia to remain part of Spain rallied in downtown Barcelona on Sunday, two days after a separatist majority in Catalonia's parliament exacerbated a political crisis by voting for the wealthy region to secede.

Lions, chimps, sharks get added protection

MANILA - Lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, leopards and a wide variety of sharks received added protection at a UN wildlife conference in the Philippines, organizers said.

Islamists attack Somali hotel, killing at least 29

MOGADISHU, Somalia - An Islamist attack on a hotel in Mogadishu ended on Sunday after 29 people were killed during a siege lasting nearly 12 hours, police said.

Strong winds batter Central Europe

PRAGUE/BERLIN - Strong winds battered Central Europe on Sunday, reaching 180 kilometers an hour in the Czech Republic, where two people were killed by falling trees.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Cool And Friendly

Italian luxury brand Bulgari offers an emotional experience in China's capital, Chen Jie reports.

Four Seasons delivers fine dining, with art on the side

Ham and beer may be common items on many Chinese menus, but what about ham and floriculture? Ham and oil painting? Ham and Affogato?

AccorHotels adapts new growth strategy

With an explosive number of high-end hotels opening in China, the country's luxury hospitality market is approaching saturation, increasing the competition between famous brands.

Abe still vulnerable despite vote victory

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's dominance of the political scene will probably carry on after his ruling camp won a two-thirds "supermajority" in Sunday's lower house election, local analysts said.

No dog's life for elderly animals

SINGAPORE - Kima the cheetah lies unconscious on an operating table while blood samples are taken and a monitor beeps in the background, being treated not for the results of a savage attack, but for the ravages of old age.

Professionals in need to avoid 'disaster'

LONDON - Africa needs 11 million more doctors, nurses and teachers by 2030 to prevent a "social and economic disaster" that could propel millions to migrate, the United Nations said on Thursday.

Shrews it or lose it: A critter's shrinking skull

WASHINGTON - It is not the taming of the shrew, but rather the shrinking of the shrew.