IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Afghan conflict could be deadlier than Syria

KABUL - The Afghan conflict could overtake Syria as the deadliest conflict in the world this year, analysts said, as violence surges 17 years after the United States-led invasion.

Indian man fills potholes out of love for dead son

MUMBAI - Dadarao Bilhore smoothes the road surface, rests his shovel, looks to the sky and prays for his son, one of thousands of Indians killed every year in accidents caused by potholes.

VW to end making iconic Beetle next year

DETROIT - Volkswagen said on Thursday it would stop producing its Beetle compact car in 2019, ending a model that looked back to the 1960s counterculture as the automaker prepares for a leap toward a future of mass-market electric cars.

Disasters highlight Japan's vulnerability

TOKYO - Flooded runways, thousands of passengers stranded and a tanker smashing into an access bridge: Last week's typhoon in Japan highlighted the vulnerability of Kansai Airport which serves a region with an economy bigger than Belgium's.

Afghanistan's Chaplin aims to make people smile

KABUL - Afghanistan's Charlie Chaplin says he has witnessed suicide attacks, explosions and threats from extremist groups, but is determined to waddle and bumble to fulfill the primary goal of his life.

Kung fu skill helps light up life path

Like any other boy, Jason Luo wanted to be strong, so he started practicing kung fu eight years ago. As he grows, he finds that he has honed skills that can help prepare him for the future.

Cuban pilots relive China memories

HAVANA - "Going to China to become a pilot fulfilled a yearning, so now I dream of returning there," said Henry Perez, a retired colonel of Cuba's air force, when he recalled his training experience in China.

Period pianos evoke sounds of Chopin

WARSAW, Poland - A rare collection of historic grand pianos emits the authentic but forgotten sounds that transport the audience at a celebrated new music competition in Poland back to the times of Frederic Chopin.

Champagne in space: Zero-G bottle lets tourists drink bubbly

PARIS - Future space tourists may be able to toast the view from orbit with fine champagne, after designers came up with a high-tech bottle made for knocking back bubbly in zero gravity.

Chinese treasures go on block in auctions

Chinese fine paintings, archaic bronzes, sculptures and ceramics were scheduled to go under the hammer at Christie's and Sotheby's Asia week auctions in New York this week.

World urged to alter crisis course

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appealed for stronger leadership and ambition from the international community to reverse the impact of climate change, "a direct existential threat" at what he said was "a defining moment".