Attack amid Ebola crisis stalls efforts

JOHANNESBURG - Rebels killed 15 civilians and abducted a dozen children in an attack at the epicenter of the latest deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a military source said on Sunday, as the violence again forced crucial virus-containment efforts to be suspended.

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Thousands of migrants cross border into Mexico

CIUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico - Despite Mexican efforts to stop them at the border, about 2,000 Central American migrants swam or rafted across a river separating the country from Guatemala, re-formed their mass caravan in Mexico and vowed to resume their journey toward the United States.

Viking ships in peril due to funding shortage

OSLO - Norway's famed Viking ships, considered part of the country's most iconic cultural heritage, are in danger of "total breakdown" due to lack of funding, experts have warned.

Elderly in the US opt to defy or delay retirement

WASHINGTON - They tidy the baggage carts in airports, they sell clothes or work as cashiers in supermarkets at an age when their peers have long ago retired.

Robots land in English lessons in Japan ahead of new curriculum

TOKYO - An increasing number of elementary schools are using robots and artificial intelligence in their English classes.

Delhi holds breath as burning farms herald pollution season

ISHARGARH, India - Harpal Singh struck a match and watched his fields burn, the acrid smoke drifting toward New Delhi, where a lethal smog cocktail is once again intensifying over the world's most polluted megacity.

Rural lodges promise tranquil paths into the life bucolic

SHANGHAI - It is the second day of China's weeklong National Day holiday and Lai Xingcai, owner of a countryside lodge in the outskirts of Shanghai, is busy receiving guests from downtown.

Shangri-La sponsors fundraiser for kids with hip dislocation

A bicycle riding charity event, co-launched by 30 Shangri-La hotels, kicks of on Saturday simultaneously in three Chinese cities to raise funds for 100 children with congenital hip dislocation.

Image raises profile of endangered monkey

A photograph of two golden snub-nosed monkeys has won top prize at this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, to the delight of primatologists who hope the image will raise awareness for this threatened Chinese species.

Official steps down over alleged misconduct

NEW DELHI - M.J. Akbar, India's junior external affairs minister, resigned on Wednesday amid accusations by 20 women of sexual harassment during his previous career as one of the country's most prominent news editors, becoming the most powerful man to fall in India's burgeoning #MeToo movement.

End of an era: Big Bird is flying the coop

NEW YORK - After nearly 50 years on Sesame Street, the actor who has brought Big Bird to life on the iconic children's television series since its debut in 1969 is retiring.