'It looked like Armageddon:' Deadly blasts destroy homes

LAWRENCE, Massachusetts - A series of gas explosions an official described as "Armageddon" killed a teenager, injured at least 10 other people and ignited fires in at least 39 homes in three communities north of Boston on Thursday, forcing entire neighborhoods to evacuate as crews scrambled to fight the flames and shut off the gas.

Skripal suspects deny murder claim

MOSCOW - Two men accused by the United Kingdom of poisoning former Russian spy Sergei Skripal denied involvement in the murder attempt in an interview on Thursday that London dismissed as "an insult to the public's intelligence".

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.