Stradivarius violin fetches record $16m

2011-06-22 07:56:22

A rare Stradivarius violin that once belonged to the granddaughter of English poet Lord Byron sold for a record 9.8 million pounds ($15.9 million) at auction on Monday in a charity sale for Japanese disaster relief.

Tritium leaks found at many nuke sites

2011-06-21 18:07:27

Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of US commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Lost way? Antarctic penguin makes rare NZ stop

2011-06-21 17:59:41

A young Emperor penguin took a rare wrong turn from the Antarctic and ended up stranded on a New Zealand beach _ the first time in 44 years the aquatic bird has been sighted in the South Pacific country.

Hitting power line may cause Russia aircrash

2011-06-21 16:21:12

Russian authorities said Tuesday the cause of Monday's crash of a Tu-134 passenger plane may be that the plane had hit a power line while landing, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.

400 Brits claim world record in naked bathing

2011-06-21 11:43:16

Almost 400 men run naked into sea during an theme activity called Midsummer Skinny Dip at Llangennith Beach near Rhossili, United Kindom on June 19, 2011.

Rallies grow as New York weighs gay marriage vote

2011-06-21 11:07:30

Hundreds of raucous demonstrators on both sides of the divisive gay-marriage debate jammed the usually sedate halls of New York state's Capitol on Monday as lawmakers considered whether to schedule a decisive vote on the issue.

Obama says he strongly backs Israel

2011-06-21 10:35:23

US President Barack Obama reassured Jewish donors on Monday he strongly supports Israel, stressing close ties between the United States and the Jewish state, but also emphasizing that changes in the Middle East will require a fresh look at the region.

Egypt's ex-president Mubarak 'has cancer'

2011-06-21 09:58:06

Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak is suffering from cancer, his defence lawyer said on Monday, citing a medical report to assess whether the former leader is fit enough to face trial.

Monroe's legendary dress sells for $4.6m

2011-06-21 07:57:55

The legendary white dress seen billowing under Marilyn Monroe in an iconic image of 1950s Hollywood has sold at auction for $4.6 million, shattering estimates.

Galliano to court over racist tirades

2011-06-21 07:57:55

John Galliano faces charges in a French court on Wednesday that he began spouting racist tirades at a Paris bar, which the fallen superstar designer blames on drug and alcohol addiction.

Tunisian Ben Ali gets 35 years in jail

2011-06-21 06:35:59

Former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi were sentenced in absentia to 35 years each in prison, Tunisian television said Monday evening.