Mass adoption event saves small dogs in Vancouver

VANCOUVER - A small airplane came to a halt on Saturday outside the hangar at the Vancouver International Airport, where about 100 people stood at the edge of the tarmac watching and waiting.

Traditional carpet weaving in Iraq unravels

AL-HAMZA, Iraq - In the shadow of the Imam Hamza mosque in the region of the ancient kingdom of Babylon, a carpet market that was once bustling is now almost empty.

Cuban dance lives on ... in Mexico

VERACRUZ/HAVANA, Mexico - Glowing in a yellow lace dress, Carolina Salinas fans herself languidly while the band burns through the sultry rhythms of the "danzon", Cuba's national dance.

Volunteers find 2,500-year-old coin collection in drawer at English castle

LONDON - A vast collection of old coins from far-flung locations across the globe, including Syria and China, has been discovered tucked away in a drawer in a castle in the United Kingdom.

Spain seeks arrest of Catalan leader

MADRID - A Spanish judge was set on Friday to issue an arrest warrant for Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont over his region's contested independence drive, in a move likely to further escalate tensions in Spain's worst political crisis in decades.

Attack victims honored as investigators seek answers

NEW YORK - The eight people killed in a truck driver's rampage were honored by friends and strangers on Thursday with a nighttime walk down the riverfront esplanade where the victims died as both investigators and terror-weary New Yorkers tried to make sense of the crime.

New great ape species found in Indonesia

JAKARTA - A new species of orangutan has been discovered in the remote jungles of Indonesia, immediately becoming the world's most endangered great ape, researchers said Thursday.

Trump plumps for 'safe pick' Powell to oversee economy

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced his nomination of Jerome Powell to chair the Federal Reserve, a replacement who is widely expected to stay the course on monetary policy.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Boom time for UK trade with China

Companies 'ahead of the curve' as investment shifts further inland

Tourists enchanted by Malaysian hot spot's three-wheel wonders

MALACCA, Malaysia - Decked out with flashing lights and cartoon characters, with loud music pumping, rickety bicycle rickshaws have become a hit with tourists visiting the historic Malaysian city of Malacca.

Japanese firms hit by quality-control crisis

A series of leading Japanese manufacturers have been mired in recent quality scandals, damaging the once-revered "Made in Japan" reputation and reflecting a lack of supervision on a national level.