Xi greets Queen's envoy in Cook Islands

President Xi Jinping has sent a message to Tom Marsters, congratulating him on his reappointment as Queen's Representative in the Cook Islands.

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'Catastrophic' Dorian pounding Bahamas

In a slow, relentless advance, catastrophic Hurricane Dorian kept pounding the northern Bahamas early on Monday. One of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded left wrecked homes, shredded roofs, tumbled cars and toppled power poles in its wake.

Italy's Conte confident of finalizing talks over new govt

MILAN - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday he expected to finalize talks to form a new government by Wednesday, as the 5-Star Movement and Democratic Party held intense discussions over the weekend to hammer out a deal on a common agenda and Cabinet posts.

Latest violence raises toll in US shootings in August to 53

The seven people killed near Odessa, Texas, by a gunman brings the number of victims of US mass killings by firearms to 53 in the month of August.

Germany's far-rightists gain in state elections

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, surged in last weekend's elections in two eastern states, preliminary results show, though the center-right and center-left winners will still outnumber the right despite their parties' decline in popularity.

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5 dead, 21 hurt in Texas shooting

WASHINGTON - A gunman hijacked a US postal truck and opened fire at random in the US state of Texas on Saturday, shooting dead at least five people and wounding many others before dying in a shootout with officers.

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Reef 's future is 'very poor'

In its latest five-yearly report on the health of the world's largest coral reef system, the government's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority singled out rising sea temperatures as the biggest threat to the giant organism.

Defying gravity in Norway's 'death diving'

OSLO, Norway - They throw themselves into the air, twisting their bodies and seemingly making time stand still, before landing with a splash: Originally a pastime to impress girls, Norway's sport of "death diving" now attracts dozens of daredevils.

Asians to be affected if NYC drops gifted school programs

New York City's public-school system is the largest and among the most segregated in the United States.