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Four elite Brazil officers arrested over alleged 2022 Lula murder plot

Brazilian police arrested four senior army officers on Tuesday over an alleged plot to assassinate then President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a 2022 "coup."

'You will die in lies!': daughter clashes with father at French rape trial

The daughter of the French man standing trial for enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily-sedated wife on Tuesday clashed with her father at his trial, shouting in the courtroom that he would "die in lies".

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Climate change behind extreme Amazon drought: study

Climate change was the chief driver of the devastating drought that gripped the Amazon last year, say researchers, as warming threatens one of the world's most important ecosystems for stabilising the global climate.

Austrian court approves transfer of incest rapist Fritzl

An Austrian court on Thursday approved the transfer of Josef Fritzl -- an incest rapist who fathered seven children with his daughter he locked in a cellar for over 24 years -- from a special security unit to a regular jail.

Colombia declares emergency over raging forest fires

Colombia has declared a state of emergency in two regions as dozens of forest fires burned wide swathes of the country and left the capital choking on smoke during record temperatures linked with the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Big deal or small beer? Saudi debates first store for booze

The news that Saudi Arabia will allow its first alcohol shop has citizens and foreigners alike mulling one question: is this a minor policy tweak, or a major upheaval?

US approves inspection program to return Boeing 737 MAX to service

US regulators approved a detailed inspection framework that would allow the return to service of Boeing 737 MAX planes grounded after an emergency landing earlier this month, officials said Wednesday.

Alabama to carry out first nitrogen gas execution

A convicted murderer is scheduled to be executed in the southern US state of Alabama this week using nitrogen gas, a novel method that the United Nations has likened to "torture."

Forest fires burn in Colombia amid record heat

At least 21 forest fires are burning in Colombia as it endures record temperatures, in some cases prompting wild animals to seek shelter in urban areas, authorities said Wednesday.

Guatemala AG refuses to resign after campaign against new president

Guatemala's attorney-general, who new President Bernardo Arevalo accuses of involvement in a plot to undo his election, snubbed a meeting with the head of state Wednesday and said she refused to resign.

UAE sued in $2.8bn US lawsuit over 'dark PR' disinformation op

The United Arab Emirates and its powerful ruler were sued in a Washington court Wednesday, accused of bankrolling a "dark public relations" operation that falsely linked an American oil trader to terrorist financing.

Polish government to propose easing tough abortion restrictions

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday his government will propose legislation to liberalise a near-total abortion ban and ease restrictions on the morning-after pill, which would dramatically reverse the previous administration's policies.

Deadly Johannesburg fire began as murder cover-up, inquiry hears

A Johannesburg drug user has admitted setting fire to a crowded housing block to cover up a murder, triggering a blaze that killed 77 people, AFP learned on Wednesday.

EU ports join up to fight drug smuggling

The EU on Wednesday launches a "European Ports Alliance" to harmonise methods in the fight against drug smuggling and to combat the hubs' infiltration by criminal groups.

Heavens remain shut over Catalonia as three-year drought persists

Although Atlantic storms regularly sweep through Spain they always seem to peter out before reaching Catalonia, which is experiencing its worst drought in living memory and may soon have to restrict water use.

Six killed in Mongolia gas explosion

Six people were killed and over a dozen injured in Mongolia's capital Wednesday after a truck carrying gas collided with a car, causing a huge explosion that sent flames soaring into the night sky.

Thai court reinstates reformist ex-PM candidate Pita as MP

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday cleared thwarted prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat in a case that could have seen him banned from politics, reinstating him as an MP.

6 killed, 14 injured in Mongolia gas explosion

Six people were killed and 14 injured in a gas explosion caused by a vehicle crash in Mongolia's capital on Wednesday, authorities said.

EU probes Lufthansa's proposed buy of ITA stake

The EU's powerful antitrust authority opened an in-depth investigation on Tuesday into German airline Lufthansa's proposed stake in Italy's ITA Airways, over fears it could hurt competition.

Colombia's deadly case of Tinder and the memory-erasing drug

All Israeli expat Omer Bloch knows for sure about his Tinder date in the Colombian city of Medellin is that she was "beautiful" -- and used a powerful drug to knock him out and rob him.

31 dead in southwest China landslide

The death toll from a landslide that struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China reached 31 on Tuesday, state media said, as rescuers raced to find those still trapped under the debris.

Woman dies when car rams French farmers' roadblock

A car rammed into a roadblock put up by protesting farmers in southwestern France on Tuesday, killing a woman and seriously injuring her husband and teenage daughter stationed there.

25 dead in southwest China landslide

The death toll from a landslide that struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China reached 25 on Tuesday, state media said, as rescuers raced to find those still trapped under the debris.

Amazon's French warehouses fined over employee surveillance

France's data protection agency said Tuesday that it had fined Amazon's French warehouses unit 32 million euros ($34.9 million) for an "excessively intrusive" surveillance system to keep track of staff performance.

Dutch reporter murder suspects on trial

The trial began on Tuesday of nine suspects in the murder of high-profile Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, whose killing stunned the Netherlands and spotlighted the country's drug gang underworld.

Twenty dead in southwest China landslide

The death toll from a landslide that struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China reached 20 on Tuesday, state media said, as rescuers raced to find those still trapped under the debris.

Xi's corruption crackdown targets embattled finance sector

Xi Jinping's crackdown on official corruption has ripped through a secretive missile force, the Communist Party elite, the national football team, and now risks hammering a finance industry already grappling with an economic slowdown.

Amazon French warehouses unit fined 32 million euros

France's data protection agency said Tuesday it had fined Amazon's French warehouse management unit 32 million euros ($34.9 million) for an "excessively intrusive" surveillance system to monitor staff performance.

'Pokemon with Guns' proves a blast

The makers of a video game dismissed as "Pokemon with Guns" when it was announced said Monday the game has proved a hit, with "Palworld" selling more than five million copies in just three days.

League of Legends maker Riot Games to slash 530 jobs

League of Legends maker Riot Games said Monday it will cut around 530 jobs worldwide, describing the layoffs as "a necessity."

Trump rallies supporters on eve of expected New Hampshire triumph

Donald Trump held a final rally Monday in New Hampshire on the eve of the primary where polls show him likely to trounce the sole remaining challenger, Nikki Haley, for the Republican presidential nomination.

Ecuador nabs wanted narco, president says crackdown bearing fruit

Ecuador on Monday announced the arrest of a wanted cocaine trafficker from neighboring Colombia, as President Daniel Noboa said his government's crackdown on gang violence was starting to bear fruit.

Race to find dozens trapped in southwest China landslide

Rescuers raced Tuesday to find dozens of people still trapped after a landslide struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China, killing 11.

Possible death sentence awaited in Japan anime arson trial

A Japanese man who admitted starting a fire that killed 36 people at an anime studio in 2019 faces a possible death sentence on Thursday when a court delivers its verdict.

Major earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, injuring at least three people.

Trial over murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay starts jury selection

Jury selection began Monday in the trial over the murder of Jam Master Jay, the innovative Run-DMC DJ who was killed in his Queens studio two decades ago.

Major 7.0 earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border

A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck along the China-Kyrgyzstan border on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey reported, warning of potentially widespread damage.

Activists decry Tibet 'cultural genocide' ahead of China rights review

Activists accused China of seeking to "erase" Tibetan cultural and religious identities, urging a review of Beijing's rights record at the UN on Tuesday to focus on its "cultural genocide" in the region.

Colombia guerrilla leader captured in Ecuador

The leader of a Colombian rebel group that rejected a 2016 peace deal and is involved in the cocaine trade has been arrested in drug violence-torn Ecuador, police said Monday.

'Lonely' giraffe in Mexico begins long journey to new home

A "lonely" giraffe living in harsh conditions in northern Mexico is heading to a safari park to begin a new life after a campaign by animal rights activists.

Dozens buried, eight killed in southwest China landslide

Dozens of people were buried and eight confirmed killed when a landslide struck a remote and mountainous part of southwestern China on Monday.

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