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'Epic' winter storm wallops US, leaving 1.5 mn without power
Nearly a million-and-a-half US power customers were in the dark Friday as a severe winter storm walloped the country, causing highway closures and thousands of flight cancelations days before Christmas.
Chilean firefighters battle to contain devastating blaze
Chilean firefighters battled Friday to contain a devastating blaze that ravaged scores of homes in a coastal resort city, killing two people.
Attack on Kurds in Paris revives trauma of unresolved murders
Furious Kurdish demonstrators clashed with police in central Paris on Friday after a deadly attack on a community centre which has revived the trauma of three unresolved murders in 2013 that many blame on Turkey.
Spain border police absolved of Melilla migrant deaths
Spain's public prosecutor closed an investigation Friday into the deaths of at least 23 African migrants trying to cross from Morocco into Melilla, one of its two North African enclaves.
70 percent of US under winter warning as freeze hits
A historic and brutal winter storm put some 240 million Americans under weather warnings Friday as the United States faced holiday travel chaos, with thousands of flights canceled and major highways closed.
Serial killer Charles Sobhraj tells AFP 'I am innocent'
Charles Sobhraj told AFP in an exclusive interview on Friday that he was no serial killer and that he was innocent of the two murders that he served almost 20 years for in Nepal.
Chilean official says huge fire to be controlled by Friday
A Chilean official on Friday said a huge fire in the seaside resort of Vina del Mar should be controlled by the end of the day, as he provided a revised estimate of death, injury and damage.
70 percent of US under storm warning as deep freeze hits
A historic and brutal winter storm put some 240 million Americans under severe weather warnings Friday as the United States faced holiday travel chaos, with thousands of flights cancelled and major highways closed.
Three dead after shooting at Kurdish centre in Paris
A 69-year-old gunman opened fire at a Kurdish cultural centre and a hairdressing salon in central Paris on Friday, killing three people and injuring three others, witnesses and prosecutors said.
'Serpent' serial killer Charles Sobhraj freed, deported to France
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, responsible for multiple murders in the 1970s across Asia, was heading to France on Friday after being freed following almost 20 years in a Nepali prison.
Paris shooting kills two, wounds four: prosecutor
A 69-year-old gunman opened fire at a Kurdish cultural centre and hairdressing salon in central Paris on Friday, killing two people and injuring four others, witnesses and prosecutors said.
'Serpent' serial killer Charles Sobhraj freed in Nepal
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, responsible for multiple murders in the 1970s across Asia, was freed on Friday after spending almost 20 years in a Nepali prison.
Turkish doctor on 'terror' trial over chemical arms comment
The head of the Turkish Doctors' Union went on trial Friday on "terror" charges linked to her calls for a probe into the army's alleged use of chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters in Iraq.
Shell to pay 15 mn euros to Nigerian farmers over pollution
Shell said Friday it will pay 15 million euros to Nigerian farmers to compensate them for damage from pipeline leaks.
Two dead, 400 homes damaged in Chilean seaside resort town fire
At least two people died and some 400 homes have been damaged or destroyed in a fire that broke out Thursday in the Chilean seaside resort of Vina del Mar, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency.
Suspect 'got' $8,000 for killing Paraguayan prosecutor on honeymoon
A suspect in the murder of a Paraguayan anti-drug prosecutor shot dead while honeymooning on a Caribbean island has confessed to accepting $8,000 for the execution-style killing, Venezuela said Thursday.
Suspect says paid $8,000 for killing Paraguayan prosecutor on honeymoon
A suspect in the murder of a Paraguayan anti-drug prosecutor shot dead while honeymooning on a Caribbean island has confessed to accepting $8,000 for the execution-style killing, Venezuela said Thursday.
MEP in Qatar-linked graft case denied pre-trial release
A Greek MEP, Eva Kaili, was ordered Thursday to stay in detention in Belgium over corruption allegations linked to Qatar that have rocked the European Parliament, prosecutors said.
French railways face 100-mn-euro bill over Christmas strike
France's railways face a 100-million-euro ($106-million) bill over a Christmas rail strike organised by ticket inspectors without union backing which has caused a major backlash from travellers, a minister said on Thursday.
Spain approves trans rights bill that has split the left
Lawmakers on Thursday passed a transgender rights bill allowing anyone 16 and over to change gender on their ID card, putting Spain on track to becoming one of the few countries to allow transgender people to change their status with a simple declaration.
MEP in Qatar-linked graft case protests innocence
A Greek MEP at the centre of a graft scandal rocking the European Parliament and linked to Qatar protested her innocence in a Belgian court on Thursday and asked to be released from detention.
Afghan women stage street protest against university ban
A small group of Afghan women staged a defiant protest in Kabul on Thursday against a Taliban order banning them from universities, an activist said, adding that some were arrested.
Bankman-Fried extradited to US to face fraud charges over FTX collapse
FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrived in the United States from the Bahamas in FBI custody on Wednesday, US media reported, facing criminal fraud charges after the spectacular collapse of the crypto exchange.
'Serpent' serial killer expected to be released in Nepal
French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who committed a string of murders across Asia in the 1970s and was portrayed in the Netflix series "The Serpent", was expected to walk free from prison in Nepal on Thursday.
Crypto firm Binance endures wild weeks in wake of FTX collapse
Even by the extreme standards of cryptocurrency trading, the past few weeks have been a wild ride for Binance, the world's biggest exchange for crypto assets.
Belgium court to rule on MEP's detention in graft case
A Belgian court will decide on Thursday whether to keep a Greek MEP in jail pending trial on corruption charges in a graft scandal linked to Qatar that has rocked the European Parliament.
Bahamas orders Bankman-Fried extradited to face US fraud charges
The Bahamas ordered Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of collapsed cryptocurrency business FTX, to be extradited Wednesday to face charges of fraud in New York.
Argentine ex-policeman jailed for student's disappearance in 1976
A former Argentine police officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for the torture and disappearance of a student 46 years ago under the South American country's last military dictatorship.
I.Coast seeks life for four suspects over 2016 attack
An Ivory Coast prosecutor Wednesday urged life in jail for four suspects over one of West Africa's bloodiest jihadist attacks -- a 2016 machine-gun assault on a beach resort that killed 19.
Chicken tikka masala inventor dies aged 77
A chef from Glasgow, who claims to have invented the curry dish chicken tikka masala, has died at the age of 77, a family member told AFP on Wednesday.
Lean times: Rio Santas line up for nourishing gifts. For themselves
Better known for giving than receiving, Rio de Janeiro's Santas have been lining up for gifts for themselves: food parcels to help them through pandemic lean times.
Nepal court orders release of serial killer Charles 'The Serpent' Sobhraj
Nepal's top court ordered on Wednesday the release and deportation of Charles Sobhraj, the French serial killer portrayed in the Netflix series "The Serpent" who was responsible for a string of murders across Asia in the 1970s.