VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Human remains have been discovered at a Rome property owned by the Vatican, the Holy See said Tuesday, in a potential breakthrough for police investigating one of Italy's darkest mysteries."During restoration works in a space annexed to the Apostolic Nunciature of Italy... fragments of human bone were found," the Vatican said in a statement, in reference to the diplomatic office of the Holy See in Rome.A police investigation is underway to establish the age and gender of th

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Renowned Hong Kong author Louis Cha, whose epic martial arts thrillers inspired numerous films and sold some 300 million copies worldwide, has died aged 94.Known by his pen name Jin Yong, Cha is a household name across the Chinese-speaking world -- while overseas his novels have drawn parallels to the "Lord of the Rings" series.Packed with hard-hitting kung fu masters and intricate plotlines, his books bring to life the different dynasties of ancient China. Louis Cha (L) was a

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- IBM said Sunday it has reached a deal to buy open source software company Red Hat for $34 billion, among the biggest tech mergers in history which the computing giant said would enhance its cloud offerings.If approved it will be the third biggest tech merger in history, according to business news site CNBC. Red Hat said it was the biggest involving a software company.The deal will see IBM acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red Hat for $190 per share in

Far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, beating leftist opponent Fernando Haddad in a runoff election after a bitter and polarized campaign.Supporters flooded the streets outside Bolsonaro's home in Rio de Janeiro after the result was announced, waving Brazilian flags and lighting up the sky with fireworks. (AFP)Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.18 percent of the vote with more than 99.7 percent of the ballots counted, as h

MADRID (AFP) -- Two seven-year-old children have died in the Mediterranean as hundreds of migrants sought to reach Spain from Morocco, a Spanish NGO said Saturday.Meanwhile 16 Moroccan migrants were reported missing after another boat capsized off the coast of north Morocco. Migrants from Morocco celebrate crossing into Spain (AFP)According to the International Organization for Migration 42,500 migrants have arrived by sea in Spain since the start of the year and another 433 have been killed dur

ISTANBUL (AFP) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel remained at odds on Saturday over the issue of halting lucrative arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The disagreement led to a rare dispute between the close European allies on Friday, when Macron implied that Berlin was engaging in "pure demagoguery"after Merkel announced a freeze on arms sales to Riyadh. French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and German Chance

PITTSBURGH (AFP) -- A heavily armed gunman opened fire during a baby-naming ceremony at a synagogue in the US city of Pittsburgh on Saturday, killing 11 people and injuring six in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in recent American history.The shooter -- identified as a 46-year-old local resident named Robert Bowers -- reportedly yelled "All Jews must die" as he burst into the Tree of Life synagogue, where dozens of congregants were gathered in the morning for Sabbath services. A police rapid r

A North Korean who said he escaped round-the-clock labor in the Middle East and Russia voiced fears Friday that Pyongyang was sending more forced workers abroad and appealed for greater international attention.Addressing a news conference in Washington, Roh Hui Chang said he reached South Korea in 2014 after two to three months hiding in the bushes and warned that many more North Koreans suffered his plight."According to my sources who have knowledge of the current situation there, nothing has c

SYDNEY (AFP) -- Two male penguins who paired up as a "same-sex couple" have successfully incubated a baby chick and are "doting" on their tiny offspring, an Australian aquarium announced Friday.Gentoo penguins Sphen and Magic are happily "taking turns caring for their baby chick," born on October 19 weighing 91 grams, said Tish Hannan of the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. (AFP)Sphen and Magic had caught the attention of aquarium workers when they were constantly seen waddling around and going for swi

Prince Harry and wife Meghan donned matching red and cream unisex skirts Friday as they wrapped up a four-day Pacific island trip in Tonga with a celebration of local crafts and culture.The emphasis has been on Meghan's fashion choices during her first international tour since marrying into the British royals last May, but Harry cut a dash with a tasselled skirt worn over the outside of his suit.Pregnant Meghan wore an identical garment high on the waist, covering her baby bump, as the pair tour

President Donald Trump accused the media of stirring up "anger" Thursday as the United States reeled from a series of suspicious packages and pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and actor Robert De Niro. (AP)"A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News," Trump tweeted."It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act,

A North Korean official urged the United States on Thursday to immediately lift sanctions against his country, warning that the country's "confidence-destroying measures" would undermine denuclearisation talks.   The US has insisted on maintaining stringent international sanctions on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons, even as the two countries' leaders are expected to hold a second summit soon.   "We think that sanctions and pressure do more harm than good," Song Il Hyok, deputy

Norway hosts NATO's biggest exercises since the end of the Cold War from Thursday, to remind Russia the Alliance stands united despite seeds of doubt planted by US President Donald Trump.Some 50,000 soldiers, 10,000 vehicles, 65 ships and 250 aircraft from 31 countries are taking part in Trident Juncture 18, which is aimed at training the Atlantic Alliance to defend a member state after an aggression.(AFP)"In recent years, Europe's security environment has significantly deteriorated," NATO Secre

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways says it has discovered unauthorized access to the personal data of 9.4 million passengers. The company said Thursday it had no evidence the leaked data had been misused. It said the breach was discovered during "ongoing security processes."(AFP)Data stolen included names, nationalities; birth dates, phone numbers, addresses, passport and identity card numbers and expired credit card numbers, among other information. It said no passwords were compromised. It

A genocide is still underway against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, a UN fact-finding team said Wednesday as it presented a report at the Security Council calling for the matter to be referred to the International Criminal Court.Marzuki Darusman, chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, told a press conference that beyond mass killings, the conflict included the ostracization of the targeted population, prevention of births, and widespread displacement in camps."It is an ongoing genocide,"

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday said the United States needs a federal privacy law to protect the personal data of internet users."We at Apple are in full support of a comprehensive federal privacy law in the United States," Cook told a conference in Brussels.He said such a law should allow for personal data to be minimized and force companies to de-identify customer data or not collect them in the first place.Users should also have the right to know what data are being collected and what for, a

Italy's competition authority on Wednesday said it was fining Apple and Samsung 10 and five million euros ($11.5 and $5.7 million) respectively for the "planned obsolescence" of their smartphones.The ruling is believed to be the first against the manufacturers following accusations worldwide that they encourage operating system updates for older phones which slow them down, thereby encouraging the purchase of new phones. (Yonhap)An investigation by the anti-trust authority revealed that "Apple a

A Canadian rapper died after falling from the wing of a flying plane he was walking on during a music video shoot, his management team said.Jon James, 33, died instantly in the "wing-walking" accident in Vernon, British Columbia, on Saturday, according to a statement.Jon James (via Jon James Instagram)"He had trained intensely for this stunt but as Jon got further out onto the wing of the plane, it caused the small Cessna to go into a downward spiral that the pilot couldn't correct," said the st

US President Donald Trump launched a fresh assault Tuesday against Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, saying he threatened economic growth and seemed to enjoy raising interest rates.In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump hinted that he regretted nominating Powell in the first place."Every time we do something great, he raises the interest rates," Trump told the Journal.He "almost looks like he's happy raising interest rates," the president added.US President Donald Trump shakes

Test flights of a driverless hover-taxi will take place in Singapore next year, a German aviation firm said, the latest innovation to offer an escape from Asia's monster traffic jams.Millions of commuters in the region's cities have to contend with chronic gridlock every day, sparking a race to develop new ways to avoid the snarl-ups.While the developed city-state of Singapore does not suffer major congestion, it is seen as a perfect test-bed for new technologies due to its compact size and open