France

AFP – New Zealand authorities extended a state of emergency in Christchurch Wednesday after a powerful aftershock and doubled previous estimates of the damage bill from the disaster.
A 5.0-magnitude aftershock struck just below the surface …

REUTERS - Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice has lost her sponsorship contract with Jaguar after making an alleged anti-gay comment on a social networking site, local media reported on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old swimmer courted controversy with a "faggot" …

AFP – Even Roger Federer had to say he was sorry for the way he won the pivotal second-set tie-breaker over pal Jurgen Melzer and advanced to the US Open quarter-finals on Monday.
The Swiss second …

AFP – Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd, who resigned last month following a sex scandal, has joined US software giant Oracle as its new co-president, The New York Times said Monday.
Hurd joined Oracle as …

Hernia repair used to require an extensive operation, general anesthesia, and a long recovery time with an extended period of limited mobility. But  there is good news for the three-quarters of a million people who …

AFP – The adult son of an Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery said Monday he fears she will be executed shortly after this week’s end to the Muslim holy month …

For millions of American internet users, Craigslist is an indispensible online utility. The site serves over seven billion pages a month of classified listings advertising everything from new jobs to roommates and, according to its critics, …

AFP – Authorities in eastern China covered up an outbreak of cholera for 12 days out of fears that publicising the often fatal disease would shock the local population, state press said Sunday.
According to the …

AFP – Former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Mark Hurd, who resigned last month following a sex scandal, is in talks to join US software giant Oracle, the Wall Street Journal said on its website.
Citing people familiar …

AFP – Serbia recovered from a slow start to overcome fierce rivals Croatia 73-72 and reach the quarter-finals of the basketball world championships on Saturday with a thrilling, last-second win.
The game had looked like being …

AP – Sergei Kislyak scored in the 86th minute as Belaurs stunned France by winning 1-0 at Stade de France in their opening qualifier for the 2012 European Championship.
With new coach Laurent Blanc taking over …

As the war of words over expulsions of Roma from France escalates, the leader of France’s Socialist Party (PS) has been accused of hypocrisy for herself demanding the dismantling of a gypsy camp at Lille …

AP – The French Defense Ministry says an investigation shows that friendly fire was behind the injury of three French soldiers during an operation in Afghanistan last month.
The inquiry, published Wednesday, concluded that shots from …

 
“Prison Valley” is this year’s worthy winner of the FRANCE24-RFI web documentary award, which will be presented during the Visa Pour l’Image festival in Perpignan.
Created by David Dufresne and Philippe Brault, the striking multimedia …

AP – Darren Aronofsky sees his newest film “Black Swan” as the companion piece to “The Wrestler.”
“Black Swan” made its world premiere as the opening film at the Venice Film Festival’s 67th edition on Wednesday, …

AFP – The three Pakistan cricketers at the centre of a betting scandal have been released from the squad for the remainder of the tour of England, team manager Yawar Saeed said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters …