CULTURE AND SPORT

The Thai government announced Tuesday that it was extending a state of emergency in 19 provinces, including Bangkok.

A python used by a South African fortuneteller to control the progress of teams in the World Cup has been seized by animal welfare inspectors.

Toyota started recalling more than 90,000 luxury Lexus and Crown vehicles Monday in Japan over defective engines.

Suffering a long-term fall in sales and a collapse in revenue, newspapers worldwide are being forced to reinvent themselves for the Internet age.

Candidates of group A (math, physics, and chemistry) and V (math, physics and a field specific subject) sat for their first day of the university entrance examination.

David Villa scored the only goal as European champions Spain beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday to set up a World Cup semi-final against Germany.

Germany stormed into the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday with a 4-0 demolition of Diego Maradona's outclassed Argentina.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said Saturday it has helped seize a submarine capable of transporting tons of cocaine.

The World Bank said it committed $72.2 billion in fiscal year 2010, an unprecedented level of assistance for developing countries.

A fuel truck exploded and set fire to a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing more than 230 people, officials said.

A Taiwanese supertanker began skimming oil from the Gulf of Mexico  as the months-long disaster became the worst accidental spill on record.

If cars had wings, they could fly — and that just might happen, beginning next year.

There is a litany of complaints against young musicians and producers, especially that their works are too love-heavy and lack gravitas.

The US House of Representatives gave its final approval to the biggest overhaul of Wall Street rules since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The Obama appointee managing BP's oil spill disaster fund said there's "not enough money in the world" to pay all claims.

A spy scandal in the United States took dramatic turn as a Canadian wanted over the alleged espionage jumped bail and vanished in Cyprus.

Anna Chapman has been called the femme fatale of a spy case with Cold War-style intrigue — a striking redhead and self-styled entrepreneur.

The Props, a band making a name for itself in Vietnam, are releasing their demo album this coming Saturday.

Chinese mainland and Taiwan signed the long-awaited Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) in Chongqing on June 29.