Hard cheese? French chef loses court case over lost Michelin star

A French chef who said he had contemplated suicide after the prestigious Michelin guide removed one of his restaurant's stars on Tuesday lost a legal attempt to force the guide's inspectors to...

French chef loses court case over lost Michelin star

A French chef who said he contemplated suicide after the prestigious Michelin guide removed one of his restaurant's stars on Tuesday lost a legal attempt to force the guide's inspectors to justify...

Dutch city tells floating Georgian monastery to cast off

A tiny Georgian Orthodox monastery being built atop a ship in the Dutch port of Vlissingen is facing an uncertain future, after the city ordered it to set sail by March 1.

Sydney gears up for New Year's spectacle despite Australian fires

Large crowds thronged Sydney harbor on Tuesday to watch Australia's famous New Year's Eve fireworks, even as smoke from deadly wildfires turned skies in nearby coastal towns blood-red.

Muslim women spread Christmas cheer in Gaza

Muslim women in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have been hand-crafting gifts for the approaching Orthodox Christmas as part of a project to empower a traditional community.

Candle light and doughnuts: Israelis celebrate Hanukkah

As sun set on Sunday, Jews across Israel marked the last night of the Hanukkah festival of lights.

Newly face-lifted Big Ben will ring in London New Year

Britain's Big Ben bell in parliament's landmark clock tower will ring at midnight on New Year's Eve, marking the start of a year for the first time since its new face was revealed from under...

With Uighur comic, Japanese manga artist aims to highlight everday 'suffering'

A Japanese artist whose manga comics about a Uighur woman went viral wants to use the simple power of her work to raise awareness of the "daily suffering" endured by the Chinese mostly Muslim...

Archeologists discover ancient Mayan palace in eastern Mexico

Archeologists have discovered a large palace likely used by the Mayan elite more than 1,000 years ago in the ancient city of Kuluba, near the modern day tourist hot spot of Cancun in eastern Mexico,...

Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois on New Years Day

Many pot-smoking adults in Illinois will ring in the new year on a high note when recreational marijuana use becomes legal in the state on Jan. 1.

No Christmas mass at Notre-Dame for the first time since Napoleon

For the first time in more than 200 years, worshippers will not be able to attend Christmas mass at Notre-Dame cathedral, still being restored after a devastating fire.

Indonesian housewife tackles homelessness for 250 feral cats

On the outskirts of suburban Jakarta, housewife Dita Agusta lives with more than 250 cats she has taken in off the streets, creating a shelter for the animals she hopes will one day be adopted.

Carols and bells in Bethlehem as Christmas draws near

Christmas cheer rang out through Bethlehem's Manger Square on Monday as pilgrims and worshippers flocked to the city revered as Jesus's birthplace and locals made final preparations for this year's...