A guitar that played a key role in Bob Dylan's artistic evolution from folk music to rock fetched a half million at auction on Saturday.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has denied a request by Brazil's ex-president Lula da Silva seeking emergency action against his imprisonment, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The search for flight MH370 will end next week, Malaysia's transport minister said Wednesday, more than four years after the plane disappeared and triggered one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

The US embassy in China issued a health alert Wednesday after a US government employee experienced an "abnormal" sound and suffered a mild brain injury -- in an incident reminiscent of a mysterious illness that hit diplomats in Cuba.

Invited foreign journalists began a long journey up North Korea's east coast Wednesday to witness the slated destruction of the reclusive regime's nuclear test site, a high profile gesture on the road to a summit with the US that Donald Trump now says might not happen.

Hundreds mourned a Pakistani exchange student killed in a mass shooting at a Texas high school last week during her burial in Karachi Wednesday.

Moroccan women surfers have become a common sight as they skim the waves off the coast of the capital, Rabat, but they still can face prejudice and harassment back on land.

Rohingya militants massacred Hindu villagers during last year's uprising in Myanmar's Rakhine, Amnesty International said Wednesday in a report that sheds fresh light on the complex ethnic rivalries in the state.

Fresh from saying "sorry" to European lawmakers, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg holds talks with Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday where he will face renewed pressure over his company's tax policies.

A unit of electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn said it will launch an initial public offering in China on Thursday aimed at raising $4.2 billion, in the biggest mainland debut in nearly three years.

Prolific novelist Philip Roth, a dominant force in American literature throughout the latter half of the 20th century, has died at the age of 85.

Grand man of American letters Philip Roth, a fierce and prolific talent who achieved fame with the sexually explicit "Portnoy's Complaint" in 1969, has died at 85.

Flagmakers in Bangladesh are doing a roaring trade weeks ahead of the World Cup, but no-one is interested in the home nation's colours -- the money is all on pennants for Lionel Messi's Argentina and Neymar's Brazil.

New York is the city that never sleeps, but arduous commutes, hellish hours and ultra-competitive jobs mean even the most wired of party animals or dedicated employees have to recharge their batteries.

NFL club owners are considering potential 15-yard penalties for kneeling during the national anthem among ways of coping with a backlash over player protests, Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday.

Scientists have identified the mechanism that allows breast cancer cells to lie dormant in other parts of the body only to reemerge years later with lethal force, according to a study published Tuesday.

An Australian archbishop who became one of the world's highest-ranked church officials found guilty of covering up child sex abuse announced Wednesday he will stand down from his official duties.

Venezuela ordered the expulsion of the top two US diplomats in the country Tuesday, charging it was the victim of a "political and financial lynching" after Washington tightened sanctions over Nicolas Maduro's re-election.

Fourteen priests involved in a sex abuse scandal in Chile -- which has rocked Pope Francis's papacy -- were defrocked on Tuesday.

The Trump administration on Tuesday presented a plan to roll back Obama-era rules preventing hunters in some protected zones in Alaska from luring bears with bait including bacon and donuts, and using spotlights at den sites to hunt black bear cubs and sows.

From ivory baubles and leopard coats to rare turtles and live bears, the online market for protected wildlife is booming, according to an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) investigation released Wednesday.

Two hundred professors at one of California's top universities on Tuesday demanded the resignation of the school's president over a widening sexual abuse scandal involving a campus gynecologist.

US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday his landmark summit with Kim Jong Un may be delayed, but insisted the North Korean leader is "serious" about denuclearization.

A SpaceX rocket Tuesday blasted off a duo of sports car-sized satellites built by the US and Germany to reveal changes in sea level rise, ice melt and drought on Earth.

Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, detained in France over rape allegations by four women, has lost an appeal for early release ahead of his trial, the Paris appeals court said Tuesday.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the European Parliament on Tuesday for the "harm" caused by a huge breach of users' data and by a failure to crack down on fake news.

Swedish superstar DJ Avicii, who died last month aged 28, is to be buried "privately" with only his closest relatives and friends present, his family said on Tuesday.

Everton forward Wayne Rooney will break from his family holiday to travel to Washington this week to meet bosses at Major League Soccer side DC United, his spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.

Unai Emery has warned Arsenal's under-performing stars he won't be afraid to wield the axe as he prepares for the challenge of creating a "new future" for the troubled Premier League side.

Liverpool great Ian Rush says Mohamed Salah has outshone Champions League final opponent Cristiano Ronaldo during an incredible record-breaking season.

Somerset off-spinner Dominic Bess will make his England debut in the first Test against Pakistan on Thursday, captain Joe Root has confirmed.

Flagmakers in Bangladesh are doing a roaring trade weeks ahead of the World Cup, but no-one is interested in the home nation's colours -- the money is all on pennants for Lionel Messi's Argentina and Neymar's Brazil.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says England's young squad boast "frightening" talent that could take them all the way to World Cup glory in Russia.

Carlo Ancelotti has reached agreement to take over as Napoli coach ending Maurizio Sarri's three-year reign at the Serie A club, according to reports in Italy on Wednesday.

South Africa's star batsman AB de Villiers on Wednesday announced his surprise retirement from all international cricket after a glittering 14-year career playing for the Proteas.

Unai Emery was appointed as Arsenal's first new manager in 22 years on Wednesday. Here are three things the Spaniard must deal with to ensure a smooth transition from the Arsene Wenger era:

West Ham pledged Wednesday to provide new boss Manuel Pellegrini with major funds to rebuild as they bid to avoid another Premier League relegation scrap.

South Africa's star batsman AB de Villiers on Wednesday announced his surprise retirement from all international cricket after a glittering 14-year career playing for the Proteas.

FIFA said Wednesday they were "deeply concerned" about the detention in Russia of a rights campaigner that drew international condemnation ahead of the World Cup.

Former swimming world champion Junya Koga has been kicked out of the Japan squad for this summer's Asian Games after failing a drug test, officials said Wednesday.

Fuelled by video nasties and sleepless nights, Unai Emery is ready for the challenge of succeeding Arsene Wenger after being appointed as Arsenal's first new boss for 22 years.

Midfielder Adrien Rabiot has written to France manager Didier Deschamps saying he is not prepared to be a World Cup standby player.

French midfielder Paul Pogba has posted a video of himself at the holiest site of Islam in Saudi Arabia, as he prepares to join his French squad for the World Cup next month.

Arsenal announced on Wednesday that Unai Emery is their new head coach, succeeding Arsene Wenger at the Premier League giants.

Lewis Hamilton is aiming to reel off his third successive win and to consolidate his grip on this year’s title race at this weekend’s 65th running of the classic Monaco Grand Prix.

NBA regular-season wins leader Houston, powered by James Harden's 30 points and 27 from Chris Paul, edged defending champion Golden State 95-92 Tuesday to level their semi-final playoff series at two wins each.

Israel Folau's anti-gay sentiments won't be a distraction during the Test series against Ireland, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika insisted Wednesday as he demanded a high work-rate from his side.

NFL club owners are considering potential 15-yard penalties for kneeling during the national anthem among ways of coping with a backlash over player protests, Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) unveiled the first professional contracts for the world champion Black Ferns women's team on Wednesday, calling it "a step forward" for the game.

The head of the US gymnastics governing body will appear before Congress Wednesday to apologize to hundreds of female athletes who were abused by a doctor convicted in the largest scandal in the sport's history.

Rory McIlroy admits to having a weird relationship with the Wentworth course but he will be hoping after a chastening experience at the Masters to rediscover a bit of his old sparkle at the PGA Championship.

The decision by French Open organisers not to grant Serena Williams a seeding on her long-awaited Grand Slam return has prompted renewed focus on the sport's policy towards female players and parenthood.

Gareth Bale's relationship with Zinedine Zidane will come to a crossroads when Real Madrid play Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Goalkeepers Loris Karius of Liverpool and Real Madrid's Keylor Navas have the onerous task of keeping the score down when the two most prolific sides in the Champions League this season meet in Saturday's final in Kiev.

A guitar that played a key role in Bob Dylan's artistic evolution from folk music to rock fetched a half million at auction on Saturday.

US media and cable giant Comcast said Wednesday it preparing an all-cash offer for the key television and entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox that would top an offer on the table from Walt Disney Co.

"Rain Man" director Barry Levinson will be honoured at the Czech Republic's Karlovy Vary film festival in July, organisers said on Wednesday.

China surpassed North America to become the world's largest movie market during the first quarter of 2018, fuelled in part by big-grossing domestic films, according to US and Chinese box-office figures.

Prolific novelist Philip Roth, a dominant force in American literature throughout the latter half of the 20th century, has died at the age of 85.

Grand man of American letters Philip Roth, a fierce and prolific talent who achieved fame with the sexually explicit "Portnoy's Complaint" in 1969, has died at 85.

"Point Break" has its surfers robbing banks when they aren't on the water, while in "Blue Crush" they clean hotel rooms. In "Breath," they swim in the choppier waters of erotic asphyxiation.

Swedish superstar DJ Avicii, who died last month aged 28, is to be buried "privately" with only his closest relatives and friends present, his family said on Tuesday.

Feathers are flying in the free speech-friendly Netherlands after Israel's embassy Tuesday complained about a Dutch parody of Netta Barzilai's winning Eurovision song, calling the home-grown version "in bad taste" and "disgraceful".

Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan attended their first engagement as a married couple on Tuesday after their spectacular, tradition-defying wedding in Windsor Castle, which was watched around the world.

Kendrick Lamar, the US music star and Pulitzer prize winner, halted a recent gig to call out a white fan for rapping the "n-word" from his own lyrics.

After Kazakhstan's Samal Yeslyamova scooped a surprise award for best actress at the Cannes film festival, many of her compatriots found themselves typing her name into search engines.

The big tent in a Saint Petersburg park is not just a circus but a space for disabled and disadvantaged children, often shunned by Russian society, to express themselves.

The five nations bordering the Arctic Ocean on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment made in Greenland a decade ago to "peacefully" settle their differences over the resource-rich region threatened by climate change.

Music historians have long suspected that the inventors of the violin wanted to imitate the human voice, and a study out Monday shows how 16th to 18th century luthiers in Italy did it.

In the wildly popular "Star Wars" films, Han Solo once told a lightsaber-wielding Luke Skywalker: "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."

Another weekend, another $100-million-plus superhero opening: This time it was 20th Century Fox's "Deadpool 2," with a $125.5 million take in North American theaters and a huge debut overseas, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said Monday.

Allegations of sexual assault against US celebrity chef Mario Batali spotlight once again an industry known for its macho work environment as the #MeToo era claims yet another high-profile American scalp.

The San Antonio Spurs have become the first team in the NBA to disband their all-female dance group, announcing plans to replace the squad with a "family-friendly" co-ed act, the franchise has confirmed.

Barack and Michelle Obama have entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series with Netflix, the world's leading internet entertainment service announced on Monday.

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spent three stints in rehab during his career to battle addictions to alcohol and prescription pills, the NFL icon told Sports Illustrated in an interview on Monday.

Newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan thanked everyone who took part in the celebrations of their wedding on Saturday, as their Kensington Palace residence published three official wedding photographs.

Celebrity chef Mario Batali's restaurant group announced Monday it was ending its partnership with him following new sexual assault allegations -- as police in New York confirmed an investigation was underway.

A Zambian court on Monday released on bail a popular protest musician, who was arrested last week when he returned home having fled the country fearing for his life.

Veteran bachelor Hugh Grant, star of a string of romantic comedies including "Four Weddings and a Funeral", is finally getting married for the first time to his Swedish girlfriend.

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to live-stream his meeting with European Parliament members as he answers questions in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, a top official said Monday.

Clare Rewcastle Brown was harassed and vilified for years for waging a quixotic campaign to expose Malaysian corruption that helped topple the country's long-ruling regime.

The German government approved a draft law Wednesday that paves the way for energy giants RWE and Vattenfall to receive hundreds of millions of euros in compensation for the country's decision to phase out nuclear power.

A toxic weedkiller linked to Parkinson's disease and banned in more than 30 countries will not be outlawed in Thailand, after authorities announced Wednesday they would instead restrict its use.

Rwanda has become the official tourism partner of English football club Arsenal FC, whose players will sport a "Visit Rwanda" logo on their sleeves, the club announced Wednesday.

Authorities in Hamburg said Wednesday they would ban some diesel vehicles from two major arteries to improve air quality, making the German port city the first to take the long-feared step.

A shipbuilding hub since the days of the British empire, the Scottish city of Glasgow is now reaching for the stars with a growing space satellite industry.

Mount Everest's Hillary Step -- a rocky outcrop just below the summit -- is now a slope, say climbers who recently returned from the mountain.

A slow-moving lava flow is starting to close in on a power plant near Kilauea volcano, which has authorities scrambling to keep it from becoming part of the drama.

From ivory baubles and leopard coats to rare turtles and live bears, the online market for protected wildlife is booming, according to an International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) investigation released Wednesday.

Why did birds lose their teeth? Was it so they would be lighter in the air? Or are pointy beaks better for worm-eating than the jagged jaws of dinosaur ancestors?

In 27 years from now, almost a quarter of the global population will be obese, researchers said Wednesday, warning of the mounting medical bill.

A SpaceX rocket Tuesday blasted off a duo of sports car-sized satellites built by the US and Germany to reveal changes in sea level rise, ice melt and drought on Earth.

A SpaceX rocket Tuesday blasted off a duo of sports car-sized satellites built by the US and Germany to reveal changes in sea level rise, ice melt and drought on Earth.

Indian police on Tuesday killed 12 demonstrators after opening fire on thousands of people demanding the closure of a copper factory due to pollution concerns, a police officer said.

Finnish materials physicist Tuomo Suntola, who developed a groundbreaking technology to reduce the size of complex devices, on Tuesday won Finland's take on the Nobel science prizes.

The reason we know today just how much ice is melting in Greenland and Antarctica is because of a pair of satellites, launched in 2002 by NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). Now, they are set to be replaced by a more modern duo.

Bike-friendly capitals Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Oslo have Europe's cleanest and safest transport systems while heavily congested Rome has the worst, a Greenpeace study found Tuesday.

The five nations bordering the Arctic Ocean on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment made in Greenland a decade ago to "peacefully" settle their differences over the resource-rich region threatened by climate change.

The death toll from an outbreak of the rare Nipah virus in southern India jumped to 10 Tuesday with more than 90 people quarantined to try to stem the spread of the disease, officials said.

Dozens of people are feared to have died in a heatwave gripping Pakistan's largest city Karachi this week, a charity in the sprawling metropolis said Tuesday, as temperatures hit 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit).

Animal and plant species are vanishing at an accelerating pace around the world -- sometimes even before we know that they exist -- but conservationists are pushing back against the juggernaut of mass extinction.

A pair of identical, sportscar-sized satellites are poised to zoom around the Earth and track changes in water and ice, offering new insights into global warming and sea level rise, NASA said Monday.

Wildlife officials in the US state of Washington on Monday were probing what prompted a cougar to attack two cyclists over the weekend, leaving one dead and the other seriously injured.

The world's largest amphibians, giant Chinese salamanders, were once thought to be widespread but now face imminent extinction due to illegal poaching and hunting as a luxury food, researchers said Monday.

Car dealerships in Nordic countries actively discourage consumers from buying electric vehicles, researchers who conducted an undercover investigation said Monday.

Where others failed, sometimes spectacularly, French surgeon Emmanuel Martinod has helped people whose windpipes have been ravaged by cancer and other diseases to live and breathe normally again.

Food for astronauts, new space gardening gear and experiments to test extreme cold and how cement forms in weightlessness blasted off Monday to the International Space Station aboard Orbital ATK's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft.

Six Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in Malaysian palm oil plantations in recent weeks, officials said Monday, the latest of the endangered creatures to perish as their rainforest habitat is devastated.