Author: _wxxv

Funerals held for Turkish private jet crash victims

ANKARA, Turkey –  Funerals have been held for nine of the 11 women killed when a private Turkish jet crashed in Iran while flying a bride-to-be and her friends back to Istanbul from a bachelorette party in the United Arab…

UN threatens to consider arms embargo in South Sudan

UNITED NATIONS –  The U.N. Security Council is demanding an immediate end to fighting in South Sudan and threatening to consider an arms embargo and sanctions to prevent parties from violating a December cease-fire agreement. A U.S.-drafted resolution, adopted unanimously…

Romanian PM greets ethnic Hungarian minority amid tensions

BUCHAREST, Romania –  Romania's prime minister has sent greetings to his country's ethnic Hungarians as they commemorated the 1848 revolution against Habsburg rule and demand more autonomy. Premier Viorica Dancila said Thursday that: "Romania promotes the European notion 'unity in…

Colombia blocks ISIS linked plot to kill US diplomats

BOGOTA, Colombia –  Police in Colombia have arrested a Cuban man suspected of plotting to kill American diplomats in the name of the Islamic State. Police in Spain said Thursday they had been monitoring the online activities of the suspect,…

11 arrested in Greece on migrant smuggling charges

THESSALONIKI, Greece –  Greek police say they have arrested 11 people on suspicion of running a smuggling ring transporting hundreds of refugees and migrants from the Greek-Turkish land border to the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki over the past year.…

The Latest: Vote monitoring group warns of interference

MOSCOW –  The Latest on the Russian presidential election taking place on Sunday, March 18 (all times local): 5:15 p.m. A Russian election monitoring group says government authorities forced the closure of a center created to collect complaints of violations…

Slovak government resigns over slain journalist crisis

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia –  Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and his government have resigned as a way out of the political crisis triggered by the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. President Andrej Kiska has accepted the resignation and…

Report: China ramps up security presence in Tajikistan

BEIJING –  An independent think tank says China's military is ramping up its security presence in Tajikistan with troop deployments amid fears that militants based in nearby Afghanistan could strike at western China. The International Crisis Group said in a…

Doctors to examine US man sought by Poland in Nazi case

WARSAW, Poland –  Polish prosecutors say American authorities are moving ahead with their request to extradite a 99-year-old Minnesota man to be tried on allegations he was involved in a World War II massacre of civilians. Polish authorities issued an…

Slovenian president wants election in May after PM resigned

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia –  Slovenia's president has proposed a snap parliamentary election in May after the prime minister unexpectedly resigned. The election would normally be due in June, but President Borut Pahor said after meeting outgoing Prime Minister Miro Cerar on…

Breaking mold, some Russian youth speak out against Putin

MOSCOW –  Russian President Vladimir Putin's legacy depends not only on being re-elected Sunday — but also on ensuring that today's first-time voters stay loyal to his vision. Polls show that nationwide, young people are among Putin's most ardent supporters.…

Germany: Syrian migrant indicted over alleged bomb plot

BERLIN –  German prosecutors have indicted a 20-year-old Syrian migrant for plotting a bombing in which they say he hoped to kill at least 200 people. Federal prosecutors said Thursday the suspect, identified only as Yamen A. in line with…

The Latest: Prosecutors seek Swiss arrest of Puigdemont

MADRID –  The Latest on issues surrounding Catalan leaders' bid for independence (all times local): 2:35 p.m. Spanish prosecutors say they have asked the government and Interpol to assess whether Carles Puigdemont, the fugitive ex-president of Spain's restive Catalonia region,…

Mayor of Iran’s capital Tehran resigns under pressure

TEHRAN, Iran –  The mayor of Iran's capital Tehran has resigned after hardliners criticized him for attending a ceremony in which primary school girls danced. The Thursday report by Iranian media said Mohammad Ali Najafi submitted his resignation to Tehran's…

Critics: Indonesian law protects lawmakers from graft probes

JAKARTA, Indonesia –  Critics say a new Indonesian law can protect legislators from investigations by the powerful anti-graft commission, triggering anger at what many regard as a grave setback for the world's third largest democracy. The Law on Representative Assemblies,…

Ethnic Uighurs protest Chinese security crackdown

BEIJING –  Members of the Uighur Muslim ethnic group are protesting a sweeping Chinese surveillance and security campaign that has sent thousands of people into detention and political indoctrination centers. Overseas Uighur activists said Thursday they plan demonstrations in 14…

School dance, anyone? Pakistan lawmakers in Punjab seek ban

LAHORE, Pakistan –  Pakistani lawmakers in a provincial assembly have voted in favor of a ban on dance parties at schools and other educational institutions, saying they promote Western culture. Shaikh Ijaz, a lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League…

The Latest: UN gets $100M for Palestinians but still short

ROME –  The Latest on the U.N. donor conference for Palestinian refugees (all times local): 1:45 p.m. The United Nations says a donor conference has produced nearly $100 million in new pledges to fund the U.N. relief agency for Palestinian…

2 killed during land mine clearance training in Cambodia

SIEM REAP, Cambodia –  A land mine exploded accidently during clearance training at a military base in western Cambodia on Thursday, killing two people, including an Australian trainer, and injuring three others, police said. National police said the explosion occurred…

Massive ‘Peace March’ in Hungary backing Viktor Orban

BUDAPEST, Hungary –  A massive march is underway in Budapest in support of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government, three weeks ahead of parliamentary elections. Tens of thousands of people are marching across Margit Bridge on the Danube…

Egypt orders release of 2 detained journalists

CAIRO –  Egypt has ordered the release of two freelance journalists who were arrested while preparing a report on a historic tramway in Alexandria. The defense lawyer for May al-Sabbagh and Ahmed Moustafa, arrested on Feb. 28, says prosecutors ordered…

Syria marks 7 years of war; hundreds leave besieged enclave

Smoke rises from a building in the city of Homs, Syria, in this file photo from March 2013.  (Reuters) Hundreds of civilians streamed out of a town in Syria's besieged, opposition-held enclave of eastern Ghouta on Thursday, crossing on foot…

Ukraine lawmaker says speaker was involved in 2014 killings

MOSCOW –  A former military pilot who became a national icon in Ukraine after spending two years in a Russian prison has accused Ukraine's parliament speaker of being associated with snipers who fired on the crowds during the country's 2014…

Portugal, Spain nab more than 2 tons of cocaine, arrest 10

LISBON, Portugal –  Spanish and Portuguese police have intercepted about 2.5 metric tons (2.76 tons) of cocaine in a cross-border operation. A Portuguese police statement says the operation also led to the arrest of nine men and one woman of…

Muslims lament lack of solidarity over German mosque attacks

BERLIN –  Muslim groups in Germany are asking for greater solidarity from officials and the general public over a series of attacks against mosques. Several recent attacks on Turkish-backed mosques in Germany have been blamed on Kurdish groups angered by…

Italian police arrest suspect flagged by FBI

MILAN –  Italian police have arrested a 24-year man found in possession of explosive materials after the FBI flagged him as a possible extremist. Police in the central Italian city of Viterbo said Thursday that they searched the man's house…

Door from building in deadly London blaze fails fire test

LONDON –  Police say a door from a London high-rise that went up in flames, killing 71 people, has failed an expert fire safety test. The Metropolitan Police force said Thursday that an undamaged door from Grenfell Tower withstood flames…

Israel strikes Gaza after bombs planted near border

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip –  Israel says it struck four militant positions in the Gaza Strip after fighters there planted two explosive devices near the border. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the two bombs were planted on the…

French pensioners protest loss in income due to new tax

PARIS –  Thousands of retired workers are taking to the streets across France to protest against a new hike in a tax taken from their pensions. Protests are planned in several cities around the country Thursday over the 1.7 percent…

Pakistanis attend funerals for 9 killed in suicide bombing

LAHORE, Pakistan –  Hundreds of Pakistani mourners have attended the funerals of nine people — five police officers and four civilians — killed when a Taliban suicide bomber struck a police checkpoint on the outskirts of the eastern city of…

Mauritius president denies reports of financial misconduct

JOHANNESBURG –  A financial scandal is threatening to unseat Africa's only female head of state, the president of the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius. President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, whose role is mostly ceremonial, faces allegations that she used a credit card…

Pakistani court charges deputy minister for insulting judges

ISLAMABAD –  A Pakistani court has charged the country's deputy interior minister with insulting judges and set a hearing date for his testimony later this month. The official, Talal Chaudhry, pleaded not guilty during an appearance before the court on…

Egypt’s president says ready to join fight against militants

CAIRO –  With less than two weeks before elections, Egypt's president says he's prepared to personally join security forces battling Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula. The outcome of the March 26-28 election is a foregone conclusion, with general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah…

Searches, arrests in Catalonia amid widening probe

MADRID –  Police in Barcelona have searched the seat of the Catalan regional government as part of a widening probe on the funding of last year's banned Catalan referendum on independence from Spain. A Civil Guard spokesman said agents also…

UN seeks money for Palestinians after US slashes funding

ROME –  The United Nations chief is warning that a U.S.-induced half-billion-dollar funding shortfall for the U.N. relief agency for Palestinians risks cutting critical services that could "push the suffering in disastrous and unpredictable directions." Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed an…

Pakistan calls home India envoy over harassment allegations

ISLAMABAD –  Pakistan's foreign ministry says it has called its top diplomat in India back home for consultations after allegations of harassment of Pakistani diplomatic staff in New Delhi. Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal says the decision was taken after Pakistani…

Bangladesh mourns dead in crash of Dhaka-Kathmandu flight

DHAKA, Bangladesh –  Bangladesh is mourning those who died in the crash of a plane from Dkaha as it was landing in Kathmandu, Nepal. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered national flags be flown at half-staff at all government…

Military helicopter crashes in southern Senegal, killing 8

DAKAR, Senegal –  Authorities in Senegal say at least eight people were killed when a military helicopter crashed into a field of mangroves. Army spokesman Col. Abdoul Ndiaye confirmed the death toll Thursday. There was no immediate reason given for…

British involved in ‘dirty dancing’ case goes on trial

SIEM REAP, Cambodia –  A Cambodian court has started the trial of a British man who was among a group of foreigners arrested for allegedly posting photos on social media of sexually suggestive dancing. Daniel Jones, who has been charged…

Nepal authorities struggle to identify plane crash survivors

KATHMANDU, Nepal –  Officials in Nepal say they are struggling to identify many of the 22 survivors of a deadly plane crash, with many badly burned, in critical condition and unable to speak. Police spokesman Manoj Neupane says extensive burns,…

The Latest: Activists: Syrian strikes target rebel enclave

BEIRUT –  The Latest on developments in Syria as it marks seven years of war this week (all times local): 10:35 a.m. Syrian activists and monitoring groups say government and Russian forces are blanketing the besieged rebel-held eastern Ghouta region…

North Korean foreign minister visits Sweden

STOCKHOLM –  North Korea's foreign minister is visiting Sweden, a move that can be seen as a first step toward the Scandinavian country hosting a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Swedish…

Thai billionaire registers new progressive political party

BANGKOK –  Thailand's slow move from military to civilian governance has attracted dozens of new political parties to register in barely two weeks, including one by an internet-famous billionaire who says he embraces democracy and wants to challenge the country's…

A self-assured Putin seems confident of electoral victory

NIZHNY TAGIL, Russia –  Vladimir Putin walks briskly to a group of factory workers, who ask him for a water treatment facility, new equipment to reduce toxic emissions and a sports arena for their children in this Ural mountains city.…