World News

Heavy winter weather batters UK, European mainland

LONDON –  Persistent snow and freezing conditions are causing delays in many parts of Britain, with roads and train service hit particularly hard. Many rail systems were disrupted, in the northern and eastern parts of Britain, and several lines of…

Israel group mints Trump coin to honor Jerusalem recognition

JERUSALEM –  An Israeli organization has minted a coin bearing President Donald Trump's image to honor his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Mikdash Educational Center says Wednesday that the "Temple Coin" features Trump alongside King Cyrus, who 2,500…

Cyprus: Turkey's gas search blockade prevents peace talks

NICOSIA, Cyprus –  Cyprus' president says a resumption of talks to reunify the ethnically divided island nation is unlikely any time soon because of Turkey's blockade of an offshore gas search and "unacceptable" demands by breakaway Turkish Cypriots. Nicos Anastasiades…

Albania police seize Colombian cocaine from banana shipment

TIRANA, Albania –  Albanian police say they have seized 613 kilograms (1,350 pounds) of cocaine that arrived in the country in a shipment of bananas from Colombia. Top policeman Ardi Veliu on Wednesday said two people were arrested a day…

The Latest: EU negotiator unveils Brexit draft text

LONDON –  The Latest on Brexit negotiations (all times local): 11:35 a.m. European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has unveiled the first draft text of the EU's legal agreement so far with Britain on the country's departure from the bloc…

Egypt's chief prosecutor wants close monitoring of the media

CAIRO –  Egypt's chief prosecutor is reminding his staff to closely monitor the media and start legal action against any outlet that disrupts security or hurts national interests. Wednesday's statement by Nabil Sadeq's office says "forces of evil" — one…

Norway to ban semi-automatic firearms after 2011 attack

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –  Norway is moving to ban semi-automatic firearms as of 2021, which will mark a decade since mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik used such weapons to kill 69 people, most of them teenagers, before surrendering to police. Peter…

German military refuels Iranian FM's plane in Munich

BERLIN –  The German Defense Ministry says the military was called in to refuel the Iranian foreign minister's plane in Munich, after airport workers refused to do it for fear of running afoul of sanctions on Iran. The Defense Ministry…

3 Nobel laureates blame Suu Kyi for Rohingya crisis

DHAKA, Bangladesh –  Three Nobel Peace laureates have accused Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the nation's military of genocide for their role in violence that has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. The…

Romania besieged anti-graft chief boasts record prosecutions

BUCHAREST, Romania –  Romania's besieged anti-corruption chief says the agency last year prosecuted a record number of cases, at a time when political attacks on the anti-corruption fight have escalated. Laura Codruta Kovesi, National Anti-Corruption Directorate chief prosecutor, on Wednesday…

Danish government: double punishments in 'ghetto' areas

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –  Denmark's center-right government wants to double the punishment for crimes like vandalism and theft committed in areas with larger number of immigrants and higher unemployment, in an attempt to eliminate so-called "parallel societies" by 2030. In December,…

30 people kidnapped, 6 killed in southern Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan –  Afghan officials say at least 30 people, including 19 police officers, have been kidnapped and six police killed by insurgents in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan. Gen. Abdul Raziq, Kandahar's police chief, says Wednesday a group of…

No civilians exit Syria rebel-held region on day 2 of pause

BEIRUT –  The Russia-ordered brief humanitarian pause has taken effect for the second day in the rebel-held region near the Syrian capital. Still, no civilians have used the exit corridor manned by Syrian and Russian forces to leave while ground…

Indonesia seizes yacht wanted by US in probe of Malaysia

JAKARTA, Indonesia –  Indonesia has seized a luxury yacht on the tourist island of Bali that is wanted by U.S. authorities as part of a probe into alleged multibillion-dollar corruption at Malaysian state investment fund 1MBD. Metro TV on Wednesday…

Slain Slovak journalist worked on story of links to mafia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia –  An investigative journalist shot dead in Slovakia last week was working on a story about the activities of Italian mafia in his country and their links to people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico. Jan Kuciak's Aktuality.sk…

Gunmen open fire on officer in SW Pakistan, killing 2 guards

ISLAMABAD –  Pakistani police say gunmen have opened fire on a vehicle carrying a senior police officer in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing two of his guards but the officer escaped unhurt. Abdur Razzaq Cheema, police chief in Quetta,…

Lebanon PM in Saudi for 1st visit since strained relations

BEIRUT –  Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has headed to Saudi Arabia in his first visit to the kingdom since his now-reversed resignation from Riyadh late last year in a bizarre sequence of events that deeply strained relations between the…

Aid groups: Iraqi authorities push refugees to return home

BAGHDAD –  International aid agencies say Iraqi authorities are increasing pressure on families in displacement camps in Anbar province to return to their homes ahead of national elections scheduled for May. The families fled their homes during the war against…

Taiwan detains developer of building where quake killed 14

TAIPEI, Taiwan –  Prosecutors in eastern Taiwan have detained the developer of a building complex that collapsed in an earthquake earlier this month, killing 14 people. The office of the Hualien district prosecutor said in a statement Tuesday that Liu…