World News

New China 'crime' crackdown targets threats to party rule

BEIJING –  As Tibetans prepared to celebrate a Buddhist new year festival with prayers and dance, police officers went to schools, airports and public squares to read out "21 kinds of dark and evil forces," a list of new criminal…

US military aircraft crashes in Iraq, officials say

A U.S. military aircraft with American service members aboard has crashed in western Iraq, officials said Thursday. "Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft at this time," U.S. Central Command told Fox News in a statement.…

UN staff in Geneva to strike over pay, austerity measures

GENEVA –  United Nations officials say a Human Rights Council meeting is among the activities that will be canceled at the U.N.'s offices in Geneva after staff members overwhelmingly approved a strike. The U.N. staff coordinating council appealed to workers…

France: Court OKs third life sentence for Carlos the Jackal

PARIS –  A French court has upheld the life sentence given to the former political extremist known as Carlos the Jackal for a 1974 hand grenade attack that killed two people at a Paris shopping arcade. Venezuelan-born Ilich Ramirez Sanchez…

UN report alleges torture in Mexico's missing students case

MEXICO CITY –  The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that Mexico's investigation of the 2014 disappearance of 43 students has been based on statements obtained through torture. In a report released Thursday, the office…

Zimbabwe's ex-leader Mugabe calls his ouster a "disgrace"

HARARE, Zimbabwe –  Former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has given his first interview since being forced from power in November, describing his removal as a "coup" and a "disgrace." Mugabe, 94, told South African broadcaster SABC in the broadcast aired…

UN urges warring parties in Yemen to facilitate aid

UNITED NATIONS –  Responding to the world's worst humanitarian crisis, the U.N. Security Council on Thursday urged the warring parties in Yemen to ensure that humanitarian aid gets to all affected areas, citing U.N. estimates that over 22 million people…

Bulgaria launches natural gas hub project with EU support

SOFIA, Bulgaria –  Bulgaria is creating a natural gas hub at its Black Sea coast. The Bulgarian energy ministry says the state-owned company Bulgartransgaz signed a 1.2 million-euro ($1.5 million) contract Thursday with a Bulgarian-Swiss consortium for a feasibility study.…

Rio councilwoman's murder puts army takeover in spotlight

RIO DE JANEIRO –  A popular Rio de Janeiro councilwoman was shot in the head four times by assassins, police said Thursday, a brazen murder that shocked Brazil and raised questions about the effectiveness of a military intervention in the…

Putin meets with young scientists days before Russian vote

MOSCOW –  Russian President Vladimir Putin met Thursday with young scientists and entrepreneurs, promising to encourage new talent three days before the presidential vote he is certain to win. Putin told the youth forum that "the country wants each of…

Afghan baby named Donald Trump proves divisive

KABUL, Afghanistan –  When Asadullah Poya's wife gave birth to their third child in a tiny village in rural Afghanistan, he immediately thought of Donald Trump. Not Donald Trump the upstart politician, who at that time was in the thick…

US to extradite Minnesota man sought by Poland in Nazi case

FILE - This Undated file photo of Michael Karkoc was part of his application for German citizenship filed with the Nazi SS-run immigration office on Feb. 14, 1940. Polish prosecutors say American authorities are moving ahead with their request to…

Cyprus: Eni committed to gas search despite Turkey's dissent

NICOSIA, Cyprus –  The Cyprus government says Italian company Eni is committed to carrying on its search for gas off the east Mediterranean island despite Turkey's strong opposition. A statement said Eni is "determined to fulfill its obligations" under its…

Peru's congress approves impeachment trial against president

LIMA, Peru –  Peru's congress has voted by a wide margin to allow impeachment proceedings to begin against President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski over his ties to the Brazilian construction giant implicated in Latin America's biggest corruption scandal. It's the second…

Austria deports Afghan sisters, children based on EU ruling

ZAGREB, Croatia –  Two Afghan sisters and their three young children have been deported by Austria to Croatia after a landmark European Court of Justice ruling. Khadija Jafari told The Associated Press in Croatia's capital of Zagreb that the family…

Coke, Nestlé not negotiating to privatize massive aquifer

FOZ DO IGUAZU, Brazil –  Coca-Cola and Nestlé say they aren't negotiating for rights to the Guarani aquifer in South America, one of the world's largest reservoirs of fresh water, as online stories claim. The stories say the food and…

Catholic, Jewish leaders in Poland seek to reduce tensions

WARSAW, Poland –  Catholic and Jewish leaders in Poland have taken steps to try to rebuild dialogue and fight prejudice in their communities after a Polish-Israeli dispute sparked expressions of mutual hostility. The Polish Bishops' Conference reacted to an eruption…

Afghan who stormed toward Merkel has psychological problems

BERLIN –  Police say a man from Afghanistan who tried to reach German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she exited Parliament has been committed to a psychiatric clinic. German TV stations showed the man shouting unintelligibly while being tackled by plainclothes…

Lithuania: Failed impeachment leads to calls for early vote

VILNIUS, Lithuania –  At least 5,000 people have rallied in Lithuania's capital to demand an early parliamentary election after lawmakers failed to impeach one of their own for his reported ties to Russia. A protester at Thursday's demonstration, Andrius Kazlauskas,…

Ethiopian immigration on hold after Israeli budget passes

JERUSALEM –  An activist group says the reunification of hundreds of families split between Israel and Ethiopia is on hold after Israel failed to set aside funding for the Ethiopians' immigration in next year's budget. Alisa Bodner, a spokeswoman for…

7 years on, Syrians despair over a country in pieces

BEIRUT –  For Syrians marking seven years of war, their country has never looked as helpless or fragmented. President Bashar Assad has decimated the rebellion, thanks to massive military aid from Russia and Iran, but foreign powers have carved out…

NATO's chief says allies are spending more on defense

BRUSSELS –  NATO's chief says European members and Canada spent a total of almost 5 percent more on defense last year compared to 2016, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to boost military budgets. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday…