World News

Anti-migrant League has its first black senator in Italy

MILAN –  A Nigerian-born man elected senator for Italy's anti-migrant League is shrugging off criticism from Italian football player Mario Balotelli for representing a party long viewed as xenophobic. Tony Iwobi became Italy's first black senator in Sunday's parliamentary vote.…

New law protects Thai Constitutional Court from criticism

BANGKOK –  A new law makes criticism of Thailand's Constitutional Court punishable by imprisonment, giving extra protection to a body that in recent years has made controversial rulings altering the shape of governments. The unheralded law took effect when it…

Women strike, protest as world marks International Women's Day

Women across the world are marking International Women's Day with protests and marches.  (AP Photo) MADRID –  Women across Europe and Asia shouted their demands for equality, respect and empowerment Thursday to mark International Women's Day, with protesters in Spain…

Rare but deadly nerve agents have been used in war, terror

LONDON –  An ex-Russian spy and his daughter lie in critical condition in a British hospital — poisoned, authorities say, with a nerve agent in a targeted murder attempt. Sergei Skripal, a former Russian agent who confessed to spying for…

Egypt says 16 troops killed in month-old offensive

CAIRO –  Egypt's military says 16 troops have been killed and 19 wounded since a wide-scale operation against Islamic militants was launched a month ago. Army spokesman Col. Tamer al-Rifai said Thursday that 105 militants have been killed and that…

FARC withdraws Timochenko from Colombia's presidential race

BOGOTA, Colombia –  The political party formed by Colombia's once-largest rebel group has withdrawn a former guerrilla commander from the race for president. Leaders of the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force on Thursday said Rodrigo Londono won't seek the presidency, citing…

Policemen, protesters hurt in Cambodian land dispute

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia –  At least seven policemen and two protesters have been hurt in a clash after villagers in northeastern Cambodia blocked a national highway to protest being forced off land they have occupied for at least two years.…

Northern Ireland leader sees little hope of government soon

LONDON –  Arlene Foster, leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, says there is little chance of a government being formed in Northern Ireland in the next few months. Talks to restore a power-sharing government to Northern Ireland between the…

Turkey, Iraq plan joint offensive against Kurdish rebels

ANKARA, Turkey –  Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey and Iraq could conduct a joint military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq. Cavusoglu told reporters in Vienna during a news conference with his Austrian counterpart Thursday that the operation…

Carter Center say Kenya's polls were a setback for democracy

NAIROBI, Kenya –  The Carter Center says Kenya's 2017 elections were a setback to this East African country's democratic development. In its final report on the elections the U.S.-based center said the process of tallying final results suffered from delays…

Milos Zeman inaugurated for 2nd term as Czech president

PRAGUE –  Milos Zeman, a leading pro-Russian voice in EU politics, has been sworn in for his second term as Czech president. Zeman was elected to the largely ceremonial post in 2013 during the country's first direct presidential vote, a…

Serbian president says "open to solutions" on Kosovo

BUCHAREST, Romania –  Serbia's president says his country won't recognize Kosovo but is open to discussing solutions on the issue. President Aleksandar Vucic, who is in Romania for talks with President Klaus Iohannis, said Thursday: "If we recognize Kosovo.... Albanians…

Protesters demand release of jailed former Bangladesh leader

DHAKA, Bangladesh –  Several hundred opposition supporters have staged a protest in Bangladesh's capital demanding the release of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in a corruption case. The protesters accused police of obstructing…

Russian lawmaker accused of sex harassment apologizes

MOSCOW –  An influential Russian parliament member accused of sexual harassment by several female journalists has issued an apology and asked for forgiveness. The allegations against Leonid Slutsky by three journalists include groping and making demeaning comments. On Thursday, noting…

The Latest: Turkey wants Afrin offensive to end by May

BEIRUT –  The Latest on developments related to Syria (all times local): 2:15 p.m. Turkey's foreign minister says his government hopes that a cross-border military offensive in a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave will end before May. Speaking during a joint news…

Crewmember rescued from burning cargo ship dies

NEW DELHI –  A shipping line official says one of the 23 crewmembers evacuated from a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that caught fire in the Arabian Sea has died of severe burns. The chief operating officer of A.P. Moller-Maersk, Soren Toft,…

Germans arrest Iraqi who allegedly planned attacks

BERLIN –  German prosecutors say they have issued a formal arrest warrant for a 17-year-old Iraqi citizen who was allegedly planning to commit an extremist attack in either Germany or Britain. Federal prosecutors said Thursday that Deday A., who was…

EU, Poland discuss Poland's divisive judicial reform

WARSAW, Poland –  Poland's prime minister is meeting with a top European Union official in Brussels as part of efforts to avert potential EU sanctions over a reform of Poland's judiciary. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki's office tweeted Thursday that he…