world news

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…

Senior Kurdish official, key to US policy in Syria, killed

BEIRUT –  A senior Kurdish official who played a key role with the United States in implementing its post-Islamic State group policy in northern Syria has been found dead in his apartment, Kurdish officials said Thursday. Omar Alloush's death is…

Colombia starts probing war crimes as part of peace deal

BOGOTA, Colombia –  Colombia's transitional justice system is beginning its work investigating and preparing cases on crimes committed during the nation's five-decade conflict. Officials said Thursday that victims will now be able to file complaints with the newly created jurisdiction…

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.…