MANILA, Philippines – An official says two militants, one Filipino and the other Malaysian, who survived the crushing of a siege of a southern Philippine city last year are among the leading candidates to succeed a slain Islamic State group…
BANGKOK – Myanmar's government has rejected two reports presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council that concluded it committed extreme human rights violations, probably amounting to crimes under international law, in its repression of several minority groups. Government spokesman Zaw…
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Slovakia's three-party coalition government will face a parliamentary no-confidence vote next week amid the political turmoil set off by the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee. The vote requested by the opposition has been set…
FRANKFURT, Germany – Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller says the automaker had "an excellent year" in 2017 and is committed to addressing concerns about diesel pollution. Mueller cited the company's efforts to reduce diesel emissions and recover from its 2015 diesel…
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says he is reopening airports in Iraq's Kurdish region to international flights after federal authority was restored at the hubs. Al-Abadi's announcement on Tuesday comes some six months after the airports were initially…
PATNA, India – Police in eastern India say at least nine paramilitary soldiers have been killed by a land mine placed by Maoist rebels who are active in the area. Police officer D.M. Awasthi says the soldiers were traveling between…
CAIRO – Egyptian authorities have published a list of telephone numbers for citizens to use to bring attention to any media reports they perceive as undermining the country's security or hurting public interest. The publication of the numbers — listed…
JABALIYA, Gaza Strip – The Latest on explosion striking Palestinian PM convoy in Gaza (all times local): 11:50 a.m. The Hamas militant group has condemned the Gaza explosion that targeted the convoy of visiting Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. In a…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have each extended a concession to an offshore oil field they share to a Japanese consortium despite a diplomatic crisis between the two of them tearing at the region.…
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey's parliament has approved changes to Turkey's electoral laws that critics say are aimed at helping President Recep Tayyip Erdogan consolidate power and could lead to election fraud. The changes were approved Tuesday after an all-night session…
BERLIN – A German federal court has rejected a customer's demand for her bank to include the feminine form of words such as "account holder" on official forms. The Federal Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that plaintiff Marlies Kraemer hadn't…
VIENNA – Vienna police say a man tried to drag a police guard out of his car outside the Austrian parliament building and was arrested. Police said the incident took place shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday. The 26-year-old suspect, who…
JABALIYA, Gaza Strip – An explosion has struck the convoy of the Palestinian prime minister during a rare visit to Gaza, sparking fears of an assassination attempt. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah was unharmed Tuesday but his Palestinian Authority quickly…
SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni security officials say at least three people have been killed when a car bomb went off outside a supply post belonging to a security force backed by the United Arab Emirates in the southern port city…
BERLIN – A record 171 days after Germany's election, Angela Merkel is set to pledge for the fourth time to dedicate her efforts to Germans' well-being and "protect them from harm." Merkel has 12 often-turbulent years as chancellor behind her.…
BEIRUT – The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local): 10:15 a.m. Turkey's military says its troops and Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters have begun a siege of the Syrian Kurdish-held northern town of Afrin. The military said in a…
BALI, Indonesia – Bali's annual Day of Silence is so sacred that even reaching for a smartphone to send a tweet or upload a selfie to social media could cause offense. This year it will be nearly impossible to do…
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Southeast Asian ride hailing app Grab is expanding into financial services in partnership with a Japanese credit card company, hoping to offer credit to millions of people without bank accounts. Grab, founded by Malaysian businessman Anthony Tan,…
TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian lawmakers have begun a hearing on the labor minister's alleged mismanagement of unemployment and other government enterprises. The hearing could lead to the impeachment of Ali Rabiei if there is a majority vote in parliament against…
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey's state-run news agency says a passenger bus has burst into flames after hitting a truck, killing at least 13 people. Anadolu Agency says the accident occurred Tuesday on a highway in the central Turkish province of…
BEIRUT – The largest rebel group in the besieged suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus has vowed not to leave the area and to continue fighting advancing government forces. The Army of Islam was responding to some local reports that…
BEIRUT – After seven years of war in Syria, the United Nations has one thing to say: Stop the war on children. The numbers speak for themselves. Of Syria's estimated 10 million children, 8.6 million are now in dire need…
FILE: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made an unannounced visit to Kabul on Tuesday. (Reuters) U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who made an unannounced visit to Kabul on Tuesday, told reporters that he believes victory is still possible and "we…
KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has arrived in the Afghan capital to take stock of the war, with emphasis on prospects for drawing at least some Taliban fighters into reconciling with the Afghan government. The visit, which…