BUCHAREST, Romania – Romanian and German officials have raided homes and hotels in both countries to smash an illegal migrant trafficking ring they said was one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. Romanian prosecutors from the organized crime…
BERLIN – Germany is extending six overseas military missions, including its long-running operation in Afghanistan. Cabinet agreed Wednesday to increase the maximum number of troops deployed as part of the international "Resolute Support" mission by 320 to 1,300. The German…
JOHANNESBURG – Authorities in South Africa say "Day Zero," the date when Cape Town would have to turn off most water taps because of a drought, might not happen at all this year because of water conservation efforts. The Democratic…
BRUSSELS – The European Parliament is set to reject any attempts by Britain to cherry-pick the most advantageous parts of its current membership for when it leaves the European Union next year. A draft motion of a resolution seen Wednesday…
South African triathlete Mhlengi Gwala, 27, was out cycling when three men attacked him and attempted to saw off his legs. (Facebook) A top South African triathlete was out training when he was suddenly attacked by three men who tried…
JAKARTA, Indonesia – An Indonesian zoo infamous for mistreatment of animals is being slammed again by animal rights activists after a video emerged of one of its orangutans smoking. Activist Marison Guciano said the video shot Sunday at Bandung Zoo…
WARSAW, Poland – Polish prosecutors say they have indicted a Moroccan man for alleged participation in the Islamic State group, the first such case in Poland. The national prosecutor's office said Wednesday the man, identified only as Mourad T., was…
LONDON – Saudi Arabia's crown prince was being greeted Wednesday in Britain by Queen Elizabeth II — and met by protesters against the war in Yemen. Theresa May's office said the prime minister will "raise deep concerns at the humanitarian…
KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan official says a suicide bomber has killed two people, including the local head of the Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs, in the eastern Nangarhar province. Attahullah Khogynai, spokesman for the provincial governor, says another…
SEOUL, South Korea – At first glance it seems like a blockbuster: North Korea has reportedly offered up its nukes for negotiation, an abrupt reversal from its repeated vows never to relinquish the "treasured sword" it sees as protection against…
BERLIN – European police have smashed an international weapons-smuggling ring operating in at least four countries. Police say the group traded firearms in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France. Rudolf Welte of Rottweil police in southern Germany said Wednesday that the…
BEIRUT – The Latest on Syria's civil war (all times local): 1:15 p.m. Syrian state media says government forces have advanced against rebels in the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus and will try to divide the besieged enclave in two.…
CAIRO – The Committee to Protect Journalists is urging Yemeni authorities to investigate an arson attack on the offices of a media foundation in the southern port city of Aden. The CPJ says armed men raided the offices of al-Shomou…
JUBA, South Sudan – As International Women's Day is to be marked across the globe, South Sudan remains a country where women face grinding difficulties. Women across much of the Western world have galvanized around the #MeToo movement by speaking…
BERLIN – German prosecutors say they have indicted a 47-year-old Vietnamese man on suspicion of espionage and involvement in the kidnap a former Vietnamese oil executive in Berlin last year. Federal prosecutors accuse the suspect, identified only as Long N.…
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has cleared the way for slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero to be made a saint, declaring that a churchman who stood up for the poorest of the poor in the face of right-wing oppression should…
QUETTA, Pakistan – Police in Pakistan say gunmen riding on motorcycles shot and killed a police officer guarding minority Shiites in the southwestern city of Quetta. Abdur Razzaq Cheema, police chief in Quetta, said another police officer was wounded in…
PARIS – President Emmanuel Macron is set to address France's leading Jewish group, amid concerns about a rise in anti-Jewish violence and the possible re-publication of anti-Semitic pamphlets by a renowned writer. Macron will be the guest of honor at…
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey is demanding that Greece arrest and start legal proceedings against right-wing demonstrators who burned a Turkish flag during a weekend protest in Athens. Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Wednesday that Turkey "strongly…
SEOUL, South Korea – South Korean President Moon Jae-in has downplayed concerns that the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue will be accompanied by an easing of international sanctions and pressure on North Korea over its nuclear program. Moon made the comments…
MADRID – An alleged racist attack on an actor of African descent has sparked outrage in Spain. Marius Makon, a 34-year-old theater and television actor born in Cameroon and raised in Spain, was treated for injuries near his right eye…
SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni officials say the United Arab Emirates is barring ships carrying some 170 billion Yemeni rials ($680 million) from entering the southern port of Aden. They told The Associated Press Wednesday the money is meant for the…
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey is calling on the United States to prevent U.S.-backed Kurdish forces from sending fighters deployed against the Islamic State group to shore up Kurdish forces battling a Turkish offensive in an enclave in northwest Syria. President…
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The Latest on religious violence in Sri Lanka (all times local): 2:30 p.m. An internet company official says the government has ordered popular social media networks blocked across a swathe of central Sri Lanka in an…