world news

Fact box about the trial of Danish inventor Peter Madsen

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –  Danish inventor Peter Madsen goes on trial Thursday for the killing of journalist Kim Wall in his submarine. A look at the key facts in the case: WHO The defendant is Danish space and submarine enthusiast Peter…

Timeline in the case of journalist Kim Wall's murder

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –  Danish inventor Peter Madsen goes on trial Thursday for the killing of journalist Kim Wall in his submarine. Madsen denies killing Wall and says she died accidentally inside his submarine while he was on deck. However, he…

Soros rejects claims by Slovak PM he interferes in Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia –  Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has rejected claims by Slovakia's prime minister that he is involved in an attempt to destabilize the government. Prime Minister Robert Fico said Monday that Soros has somehow used his influence to influence…

Greece seeks EU, NATO help over soldiers arrested in Turkey

ATHENS, Greece –  Greece's defense minister says he has complained to the European Union and NATO following the arrest of two Greek soldiers in Turkey after they strayed across the border during a patrol last week. Panos Kammenos said the…

UAE now requires licenses for 'social media influencers'

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates –  The United Arab Emirates says it will now require anyone conducting "commercial activities" through social media to register for a government-issued license. The new rules announced Tuesday target so-called "social media influencers," who parlay their…

UN probe: Russia behind deadly airstrike in Syria's Idlib

GENEVA –  U.N. war crimes investigators said Tuesday that a Russian plane was apparently behind an airstrike in November in Syria's Idlib province that killed 84 people at a marketplace, an attack which could amount to a war crime. The…

Jailed separatist is latest candidate for Catalan president

MADRID –  Catalonia's parliament is to vote next week on whether to elect a jailed separatist leader as the region's new president, as part of an ongoing effort to gain independence from Spain. Parliament speaker Roger Torrent convened the plenary…

Bicycle-riding suicide bomber kills 3 in northeast Nigeria

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria –  Police say a suicide bomber riding a bicycle with explosive devices strapped to his body killed three people when he detonated himself in a crowded suburb of Nigeria's northeast city of Maiduguri. Borno State police spokesman Joseph…

Japanese volcano erupts, dozens of flights grounded

An aerial view shows Shinmoedake peak erupting between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, southwestern Japan.  (Kyodo/via REUTERS) TOKYO –  A volcano in southern Japan that appeared in a James Bond film has erupted, shooting smoke and ash thousands of meters (feet)…

Northern Ireland party rejects EU plans on Ireland border

BRUSSELS –  The Northern Ireland party that props up the government of Prime Minister Theresa May is insisting that current European Union proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland once Britain leaves the bloc are "not acceptable." Democratic Unionist…

Wreckage of famed US World War II carrier discovered

BANGKOK –  A piece of prized World War II U.S. naval history, the wreckage of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which was sunk by the Japanese in a crucial sea battle, has been discovered by an expedition funded by Microsoft…

EgyptAir passenger on Muscat-Cairo flight assaults crew

CAIRO –  Egyptian aviation officials say a passenger on an EgyptAir flight from the Gulf state of Oman to Cairo assaulted crew members but was quickly overpowered. The officials say the Boeing 737-800 with 78 passengers returned to Muscat, Oman's…

Report rebukes Portugal for poor progress against corruption

LISBON, Portugal –  A report by an international watchdog has warned that Portugal has a "very low level of compliance" with recommendations on fighting government corruption. The Group of States against Corruption, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption agency, said Tuesday…

UN official: Myanmar violence precludes return of Rohingya

BANGKOK –  The senior U.N. official for human rights says it is impossible to send Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh safely back to Myanmar because it appears that widespread and systematic violence against them inside Myanmar, amounting to ethnic cleaning, is…

Sri Lanka declares emergency amid anti-Muslim violence

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka –  Sri Lanka's president has declared a state of emergency amid fears that anti-Muslim attacks in a central hill town could spread. Details of the emergency decree were not immediately announced, and it was unclear how it…

NATO chief plans military academies for Iraqi forces

AMMAN, Jordan –  The secretary general of NATO says the alliance plans to step up training of Iraq's armed forces, including by setting up military academies. Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the goal of training is to ensure that…

The Latest: UK counter-terror specialists supporting police

SALISBURY, England –  The Latest on developments surrounding the former Russian spy found critically ill in the southern England town of Salisbury (all times local): 9:30 a.m. British counter-terror specialists are supporting police in Salisbury after a former Russian spy…

Sudan's envoy returns to Cairo in a sign of improved ties

CAIRO –  Sudan's ambassador to Egypt has returned to Cairo more than two months after he was recalled by his government for consultations, a move that signaled deteriorating relations at the time. The return of Abdel-Mahmoud Abdel-Halim, who flew back…

The Latest: Turkey plans camps for displaced in north Syria

BEIRUT –  The Latest on the war in Syria (all times local): 10:55 a.m. Turkey's Foreign Ministry says the country plans to establish camps in nine locations in northern Syria to house people displaced by fighting amid Ankara's offensive against…