world news

New Zealand's National Party chooses indigenous Maori leader

WELLINGTON, New Zealand –  Lawmakers from New Zealand's main conservative party have chosen their first indigenous Maori leader as they regroup after an election loss. National Party members selected 41-year-old Simon Bridges from among five candidates Tuesday. He is a…

Saudi military leaders replaced amid stalemate Yemen war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates –  Saudi Arabia has replaced its military chief of staff and other defense officials amid its stalemated war in Yemen. The kingdom gave no reason behind the shake-up that was announced early Tuesday morning. Those fired…

Severe damage in Papua New Guinea hinders quake assessment

WELLINGTON, New Zealand –  Severe damage to phone networks and roads from a powerful earthquake in a remote Papua New Guinea region is hindering government efforts to assess the destruction, although local officials fear dozens of people may have been…

Australian police official quits over racist, obscene posts

CANBERRA, Australia –  A senior Australian state police officer has resigned over racist and obscene comments he posted online under a fake name. Victoria State Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said on Tuesday he accepted Assistant Commissioner Brett Guerin's resignation…

Earthquakes rattle South Pacific, deaths feared

The South Pacific is reeling from another series of powerful earthquakes that rocked the region early Tuesday. Known as the Ring of Fire, the area is home to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck 56 miles…

Patrick Brown ends bid to reclaim Ontario Tory leadership

TORONTO –  The ousted leader of Ontario's conservative opposition party has ended his bid to reclaim his former job. Patrick Brown said Monday he is quitting the race because it has been difficult on his family and because his candidacy…

Moroccan king undergoes heart surgery in France

RABAT, Morocco –  King Mohammed VI of Morocco has undergone a medical operation in France for an irregular heartbeat. A statement Monday from his personal doctor and a French-Moroccan medical team said the 54-year-old king underwent examinations at the Ambroise…

Guilty plea in US recruiting center fire in Virgin Islands

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands –  A man who had moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands from Texas has admitted setting fires that destroyed a military recruiting office and damaged two other federal properties in the territory. The U.S. Attorney's…

Russia vetoes UN resolution citing Iran sanctions violation

UNITED NATIONS –  Russia has vetoed a British-drafted U.N. resolution that promised action against violations of a U.N. arms embargo on Yemen and pointed to a report by experts that cited Iran as a violator. Monday's vote was 11-2 with…

South Africa's new president replaces finance minister

JOHANNESBURG –  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a Cabinet shuffle that replaces the finance minister and puts a former finance minister in charge of the country's troubled state-owned companies. Ramaphosa was sworn in this month after President Jacob…

Ugandan peacekeepers said to kill 2 Somali soldiers

MOGADISHU, Somalia –  A Somali police official says two Somali soldiers were killed in a confrontation with African Union peacekeepers from Uganda. Col. Ahmed Mohamed says the firefight occurred when the AU troops tried to force their way through a…

Greece: Minister fired for allegedly claiming rent subsidy

ATHENS, Greece –  The Greek government has fired a deputy labor minister for allegedly claiming rent assistance despite declaring an annual household income of more than half a million dollars and owning multiple properties. Government officials said the prime minister…

Mexico annual oil output falls below 2 million barrels a day

MEXICO CITY –  Mexico's annual crude oil and gas output has fallen below 2 million barrels per day for the first time since comparable records were kept starting in 1990. State-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos reports on its website that…

EU's Juncker says Serbia must solve dispute with Kosovo

BELGRADE, Serbia –  European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says Serbia must solve its dispute with Kosovo to join the European Union. Juncker said Monday following talks with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic that the Balkan country is on the right path,…

Lebanon PM invited to visit Saudi Arabia after tension

BEIRUT –  The office of Lebanon's Prime Minister says he has received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia from an envoy of the Gulf monarch. It's the first such gesture following tension between the two countries in the wake of…

Church officials: Holy Sepulchre to remain closed

JERUSALEM –  Leaders of the two largest Christian sects in Jerusalem say the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, will remain closed indefinitely to protest an Israeli attempt to tax their…

Anna Wintour's front row with royalty, Hollywood and real

ROME –  She has sat next to royalty both Hollywood and real, often donning her trademark dark sunglasses to block the glare from the catwalks of the world's fashion capitals. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour had a front-row seat of a…

11 Congolese refugees killed in Rwanda protests, UN says

KIGALI, Rwanda –  A United Nations official says 11 Congolese refugees were killed last week as Rwandan police tried to put down a protest over reduced food rations. Daniela Ionita with the U.N. refugee agency says the deaths occurred in…

Migrants on stalled route hide in Greek city's ancient walls

THESSALONIKI, Greece –  The stone walls that cut through the old quarter of Greece's second-largest city defended Thessaloniki for more than 2,000 years. For a 24-year-old Pakistani immigrant, parts of the remaining ramparts mean survival. Muhammed Adeel and other homeless…