world news

Greece approves port sale in second-largest city

ATHENS, Greece –  Lawmakers have approved the sale of a 67 percent stake of the Thessaloniki Port Authority in Greece's second largest city, in a deal worth 232 million euros ($285 million). Parliament ratified the concession agreement through 2051 which…

Brazilian authorities to relocate Venezuelan migrants

SAO PAULO –  Authorities have announced plans to relocate Venezuelan migrants who have fled to Brazil's northern state of Roraima. The state is struggling to cope with the influx of an estimated 40,000 Venezuelans who are fleeing hunger and unrest…

US military says drone strike in Somalia kills 4 extremists

MOGADISHU, Somalia –  The United States military for the second straight day is announcing a drone strike that killed al-Shabab extremists in Somalia. The U.S. Africa Command says the strike on Wednesday killed four "terrorists" near Jamaame in Lower Juba…

University experts to lead Puerto Rico storm death review

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  Puerto Rico's governor says experts at George Washington University will lead an in-depth review to determine the number of deaths caused by Hurricane Maria amid accusations that the U.S. territory has undercounted the toll. Gov.…

AP Interview: Qatari envoy calls for emergency aid to Gaza

JERUSALEM –  Qatar's point man for the Gaza Strip is calling on the world to send humanitarian aid urgently to the war-torn territory. Mohammed Al-Emadi told The Associated Press in an interview on Thursday that Gaza is "on the verge…

Flow of undocumented migrants to Switzerland shrinks in 2017

GENEVA –  Swiss customs authorities say the number of undocumented migrants who entered Switzerland last year shrank nearly by half compared to a record influx in 2016. The Federal Customs Administration says border guards found 27,300 people on illegal stays…

Italy's Salvini praises Trump, discusses school shootings

ROME –  The leader of Italy's right-wing League party says he admires President Donald Trump for keeping many of his campaign promises, but says arming teachers isn't the way to protect children from school shootings. Speaking Thursday at the foreign…

Germany nixes special visa treatment for Cambodia officials

BERLIN –  Germany is withdrawing a system of special visa treatment for Cambodian officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and his family, citing the southeast Asian country's crackdown on the opposition. The foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that…

Egypt: 7 troops killed in Sinai anti-militant operation

CAIRO –  Egypt's military says seven troops have been killed so far in a massive security operation launched this month against Islamic militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula and other areas. The military's spokesman, Tamer al-Rifai, said on Thursday…

Korean War veteran saves woman from knife-wielding thugs

John Nixon, an 88-year-old British military veteran, rescued a young woman from two knife-wielding robbers.  (Evening Standard) An 88-year-old British military veteran tapped into his decades-old training to reportedly save a young woman from five knife-wielding thugs. John Nixon, who…

Malaysian rapper held for allegedly insulting Islam in video

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia –  Malaysian police said a popular ethnic Chinese rapper was detained Thursday over complaints that his latest music video featuring dancers wearing dog masks and performing "obscene" moves insulted Islam and could hurt racial harmony. It was…

Police seal off Brussels streets amid reports of gunman

BRUSSELS –  Belgian police sealed off part of a Brussels suburb Thursday and searched two apartments, warning residents to stay inside following witness reports that an armed man could be at large. The area in the Forest neighborhood was reopened…

Slovenia governmen sacks army chief over failed NATO tests

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia –  Slovenia's government has sacked the army chief of staff after the military's poor performance at a NATO combat readiness test. The government on Thursday replaced Maj. Gen. Andrej Osterman, appointing his deputy, Alan Geder, to the post.…

7 Americans among injured after ferry explosion in Mexico

Seven Americans were among more than two dozen people injured when an explosion ripped through a ferry as it unloaded passengers in a Mexican tourist destination Wednesday. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico confirmed the number of American citizens injured in…

The Latest: Police: Brussels incident 'not terror-related'

BRUSSELS –  The Latest on the police operation in Brussels (all times local): 3:10 p.m. Belgian police say an incident involving a suspected armed man in Brussels is not terror-related. Brussels police spokeswoman Kathleen Calie said Thursday that officers from…

Runaway cow in Poland dies after recapture

WARSAW, Poland –  A local official in Poland says a runaway cow that avoided captivity for weeks has died after it was caught and put on a truck to be taken to a farm. The red Limousin beef cow fled…

Rights group challenges Kenya's anti-gay laws in court

NAIROBI, Kenya –  Kenya's High Court has begun hearing arguments in a case that challenges parts of the penal code seen as targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission argues that…

Police lock down part of Brussels amid reports of gunman

Belgian police have sealed off part of a Brussels suburb amid reports that an armed man could be at large.  (AP) BRUSSELS –  Belgian police sealed off part of a Brussels suburb Thursday, warning residents to stay inside amid media…

European Central Bank closer to revising stimulus outlook

FRANKFURT, Germany –  The minutes to the last policy meeting of the European Central Bank suggest that policymakers could indicate as soon as March that they are mulling an earlier end to their stimulus program. According to the minutes to…

Congolese refugees' protest in Rwanda turns violent

KIGALI, Rwanda –  The United Nations refugee agency says protests by Congolese refugees in Rwanda have turned violent with several people injured and that police have fired into the air to disperse them. Tensions are high over cuts in food…

German ex-priest convicted of sexually abusing boys

BERLIN –  A court in southeastern Germany has sentenced a former Catholic priest to 8 ½ years in prison for child sex abuse. The regional court in Deggendorf, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Munich, found the defendant guilty…

Australians nabbed in Serbia over drug haul to be extradited

BELGRADE, Serbia –  A Serbian court has ruled that two Australians arrested over a $390 million cocaine haul can be extradited to Australia. The Higher Court in Belgrade said Thursday that Tristan Waters and Rohan Arnold "met legal conditions" for…