world news

African asylum seekers facing expulsion have embraced Israel

HERZLIYA, Israel –  Even as he faces a potential deportation from Israel, 30-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker Johny Goytiom Kafl brims with satisfaction as he looks out upon thousands of fellow protesters rallying against the impending expulsions, all while peacefully secured…

Blinded investigator to Indonesia graft fighters: Stay brave

JAKARTA, Indonesia –  An anti-corruption investigator blinded by an acid attack is urging graft fighters to "stay brave" as he returns to Indonesia after months of medical treatment. Activists said they would dress in white to greet Novel Baswedan when…

Venezuelan pastor fills presidential void left by opposition

CARACAS, Venezuela –  With two months to go before Venezuela's presidential election, the only challenger to jump in the ring against President Nicolas Maduro is a little-known television evangelist who was once arrested for fuel smuggling and has a range…

Russia's foreign minister criticizes West's policies in Balkans

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses reporters at a news conference in Moscow, April 24, 2017.  (Associated Press) Just hours before an explosion at the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Western policies toward his country,…

Philippine rebels reject terror tag but still open to talks

MANILA, Philippines –  Communist guerrillas say a Philippine government court petition to have them designated as terrorists is a desperate attempt to alienate them from the people and add they're "heaven and earth" different from extremists notorious for beheadings and…

China says fire in sacred Tibetan monastery not arson

BEIJING –  Chinese authorities say they've ruled out arson as the cause of a fire that damaged a 1,300-year-old monastery that is one of Tibetan Buddhism's most sacred sites. The official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday's fire at the Jokhang…

Mexican candidate: government erred in not going after arms

MEXICO CITY –  Ruling-party presidential candidate Jose Antonio Meade says the government made a mistake by focusing more on seizing drugs headed for the United States than on weapons heading into Mexico. Meade said Wednesday if he wins Mexico's July…

6 teens in Australian hospital after drug overdose at school

GOLD COAST, Australia –  Six boys remain in an Australian hospital after suffering drug overdoses at a private school. Police said on Thursday some of the students, aged 14 and 15, were critically ill, but the Gold Coast University Hospital…

Colombia arrests cop who got Escobar for money laundering

BOGOTA, Colombia –  The Colombian cop who commanded the operation that killed drug kingpin Pablo Escobar has been arrested for laundering money on behalf of a demobilized right-wing militia. Colombia*s chief prosecutor said retired Col. Hugo Aguilar was detained Wednesday.…

UN vote expected on 30-day cease-fire in Syria to help needy

UNITED NATIONS –  Sweden and Kuwait called for a vote Thursday on a U.N. resolution ordering a 30-day cease-fire throughout Syria to enable delivery of humanitarian aid to millions of people in acute need, and the evacuation of the critically…

Magnitude-4.8 quake strikes off Greek island of Zakynthos

ATHENS, Greece –  Greek authorities say an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 has struck off the western island of Zakynthos, but no injuries or damage have been reported. The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake occurred at 01:44…

French government unveils tough measures for asylum-seekers

FILE - In this Dec.21, 2017 file photo, migrants queue outside a facility to apply for asylum, in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron's government presents its first big immigration bill at Cabinet meeting Wednesday Feb.21, 2018. The government says the…

Argentina truckers gridlock traffic to protest Macri reforms

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina –  Tens of thousands of Argentines joined a demonstration on Wednesday organized by truckers and other labor unions in the first major protest so far this year against President Mauricio Macri's austerity measures. Argentines continue to lose…

Ferry explosion injures 18 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

MEXICO CITY –  Mexican authorities say an explosion on a ferry has hurt 18 people in the Caribbean beach city of Playa del Carmen, but none of the injuries are life-threatening. The municipal government reports that 15 of the wounded…

Mexico finds illegal avocado plantation in Monarch reserve

MEXICO CITY –  Mexican environmental inspectors say they've found 7.4 acres (3 hectares) of illegal avocado plantations in the Monarch butterfly wintering grounds west of Mexico City. It's apparently the first time that a wave of avocado planting has directly…

50 girls missing from Nigerian town after Boko Haram attack

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria –  About 50 young women remained missing Wednesday after Boko Haram extremists attacked a village in northern Nigeria that is home to a boarding school for girls, provoking fears that they may have met the same fate as…

Venezuela opposition demands fair presidential election

CARACAS, Venezuela –  Venezuela's opposition says it will boycott an election challenging socialist President Nicolas Maduro unless the government drops a ban on major candidates and takes other steps to ease fears it's rigged. Opposition leader Angel Oropeza says the…

Protests in Greece swell against property auctions

ATHENS, Greece –  Greece's powerful Communist Party has vowed to step up protests against online auctions of homes with defaulted mortgages, putting more pressure on the government which has promised bailout creditors it will speed up the auction process. More…