There has been a muted and perplexed response here to reports that North Korea snubbed a planned meeting with Vice President Pence during his visit at the start of the Olympics. The presidential "Blue House" did not respond to…
SANTIAGO, Chile – The special envoy sent by Pope Francis to investigate allegations that sex abuse was covered up has been hospitalized in Chile. Catholic bishop's conference spokesman Jaime Coiro says the problems affecting Charles Scicluna aren't extremely serious, "but…
CAIRO – Egypt's president says his country "scored a goal" by signing a $15 billion deal with an Israeli company to supply natural gas that will help turn Egypt into a regional energy hub. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi said in televised comments…
JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for his political life as a dizzying array of scandals has engulfed him, his family and his inner circle. Police last week announced they have sufficient evidence to indict Netanyahu for…
HARARE, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe's former leader Robert Mugabe is celebrating his first birthday since his resignation in near solitude, far from the lavish affair of years gone by. The government that removed him with military assistance in November has declared…
MADRID – A language still spoken by the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain 500 years ago is getting a helping hand from the Spanish Royal Academy to keep it alive. Ladino, a language taken abroad by Spanish Jews expelled…
TIGHANIMINE, Morocco – Bitter cold and exceptionally heavy snowfall have beleaguered parts of Morocco this winter, disrupting schools, closing national highways — and delighting residents in cities where it hadn't snowed for decades. The effects are starkest in the north…
WARSAW, Poland – A Polish government official says a controversial law makes it a criminal act to blame Poles for Holocaust crimes they did not commit will not lead to criminal charges. The recently adopted law has sparked a bitter…
TOKYO – A Japanese man who has won legal custody of 13 surrogate children in Thailand has remained virtually anonymous in Japanese media. Mitsutoki Shigeta is the son of the founder of Japanese telecom and insurance company Hikari Tsushin. As…
RIGA, Latvia – Latvia's banking chief will miss a meeting of the European Central Bank's top council, of which he is a member, amid an investigation into suspected corruption. The Bank of Latvia's spokesman, Janis Silakalns, said Wednesday that Latvia…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Budget carrier flydubai says its earnings and profits have increased, with revenue reaching 5.5 billion dirhams ($1.5 billion) in 2017 compared to 5 billion dirhams ($1.37 billion) in 2016. Profits for the Dubai-based airline reached…
BEIRUT – The Latest on the Syrian civil war (all times local): 12:15 p.m. The spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey is determined to press ahead with its offensive to clear a Syrian enclave of Kurdish fighters despite…
MANILA, Philippines – Justice officials have asked a court to formally designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army, as terrorist groups in a move that could further damage chances of a resumption…
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's military says an explosion in a passenger bus has injured 19 people, including 12 military personnel. Brig. Sumith Atapattu said the explosion occurred Wednesday near Diyatalawa, a former garrison town about 190 kilometers (120…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan says it has been given three months to prove it is doing enough to stay off an international watch list for countries that fail to curb the financing of terror groups. Pakistan has been scrambling to stay…
ATHENS, Greece – Greek lawmakers are debating whether to launch an investigation into 10 senior politicians — including two former prime ministers, the current central bank governor and a European commissioner — over allegations they were involved in a pharmaceutical…
BEIRUT – The Syrian Civil Defense rescue organization says 10 people have been killed by government airstrikes and shelling on a town in the suburbs of Damascus. The group, also known as the White Helmets, says government forces targeted Kafr…
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron's government is presenting its first big immigration bill, which human rights organizations criticize as repressive toward asylum-seekers. The government says the bill, to be presented at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, aims at accelerating expulsion…
BUCHAREST, Romania – Moldova is to host a conference on the security challenges facing three former Soviet republics where there are ongoing concerns about Russian influence. The parliament speakers of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia will head the conference, which will…
Two speed skaters blamed their loss on a third teammate who had fallen behind during the 500M team pursuit heats during Monday's race. Viewers demanded they be removed from the team for their treatment of their teammember. (AP) Almost half…
KAMPALA, Uganda – Inside the immigration office in Tel Aviv, Yohannes Tesfagabr considered his options. He could not return to Eritrea, a country he risked his life to flee in 2010. He hoped to avoid the fate of compatriots who…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan says it has agreed to follow the international nuclear agency's guidelines on the import and export of radioactive material. The international community has expressed concerns about Pakistan's atomic program since it tested its first nuclear weapons in…
JOHANNESBURG – Gunmen have attacked a police station in a rural town in South Africa, killing five officers and an off-duty soldier in what the government calls a "national tragedy." Authorities say the attackers stole weapons and fled in a…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A court in Bahrain has sentenced a prominent activist to five years in prison over tweets alleging torture at a prison in his country and criticizing Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. The case against Nabeel…