world news

Bolivia is shaken by 2 explosions that kill 12 people

ORURO, Bolivia –  Children returned to school Thursday and nervous adults tried to get back to normal after being stunned by two deadly explosions during this mining city's exuberant Carnival celebrations. People remained on edge as authorities sought explanations for…

Court received 1.17 million war crimes claims from Afghans

KABUL, Afghanistan –  Since the International Criminal Court began collecting material three months ago for a possible war crimes case involving Afghanistan, it has gotten a staggering 1.17 million statements from Afghans who say they were victims. The statements include…

Venezuela's President Maduro taking new title: Party crasher

CARACAS, Venezuela –  Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro says he isn't above crashing a party after his invitation was yanked. He told international journalists Thursday that he's determined to show up for the Summit of the Americas, a meeting of regional…

Huge sinkhole on Rome street swallows half-dozen cars

ROME –  Prosecutors have opened an investigation into a 10-meter (30-foot) -wide sinkhole that swallowed up a half-dozen cars on a residential street in Rome. No one was injured in Wednesday evening's collapse in the Balduina neighborhood, but families in…

Israeli attorney general lauds police probe into Netanyahu

JERUSALEM –  Israel's attorney general has praised a police investigation into the prime minister, saying it was done "by the book." In a speech at Tel Aviv University on Thursday, Avihai Mandelblit says the investigation was carried out "professionally and…

Mexican diocese withdraws nuns from violent city

MEXICO CITY –  The Roman Catholic diocese where two priests were killed earlier this month has withdrawn all nuns from the hyper-violent city of Chilapa in southern Mexico. The diocese said in a statement that the parents of one of…

Borneo's orangutan population plunged by 100,000 since 1999

JAKARTA, Indonesia –  The most comprehensive study of Borneo's orangutans estimates their numbers have plummeted by more than 100,000 since 1999, as the palm oil and paper industries shrink their jungle habitat and fatal conflicts with people increase. The finding,…

El Salvador commutes women's 30-year abortion sentence

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador –  El Salvador's Supreme Court has commuted the sentence of a woman serving 30 years in prison for what she says was a stillbirth. The court ruled Thursday that evidence in the case did not prove…

Nobel winner Tutu says no longer an Oxfam global ambassador

JOHANNESBURG –  Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu says he will no longer be a global ambassador for the British-based aid organization Oxfam after allegations that senior staff members in crisis zones paid for sex among the desperate people the…

Building under construction collapses in India; 3 dead

BANGALORE, India –  A five-story building under construction collapsed Thursday in southern India, killing at least three workers and trapping several others, a fire official said. The official, M.N. Reddi, said at least seven people have been rescued from the…

Inmate drugs twin brother in brazen escape from prison

Peru authorities said Alexander Delgado drugged his brother and swapped places with him to escape from prison.  (Peru Ministry of Interior) A prisoner in a Peru jail allegedly drugged his twin brother, changed into his clothes and walked out a…

3 skiers die in avalanche in the French Pyrenees

PARIS –  Authorities say three skiers have died after being swept away by an avalanche in the French Pyrenees. The prefecture in the southern Hautes-Pyrenees region said the bodies of the three men were found Thursday, a day after an…

British ex-soccer coach convicted of 43 sex-abuse charges

LIVERPOOL, England –  A former English youth soccer coach was convicted of 43 charges of sex abuse against 11 young players in a trial that detailed how he shattered the trust of boys who dreamed of becoming professionals. Barry Bennell…

Russian officer, militant, die in shootout in Caucasus

MOSCOW –  Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee says a special forces officer has been killed in a shootout with a militant that also left the fighter dead. The clash occurred Thursday in a rural area of Dagestan, a republic in the…

Pakistan says Indian fire across border kills van driver

ISLAMABAD –  Pakistan's army says Indian fire has struck a school van from across the frontier in Kashmir, killing the driver and forcing residents to flee to safety. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor says Indian forces in an "unethical…

Specialist prosecutor for Kosovo court standing down

THE HAGUE, Netherlands –  The American prosecutor working to bring to justice former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army accused of crimes against ethnic Serbs in Kosovo's war for independence is stepping down at the end of next month. Specialist…

The Latest: Russian FM: 5 Russians killed in US Syria strike

ANKARA, Turkey –  The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local): 4:15 p.m. The Russian Foreign Ministry says five Russians have been killed in a U.S. strike in Syria, the first official recognition of Russian deaths in the incident…

US says 'deeply concerned' over political arrests in Sudan

CAIRO –  The United States Embassy in Sudan says it is "deeply concerned by the continued arrests and detentions of hundreds of political leaders, activists and ordinary citizens" in the country. In a Thursday statement it says that many of…

2 more Westerners freed in Cambodian 'dirty dancing' case

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia –  Two more Westerners arrested in Cambodia for allegedly posting photos on social media of sexually suggestive dancing have been released, leaving only a British man incarcerated. A spokesman for the Siem Reap provincial court, Yim Srang,…

Ethiopia's prime minister submits resignation letter: Report

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia –  Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has submitted a resignation letter after the worst anti-government protests in a quarter-century, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported Thursday. "The prime minister said he tried his utmost effort to solve…

Egypt says 53 militants killed in massive security operation

CAIRO –  Egypt says its security forces have killed 53 militants since the beginning of a massive security operation, mainly in restive northern Sinai Peninsula, the epicenter of a years-long Islamic insurgency. Armed forces spokesman Tamer al-Rifaai said Thursday that…

Indian air force helicopter crashes, killing 2 crewmembers

GAUHATI, India –  Indian police say an air force helicopter has crashed in the remote northeast, killing both crewmembers on board. Police officer Mukesh Aggarwal says the crash occurred Thursday while the helicopter was flying to Majoli island from Gauhati,…