TEHRAN, Iran – Some Iranian youth are celebrating Valentine's Day even though authorities have banned the celebrations as part of "decadent Western culture." Coffee shops and restaurants are crowded with boys and girls celebrating with their loved ones and exchanging…
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Ukrainian opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili has flown to the Netherlands, his wife's home country, after being ejected from Ukraine into neighboring Poland. It was not immediately clear how long he will stay and what he will…
PRISTINA, Kosovo – Kosovo's president has called an international war crimes court with jurisdiction over potential Kosovar suspects a "historical injustice," adding his government only reluctantly accepted it as the "price for its liberty." In an interview with The Associated…
VATICAN CITY – When a Vatican court convicted a Chilean predator priest of sex crimes, it went out of its way to affirm the credibility of his victims. Their testimony had been consistent and corroborated, while their motives in coming…
PARIS – French customs authorities say they have seized a giant stash of weapons found hidden in a sports store in the northern French region of Picardy. In a Wednesday statement, the French custom office said that its officers seized…
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq – Now that Iraq has claimed victory over the Islamic State group after a bloody 3 1/2-year war, the U.S.-led coalition is decreasing air support in the country — the latest indication of the coalition's shrinking…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – An international media watchdog group says the Arab Gulf state of Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of seven journalists and social media activists since a wave of anti-government protests broke out seven years ago. Reporters…
LAHORE, Pakistan – Hundreds of pro-Islamist university students have rallied in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore to show their opposition to Valentine's Day. Wednesday's rally came days after Pakistan's media regulatory authority, based on a court order, instructed all news…
PARIS – A French court is expected to hand down a verdict for a man accused of harboring killers who carried out the 2015 Paris attacks, in the first trial related to the country's deadliest extremist violence since World War…
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan police say at least seven people have died in a building collapse in a busy area of the capital. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara says firefighters and police are searching for people who may be…
JERUSALEM – An Israeli court has ordered that an Australian woman accused of sex crimes be placed under psychiatric evaluation until further notice. The Jerusalem District Court ruled on Wednesday that the woman remain in custody while the district psychiatrist…
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has started seizing assets and funds belonging to Islamic charities linked to a radical cleric wanted by Washington who was released from detention late last year. It's the first step against Hafiz Saeed since he was freed…
Prince Henrik died late Tuesday at the age 83. (AP) Prince Henrik, the French-born husband of Danish monarch Queen Margrethe who publicly vented his frustration at not being the social equal of his wife or their son in line to…
BANGKOK – Police in Thailand say garbage collectors have found four fetuses in the trash at a popular resort town. Police Lt. Sommit Petchpradab said the fetuses were discovered Tuesday by garbage collectors in Hua Hin, 145 kilometers (90 miles)…
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he will order strikes in Syria if there is "proven evidence" that President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons against civilians. Macron told reporters on Tuesday evening France "will strike the…
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – Blowing whistles and horns, thousands of Slovenian teachers are rallying for higher wages in the latest in a string of strikes and protests by public sector workers in the small European Union country. Most schools in Slovenia…
WARSAW, Poland – A Polish opposition activist and Solidarity-era hero has been briefly detained, handcuffed and charged with his role in obstructing a pro-government demonstration last year. Police detained Wladyslaw Frasyniuk early Wednesday at his home in Wroclaw, in the…
BANGKOK – Two Myanmar journalists facing up to 14 years in prison if convicted of receiving government secrets have appeared for the latest hearing in Yangon, one day after it was announced that they had won a major press freedom…
BERLIN – German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has called for the release of a German-Turkish journalist who marks one year in a Turkish prison Wednesday. Deniz Yucel, a correspondent for the daily Die Welt, still has not been formally charged…
MELBOURNE, Australia – Lawyers for the most senior Catholic cleric to face sex charges have told an Australian court that the allegations stemmed from publicity surrounding a national inquiry into child abuse three years ago. Cardinal George Pell was charged…
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Cambodian lawmakers have unanimously approved changes to the criminal code and the constitution that can further limit free speech and political activities, already under stress from the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen. All 123 members…
JERUSALEM – The Latest in Israel after police recommended corruption charges against embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (all times local): 9:55 a.m. Israeli opposition politicians are calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign following police recommendations that he be…
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says Turkey and Greece have agreed to settle tensions through dialogue, a day after a Greek coast guard vessel was damaged in a collision with a Turkish patrol boat in the Aegean…
AMMAN, Jordan – Despite repeated threats to punish countries that don't agree with U.S. policy in the Middle East, the Trump administration is set to boost aid to Jordan by more than $1 billion over the next five years. President…