Irbil, Iraq – At least five people were killed and 18 others wounded in the city of Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region in clashes after the arrest of a prominent Kurdish political figure, officials said Friday. Security forces launched a major overnight operation to arrest Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani, the nephew of the…
BERLIN — Berlin’s newest panda twins have celebrated their first birthday with frozen vegetable treats and a candle made out of bamboo shoots. The two female cubs were born at the Berlin Zoo on Aug. 22 last year, and each was given both a Chinese and a German name. Meng Hao and Meng Tian are…
Kilifi, Kenya – Five bodies were exhumed from shallow graves in coastal Kenya, at a site near where more than 400 bodies of followers of a doomsday cult were recovered two years ago. Government pathologist Dr. Richard Njoroge on Thursday said 10 human body parts were also recovered, scattered in nearby thickets at Kwa Binzaro…
MANILA, Philippines — Australia’s defense minister and his Philippine counterpart are meeting in Manila on Friday for talks spotlighting their concern over Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea, where Filipino forces were on alert after China deployed a larger number of coast guard forces closer to Manila’s military ship outpost in a fiercely disputed…
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Just days away from a European deadline, Iran said Friday its foreign minister would hold a telephone conference call with his French, German and British counterparts to avoid the reimposition of United Nations sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. The call, planned for Friday by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi according to…
CONAKRY, Guinea — Part of a mountain gave way due to heavy rains outside the capital of Guinea, sending a landslide onto buildings in a rural community and killing at least 11 people, authorities said Thursday. Another 10 people were seriously injured and the death toll was expected to rise. The landslide occurred Wednesday night…
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A New Zealand soldier, who admitted trying to spy for a foreign power, was sentenced to two years in military prison followed by discharge from the army. The sentencing by a judge and a panel of three senior military officers Wednesday came two days after the man pleaded guilty to three…
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand ‘s government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, including helicopters it plans to purchase from the United States, senior officials said. Cabinet ministers unveiling the package cited rapidly growing global tensions and a…
BANGKOK — Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he was acquitted of royal defamation by a court Friday. His lawyer also confirmed the verdict, but the Bangkok Criminal Court did not immediately issue a statement. The law on defaming the monarchy, an offense known as lese majeste, is punishable by three to 15 years…
TOKYO — Clad in an elegant kimono of pale green, tea ceremony instructor Keiko Kaneko uses a tiny wooden spoon to place a speck of matcha into a porcelain bowl. She froths up the special powdered Japanese green tea with a bamboo whisk after pouring hot water with a ladle from a pot simmering over…
