Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump's selection for secretary of state likened Beijing's island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country's territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.  China will likely be alarmed by former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson's Senate confirmation hearing remarks on Wednesday. While they focused largely on Russia, reflecting Tillerson's past relationship with its President Vladimir Putin and a

World News Jan. 12, 2017

Violence and military operations claimed the lives of more than 16,000 civilians in Iraq last year, a research group that tracks civilian deaths in Iraq said Thursday, making it one of the deadliest years for war-weary Iraqis since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.  In its annual report, the London-based Iraqi Body Count reported that 16,361 civilian Iraqis died in 2016, with the northern province of Nineveh the worst hit at 7,431 people killed. The Iraqi capital, Baghdad, was next with 3,714 civilian

World News Jan. 12, 2017

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) _ The Islamic State group is likely to carry out new attacks in the European Union in the near future, probably targeting countries that are members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the extremist organization in Syria and Iraq, EU police agency Europol said in a report published Friday.``Estimates from some intelligence services indicate several dozen people directed by IS may be currently present in Europe with a capability to commit terrorist attacks,'' according

International Dec. 2, 2016

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) _ At least 200,000 conservative Muslims rallied peacefully in the Indonesian capital on Friday in the second major protest against its minority Christian governor, who is being prosecuted for alleged blasphemy.President Joko ``Jokowi'' Widodo, a political ally of the governor who angered hard-liners by being out of the city during their first protest, unexpectedly went to the national monument to join Friday prayers with the sprawling crowd. He called for protesters to le

International Dec. 2, 2016

State prosecutors on Wednesday raided an office under the control of a former presidential aide over allegations that he condoned an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her close confidante.The prosecution sent investigators to the special inspection unit attached to the office of Woo Byung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from February 2015 to October this year, to gather evidence of his alleged wrongdoing. The facility is located at the d

Politics Nov. 23, 2016

Seven civilians were killed and nine others wounded by Pakistani shelling in Kashmir on Tuesday, Indian officials said, as cross-border firing by the two countries' troops escalated in the disputed region. A police officer said five people, including two children, were killed by Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy.Civil administrator Pawan Kotwal said two women also died in Rajouri sector in cross-border firing. He s

World News Nov. 1, 2016

Iraq's special forces entered the outskirts of Mosul on Tuesday and were advancing toward its more urban center despite fierce resistance by Islamic State group fighters who hold the city, an Iraqi general said.It was the first time Iraqi troops have set foot in the city, Iraq's second largest, in over two years. The advance could be the start of a grueling and slow operation for the troops, who will be forced to engage in difficult, house-to-house fighting in urban areas that is expected to tak

World News Nov. 1, 2016

An Israeli human rights group urged the U.N. Security Council to take decisive action now to end the country's occupation of Palestinian territory.Hagai El-Ad, executive director of B'Tselem, told an informal council meeting Friday on "Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and the Two-State Solution'' that Israel has controlled Palestinian lives in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem for the past 49 years "and counting.''"Israel will not cease being an oppressor simply by waking up

World News Oct. 15, 2016

KIGALI, Rwanda -- Nearly 200 nations have reached a deal to limit the use of greenhouse gases far more powerful than carbon dioxide in a major effort to fight climate change.  The talks on hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, were called the first test of global will since the historic Paris Agreement to cut carbon emissions was reached last year. HFCs are described as the world's fastest-growing climate pollutant and are used in air conditioners and refrigerators.The agreement, announced Saturday morni

World News Oct. 15, 2016