News: World

Israeli official: Netanyahu-Putin meeting in Moscow delayed

• World
• 2019-02-20 12:58:45Z

JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli government official says a planned meeting in Moscow between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been postponed.

Philippines' Duterte warns of harsher drugs war ahead

• World
• 2019-02-20 12:49:31Z

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Wednesday that his signature anti-narcotics campaign will be even harsher in the future, signaling no let-up in a bloody crackdown that has alarmed the international community. Duterte won the presidency by a wide margin in 2016 on promises of eradicating

South Sudan rife with human rights abuses, says UN report

• World
• 2019-02-20 12:48:53Z

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) - The "lawless" activities of South Sudan's national security and military intelligence risk turning the war-torn country into a police state run on fear and corruption, said the United Nations on Wednesday.

Explainer: Does Islamic State still pose a threat?

• World
• 2019-02-20 10:45:57Z

Islamic State looks about to lose its last foothold on the banks of the Euphrates in Syria, but though its era of territorial rule may have been expunged for now, there is near universal agreement that the group remains a threat. Islamic State's possession of land in Iraq and Syria set it apart

Shamima Begum: Being stripped of my British citizenship is hard to swallow and unjust

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 10:10:37Z

Shamima Begum, the Isil bride, has described being stripped of her British citizenship is "unjust" and "hard to swallow" after she was shown the Home Office's documentation of the decision.  The 19-year-old, who had expressed the desire to return to the UK with her newborn son, was banned on Tuesday from entering the country. At a refugee camp in northeastern Syria, she was shown the Government's letter, showing that she is no longer a British national.  "I don't know what to say," she told ITV News. "I am not that shocked but I am a bit shocked. It's a bit upsetting and frustrating. I feel like it's a bit unjust on me and my son." She added:...

Comedian leads new poll in Ukraine presidential election

• World
• 2019-02-20 09:57:58Z

KIEV (Reuters) - Comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy is the frontrunner in Ukraine's presidential election, according to the latest opinion poll published on Wednesday. A survey, conducted by the Kiev-based Razumkov Center, showed the 41-year-old Zelenskiy, a political novice, was ahead of current President

Rouhani says Iran- U.S. tensions are at 'a maximum'

• World
• 2019-02-20 09:52:14Z

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that tensions between Tehran and Washington were at "a maximum" rarely seen in the decades-long contentious relations of the two countries. Animosity between Washington and Tehran - bitter foes since Iran's 1979 revolution - has intensified

North Korea's Kim shuffles nuclear talks team after defections, spying allegations

• World
• 2019-02-20 09:50:08Z

Kim has purged and replaced many top diplomats and officials who served his father and grandfather with new, younger advisors as he gears up to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam next week. Among the most significant changes, Kim has appointed little-known Kim Hyok Chol to spearhead working-level

Italy's League, 5-Star deny plans to join forces in EU parliament

• World
• 2019-02-20 09:32:08Z

Italy's far-right League party and its government coalition partner the populist 5-Star Movement denied on Wednesday reports they plan to join forces in the European Parliament after the May vote. The two rival parties teamed up last year to form a coalition government, and the League has suggested

Snow, sleet, heavy rain hits every state east of the Mississippi River

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 08:53:00Z

A winter storm that began Tuesday continued to hit every state east of the Mississippi River on Wednesday, bringing snow, rain, ice and a wintry mix.

Turkey says cannot accept U.S. Patriot offer as it stands, talks continue

• World
• 2019-02-20 08:36:09Z

It is impossible for Turkey to accept the United States' offer on purchasing Patriot defense systems as it currently stands, the chairman of Turkey's Defence Industry Directorate said on Wednesday, adding that talks on the issue continued. Speaking to broadcaster NTV, Ismail Demir also said

North Korea's Kim to travel to Vietnam by train, summit at Government Guesthouse: sources

• World
• 2019-02-20 07:07:57Z

It could take Kim at least two and a half days to travel the thousands of kilometers through China by train, from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to Vietnam, meaning he would have to set off later this week in time for his planned Feb. 25 arrival. Kim's train will stop at the Vietnamese border

Italy Deputy PM Salvini rules out need for budget correction: Il Messaggero

• World
• 2019-02-20 06:47:46Z

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini rules out any need for a possible budget correction, he told Il Messaggero in an interview published on Wednesday. "I rule it out categorically," he told the paper. On Monday Cabinet Undersecretary Giancarlo Giorgetti said the government

Northern Red Sea coral reefs may survive a hot, grim future

• World
• 2019-02-20 06:47:12Z

EILAT, Israel (AP) - As the outlook for coral reefs across a warming planet grows grimmer, scientists in Israel have discovered a rare glimmer of hope: The corals of the northern Red Sea may survive, and even thrive, into the next century.

Microsoft expands political security service to 12 European countries

• World
• 2019-02-20 05:56:45Z

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday said it will offer its cyber security service AccountGuard to 12 new markets in Europe including Germany, France and Spain, to close security gaps and protect customers in political space from hacking. Microsoft had recently detected attacks, which occurred between September and December 2018, targeting employees of the German Council on Foreign Relations and European offices of The Aspen Institute and The German Marshall Fund, the company said https://blogs.microsoft.com/eupolicy/2019/02/20/accountguard-expands-to-europe in a blog post.

Speed record set for Boeing 787 thanks to powerful jet stream

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 04:29:43Z

FAST LANE IN THE SKY: A powerful jet stream helped a Boeing 787 Dreamliner break a speed record for that plane clocking in at 801 miles per hour.

Ex-Goldman banker to finish Malaysia legal process before US extradition

• World
• 2019-02-20 03:53:25Z

A former Goldman Sachs banker accused of involvement in the multi-billion-dollar 1MDB scandal will only be extradited to the United States after legal proceedings against him in Malaysia are completed, a minister said. Huge sums of public money were purportedly stolen from Malaysian state fund 1MDB

Taiwan says will not accept any deal that destroys democracy

• World
• 2019-02-20 03:48:36Z

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan will not accept any deal that destroys its sovereignty and democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday after the island's opposition KMT party said it could sign a peace deal with China if it wins a presidential election next year. Tsai's Democratic Progressive

Southwest apologizes to travelers for spike in cancellations and delays, blames union

• World/Europe
• 2019-02-20 03:44:59Z

Southwest Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven apologized to travelers and said the union that represents its mechanics has a "history of work disruptions.''

Mariano Rivera calls child support allegations 'unfounded'

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 03:40:57Z

PANAMA CITY (AP) - Just weeks after becoming baseball's first unanimous Hall of Fame selection, Mariano Rivera is defending himself from accusations in his native Panama that he has failed to support two children he had outside his marriage.

Brazil's Bolsonaro suffers first defeat in Congress

• World
• 2019-02-20 03:08:37Z

Brazil's lower chamber handed right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro his first defeat in Congress on Tuesday, the day before his government presents its most important legislative proposal to rein in a gaping budget deficit and spur growth. The house voted overwhelmingly to suspend an executive order

Porter Ranch shooting: Victims ID'd in triple homicide that police say was not random attack

• World/Europe
• 2019-02-20 02:22:20Z

Los Angeles police said Tuesday that a triple homicide inside a Porter Ranch home was not a random act of violence.

Teenager in Lincoln Memorial protest sues Washington Post for $250 million

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 01:53:57Z

A high school student from Covington, Kentucky, sued the Washington Post for defamation on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and instigating a confrontation with a Native American activist in a January videotaped incident at the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Kentucky by Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann, 16, seeks $250 million in damages, the amount that Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com and the world's richest person, paid for the Post in 2013. The lawsuit claims that the newspaper "wrongfully targeted and bullied" the teen to advance its bias against President Donald Trump because Sandmann...

India-Pakistan tensions threaten to derail Saudi prince's Delhi trip

• World/Europe
• 2019-02-20 01:30:07Z

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, with his business mission under threat of being overshadowed by soaring tensions between India and Pakistan. The crown prince, who wants to persuade the world's fastest growing major economy to consume more Saudi oil, was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave his traditional bear hug for honoured guests. The prince arrived from a two-day stay in Pakistan as it clashed with its giant neighbour over responsibility for a suicide attack in Kashmir last Thursday that left at least 40 members of Indian security forces dead.

May in Brussels again, seeking Brexit movement

• World
• 2019-02-20 01:08:19Z

With Britain set to jolt out of the world's biggest trading bloc in 37 days unless May can either persuade the British parliament or the European Union to budge, officials were cautious on the chances of a breakthrough. The key sticking point is the so-called backstop, an insurance policy to prevent

How the border wall battle could hurt the economy

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 01:00:53Z

Sixteen states that joined in the first of a string of expected lawsuits overPresident Donald Trump's national emergency maneuver to fund a southern borderwall could

UK's Hammond says EU will not consider alternatives to backstop for now

• World
• 2019-02-20 00:49:43Z

(Reuters) - British Finance Minister Philip Hammond said on Tuesday it was clear the European Union will not now consider alternatives to the contentious Irish backstop to help the UK government win support for its Brexit withdrawal deal, but such options could be valuable in future. ...

10 Non-Hybrid Crossovers and SUVs That Get 30 MPG or More

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 00:37:00Z

The 2020 McLaren 600LT Spider Is a Windy Version of the 600LT Coupe

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-20 00:01:00Z

Carbon fiber allows McLaren to shave the top from its utterly insane coupes without consequence. We drive the latest deroofed McLaren.

Eighth lawmaker quits Britain's Labour Party

• World
• 2019-02-19 23:46:46Z

Joan Ryan, a Labour member of parliament, has become the eighth lawmaker to resign from Britain's main opposition party. Ryan, a lawmaker elected from Enfield North, wrote in a tweet late on Tuesday that she was resigning over concerns about anti-Semitism allegations within the party. Seven other

Venezuela shuts sea, air links to Dutch islands amid turmoil

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 23:13:41Z

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan officials said Tuesday that the country is banning air and sea trips to and from three Dutch Caribbean islands - a region that has been linked to efforts to undermine President Nicolas Maduro by sending emergency aid to the South American nation.

See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL Grand Edition

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 23:01:00Z

Cuba denies military in Venezuela, charges U.S. readies intervention

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 22:52:43Z

U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the administration have charged that Cuba's security forces and military control Venezuela's and that troops are also on the ground there. "Our government categorically and energetically rejects this slander," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a Havana press conference, adding all of the some 20,000 Cubans in Venezuela were civilians, most health professionals. Communist-run Cuba has been a key backer of the Venezuelan government since the Bolivarian Revolution that began under former leader Hugo Chavez in 1998.

Walmart reports jump in 4Q profits on higher US sales

• World/Europe
• 2019-02-19 22:40:38Z

A boost in US holiday sales helped retail behemoth Walmart's profits surge at the end of 2018, but store executives acknowledged Tuesday they have not yet solved the profitability riddle for the fast-growing online business. Higher comparable sales at Walmart's namesake US stores -- the source of two-thirds of revenues -- offset declining sales at Walmart International and Sam's Club stores. Often seen as a rival to Amazon in the retail big leagues, Walmart now offers grocery pickup at more than 2,100 of its 4,755 US stores and delivery at nearly 800 locations.

The Latest: Governor says reviewing lapse in retrieving gun

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 22:14:07Z

AURORA, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on the mass shooting at a warehouse in Aurora, Illinois (all times local):

Trump's threat raises Venezuelan fears - and hopes

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 22:06:11Z

US President Donald Trump's threat to the Venezuelan military enraged government loyalists on Tuesday and raised hope among its critics in a potentially volatile standoff over aid shipments. Trump raised the tension on Monday when he warned Venezuelan military commanders would have "no safe harbor" if they did not abandon Maduro and start letting US food and medical aid into the country. "It would be good if we could get some of the medicine and food that we are lacking, because we need it for sure," said Melida Rojas, a 55-year-old housewife on Caracas's central Bolivar Square.

5 to stand trial in Guatemala shelter fire that killed 41

• World
• 2019-02-19 21:54:32Z

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - A Guatemalan judge has ordered five current and former officials to stand trial over a blaze that killed 41 girls at a state-run home for troubled youth.

Ford Deals a Blow to Bolsonaro With Plan to Shutter Brazil Plant

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 21:08:21Z

The automaker expects to record $460 million in charges related to exiting the heavy-truck business in all of South America, according to a statement. It's halting production this year at its São Bernardo do Campo assembly plant, which employs almost 2,800 workers building Cargo, F-4000 and F-350 trucks, plus the Fiesta small car. "We know this action will have a major impact on our employees in São Bernardo and we will be working closely with all our stakeholders on the next steps," Lyle Watters, Ford of South America's president, said in the statement.

Meghan McCain stuns Andrew McCabe on 'The View' with uncomfortable question

• World/Africa
• 2019-02-19 20:28:29Z

'The View' co-host Meghan McCain made former FBI director Andrew McCabe uncomfortable during an interview Tuesday when she directly asked if he was a source for The New York Times. McCabe denied the allegations and attempted to explain his side of the story saying he was unsure as to why James Comey remembered their conversations differently.

Who's a populist? Democrats taking on Trump look to reclaim the mantle

• World
• 2019-02-19 20:26:11Z

"Stop calling Donald Trump a populist," liberal New York Times columnist Paul Krugman ordered the media last August. It's true, Mr. Krugman wrote, President Trump does occasionally "pose" as a champion of ordinary Americans against the elite. Mr. Trump, for his part, boasts that his policies have been great for American workers and commands big crowds doing so.

Bearing witness: When hospital work becomes a test of faith

• World
• 2019-02-19 20:19:29Z

When Tom Catena moved to Sudan in 2008 to work as a surgeon in a remote, rebel-held territory, he first needed to earn the community's trust. A decade into the job, Dr. Catena, who is also a Catholic missionary, leads the Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan, Sudan. Catena's 435-bed facility is the only referral hospital in a region of roughly a million Sudanese.

What a $7 Million Home Looks Like in 7 Locations

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 20:01:14Z

Venezuela military backs Maduro, on 'alert' for border violations

• World/Asia
• 2019-02-19 19:57:10Z

Venezuela's military reaffirmed its support for embattled President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday and said they were on "alert" for border violations following threats by US President Donald Trump who urged them to back opposition leader Juan Guaido. "The armed forces will remain deployed and on alert along the borders ... to avoid any violations of territorial integrity," said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, reading out a statement in a public appearance alongside top commanders. "We reiterate unrestrictedly our obedience, subordination and loyalty" to Maduro, he added.

10 of the Best Car-Upholstery Cleaners Tested

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 19:57:00Z

Jussie Smollett attack: Brothers claim 'Empire' actor staged attack after threatening letter, source says

• World/Asia
• 2019-02-19 19:37:03Z

Two brothers told police Smollett staged an attack on himself because he was upset a threatening letter he received a week prior did not get enough attention, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

The Best Thing in IKEA's New Summer Collection Is . . .

• World/Latin America
• 2019-02-19 19:36:35Z

Hint: It's going to transform your backyard BBQ setup

The Latest: Leahy backs Sanders in shift from 2016

• World/Africa
• 2019-02-19 19:36:32Z

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential bid (all times local):