Poland presidential vote could bring return to turbulence
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Presidential candidate Andrzej Duda is a new face in Polish politics, but he may herald a return to an older era when his right-wing party held power.
WORLD HEADLINES
Colombia rebels cancel unilateral cease-fire after army raid
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s largest rebel group on Friday called off a unilateral cease-fire in reaction to a military raid on a guerrilla camp that killed 26 of its fighters, further straining negotiations to end a half-century-old conflict.
Islamic State says in full control of Syria's Palmyra after westward advance
By Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State fighters tightened their grip on the historic city of Palmyra in Syria, days after capturing a provincial capital in neighboring Iraq, suggesting the growing momentum of the group which a monitor says now holds half of Syrian territory. The twin successes pile pressure not just on Damascus and Baghdad, but also throw doubt on U.S. strategy to rely almost exclusively on air
U.S. says South China Sea reclamations stoke instability
China’s land reclamation around reefs in the disputed South China Sea is undermining freedom and stability, and risks provoking tension that could even lead to conflict, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a conference in Jakarta. China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas, its claims overlapping with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Gaddafi's home town falls to Islamic State in anarchic Libya
By Ulf Laessing SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) – Standing guard at his frontline post, Libyan soldier Mohammed Abu Shager can see where Islamic State militants are holed up with their heavy weaponry less than a kilometer away. The militants have effectively taken over former dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s home city of Sirte as they exploit a civil war between two rival governments to expand in North Africa. “Every night they open fire
Exclusive: Turkish intelligence helped ship arms to Syrian Islamist rebel areas
By Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Tattersall ADANA, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey’s state intelligence agency helped deliver arms to parts of Syria under Islamist rebel control during late 2013 and early 2014, according to a prosecutor and court testimony from gendarmerie officers seen by Reuters. The witness testimony contradicts Turkey’s denials that it sent arms to Syrian rebels and, by extension, contributed to the rise of Islamic State, now a major
Greece's Varoufakis courts controversy anew with taping remark
By Lefteris Papadimas and Deepa Babington ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has raised a fresh furor by telling a newspaper that he taped a confidential meeting of euro zone finance ministers, drawing criticism that he was undermining Greece’s efforts to secure aid from lenders. Since assuming his post in January, the outspoken Varoufakis has often found himself in the midst of controversy over his brash style and
Two killed in running street battles in Burundi's capital
By Edmund Blair and Goran Tomasevic BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – Street battles and gunfire erupted again in the capital on Thursday as protesters against President Pierre Nkurunziza rejected his calls for calm in Burundi, an ethnic tinderbox with a history of civil war and genocide. The Burundi Red Cross said two protesters were killed as soldiers and police fired tear gas and shots in the air in confrontations with scores of
Israel PM meets Arab parties head in bid to mend fences
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to mend fences with Israel’s Arabs at a meeting Thursday with the head of the Arab parties in parliament, Ayman Odeh, after polarising election-day remarks. Netanyahu had caused an uproar when during the March 17 vote he warned that Arabs were being mobilised “in droves” to the ballot boxes, putting his rightwing rule at risk. Following the meeting, their first since the election, Netanyahu said
10 Things to See: A week of top AP photos
Here’s your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.