Malaysia finds mass graves of suspected trafficking victims
Malaysian authorities make the grim discovery near the border with Thailand.
Streets calm after 71 arrested in Cleveland protests
CLEVELAND (AP) — The streets returned to calm Sunday after police arrested dozens of demonstrators overnight when protests grew increasingly aggressive in the wake of a patrolman’s acquittal in the deaths of two unarmed black suspects.
Cleveland protests erupt after officer found not guilty in fatal shooting of two unarmed suspects
By Aaron Josefczyk and Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) – A Cleveland police officer was found not guilty on Saturday in the shooting deaths of an unarmed black man and a woman after a high-speed car chase in 2012, one in a series of cases that have raised questions over police conduct and race relations in the United States. Judge John O’Donnell said Officer Michael Brelo, 31, acted reasonably in shooting
After bruising safety crisis, U.S. car watchdog shows its bite
The U.S. auto safety watchdog, long criticized as toothless and slow, is showing both bark and bite under its new boss – a testimony to his credentials as a safety expert and a hardening of the administration’s policy after a wave of deadly defects. Having taken the helm of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in January, Mark Rosekind has wasted no time in forcing reluctant companies into recalling millions of defective vehicles. In doing
Mathematician who inspired 'A Beautiful Mind' killed in auto accident: media
(Reuters) – Mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Prize winner who inspired the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” was killed in an auto accident along with his wife in New Jersey, ABC News reported. The Oscar award-winning film “A Beautiful Mind” starring Russell Crowe was loosely based on Nash’s longtime struggle with schizophrenia. Crowe wrote on Twitter on Sunday that he was stunned by reports of the death of Nash and his
GOP navigates the new politics of energy abundance
By James Oliphant OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Reuters) – U.S. Republicans have had to watch from the sidelines as the Obama White House has taken political credit for America’s unexpected energy boom and tumbling gas prices. Now it has left their presidential candidates scrambling for a way to reclaim leadership on an issue the party once seemed to own. “We’ve got an abundance of supply,” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said this
Pipeline that leaked wasn't equipped with auto shut-off
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The pipeline that leaked thousands of gallons of oil on the California coast was the only pipe of its kind in the county not required to have an automatic shut-off valve because of a court fight nearly three decades ago, a county official said.
Ireland gives resounding 62.1 percent 'yes' to gay marriage
DUBLIN (AP) — Irish voters have resoundingly backed amending the constitution to legalize gay marriage, leaders on both sides of the Irish referendum declared Saturday after the world’s first national vote on the issue.
Irish voters back gay marriage in 'social revolution'
A referendum marking a dramatic social shift is approved by a landslide, supporters and opponents say
Ohio patrolman acquitted in 2 deaths amid 137-shot barrage
A patrolman charged in the shooting deaths of two unarmed suspects during a 137-shot barrage of gunfire was acquitted Saturday in a case that helped prompt the U.S. Department of Justice determine the city police department had a history of using excessive force and violating civil rights.
Senate blocks House surveillance bill, 2-month extension
The Senate struggles unsuccessfully early Saturday to prevent an interruption in critical government surveillance programs.
Fate of U.S. domestic surveillance program uncertain after Senate vote
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate blocked a measure to extend spy agencies’ bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records early on Saturday, leaving the fate of the program uncertain days before its June 1 expiration. By a vote of 54-45, the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance a bill that would have extended for two months provisions of the “USA Patriot Act” that
Syrian official: Islamic State militants in Palmyra's museum
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Islamic State fighters broke into the museum of the ancient town of Palmyra, though its artifacts have been removed and are safe, a Syrian official said Saturday.
Shi'ite militias advance on Islamic State insurgents near Iraq's Ramadi
A convoy of Shi’ite Muslim militia and Iraqi army forces set out from a base near Ramadi on Saturday to advance on areas held by Islamic State, a Shi’ite spokesman said, launching a counter-offensive to reverse stunning gains by the jihadi insurgents.
Safety measures ordered for failed oil pipeline in California
By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Owners of an oil pipeline that burst in California this week must take numerous corrective measures, including an in-depth analysis of factors contributing to the spill and a plan to fix any flaws found, before they can restart the line, U.S. safety officials said on Friday. The corrective action order issued on Thursday by the U.S. Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration,
In chaos of deadly Texas gang fight, self-defense claims may abound
By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Texas laws that offer a high degree of protection to those who act in self-defense may make it difficult to prosecute the 170 people jailed for a Sunday motorcycle gang fight that left nine dead, with hundreds of weapons seized by police. Texas allows a person to use deadly force with legal arms in self-defense if they believe such force is immediately necessary
Both sides say Irish gay-marriage referedum wins resounding victory
The issue attracts sweeping support, advocates and opponents say.
Fierce gunbattle kills 43 in west Mexico cartel territory
ECUANDUREO, Mexico (AP) — The latest in a series of clashes between Mexican authorities and a powerful, fast-growing drug cartel turned into the deadliest confrontation in recent memory, with 42 suspected gang gunmen and one Federal Police officer killed during a three-hour firefight at a remote western ranch.
Calif. oil spill: Plains All American Pipeline's history of safety violations
Critical eyes have uncovered that Plains All American Pipeline, which operates the pipeline that ruptured in Santa Barbara earlier this week, has a history of safety violations.
Suspect arrested in D.C. quadruple murder
Daron Dylon Wint is accused in the slayings of a wealthy family and their housekeeper.
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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.
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.
Belgium threatens to cut Burundi aid
Belgium warned Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza on Thursday it would end all direct aid if he went ahead with his run for a third term in power that has prompted violent protests. The Belgian government “expresses the hope that President Nkurunziza will renounce a third term,” the foreign ministry said in a statement after a cabinet meeting in Brussels. “A third presidential term would stain at the highest level the
Congo assesses $6.7 billion contracts with Chinese
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s government is bringing in outside experts to investigate the long-term impact of some $6.7 billion in contracts with Chinese companies that critics say could exploit the central African nation’s mineral riches.
U.N. announces Yemen talks, Iran to allow ship inspection
By Louis Charbonneau and Sam Wilkin UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI (Reuters) – U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday announced talks between warring Yemeni parties in Geneva on May 28 to end over seven weeks of war, as Iran agreed for international inspections of an aid ship sailing to Yemen. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and regional Shi’ite powerhouse Iran are in a tussle over influence in the Middle East, where sectarian tensions are
North Korea modified submarine missile launch photos, says U.S. official
By James Pearson SEOUL (Reuters) – Photographs showing a North Korean missile launched from a submarine were manipulated by state propagandists and the country may be years away from developing such technology, analysts and a top U.S. military official said on Tuesday. North Korea, sanctioned by the United States and United Nations for its missile and nuclear tests, said on May 9 it had successfully conducted an underwater test-fire of
Iraq deploys tanks as Islamic State tightens grip on Ramadi
Iraqi security forces on Tuesday deployed tanks and artillery around Ramadi to confront Islamic State fighters who have captured the city in a major defeat for the Baghdad government and its Western backers. After Ramadi fell on Sunday, Shi’ite militiamen allied to the Iraqi army had advanced to a nearby base in preparation for a counterattack on the city, which lies in Anbar province just 110 km (70 miles) northwest
Learning from Uncle Sam: to Russia's annoyance, U.S. hones Ukrainian fighting skills
By Adrian Croft YAVORIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Tense Ukrainian soldiers with assault rifles creep stealthily around mock houses before bursting in to clear out gunmen, while others practice setting ambushes or infantry assaults, all under the watchful eyes of U.S. Army trainers. Dotted around the vast, wooded Yavoriv military training area in western Ukraine, soldiers of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade are instructing Ukrainian national guardsmen in techniques designed to
Bomb outside Afghan Justice Ministry kills five, wounds dozens
By Hamid Shalizi and Kay Johnson KABUL (Reuters) – A car bomb exploded in the parking lot of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice on Tuesday, killing at least five people and wounding dozens as civil servants in Kabul were leaving work for the day, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the third attack targeting justice system employees this month, saying the insurgents would continue to kill “slave” judges and prosecutors.
Saudi-led air strikes hit Yemen's capital Sanaa: residents
Saudi-led air raids hit the Yemen capital Sanaa overnight, targeting forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the east and south of the city, residents said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Muslim allies have been conducting an offensive against Iranian-allied Houthis and units loyal to Saleh for more than seven weeks, part of a campaign to restore exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. Houthi sources
Islamic State learns lessons from U.S. raid: jihadist sources
By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) – A U.S. special forces raid against an Islamic State leader in Syria caught the jihadist group off guard, killing not only the declared target, but also two other important figures, jihadist sources in Syria said. The sources said a spy must have infiltrated the movement and passed on vital information that helped the U.S. commandos zero in on the home of their victim early
U.S. charges three Chinese professors, three others with economic espionage
By Lindsay Dunsmuir WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S government charged three Chinese professors and three other Chinese nationals with economic espionage and stealing trade secrets from two companies that develop technology often used in military technologies, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday. The three professors from Tianjin University were charged with stealing source code and other proprietary information from Avago Technologies Ltd. and Skyworks Solutions Inc . Avago has
