Gunmen seize elderly father of Syria's deputy FM
BEIRUT (AP) -- Gunmen on Saturday abducted the elderly father of Syria's deputy foreign minister, the official's office said, in the latest kidnapping targeting family members of figures in President Bashar Assad's regime.... 5/18/2013 11:22 AM

Gunmen kill 9 in Iraq, 8 police kidnapped
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Gunmen killed an anti-terrorism policeman and his family in Baghdad on Saturday, while kidnappers abducted eight policemen guarding a post on Iraq's main highway to Jordan and Syria, the latest in a wave of violence to grip the country. Attackers also shot dead a Sunni cleric in the Shiite-majority south.... 5/18/2013 11:21 AM

Politics, bribery charges swirl around Ugandan oil
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.... 5/18/2013 11:20 AM

Nigeria military declares 24-hour curfew in city
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) -- Nigeria's military declared a 24-hour curfew Saturday on neighborhoods in a northeastern city that's the spiritual home of an Islamic extremist network as soldiers continued the government's emergency campaign against insurgents in the region.... 5/18/2013 11:14 AM

Sea turtle comeback in a corner of the Caribbean
GRANDE RIVIERE, Trinidad (AP) -- Giant leatherback turtles, some weighing half as much as a small car, drag themselves out of the ocean and up the sloping shore on the northeastern coast of Trinidad while villagers await wearing dimmed headlamps in the dark. Their black carapaces glistening, the turtles inch along the moonlit beach, using their powerful front flippers to move their bulky frames onto the sand.... 5/18/2013 10:52 AM

Cayman Islands ex-premier denies new allegations
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) -- The former premier of the Cayman Islands who faces charges in a corruption probe is denying allegations that he donated $1 million to a Caribbean university to obtain an honorary PhD.... 5/18/2013 10:45 AM

Rescuers spot bodies at collapsed Indonesian mine
TIMIKA, Indonesia (AP) -- Rescuers searching for 23 trapped workers at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia spotted six bodies Saturday but weren't able to immediately retrieve them because of falling debris, a company official said.... 5/18/2013 10:39 AM

A Native American tale with international pedigree
CANNES, France (AP) -- It took an international production starring a Puerto Rican and a Frenchman to bring the Native American tale "Jimmy P.: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian" to the big screen.... 5/18/2013 10:24 AM

Denmark favorite to win Eurovision Song Contest
MALMO, Sweden (AP) -- An ethno-inspired flute and drum tune from Denmark is the bookmakers' favorite to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, which also features a bizarre opera pop number from Romania and an Armenian rock song written by the guitarist of Black Sabbath.... 5/18/2013 10:22 AM

Merkel and Pope talk about a 'strong' Europe
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mindful of the weight of Christian voters in September elections, made a quick trip to Rome Saturday for a private meeting with Pope Francis, focusing on how Europe's struggling economy should be at the service of the people.... 5/18/2013 10:03 AM

Afghan lawmakers block law on women's rights
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked legislation on Saturday aimed at strengthening provisions for women's freedoms, arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles and encourage disobedience.... 5/18/2013 11:23 AM

New board to oversee Trinidad's Caribbean Airlines
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Trinidad's finance minister has appointed a new interim board to oversee Caribbean Airlines after announcing that the state-owned company posted losses of more than $70 million.... 5/18/2013 9:39 AM

Egyptians targeted with blasphemy charges
CAIRO (AP) -- The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All except the Prophet Muhammad."... 5/18/2013 9:34 AM

AP Impact: Myanmar sanctions list languishes
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- If you're American and want to do business in Myanmar, there's a list of people and companies you have to steer clear of by law. But it leaves off a former minister's son U.S. officials suspected of brokering arms deals with North Korea, and high-rolling relatives of the man who led the repressive military government for 19 years.... 5/18/2013 9:22 AM

Egypt Muslim-Christian clashes leave 1 dead
CAIRO (AP) -- Egyptian security officials say clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria left one man dead of a heart attack.... 5/18/2013 9:11 AM

64 including Saudi Arabian woman scale Everest
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- Mountaineering officials say 64 climbers, including a Saudi Arabian woman, have successfully scaled Mount Everest from Nepal's side of the mountain.... 5/18/2013 9:01 AM

Hot off the press: Seen and heard in Cannes
CANNES, France (AP) -- Associated Press journalists open their notebooks at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival:... 5/18/2013 8:16 AM

SKorea says NKorea fires 3 short-range missiles
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters on Saturday, a South Korean official said. It routinely tests such missiles, but the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tensions.... 5/18/2013 6:33 AM

French president signs gay marriage into law
PARIS (AP) -- French President Francois Hollande has signed a law authorizing gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, after months of nationwide protests and wrenching debate.... 5/18/2013 4:15 AM

Landing gear issue leads to plane's belly landing
NEWARK, N.J (AP) -- An airline official says a US Airways flight with 34 people aboard was forced to make a belly landing at Newark International Airport after experiencing landing gear trouble. No injuries were reported.... 5/18/2013 4:11 AM