JERUSALEM -- Israel launched artillery strikes on Syria Sunday morning, the Israeli army announced, after several rockets were fired from there and landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel's retaliatory strike to rocket attacks from Syria -- which no one has claimed -- is the latest...
DENPASAR, Indonesia -- A 17-metre-long (56-foot-long) sperm whale died after washing up on a beach in Bali, a conservation official said Sunday, making it the third whale that beached itself on the Indonesian island in just a little over a week. The male sperm whale was found stranded on Yeh Leh...
NEW DELHI, India -- India's wild tiger population -- by far the largest in the world -- has risen above 3,000, according to a census released Sunday, boosting efforts to conserve the endangered species. The largest of all cats, tigers once roamed throughout central, eastern and southern Asia. But in...
VATICAN CITY, Holy See -- Pope Francis noted his "deep concern" on Sunday over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, delivering an Easter Mass in which he denounced the barriers to peace in the world. He said the renewed violence "threatens the desired climate of trust and mutual...
BEIJING, China -- Chinese fighter jets and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan Sunday as they encircled the island during a second straight day of military drills launched in response to its president meeting the US House speaker. The exercises sparked condemnation from Taipei and calls for...
MARSEILLE, France -- An apartment building collapsed in an apparent explosion Sunday in the French Mediterranean city of Marseille, injuring five people, with authorities warning up to 10 victims could be under the burning rubble. "Everything shook, you could see people running and there was smoke...
TEHRAN, Iran -- Dozens of schoolgirls were poisoned Saturday in several schools across Iran, local media reported, in continuation of the mysterious phenomenon that has shaken the country for months. Since late November many schools, mostly for girls, have been affected by sudden poisoning incidents...
SANGALKAM, Senegal -- With the whir of a mower, under a clear blue sky, Senegalese researchers have begun harvesting a crop of experimental homegrown wheat, the latest step in a years-long effort to reduce reliance on imports. The second most consumed cereal after rice, wheat is an important staple...
WASHINGTON, United States -- Leo is 14 years old and has been taking testosterone for about six months. "It definitely helps me. It makes me feel more confident," the teenager from rural Pennsylvania told AFP. "I feel more in tune with my gender identity." Leo is worried, however, about laws adopted...
MONTREAL, Canada -- Canada repatriated four women and 10 children from Islamic State camps in northeastern Syria this week, police said on Friday. This is the fourth repatriation operation conducted by the Canadian government of its nationals held in camps under Islamic State (IS) control in Syria....
ANTIGUA, Guatemala -- Thousands of Guatemalan worshippers wearing black hoods and purple tunics funnel slowly through the streets of Antigua carrying images of Jesus over a multicolored carpet of flowers and scented sawdust as somber music rings out. Guatemala's Holy Week celebrations, which mix...
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid condemned Turkey on Saturday for bombarding an area near Sulaimaniyah airport in the autonomous Kurdish region, a flashpoint between the two governments. "Turkish military operations against the Kurdistan region continue to take place, the last...
