VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday dismissed Syrian government claims and opposition complaints as posturing ahead of U.N.-led peace talks that are supposed to begin this week. Kerry, in Laos after discussing the negotiations with officials in Switzerland and Saudi Arabia last week, said …

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – After months of ferocious fighting, Afghan army units battling the Taliban in southern Helmand province are facing major restructuring and leadership changes, with several key commanders being replaced, a U.S. military official said Monday. Helmand has been a fierce battleground since last fall, with fighting taking …

AMSTERDAM (AP) – European Union justice and interior ministers have started urgent discussions on how to tackle the migrant crisis amid the stream of new arrivals and continuing disagreements over how to seal off borders. Monday’s meeting comes days after EU President Donald Tusk warned that Europe’s passport-free travel area, …

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – Vietnam’s pro-business prime minister, who last week appeared to have lost a power struggle in the ruling Communist Party, has made a last-minute comeback and will know Monday if he can re-enter the contest for the top job in the country. Using a loophole in party …

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) – The latest developments from the final day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where top executives and world leaders are meeting this week. All times local. 12:55 p.m. Japan’s economy minister, who has been accused of accepting bribes from a construction company, says he …

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Two Latin American countries are investigating whether outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus are behind a rise in a rare and sometimes life-threatening nerve condition that can cause paralysis and leave victims on life-support. The Zika virus has already been tentatively linked to a rash …

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Gulf Arab officials on Saturday to ease their concerns about warming U.S.-Iranian ties and seek consensus on which Syrian opposition groups should be represented at upcoming peace talks. Kerry and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir presented a …

SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands (AP) -The Dutch debate on refugees and asylum seekers has come to this: Firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders handing out self-defense sprays to women fearful of what he describes as “Islamic testosterone bombs” in the wake of the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Cologne. Wilders, surrounded by bodyguards …

ALEXANDROUPOLIS, Greece (AP) – Human rights groups and local campaigners are calling on Greece’s government to ease transit restrictions at the country’s heavily militarized border with Turkey, in the wake of two deadly boat sinkings that left at least 46 migrants and refugees dead. At least 60 people have died …

Visitors to a new exhibition at The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, won’t just be looking at art. Thanks to virtual reality, they’ll be exploring a Dali painting in a dreamy, three-dimensional world that turns art appreciation into an unforgettable, immersive experience. The new exhibition, “Disney and Dali: Architects …