In Japan, the prime minister said North Korea would be committing a “grave, provocative act” if it followed through on plans to launch a long-range rocket. South Korea warned of “searing consequences” if the launch went ahead. Moscow and Washington, which rarely agree on much of anything these days, both …

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) – After Dr. Saleem Haj-Yahia performed the first-ever successful artificial heart transplant in the West Bank last month he was greeted with flowers, balloons and cheering crowds and publicly praised by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The British-educated cardiologist has become a media darling in his native …

JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel’s top general said Tuesday that the military’s number one mission for the coming year is to counter the renewed threat posed by militant attack tunnels from Gaza. Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said Gaza’s Hamas rulers have been rebuilding the sophisticated network of underground tunnels that Israel …

NEW YORK (AP) – The Golden Age of Online Television may be in peril. Streaming TV has gotten popular as several online services such as Netflix make past seasons of TV shows available for binge-watching, while Hulu offers episodes from the current season. Now, some television companies are balking at …

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket that world leaders called a banned test of ballistic missile technology and another “intolerable provocation.” The U.N.’s most powerful body pledged to quickly adopt a new resolution with “significant” new sanctions. North Korean …

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday for more talks on reducing the influx of migrants to Europe. Turkey, a key country on the migrant route to Europe, is central to Merkel’s diplomatic efforts to reduce the flow. Germany saw an …

TAINAN, Taiwan (AP) – At least four people, including an 8-year-old girl, were rescued Monday from a high-rise Taiwanese apartment building toppled by a powerful quake two days earlier, as frustration grew among families waiting for searchers to reach their buried loved ones. More than 100 people are believed to …

HAVANA (AP) – Bent in concentration beneath the vaulted ceiling of his Old Havana studio, Mauro Coca draws a tropical bird in blue ink down the length of Julivic Marquez’s arm. “That’s really good,” the 21-year-old art student says, and Coca presses his electric needle to her forearm. She winces …

BEIJING (AP) – Chinese flocked to temples and fairs to pray for good health and fortune on Monday, the first day of the Lunar New Year. In Beijing, hundreds of thousands of people visited traditional fairs held in parks, as well as Buddhist and Taoist temples offering singing and dance …

FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) – When this Long Island village switched on its “ring of steel” last fall, it knew it was getting a potent policing tool. The system of 27 cameras would scan the license plate of every single vehicle that rolled into town. If a wanted criminal drove through, …