BRUSSELS (AP) – In the days since Islamic State suicide bombers attacked the Brussels airport, survivor Walter Benjamin has been plugging away on Facebook from his hospital room, sharing his story, telling loved ones not to worry. He has met the king of Belgium, the queen and the country’s chief …
Read More »Iraqi forces face heavy resistance in IS-held town
HIT, Iraq (AP) – Iraqi forces were facing heavy resistance on Tuesday as they pushed toward the center of a town held by Islamic State militants in western Anbar province, commanders at the scene said. The small town of Hit – which lies along the Euphrates River in a valley …
Read More »Hungary talent show for young classical artists going global
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) – The latest hot new television creation: A Hungarian talent show for young classical musicians that is on the verge of being replicated around the world. The creators of “Virtuosos” have signed a deal with Dick Clark Productions, the company behind the American Music Awards, to license …
Read More »In Australia, surfing soothes asylum-seekers’ fears of sea
SYDNEY (AP) – They gather under the blazing sun and blue skies of an Australian beach, looking out at the water that once symbolized so much misery: Terrifying boat trips marked by sickness and death and the constant dread that their own lives might be nearing the end. But today, …
Read More »A look at offshore accounts used to hide wealth, avoid taxes
TOKYO (AP) – An investigation published by an international coalition of more than 100 media outlets, based on 11.5 million records of offshore holdings, details how politicians, celebrities and other famous people use banks, law firms and offshore shell companies to hide their assets. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, …
Read More »1st migrants deported from Greece to Turkey
DIKILI, Turkey (AP) – A first group of migrants were ferried from the Greek islands to Turkey Monday as part of a controversial European Union plan to curb migration to Europe. Under heavy security, authorities on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios put 202 people on boats bound for …
Read More »They flee North Korea, only to be adrift in the South
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – A middle-aged man is walking through a quiet Seoul neighborhood when he suddenly stops. He lights a cigarette, cupping his hands to shield the flame from the winter wind, and takes a deep draw, remembering how things used to be. He’s a former policeman, a …
Read More »Wave of suicide attacks kill at least 29 people across Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) – Militants unleashed on Monday a wave of suicide attacks across Iraq, killing at least 29 people and wounding dozens, officials said. The deadliest attack took place in the southern province of Dhi Qar when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a restaurant that is frequented by …
Read More »In West, region of guns and suicide, outreach to curb deaths
MONTROSE, Colorado (AP) – Keith Carey is a gunsmith in Montrose, a town with a frontier flavor set amid the rocky mesas of western Colorado. He’s a staunch, though soft-spoken, defender of the right to bear arms. Yet now he’s also a willing recruit in a fledgling effort to see …
Read More »Foreign fighters are evading Europe’s security net
BRUSSELS (AP) – When Ibrahim El Bakraoui blew himself up in the Brussels Airport check-in area, killing and maiming scores of travelers, it was at least the third time he had passed unimpeded through an airport terminal in recent months. Suspected by Turkey of being a “foreign terrorist fighter” and …
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