KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – U.S. Army General John W. “Mick” Nicholson took command Wednesday of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, inheriting America’s longest war and a vicious Talban-led insurgency. Nicholson, 58, took over from U.S. Army General John F. Campbell, who oversaw the end of the international combat mission …

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) – At least two civilians have been killed in an attempted car bomb attack on the Indian consulate in the eastern city of Jalalabad, an Afghan official said on Wednesday. Another 19 civilians were wounded in the suicide bombing. He says all five attackers were killed, said …

BEIJING (AP) – China’s President Xi Jinping has collected titles ranging from National Security Council chief to good old “Uncle Xi.” Along the way, he’s used state media to make his views known on such seemingly apolitical topics as avant garde architecture and celebrity culture. That’s not unusual for a …

HEMEIMEEM AIR BASE, Syria (AP) – Dozens of Russian warplanes sat idle Tuesday on the tarmac at this Russian air base in Syria on the fourth day of a cease-fire brokered by Moscow and Washington. The apparent lull in action witnessed by the AP on a trip to the base, …

JERUSALEM (AP) – A recent gathering of American Reform rabbis in Jerusalem was meant to celebrate the small gains the liberal Jewish movement has made in Israel in recent years. But a series of comments by Israeli officials denigrating the group marred the event, reflecting an awkward relationship that many …

IDOMENI, Greece (AP) – More than 7,000 refugees and other migrants are camped on Greece’s northern border with Macedonia, waiting for authorities to allow them to continue their long trek north to seek asylum in wealthier European countries. The Idomeni crossing has been closed for nearly 24 hours, following clashes …

LONDON (AP) – Scientists may have the first evidence that Zika can cause temporary paralysis, according to a new study of patients who developed the rare condition during an outbreak of the virus in Tahiti two years ago. Zika is currently spreading with alarming speed across the Americas. The World …

BAGHDAD (AP) – Backed by paramilitary forces and aerial support, Iraqi troops on Tuesday launched a new push to retake a key area north of the capital, Baghdad, and dislodge Islamic State militants from there, officials said. According to a statement by the Joint Operations Command, the “new offensive” began …

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Can the FBI force a company like Apple to extract data from a customer’s smartphone? In the fight over an iPhone used by an extremist killer in San Bernardino, some legal experts say Congress has never explicitly granted that power. And now a federal judge agrees …

TALAVERA, Peru (AP) – Johnny Vega rarely carried his 9-mm pistol when he wasn’t on duty. He wishes he had that day. The narcotics cop was chatting with a friend on a park bench, the Andean sun burning the dawn’s chill off this highlands town nearly 10,000 feet (2,900 meters) …