RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners convicted of terrorism charges on Saturday, including a Shiite cleric who was a central figure in 2011 Arab Spring-inspired protests in the kingdom. The killing of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr may spark new unrest among Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority, largely concentrated …

PATHANKOT, India (AP) – Indian troops killed four suspected militants who entered an air force base near the border with Pakistan and exchanged fire with security forces on Saturday, officials and news reports said. At least two Indian soldiers were also killed in an attack seen as an attempt to …

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry says the toll from a New Year’s Day suicide bombing at a French restaurant in Kabul has risen to two. Spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said Saturday that a 12-year-old boy and one of the security guards at the Le Jardin restaurant were killed and …

JERUSALEM (AP) – A gunman opened fire outside a popular bar in the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, killing two people and wounding at least three others before fleeing the scene, police said. The motive for the shooting spree, which took place on a busy main …

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in two decades, according to several advocacy groups that monitor the death penalty worldwide. Coinciding with the rise in executions is the number of people …

NEW YORK (AP) – AT&T will no longer offer discounted phones with two-year contracts starting Jan. 8. Before you rush out to beat the deadline, consider that you might be better off paying full price for the phone. That’s because phone companies also reduce the monthly bill for voice, text …

NEW DELHI (AP) – The Indian capital on Friday kicked off a sweeping plan to reduce its record-high air pollution by limiting the numbers of cars on the streets for two weeks. New Delhi is testing a formula where private cars will be allowed on the roads only on alternate …

On a New Year’s Eve haunted by fears of terrorism, a spectacular fire in one of Dubai’s tall towers captured the world’s attention. With few exceptions, the celebrations rolled on, and while fire still raged, the Dubai Media office declared on Twitter: “New Year celebrations in Dubai will continue as …

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Bitter cold, biting winds and rough winter seas have done little to stem the seemingly endless flow of desperate people fleeing war or poverty for what they hope will be a brighter, safer future in Europe. As 2016 dawns, boatloads continue to reach Greek shores and …

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Wishing for a year better than 2015, Pope Francis on Friday called for an end to the “arrogance of the powerful” that relegates the weak to the outskirts of society, and to the “false neutrality” toward conflicts, hunger and persecution that triggers exoduses of refugees. In …