World

Russia's Putin warns artists against offending believers

Published on Fri, 12/02/2016 - 1:36pm

MOSCOW — Top Russian cultural figures urged President Vladimir Putin on Friday to protect the freedom of artistic expression — something the Russian leader pledged to do, even as he warned artists to be careful not to offend religious believers.

Putin also firmly rejected a plea to release an imprisoned Ukrainian filmmaker, saying that a Russian court had found him guilty.

Putin's comments at a meeting with Russian creative figures came amid increasing attempts by officials and conservative vigilantes to meddle in the arts sphere.

Russia: Space ship malfunctions, breaks up over Siberia

Published on Thu, 12/01/2016 - 4:36pm
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MOSCOW — An unmanned Russian cargo spaceship heading to the International Space Station broke up in the atmosphere over Siberia on Thursday due to an unspecified malfunction, the Russian space agency said.

The Progress MS-04 cargo craft broke up at an altitude of 190 kilometers (118 miles) over the remote Russian Tuva region in Siberia that borders Mongolia, Roscosmos said in a statement. It said most of spaceship's debris burnt up as it entered the atmosphere but some fell to Earth over what it called an uninhabited area.

Mexican billionaire Slim says Trump could be good for Mexico

Published on Thu, 12/01/2016 - 4:31pm

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim says a Donald Trump presidency could be good news for Mexico.

At a forum with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday, Slim discarded the pessimistic narrative about how Trump's hard-line views on immigration and free trade could shake Mexico.

Cubans line streets as Fidel Castro's ashes begin journey

Published on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 2:33pm
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HAVANA — Surrounded by white roses and drawn by a green military jeep, Fidel Castro's ashes began a more than 500-mile (800-kilometer) journey on Wednesday across the country he ruled for nearly 50 years.

Syrians fleeing government advances in Aleppo shelled

Published on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 2:25pm
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BEIRUT — A series of artillery rounds lobbed Wednesday on Syria's eastern Aleppo district killed 26 civilians, including seven children, as they fled a government ground offensive in the besieged enclave.

It was the second time the Jub al-Quba neighborhood, in the historic district of the rebel-held eastern side of the city, was struck in as many days.

In drawn-out battle of Mosul, limits of Iraqi military show

Published on Mon, 11/28/2016 - 4:37pm
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BAGHDAD — When Iraq's top generals finalized the plan to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, they gave themselves six months to finish the job.

"It was the maximum time cap," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said last week. "We had to plan for the worst, so we don't get surprised."

Wave of Mexico violence reveals hidden graves, severed heads

Published on Fri, 11/25/2016 - 2:12pm

ACAPULCO, Mexico — Soldiers and police fanned out Friday across the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, chasing a wounded gang leader and trying to quell a wave of violence that included the discovery of hidden graves holding dozens of bodies and a camp where gunmen stored the severed heads of nine rivals in a cooler.

Tsunami warning issued after quake off Fukushima in Japan

Published on Mon, 11/21/2016 - 4:59pm

TOKYO (AP) — Coastal residents in Japan were ordered to flee to higher ground on Tuesday after a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off the coast of Fukushima prefecture.

As Trump talks wall, China builds bridges to Latin America

Published on Fri, 11/18/2016 - 5:18pm
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LIMA, Peru — An expected U.S. economic retreat from Latin America under Donald Trump is causing the region's leaders to look halfway around the world, to China, for help weathering the possible financial headwinds.

They'll have the perfect opportunity to make their appeal this week when Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a Pacific Rim summit as part of a visit to Ecuador, Peru and Chile.

'I want to live': UK girl gets wish to be frozen after death

Published on Fri, 11/18/2016 - 5:16pm

LONDON — The teenage girl's instructions were direct: She didn't want to be buried, but to be frozen — with the hope she can continue her life in the future when cancer is cured.

"I want to live and live longer and I think that in the future they may find a cure for my cancer and wake me up," the 14-year-old wrote to a British judge before her recent death.

She said "being cryopreserved gives me a chance to be cured and woken up — even in hundreds of years' time."