AP EXCLUSIVE: Taliban offer to free US soldier
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- The Afghan Taliban are ready to free a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay as a conciliatory gesture, a senior spokesman for the group said Thursday....

Analysis: Obama prods, gets share of pushback
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Over the past two weeks, President Barack Obama has argued with Chinese President Xi Jinping over cybersecurity, consulted with world leaders over Syria and trade, declared his desire to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, and embraced the uncertain steps toward reconciliation in Afghanistan....

AP Exclusive: Facebook broke Indonesia terror case
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Sefa Riano didn't try to hide his plans or his beliefs. A Facebook page that police traced to him is plastered with photos of bearded men in camouflage uniforms holding rifles and banners hailing "The Spirit of Jihad."...

In northern Iraqi city, al-Qaida gathers strength
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Al-Qaida's Iraq arm is gathering strength in the restive northern city of Mosul, ramping up its fundraising through gangland-style shakedowns and feeding off anti-government anger as it increasingly carries out attacks with impunity, according to residents and officials....

Gandolfini died of cardiac arrest, hospital says
ROME (AP) -- Hospital officials in Rome say U.S. actor James Gandolfini died after suffering cardiac arrest....

Iraqis vote in 2 Sunni-dominated provinces
FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) -- Iraqis in two Sunni-dominated provinces voted Thursday in provincial elections marked by tight security measures that left streets in former insurgent strongholds largely deserted....

China sex tape official: I'm a lecher but no crook
BEIJING (AP) -- Call me a lecher but don't call me a crook, an ex-city official at the heart of a sex tape scandal has said in his unusually spirited courtroom defense against corruption charges....

AP PHOTOS: Bangladesh collapse left many amputees
SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) -- It was the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. When the Rana Plaza factory building crashed down in April, 1,129 people were killed. But many others had to sacrifice their limbs to survive....

Saudi to expel Hezbollah supporters over Syria war
BEIRUT (AP) -- The Saudi envoy to Lebanon says the kingdom will deport Lebanese citizens who support the militant Hezbollah group because of its role in the Syrian civil war....

China astronauts float water blob in kids' lecture
BEIJING (AP) -- Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture Thursday from China's orbiting space station that's part of efforts to popularize the space program among young people....