Committed Brazil a favorite to defend Copa America title

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s international players were reluctant to play in the Copa America on home soil. Now that they’re committed, they're favored to win it. Argentina still looms as a threat to Brazil's title defense, but now as a visiting team. ...

Hostage advocates concerned by US pullout from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Advocates for Americans held hostage overseas are raising concerns that the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan will make it harder to bring home captives from the country. An annual report from the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, released...

Afghan official: 11 killed in roadside bombing in north

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A minivan carrying civilian passengers in northwest Afghanistan was hit by a roadside bomb, leaving at least 11 passengers dead, including three children, an Afghan official said Sunday. The minivan fell into a valley with the shock of the...

UN: Unprecedented Taliban violence in 2020 carries into 2021

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Taliban insurgents show no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the government, and appear to be trying to strengthen their military position as leverage, with the “unprecedented violence" of 2020 carrying into...

Kenyan arrested in Qatar first targeted by phishing attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Kenyan security guard now facing charges in Qatar after writing compelling, anonymous accounts of being a low-paid worker there found himself targeted by a phishing attack that could have revealed his location just before his arrest, analysts say. ...

Blinken claims progress in effort to boost Gaza truce

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a two-day Mideast mission on Wednesday, winning valuable diplomatic support and hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges from Arab allies as he moved to shore up the cease-fire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the...

Qatari foreign minister: Government pledges $500 million support for Gaza reconstruction after war between Hamas, Israel

Qatar's top diplomat visits Egypt amid improving ties

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s president met Tuesday with Qatar’s chief diplomat amid improved relations since Egypt and three Gulf nations ended their dispute with the energy-rich country in January. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammad bin...

Poland to acquire 24 Turkish-made combat drones

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Poland have signed a deal for the sale of Turkish-made combat drones, making Poland the first NATO and European Union member country to purchase Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday. ...

Palestinians see victory in Gaza truce as Israel warns Hamas

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians rallied by the thousands Friday after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war, with many viewing it as a costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas. Israel vowed to respond with a “new level of force” to further...