Jailed UK-born environmentalist released on furlough in Iran

LONDON (AP) — Morad Tahbaz, a U.K.-born environmentalist who has been jailed in Iran for more than four years, has been released on furlough, the British government said Wednesday. The Foreign Office said Tahbaz has been allowed to leave Evin Prison and is at his family’s home in...

Gambia court sentences ex-spy chief to death for murder

MBOUR, Senegal (AP) — A Gambian court has sentenced a former spy chief and four others to death Wednesday after finding them guilty of the 2016 murder of a political activist. Former director general of the defunct National Intelligence Agency, Yankuba Badjie, was convicted along...

SKorea spy agency searched amid squabbling over NKorea cases

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors raided the country’s main spy agency Wednesday in an investigation into two past North Korea-related incidents that drew criticism that the previous liberal government ignored basic human rights to improve ties with the North. ...

Australia drops charge against lawyer over spying claim

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s new government on Thursday dropped the 4-year-old prosecution of a lawyer over his alleged attempt to help East Timor prove that Australia had spied on the then-fledgling nation’s government during multibillion-dollar oil and gas negotiations in 2004. ...

EXPLAINER: Is Griner's guilty plea a step toward freedom?

MOSCOW (AP) — When Brittney Griner pleaded guilty Thursday to drug possession in a Russian court, hopes rose that her months of detention could soon be over, either through a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap or a pardon from President Vladimir Putin. But Russian courts often move slowly,...

Polish scientist is being held in Iran, government confirms

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A citizen of Poland is being held in Tehran, the Polish government said Thursday, confirming the detention after Iran's Revolutionary Guard accused several Europeans of spying on military sites as tensions remain high between Tehran and the West. ...

US, UK leaders raise fresh alarms about Chinese espionage

LONDON (AP) — The head of the FBI and the leader of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency raised fresh alarms Wednesday about the Chinese government, warning business leaders that Beijing is determined to steal their technology for competitive gain. FBI Director Christopher...

Iranian TV: Revolutionary Guard accuses diplomats of spying

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state TV said Wednesday that the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has accused the deputy ambassador of the United Kingdom and other foreigners in the country of “espionage” and taking soil samples from prohibited military zones. The...

Iranian media: Paramilitary Revolutionary Guard accuse a top British diplomat, other foreigners in Iran of “espionage”

Seoul spy agency files charges against ex-chiefs over NKorea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency filed charges on Wednesday against two of its former directors over their handling of separate border incidents with North Korea in recent years which prompted criticism that Seoul's previous liberal government improperly appeased the North to...