Two South African peacekeepers killed fighting rebels in eastern Congo, officials say

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Two U.N. peacekeepers from South Africa were killed in fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo, a United Nations official said Saturday. The South African peacekeepers were killed Friday, the U.N. official told The Associated Press, adding that a Uruguayan...

Yemen's Houthi rebels unilaterally release 153 war detainees, Red Cross says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels unilaterally freed 153 war detainees Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, one of several overtures in recent days to ease tensions after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. ...

UN suspends all trips into Houthi-held areas of Yemen over 7 more staffers being detained

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Nations on Friday suspended all travel into areas held by Yemen's Houthi rebels after seven more of their staff were detained by the rebels. The Houthis have already detained U.N. staffers, as well as individuals associated with the...

Middle East latest: 4 Israeli women soldiers will be next hostages freed from Gaza

The second batch of Israeli hostages set to be released by Hamas this weekend are four female soldiers, an advocacy group representing the captives' family members confirmed Friday. Hamas had announced the names hours earlier. Under the terms of the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire...

What to know about the escalating conflict in eastern Congo as rebels close in on Goma

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Fighting has escalated sharply in recent weeks in eastern Congo, where rebels have seized key towns and are closing in on the city of Goma, the government’s last stronghold in the region bordering Rwanda. The offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group...

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers in the past week, army says

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in the northwest. The West...

Governor of Congo's North Kivu province dies of his wounds in fighting with rebels, authorities say

GOMA, Congo (AP) — The governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, a military spokesman said Friday, as M23 rebels closed in on the provincial capital. M23 made significant territorial gains in recent weeks,...

Terrorism and drones are top concerns for maritime security companies, UN officials say

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Terrorism and the use of new technologies like weaponized drones against merchant shipping has superseded piracy as the top concern for maritime seccurity and it’s up to private companies to employ specific countermeasures to neutralize such threats, United Nations...

UN says it suspends all movement into territory held by Yemen's Houthi rebels after more staffers detained

Taliban reject court move to arrest top officials for persecuting Afghan women and girls

The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and misbehavior. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for...