Ancient Israeli skull may document migration from Africa
By MALCOLM RITTER Long ago, humans left their evolutionary cradle in Africa and passed through the Middle East on their way to Europe. Now scientists have found the first fossil…
Middle East
Lebanese Hezbollah hits Israeli convoy, killing 2 soldiers
Missiles fired by the Lebanese Hezbollah group struck an Israeli military convoy on Wednesday, killing two soldiers in an apparent retaliation for a deadly airstrike attributed to Israel that killed…
Jordan ready to swap inmate for pilot held by Islamic State
Jordan is willing to swap an Iraqi woman prisoner involved in deadly 2005 hotel bombings for a Jordanian pilot captured in December by extremists from the Islamic State group, a…
Purported IS message threatens Japan, Jordan hostages
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and ELAINE KURTENBACH An online message purportedly from the Islamic State group warned Tuesday that a Japanese hostage and Jordanian pilot the extremists hold have less than…
Kurds celebrate ousting Islamic State fighters from Kobani
By ZEINA KARAM Jubilant Kurdish fighters ousted Islamic State militants from the key Syrian border town of Kobani on Monday after a four-month battle — a significant victory for both…
Kerry in Nigeria to warn against postelection violence
In a rare high-level visit to Africa’s most populous country, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Nigeria’s leading presidential candidates to refrain from fomenting violence after next…
Japan stunned by video claiming death of 1 of 2 IS hostages
By YURI KAGEYAMA From the prime minister to ordinary people, Japanese were shocked Sunday at a video purportedly showing one of two Japanese hostages of the extremist Islamic State group…
Spanish police arrest 4 suspected members of a jihadi cell
By HAROLD HECKLE Spanish National Police arrested four suspected jihadis Saturday in the country’s North African enclave of Ceuta who allegedly had formed a terror cell and were ready to…