Bill Chappell

Two days after they were arrested at a demonstration marking the fifth anniversary of an Arab Spring-inspired uprising in Bahrain, four Americans have now been released. They are accused of illegal assembly and intent to commit a crime.

Bahraini officials say the four entered the country illegally — evidently ...

Reflecting a move of 33 percentage points in the past 10 years, a majority of Americans — 54 percent — currently see Cuba in a favorable light, according to Gallup. The nation's favorability rating went up across the U.S. political spectrum, but by far the biggest gain was among Democrats.

There are currently more than 200 suspected cases of Zika virus in American Samoa, local officials say, announcing that the U.S. territory has at least four confirmed cases — including one patient who is pregnant.

The territory's acting governor, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, "declared a Zika epidemic for American ...

Police in Australia say they unraveled a drug smuggling ring that used brassiere inserts, paint-by numbers kits and other items to conceal 720 liters (about 190 gallons) of liquid methamphetamine. But not everyone agrees on the drugs' value.

More than a quarter of the seized meth was found "inside thousands ...

An international flight was forced to return to Heathrow Airport Sunday night, after a pilot was hit in the eye by a laser beam aimed into the cockpit. "Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength," the British Airline Pilots Association said after ...

Updated at 7 p.m. ET

Attacks hit two hospitals in northwest Syria Monday morning, killing at least 50 people and leaving tens of thousands of residents without medical care. The hospitals are about 75 miles apart; one of them is supported by Doctors Without Borders — also known as MSF.

"I am outraged and tremendously disappointed in the behavior displayed by a group of students," says Texas A&M University President Michael Young, after a group of students from an inner-city high school were called racial slurs and told, "Go back where you came from."

That last quote was relayed by ...

Exactly 15 months after it completed a seemingly impossible journey to land on the surface of a comet, the Philae lander now faces "eternal hibernation," as officials at the European Space Agency say the craft doesn't get enough sunlight to power its batteries.

"The chances for Philae to contact our ...

A natural gas leak that has poured methane gas into the air since October has been "temporarily controlled," according to a utility company in Southern California. Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in an upscale section of the San Fernando Valley.

"Many residents of the Porter ...

A jury in New York has convicted NYPD Officer Peter Liang of manslaughter over his shooting of an unarmed black man in a dark stairwell in 2014. Liang, who was a rookie at the time, was also faulted for not aiding his victim.

The verdict was announced Thursday night; soon ...

A fire and a riot broke out in a prison in the city of Monterrey in northern Mexico on Wednesday night, killing at least 52 people and putting 12 in the hospital, says Jaime Rodriguez Calderón, the governor of Nuevo León state.

The riot at the Topo Chico prison in ...

Saying a maritime force will contribute "critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance has ordered ships to the Aegean Sea, a focal point for smuggling migrants and refugees from Turkey to Greece.

The mission will include both ...

After enduring winds that topped 120 mph and waves that tossed their ship around, passengers of the Anthem of the Seas are on dry land Thursday, having cut short a planned cruise to the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean says the storm that damaged the ship and forced its return to New ...

Further unraveling a project that's been a sign of cooperation, North Korea has ordered all South Koreans to leave a jointly run industrial complex, after South Korea announced it would suspend work there in retaliation for Pyongyang's recent missile launch and nuclear test.

North Korea was also freezing all assets ...

In a closely watched visit to Capitol Hill, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen listed risk factors in the global economic scene, such as concerns over China's currency and market volatility. It's the first time Yellen has testified since the Fed nudged interest rates higher in December.

Yellen testified before ...

Wisdom, a Laysan albatross that researchers first tagged in 1956, has hatched what could be her 40th chick, leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to call her "an iconic symbol of inspiration and hope."

Born at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (which is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine ...

Even with expected wins by Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, there's plenty to talk about the morning after New Hampshire's primary, whether it's Republican John Kasich's surprising No. 2 finish or the "Bernie Sandwich."

A rundown of what's being said Wednesday:

Bernie Sanders becomes first Jewish, non-Christian candidate to win ...

The heart of the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan is now on hold, after the Supreme Court granted a stay request that blocks the EPA from moving ahead with rules that would lower carbon emissions from the nation's power plants.

The case is scheduled to be argued in June, in ...

By more than a 2-1 ratio, lawmakers in West Virginia's House of Delegates have approved a bill that would allow gun owners to carry concealed handguns without a permit. The only concealed-carry permits would be for people who are 18-21 years old.

Urging her colleagues to approve the bill, its ...

Hit by a string of scandals over food safety controls, McDonald's business in Japan has posted its worst annual results since going public 15 years ago. The company reported a net loss of 34.704 billion yen — around $303 million.

Last year, sales at McDonald's Japan stores were down around ...