Caribbean talks conservation on Branson's island
NECKER ISLAND, British Virgin Islands (AP) -- Surrounded by a turquoise sea and a menagerie of exotic animals on a billionaire's private island, political and business leaders gathered Friday to back an initiative aimed at expanding protection for the Caribbean's imperiled coasts and waters....

French president signs gay marriage into law
PARIS (AP) -- French President Francois Hollande has signed a law authorizing gay marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, after months of nationwide protests and wrenching debate....

Weinstein showcases Grace Kelly, Mandela flicks
CANNES, France (AP) -- The Weinstein Company's fall slate of awards contenders will feature a glamorous Grace Kelly, a brawny Nelson Mandela and a mysterious J.D. Salinger....

SKorea says NKorea fires 3 short-range missiles
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea fired three short-range guided missiles into its eastern waters on Saturday, a South Korean official said. It routinely tests such missiles, but the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing tensions....

Venezuela's military enters high-crime slums
PETARE, Venezuela (AP) -- Stern-looking soldiers clutching assault rifles wave down the beat-up Chevy Caprice entering this sprawling slum on the outskirts of Caracas....

AP PHOTOS: Cuba's LGBT community celebrates
HAVANA (AP) -- A week of drag shows, colorful marches and social and cultural events in Havana culminates Friday with celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia....

Egyptians targeted with blasphemy charges
CAIRO (AP) -- The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All except the Prophet Muhammad."...

Gunmen raid home in Iraq, kill 5 people
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi authorities say gunmen have broken into the house of an anti-terrorism police officer in the southern suburbs of Baghdad, killing five people including him and his sleeping family....

Hard-line Afghan MPs block law protecting women
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- An Afghan legislator says conservative lawmakers have blocked a law that aims to protect women's freedoms, saying parts of it violate Islamic principles....

Activists: Rebel groups kidnap in Syria's Aleppo
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian activists say that a wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in the northern city of Aleppo risks sparking large-scale internal fighting between rebels....