Russia says Syrian regime agrees to peace talks
BEIRUT (AP) -- The Syrian government has agreed to attend a conference proposed by Russia and the United States on ending the country's civil war, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday, the first sign that President Bashar Assad's regime would be willing to take part in the talks with the opposition....

US: Czech slaying suspect killed relatives
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- An American man killed his uncle, aunt and cousins in the Czech Republic and then flew to the United States, where he was arrested at an airport, authorities said Friday....

Kerry's focus on peace talks, not settlements
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel's government on Friday to prevent further settlement construction where possible to help revitalize Middle East peace hopes, but stressed that the Jewish state and Palestinians alike should remain focused on the larger goal of restarting direct negotiations....

Afghan Taliban attack aid group, 2 guards killed
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A Taliban suicide car bomber and five heavily armed gunmen attacked an international aid group's guest house in the Afghan capital on Friday, killing two guards and setting off an hours-long battle with security forces in an upscale Kabul neighborhood, authorities said....

Britain braces for possible copycat attacks
LONDON (AP) -- Britain is bracing for clashes with right-wing activists and possible copycat terror attacks by Islamic extremists after the savage slaying of a young soldier, whose grieving family spoke Friday of their loss....

Obama's drone speech could improve Pakistan ties
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- President Barack Obama's decision to impose more restrictive rules governing U.S. drone strikes and his prediction that they will be used less could pave the way for better relations with the new government of key ally Pakistan, officials and analysts said Friday....

UK-bound Pakistan plane diverted, 2 men arrested
LONDON (AP) -- Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two British passengers on suspicion of endangering the aircraft....

NKorean envoy delivers letter to China's president
BEIJING (AP) -- A top North Korean envoy delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for Beijing's efforts to coax its unruly ally into lowering tensions....

Ex-Guatemala president extradited to US
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- The lawyer for ex-Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo says he is being extradited to the United States to face money-laundering and embezzlement charges....

Zimbabwe activist: Prisoners denied AIDS drugs
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- A Zimbabwean human rights activist says he wants the nation's highest court to order prison authorities to ensure suspects in jail can receive their life-prolonging HIV/AIDS medications....