Entrepreneur taps paper's storied past

KONI GHIL, Uzbekistan - The passage of time seems to have slowed down at Zarif Mukhtarov's paper mill in a village not far from Uzbekistan's Silk Road city of Samarkand.

A storybook ending? Rescued writer gets girl, sails off into sunset

PORTLAND, Maine - A novelist who was twice rescued at sea has sailed 11,000 trouble-free kilometers and envisions a storybook ending to his journey.

ROK, DPRK resume peace talks

High-level officials of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea started talks at the border village of Panmunjom on Friday, Seoul's Unification Ministry said.

Italian populists reach last-ditch deal to take power

ROME - Italy's populist parties were scheduled to be sworn in to power on Friday in Rome after they reached a new coalition deal, narrowly avoiding snap elections and setting in motion an anti-austerity government in the eurozone's third largest economy.

Anniversary of Kenya's China-built railway

NAIROBI - Kenya on Thursday marked the first anniversary since the launch of the Standard Gauge Railway passenger train service amid smooth operations that have endeared it to regular travelers, entrepreneurs and tourists.

Socialist leader wins vote to oust Spain's Rajoy

MADRID - The leader of Spanish Socialist party Pedro Sanchez became prime minister on Friday after center-right Mariano Rajoy was voted out of office in a closely fought no-confidence motion triggered by a long-running corruption trial.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Pollution fear over UK plastic exports

British recyclers says the United Kingdom is not doing enough to respond to the Chinese ban on plastic waste imports which could lead to more pollution of the world's oceans.

World's highest clinic battles to save lives

QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Nepal, - As word came over the radio that a Sherpa had been struck on the head by a falling rock high on Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest, the three doctors at base camp jumped into action, aware that saving him would be a life-or-death race against the unpredictable mountain.

Farmers battle Narita airport expansion

NARITA, Japan - You can't choose your neighbors, as Japanese organic farmer Takao Shito knows all too well after a decadeslong battle against Narita - the country's second busiest airport.

Trump wades into furor over racist tweet

LOS ANGELES - US President Donald Trump jumped into the uproar over comedian Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, complaining on Wednesday that the Walt Disney Co executive who apologized for her comments had turned a deaf ear to criticism of him by the Disney-owned ABC network.

Hawaii lava flows gather speed, heat as officials worry over escape routes

HONOLULU - The hottest and fastest-moving lava of Kilauea volcano's latest eruption spread across new parts of the Big Island on Wednesday, forcing officials to order evacuations in two coastal neighborhoods over fears that the rapidly advancing flows could cut off dwindling escape routes.