Scandal-hit US agency chief could face ax

WASHINGTON - Facing scandals over the spending and behavior of his environment agency chief, Scott Pruitt, US President Donald Trump appears close to firing the man he appointed to dismantle Barack Obama's green legacy.

Trump pressed aides on Venezuela invasion

BOGOTA, Colombia - As a meeting last August in the Oval Office to discuss sanctions on Venezuela was concluding, US President Donald Trump turned to his top aides and asked an unsettling question: With a fast unraveling Venezuela threatening regional security, why can't the United States just simply invade the troubled country?

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Iran seeks incentives to save accord

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's meeting with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Wednesday is being hailed by European analysts as "critical" in saving a landmark nuclear deal signed in the Austrian capital in 2015, which risks falling apart after the withdrawal of the United States in May

Allies defend military spending

BRUSSELS - NATO allies are pushing back against US criticism that they are not spending enough on defense as President Donald Trump ratchets up pressure ahead of a summit next week.

41 still missing after ferry tips over

JAKARTA - Passengers trapped for a night on a stricken ferry off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi were rescued early on Wednesday, an official said, as the death toll rose to 29.

Hard Brexit will make people worse off

Britain's Institute for Public Policy Research has found that a hard Brexit would have an adverse impact on lower-income groups and all those outside London, because household spending involved goods and services that will be hit by price rises.

No quick fix to Europe migration challenge

BRUSSELS - Planned new centers around the Mediterranean to handle migrants will be no silver-bullet solution to the European Union's immigration challenge, says a UN agency of the idea it will be asked to implement.

US allows colleges to leave race out of decisions

US President Donald Trump's administration said on Tuesday that the government would no longer encourage schools in the United States to use race as a factor in the admission process as the Department of Justice reversed a series of Barack Obama-era guidelines, claiming to offer equal opportunities for all students.

40 members object to US tariff plan at WTO

GENEVA - Major trading partners of the United States, including the European Union, China and Japan, voiced deep concern at the World Trade Organization on Tuesday about possible US measures imposing additional duties on imported autos and parts.

Najib charged with corruption

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's former prime minister, Najib Razak, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and other charges arising from an investigation into a scandal-plagued state fund, weeks after he was ousted in a stunning election defeat.

Mystery over 'unknown substance' scare in British town

Police in the British town of Amesbury have declared a major incident over fears that two people found unconscious were exposed to an unknown substance.