BUCAHREST, Romania – Romanian lawmakers have voted to allow the arrest of a former tourism minister, a close aide of an ex-president, on suspicion of taking a bribe. Parliament approved the arrest of Elena Udrea in a 170-118 vote to be investigated on suspicion of illegally financing a boxing gala. …

BEIJING – A forestry officer says a tiger cub spooked by Chinese New Year fireworks jumped off a building to its death in eastern China. Reports in state media say the 7-month-old cub escaped its chains and cage and fell onto a parking lot on Feb. 18, the lunar new …

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has offered to safeguard potentially at-risk Iraqi artifacts after a video released by the Islamic State group showed its militants using sledgehammers to smash relics in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul. Mohammad Hassan Talebian, a senior official at Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization, says Iran has written …

CAIRO – A rights group is urging Egypt to halt the execution of six men condemned to death by a military tribunal for killing security forces, citing lawyers and family who contend some of them were in jail at the time of the attack. New York-based Human Rights Watch said …

PARIS – France’s government has pledged measures to boost the country’s stagnant economy, including an income tax cut and tax breaks to companies that invest in industry. Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls outlined the government’s plans to combat unemployment and encourage growth during a speech Wednesday in Paris. He said …

LOS ANGELES – The next generation of rising young stars may be tossing out the “sex sells” image in favor of apple pie. Some of today’s teen idols, like all-grown-up twinsMary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (search), pro surferKelly Slater (search)and actressHilary Duff (search), have been taking a more clean-cut approach to …

CAIRO – An Egyptian administrative court has upheld a decision by the Interior Ministry banning a Libyan student from returning to the country because he is gay. The student, who was not named, was barred from returning to Cairo from abroad in 2008 and had appealed the decision hoping to …

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican says Pope Francis is considering adding a stop in Cuba to his U.S. trip in September but that no decision has been made. Francis has been credited with having helped the United States and Cuba reach their historic rapprochement by writing to the leaders of …

BEIRUT – A former Lebanese minister charged with plotting a wave of bombings at Syria’s behest confessed to transporting explosives into the country in collaboration with Syrian intelligence, his lawyer said Tuesday, arguing that his client was the victim of entrapment. Ex-Information Minister Michel Samaha acknowledged during a session of …

VIENNA – Diplomats say the first round of Iran nuclear talks aimed at turning a tentative agreement into a final deal has been positive and indicates an agreement can be reached by the June 30 deadline. The United States and five other powers want Tehran to agree to long-term curbs …