Syrian army recaptures areas after rebel offensive

DAMASCUS - The Syrian army recaptured areas that had been taken during Sunday's wide-scale offensive by rebels in eastern Damascus, the military general command said on Monday.

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Rains leave trail of death and destruction in Peru

LIMA - Peru is facing a critical situation as heavy rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon have been battering the country for weeks, leaving a trail of death and devastation.

S. Korea to raise sunken vessel

SEOUL - South Korea prepared on Sunday to raise the Sewol ferry that sank nearly three years ago, killing more than 300 people, most of them children, testing a system to bring the ship to the surface in the hope of finding the last nine bodies.

Volunteers try to restore Athens graffiti

ATHENS - Following Greece's deep recession, a vibrant wave of graffiti has flourished in Athens in recent years. Many street artists express their messages on the economic crisis, unemployment and social injustice on the walls of abandoned buildings.

Afghan Star: Rap, stilettos and a big musical revolution

KABUL - Smokey-eyed Zulala Hashemi, standing tall in four-inch gold heels, wants to sing for women. The 18-year-old has become the first girl to reach the final of popular television music talent show Afghan Star.

Rock 'n' roll pioneer Chuck Berry dies at 90 in Missouri

UNITED STATES - Chuck Berry, who duck-walked his way into the pantheon of rock 'n' roll pioneers as one of its most influential guitarists and as the creator of raucous anthems that defined the genre's early sound and heartbeat, died on Saturday at his Missouri home. He was 90.

Airport was 'targeted for attack'

PARIS - French prosecutors said the man who was killed during an attempted attack on Orly airport near Paris on Saturday had vowed "to die for Allah".

Hint of Turkish rally threatens to heighten tensions with Germany

ANKARA - There is a possibility that Turkish ministers could plan another rally in Germany ahead of an April 16 referendum on changing the constitution, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Sunday, a move that could further heighten tension with Berlin.

Scottish leader softens stance on possible independence vote timing

LONDON - Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday softened her stance on the potential timing of a second independence referendum after Prime Minister Theresa May rejected her call to hold a vote before Britain leaves the European Union.

Arrest made after White House checkpoint bomb scare

WASHINGTON - The US Secret Service bolstered security at the White House late on Saturday following the arrest of a man accused of making threats at one its checkpoints, an official said.

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