World

GENEVA – Russia’s sinking economy is putting up a major hurdle for Ford Motor Co. and General Motors as the U.S. automakers fight to return to profitability in Europe after years of losses. Karl-Thomas Neumann, CEO of GM’s Adam Opel GmbH subsidiary, said at the Geneva auto show that the …

BEIRUT – Activists say a Syrian government airstrike in a suburb of the capital, Damascus, has killed at least 32 people and wounded many others. An activist based near Damascus who goes by the name of Abu Yazan said the air raid occurred after Friday prayers in the suburb of …

JERUSALEM – A majority of Palestinians killed in dozens of Israeli attacks on Gaza homes in the 2014 war with Hamas were women, minors or elderly people, and some of the strikes violated the rules of war, an Israeli rights group said Wednesday. The B’Tselem group called strikes on homes …

C ARACAS, Venezuela – Human rights groups and Venezuela’s opposition are criticizing the government’s new authorization for riot police to use firearms to control protests. The new rules were slipped into a resolution this week providing security forces with guidelines on the use of force. Venezuela’s constitution bans the use …

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s stock market regulator says foreign investors will be allowed to trade shares on the oil-rich kingdom’s exchange beginning on June 15. The Capital Market Authority’s announcement Thursday has been eagerly awaited by investors seeking to tap into the Arab world’s largest economy. The Saudi …

TOKYO – The Japanese government has nominated a former executive at Toyota Motor Corp., one of the biggest beneficiaries of the cheap Japanese yen resulting from drastic monetary easing, to fill a post on the central bank’s policymaking board. If lawmakers approve his appointment, Yukitoshi Funo, 68, a former head …

CAIRO – An Egyptian court has banned the country’s hard-core soccer fan associations, known locally as “ultras,” over accusations that the groups are involved in terrorism. The ruling Saturday at the Court of Urgent Matters in Cairo outlaws the fan organizations for soccer clubs across the country. Ultras frequently clash …

MADRID – Spanish police have arrested 16 people suspected of praising and encouraging terror acts by three radical Spanish groups. An Interior Ministry statement on Tuesday said the arrested used Internet social networks to praise past attacks against police and call for fresh ones against politicians, police and others. Other …

Taylor Swift appeared to be really unhappy after there was no flag thrown after Travis Kelce tried to get position against a New England Patriots defensive back in the third quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday. The Chiefs were driving down the field and targeted Kelce twice …

The Indianapolis Colts have suspended two players for the remainder of the regular season, a surprising move considering they’re in the thick of a playoff race. The Colts announced cornerback Tony Brown and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie are suspended for the remaining three games of the regular season for conduct …