State TV: 168 killed when Iranian plane headed to Armenia crashes

TEHRAN, Iran — State TV says 168 people were killed when a passenger plane crashed Wednesday in northwest Iran.

Iranian passenger plane crashes

TEHRAN - An Iranian passenger plane Wednesday crashed in Qazvin province northwest of the capital Tehran, the news network Khabar reported.

Turkey’s PM likens ethnic violence in China to genocide

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s prime minister on Friday compared ethnic violence in China’s Xinjiang province to genocide, escalating criticism of Beijing following this week’s killing of at least 156 people — including Turkic-speaking, Muslim Uighurs.

Armenia and Azerbaijan urged by US, France and Russia to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh dispute

L’ACQUILA, Italy — The United States, France and Russia called mutually Friday for the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to settle a long-running dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Companies lobby (quietly) against House resolution that would dub Armenian killings ‘genocide’

Corporate America typically hires lobbyists to pressure Congress on taxes and trade rules. But in an unusual — some say risky — move, five military contractors and an energy company have stepped into a fight over whether the U.S. should label Turkey’s slaughter of a million Armenians nearly a century ago as genocide.

AP News in Brief

No sign of boy, 6, said to have floated off in homemade balloon after it lands in Colorado

AP News in Brief

Terror attacks reveal Taliban’s renewed strength ahead of planned Pakistani military offensive

Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan make progress in discussing disputed region, US official says

PRAGUE — The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan made “serious progress” on Thursday during discussions aimed at resolving their long-standing dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a U.S. official said.

Gunman opens fire at top Azerbaijan oil training institute and kills 12 and self, wounds 13.

BAKU, Azerbaijan — A young man armed with an automatic pistol and clips of ammunition rampaged through a prestigious institute in the Azerbaijani capital Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding others before killing himself as police closed in, the government said.

Turkish president says Obama failed to mention slain Turks in message on Armenian deaths

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s president said Saturday that President Barack Obama failed to honor Turks slain by Armenians in a message remembering the dead in massacres nearly a century ago.

Tens of thousands of Armenians mark anniversary of World War I era mass killings

YEREVAN, Armenia — Tens of thousands of Armenians marched through the capital on Friday to commemorate the 94th anniversary of the start of mass killings by Ottoman Turks, many calling on Turkey to recognize the slayings as genocide.

Thousands of Armenians mark anniversary of WWI-era mass killings; some burn Turkish flags

YEREVAN, Armenia — Thousands of Armenians are marking the anniversary of what they call the 1915 genocide despite a diplomatic thaw between Armenia and Turkey.

Turkey says agreement reached with Armenia over roadmap to normalize strained ties

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey and Armenia have agreed on a roadmap for normalizing relations and reaching reconciliation, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, but it wasn’t immediately clear how they would tackle their bitter dispute over Ottoman-era killings of ethnic Armenians.

Moscow irked by NATO exercises in Georgia

MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that NATO’s decision to hold military exercises in Georgia next month threatens to complicate ties with Russia.

Russia asked not to interfere in fight against Taliban

MOSCOW - Russia should avoid getting involved in the fight between the Afghan government and Taliban militants, but strengthen its influence with its neighbours in Central Asia, a member of parliament said Friday.