UNITED NATIONS – The Palestinian U.N. ambassador says the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court can immediately start examining allegations of war crimes against Israel if she chooses. Riyadh Mansour said the Palestinians formal acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction starting June 13, 2014 gives prosecutor Fatou Bensouda a green light …

MOSCOW – The Russian ruble is tumbling further down, under pressure from low oil prices. The currency was down nearly 3 percent in morning trading in Moscow on Tuesday, floating around 65 rubles per dollar. The ruble has been battered by slumping global prices for oil, Russia’s main revenue earner, …

MILAN – Italian officials say two Italian aid workers have been freed in Syria and will return home soon. The premier’s office announced the release of 21-year-old Greta Ramelli, and 20-year-old Vanessa Marzullo, on Twitter. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the news, but was unable to immediately provide details of their …

BANGKOK – Thailand’s anti-graft agency has called for corruption charges against a former commerce minister and his deputy for allegedly committing fraud in a government-to-government rice sale. National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Wicha Mahakhun said Tuesday an investigation found the pair, along with 17 government officials and businessmen, sold rice from the …

TUNIS, Tunisia – Tunisia’s tourism minister says the number of French visiting the country in 2014 dropped by 6 percent, compared to last year, a number that may worsen in 2015 following a rash of cancelations after a terrorist attack in Paris. Amel Karboul told journalists that there were less …

PARIS – The Paris prosecutor’s office says authorities have found phones, USB flash drives and other equipment during searches of about 80 prison cells of Islamic radicals after terrorist attacks earlier this month. The prosecutor’s office said Monday that investigators are analyzing the material found in the searches. Two of …

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s official news agency is quoting a senior judiciary official as saying a detained Washington Post journalist “will be tried soon.” The report Wednesday by IRNA quoted Gholam Hossein Esmaeili on the case of Jason Rezaian, who has been held on unknown charges since July 22. The …

SYDNEY – Australia’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low of 2.25 percent on Tuesday in a bid to jolt an economy weighed down by falling commodity prices. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s quarter percentage point rate cut at a monthly board meeting was its first …

PARIS – French President Francois Hollande has pledged to redouble efforts to shore up France’s cherished secular traditions in response to threats from religious extremists like the radical Islamic terrorists who murdered 17 people last month. Hollande said that the “Spirit of Jan. 11” that saw millions of French people …

LONDON – A British police force has apologized after an officer asked a store for the names of people who had bought copies of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Wiltshire Police said the inquiries were part of “an assessment of community tensions” after the deadly Jan. 7 attack on the …