YAOUNDE, Cameroon – A Cameroon military official says Boko Haram militants have killed at least 12 people in attacks on two Cameroonian villages on the northern border with Nigeria. Col. Jacob Kodji told The Associated Press on Friday that the Islamic extremists entered the villages of Bia and Diana late …

FRANKFURT, Germany – German investor optimism unexpectedly fell in April after five months of increases due to fears about the global economy. The ZEW research institute’s index eased to 53.3 points from 54.8 points in March. Analysts had expected 55.3 Germany’s economy is heavily dependent on exporting cars and industrial …

BEIJING – A Chinese official has publicly denied rumors of an “exodus” of bureaucrats from civil service following reports of widespread unhappiness over poor working conditions and an anti-corruption drive. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security spokesman Li Zhong told reporters Friday that some resignations were to be expected. …

HELSINKI – Sweden’s highest court decided Tuesday to allow Julian Assange to appeal a detention order against the WikiLeaks founder over allegations of sex crimes. The Swedish Supreme Court said it has “granted leave to appeal the issue of detention.” It gave no reason for the decision. The move follows …

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea says it will push to allow more journalists to travel to North Korea to cover civilian exchange programs between the rival countries. Seoul’s Unification Ministry announced Friday it would actively support sports, culture and academic exchange programs with North Korea as a way to …

CAIRO – Egypt’s deposed longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak has celebrated his 87th birthday by waving to some 100 supporters gathered outside of a military hospital where he is being held in Cairo. The crowd gathered Monday held up photos of Mubarak and praised him with slogans of support, days before …

TORONTO – A meeting of Canada’s federal Conservative party was described as being like a “morgue” a day after Alberta, Canada’s most conservative province, elected a left-of-center provincial government, ending a 44-year-old conservative party dynasty. Voters in the western oil-rich province chose a New Democratic Party government. The stunning result …

MANILA, Philippines – Forecasters say a strong typhoon is headed to the northern Philippines, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people living on the slopes of a rumbling volcano. Typhoon Noul is packing sustained winds of 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 195 kph (122 …

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s state-run news agency says six children and a woman have frozen to death while trying to cross illegally into Turkey from Iran. Anadolu Agency says 13 other migrants were hospitalized, five of them in life-threatening condition. Anadolu says they were part of a group of 33 …

KAMPALA, Uganda – The World Health Organization says a severe humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Tanzania as thousands of Burundians seek refuge there because of political tensions back home. WHO said in a statement Tuesday that the situation is “especially worrisome” in Tanzania’s Kagunga village, where the original population of …