BERLIN – Switzerland has signed an accord with Australia aimed at cracking down on tax evaders. The joint declaration signed Tuesday in Canberra will see the countries automatically share tax information on each other’s citizens by 2018. Swiss Finance Ministry spokesman Mario Tuor said it’s the first time Switzerland has …

SEOUL, South Korea – Ten people were feared dead after a Chinese fishing boat sank in international waters near the South Korean resort island of Jeju, officials said Friday. Three survivors rescued by crew members of another nearby Chinese fishing boat told officials that their boat collided with a cargo …

KIGALI, Rwanda – Two officers in Rwanda’s military have pleaded not guilty to charges of inciting insurrection against the government. Brig. Gen. Frank Rusagara and Col. Tom Byabagamba, who were arrested in August 2014, appeared before a military tribunal in Kigali on Tuesday to answer charges of inciting insurrection among …

UNITED NATIONS – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations says his country soon will ask the world body’s member states to formally recognize Russia as a sponsor of terrorism. Yuriy Sergeyev told reporters on Friday that Ukraine will submit a draft resolution to the U.N. General Assembly that echoes the …

President Bush held apresidential press conference (search)on Wednesday. Here’s a quick take, as we say on News Watch, about some of what he said. Issue one: Bush took responsibility for those 16 words in his State of the Union speech; the ones that said British intelligence had learned that Saddam …

MEXICO CITY – Mexican officials said Monday they have delivered new information about the January killings of vigilantes during clashes with soldiers and police, as part of a probe of possible excessive force. The information handed over includes a new video from which “one can infer presumed acts of excessive …

BEIJING – Authorities say a chemical leak in northern China has killed eight people and injured two others. A statement from Yangcheng County in Shanxi province said the carbon disulfide leak occurred Saturday morning at a plant belonging to the Ruixing chemical company. It says three rescue workers are also …

VIENNA – Vienna’s gay-themed pedestrian traffic lights are here to stay. Instead of the usual stick man, the lights show couples — a man and a woman, two women or two men. Set up recently at 47 crossings, they were to be taken down in June, after the end of …

LOS ANGELES – Authorities say a Los Angeles police officer shot and wounded a 15-year-old boy in the back after spotting him in an alley standing near someone holding what appeared to be a gun. Sgt. Frank Preciado said early Thursday that what the officer thought was a weapon turned …

OAKLAND, Calif. – West Coast seaports were back at full operation Sunday, except in Oakland, California, which has seen another work disruption. It’s unclear what prompted the problems in Oakland. Work at the other 28 West Coast ports is back to normal, Pacific Maritime Association spokesman Steve Getzug said. Work …