International Top Stories from Associated Press (AP)

JERUSALEM (AP) , On Chuck Hagel's inaugural visit to Israel as U.S. defense secretary, Syria surpassed Iran as the security threat of greatest urgency to the U.S.' closest Mideast ally. That quite unexpectedly gave the new Pentagon chief a temporary respite from the delicate duty of tempering Israeli warnings about attacking Iran to stop it from building a nuclear bomb.

TORONTO (AP) , A suspect accused of plotting with al-Qaida in Iran to derail a train in Canada said Tuesday authorities were basing their conclusions on mere appearances. Iran, meanwhile, denied any involvement. Canadian investigators say Raed Jaser, 35, and his suspected accomplice Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, received "directions and guidance" from members of al-Qaida in Iran.

A Mississippi man arrested last week after he was accused of sending poison letters to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a judge was released from jail Tuesday. Jeff Woodfin, chief deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service in Oxford, Miss., said he doesn't know if the release of Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, from custody included conditions.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is facing tough scrutiny from the South Korean press after a photo was released of him shaking President Park Geun-hye's hand with his other hand in his pocket. The picture of the meet-and-greet was plastered all over front pages in the country, the London Telegraph reports, with some organizations going so far as cropping Mr.

MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) , The elder suspect in the Boston bombings regularly attended a mosque and spent time learning to read the Quran, but he struggled to fit in during a trip to his ancestral homeland in southern Russia last year, his aunt said.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) , Before he became pope, Francis spoke his mind about many of the most sensitive topics the Roman Catholic church faces today. Here is a sampling from "On Heaven and Earth," published in 2012, and his authorized biography "The Jesuit," published in 2010 and republished last month as "Pope Francis. Conversations with Jorge Mario Bergoglio."

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) , She uses a wheelchair and carries the weight of her 87 years, but Clelia Luro feels powerful enough to make the Roman Catholic Church pay attention to her campaign to end...

LUXEMBOURG (AP) , The European Union on Monday lifted its oil embargo on Syria to provide more economic support to the forces fighting to oust President Bashar Assad's regime. The decision will allow for crude exports from rebel-held territory, the import of oil and gas production technology, and investments in the Syrian oil industry, the EU said in a statement.

The 17 nations that make up the eurozone need to accept that Europe is in charge, and they need to toe that line when it comes to forging spending and debt deals, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday.

JERUSALEM (AP) , Israel's airlines on Monday ended a two-day strike that stranded thousands of passengers after reaching an agreement with the government over the new "Open Skies" aviation deal with the European Union. The Finance Ministry said it agreed to address the airlines' concerns over security costs derived from deal.

New York City could become the first major city in America to put restrictions on smoking in line with drinking laws by raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products. City Council Speaker Christine C.

The only reason the carjacking victim in the hunt for Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wasn't killed was that he wasn't an American, several media outlets have reported. The victim made those statements to police, the Wall Street Journal reported.

YA'AN, China (AP) , Residents huddled outdoors Saturday night in a town near the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that struck the steep hills of China's southwestern Sichuan province, leaving at least 160 people dead and more than 6,700 injured.

ISTANBUL (AP) , Foreign ministers from the main supporters of the rebels trying to topple the Syrian government worked Saturday to increase pressure on President Bashar Assad, but the opposition demanded direct military involvement.

CAIRO , Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi says he will reshuffle the Cabinet soon, a key demand of his opposition amid divisive turmoil over a myriad of issues. In an interview with the Al-Jazeera satellite channel, Morsi said the reshuffle would involve a number of key ministries, although he didn't say how many.