International

MANILA, Philippines — The United States on Thursday revealed for the first time that American ships have started conducting joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.

MADRID — Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all failed to deliver as holder Barcelona was dumped out of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday in a stunning 2-0 defeat by Spanish rival Atletico Madrid.

YANGON — A strong earthquake struck Myanmar on Wednesday night and was felt in parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, causing residents to rush out of their homes in panic.

AMSTERDAM — Heavily armed military police sealed off part of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport for hours Tuesday night after arresting a man for unspecified suspicious behavior and summoning explosives experts to check his luggage.

BEIJING — Seeking to close a glaring gap in its international sporting prowess, China has announced an ambitious football development plan that envisions 50 million players joining in the game by the end of the decade and the transformation of the country into a "first-rate major footballing power" by the middle of the century.

NEW DELHI — The world's count of wild tigers roaming forests from Russia to Vietnam has gone up for the first time in more than a century, with 3,890 counted by conservation groups and national governments in the latest global census, wildlife conservation groups said Monday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dubai is reaching for the sky once again, with the developer of the world's tallest building vowing Sunday to build an even taller tower bedecked with rotating balconies and elevated landscaping inspired by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.

STOCKHOLM — Ever felt like calling up a complete stranger in Sweden?

SEOUL, South Korea — Thirteen North Koreans working at the same restaurant in a foreign country have defected to South Korea, Seoul officials said Friday.

CATO, Philippines — As Asian countries jostle for territory in the South China Sea, one Filipino fisherman is taking a stand.