Exiled Chinese author Yu Jie joined other writers including Salman Rushdie on the 20th observance of World Press Freedom Day in appealing to China to live up to its own constitution and laws guaranteeing freedom of expression, and calling on the public to put pressure on governments that crack down on writers.

Yu and other writers and activists were on a PEN International panel Friday highlighting a report on trends of the last five years in China's crackdown on free expression. It also marked the 20th anniversary of the U.N. General Assembly's designation of May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.

An Israeli airstrike against Syria was targeting a shipment of advanced missiles bound for Hizbullah in Lebanon, Israeli officials confirmed Saturday.

It was the second Israeli strike this year against Syria and the latest salvo in its long-running effort to disrupt Hizbullah's quest to build an arsenal capable of defending against Israel's air force and spreading destruction inside the Jewish state.

A lawyer for Reese Witherspoon says the actress has pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge resulting from a heated confrontation with a state trooper in Atlanta.

Municipal Court of Atlanta Deputy Solicitor Ronda Graham said in a statement Friday that Witherspoon entered the plea and paid a $100 fine, resolving the case.

A government agency poll indicates the Spanish monarchy's popularity rating has plunged to unprecedented levels.

The Center for Sociological Research said Friday that on a scale from 0 to 10, those questioned for its April survey rated the royal family at 3.68, down from 4.89 in October, 2011, the last time the question was asked.

Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo could miss AC Milan's final four Serie A matches after tearing a muscle in his right leg, an injury that could affect the Rossoneri's attempt to hold off Fiorentina for third place and the final Champions League spot.

Montolivo was injured in training on Thursday.

Spanish prosecutors have opened an investigation into individuals involved in the Lance Armstrong scandal, the nation's anti-doping agency said Friday.

The agency said prosecutors in the eastern province of Alicante are examining the Spanish citizens mentioned in a report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency into Armstrong's doping activities.

Mozambique's rhinoceros population was wiped out more than a century ago by big game hunters. Reconstituted several years ago, the beasts again are on the brink of vanishing from the country by poachers seeking their horns for sale in Asia.

A leading expert told The Associated Press that the last rhino in the southern African nation has been killed. The warden of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park — the only place where the horned behemoths lived in Mozambique — also says poachers have wiped out the rhinos. Mozambique's conservation director believes a few may remain.

A new U.S. report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of honeybees across the country since 2006.

The multiple causes make it harder to do something about what's called colony collapse disorder, experts say. The disorder has caused as much as one-third of the nation's bees to just disappear each winter since 2006.

Benfica advanced to the Europa League final after Oscar Cardozo scored twice Thursday in a 3-1 win against Fenerbahce to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

The Portuguese club will play on May 15 against Chelsea, which advanced in the other semifinal by beating Basel 3-1 to go through 5-2 on aggregate.

Chelsea has a chance to finish the season with another European trophy — even though it wasn't the one they originally set out for.

Chelsea reached its first Europa League final on Thursday after finishing off Basel with a comeback 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge, giving the team a chance to salvage some pride after becoming the first reigning Champions League holder to get knocked out in the group stage.