AP-National

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Called cover crops, they top the list of tasks U.S. farmers are told will build healthy soil, help the environment and fight climate change. Yet after years of incentives and encouragement, Midwest farmers planted cover crops on only about 7% of their land in 2021.

By JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Diplomats from Chinese and a Southeast Asian group of nations have renewed a pledge to finalize a nonaggression pact for the South China Sea in three years. That’s according to two regional diplomats who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday. They said the pledge came

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan have warned the White House that President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict could cost him enough support within the Arab American community to sway the outcome of the 2024 election in a state he almost certainly can’t afford to lose in

GENEVA (AP) — Switzerland’s national rail operator says the world’s longest rail tunnel won’t be fully reopened to train traffic until next September, again pushing back the target date for repairs of damage caused by a cargo train derailment. The Swiss federal railway operator, known by its acronym SBB, said the damage from the Aug.

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan marines — trained by their British counterparts as part of the two countries’ long-standing defense cooperation agreement — have put on a drill for King Charles III. Thursday’s exercise came on the third day of Charles’ trip to the East African nation, his first state

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — At a recent closed-door meeting of roughly 60 millionaires and billionaires, one of the Republican Party’s most influential donors stood in the well of Dallas’ historic Old Parkland debate chamber and praised Nikki Haley’s presidential candidacy. But Paul Singer deliberately stopped short

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say 14 people are due to appear in court following their arrests during extensive clashes between members of far-right groups and participants in a counter-demonstration. Supporters of the extreme right group Golden Dawn defied a blanket police ban on demonstrations in greater Athens late Wednesday and clashed with protesters

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits inched up last week but remains low by historical standards, even with the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes meant to cool the economy and taper lingering inflation. Unemployment claims rose by 5,000 to 217,000 for the week ending Oct. 28,

By HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian shelling has killed an 81-year-old woman in the yard of her home and a 60-year-old man in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region. Officials said Thursday’s deaths were the latest civilian casualties in Moscow’s recent ramped-up bombardment of the front-line area. Kherson is a strategic military region

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Uber and Lyft will pay a combined $328 million to settle complaints that they improperly saddled their New York drivers with taxes and fees that should have been been paid by passengers, state Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday. The popular ride-hailing companies also agreed to

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s coast guard says a ferry that ran aground last month off southeastern Sweden and started leaking oil into the Baltic Sea has arrived at a Swedish harbor where its tanks will be emptied. The Marco Polo had been sailing between the cities of Trelleborg and Karlshamn when it ran aground Oct.

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at the 15-year high of 5.25% and indicated that borrowing costs will likely remain at these sort of elevated levels for a while yet especially if oil and gas prices increase sharply because of the Israel-Hamas war.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is trying to increase trade with Latin America. The Democrat is meeting on Thursday with the heads of the Dominican Republic and Chile as part of a broader effort to disrupt China’s dominance in global manufacturing. Biden on Friday will welcome

By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thai agricultural workers in Israel have shared the fate those killed, kidnapped or forced to run for their lives when Hamas militants stormed into Israel last month in the assault that started the latest Gaza war. Since that day nearly a month ago, more than 7,000 of

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Cedar Fair and Six Flags are merging to create an expansive amusement park operator with operations spread across 17 U.S. states and three countries. The combined company, worth more than $3.5 billion, will boast 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and nine resort properties in the U.S., Canada, and

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian media reports say Iranian soccer team Sepahan has been penalized with a 3-0 loss and a fine over a canceled Asian Champions League match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad. The match was called off last month when the Saudi team walked out at the last minute, apparently over the presence

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A leading international medical charity says it has received 50 testimonies from migrants over the past two years that point to a “recurring practice” of alleged secret, illegal and often brutal deportations back to Turkey from two eastern Greek islands. Doctors Without Borders said in a report released Thursday that the

By KELVIN CHAN and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press BLETCHLEY PARK, England (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says achievements at the first international AI Safety Summit will  “tip the balance in favor of humanity” in the race to contain the risks from rapid advances in cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Sunak said agreements struck at the

MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill revoking Russia’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban. Moscow said the move was needed to establish parity with the United States. Putin has said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would “mirror” the stand taken by Washington. The U.S.

By ANGELA CHARLTON and ED DAVEY Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Record-breaking winds in France and across much of western Europe left at least seven people dead and injured others. Storm Ciarán charged through the continent Thursday. Vast numbers of people were plunged into darkness, homes were devastated and travel was disrupted in several countries.