AP-National

SYDNEY (AP) — Sydney has experienced its first total fire ban in almost three years and several schools along the New South Wales state coast to the south have been closed because of a heightened wildfire danger caused by unusually hot and dry conditions across southeast Australia. Authorities have forecast the most destructive wildfire season

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany has banned the neo-Nazi group Hammerskins Germany and is raiding homes of dozens of its members. The group is an offshoot of an American ring-wing extremist group and plays a prominent role across Europe. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Tuesday the ban is a “hard

By SYLVIE CORBET and JEFFREY SCHAEFFER Associated Press PARIS (AP) — France is rolling out the red carpet for King Charles III’s state visit at one of its most magnificent and emblematic monuments: The Palace of Versailles, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary. Charles and Queen Camilla’s three-day trip to Paris and Bordeaux starts on

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer ESSEN, Germany (AP) — Germany racked up one economic success after another for most of this century. But the loss of Russian natural gas due to the war in Ukraine has dealt a severe blow to its industry through higher energy costs. The country will be the world’s only

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — English Heritage has unveiled its 1,000th blue plaque, the famous discs that dot the walls of buildings throughout London to mark the places where scientists, artists, politicians and activists have made history. The charity is working to broaden the program to include more women, people from minority

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares declined Wednesday as markets awaited a decision on interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.1% in morning trading to 33,200.34. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.6% to 7,152.70. South Korea’s Kospi edged down 0.1% to 2,556.20. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped

By ZEN SOO AP Technology Writer HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader says the territory will scrutinize the regulation of digital assets after police arrested eight people over allegations of fraud at an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange that impacted more than 1,600 investors and over $150 million in assets. Those arrested include social media influencers

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has returned home from a trip to Russia where he deepened a “comradely fellowship and friendly ties” with President Vladimir Putin. The state media report Tuesday didn’t give many specifics on the six-day trip that was Kim’s longest

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press BUENAVENTURA, Colombia (AP) — Across Colombia, decades of war between leftist guerrillas, rightwing paramilitaries, trafficking groups and the government have left more than 9.5 million people as victims of forced displacement, homicide, sexual violence and more. That’s nearly 20% of the population. Colombia’s rebel-turned-president Gustavo Petro has promised to cement

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Insisting that international cooperation is critical, the United Nations chief delivered a dire warning to leaders from across the world Tuesday, declaring that the planet is becoming unhinged with mounting global challenges and geopolitical tensions — and warning that “we seem incapable of coming together

By MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press BUENAVENTURA, Colombia (AP) — When elected, Colombia’s rebel-turned-president Gustavo Petro promised to cement “total peace” and end one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. That was 13 months ago, and his plan is inching forward. He aims to rewire how Colombia addresses violence, replacing military operations with programs tackling poverty. He’s

By DAVID BILLER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — “Brazil is back.” That has been Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s refrain for the better part of the last year, with the newly elected president deploying the snappy slogan to cast Brazil and himself as leaders of the Global South. Last year, Lula thwarted the reelection

By COLLEEN LONG and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden has gone on the offensive against his Republican critics. Biden is arguing in a lawsuit against the IRS that although he is the son of the president of the United States, he shouldn’t be treated differently than any other American. The

By ERIC TUCKER and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — The classified documents indictment of Donald Trump would seem, on paper at least, to be the most straightforward of the four criminal cases the former president is facing. Reams of classified files were stashed in Trump’s office and storage room and he boastfully

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington this week comes at a critical juncture for his alliance with the United States as Republican leaders in Congress diverge on how to send more military and humanitarian aid to the country. President Joe Biden is seeking an additional $24

By MATTHEW LEE and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As President Joe Biden prepares to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in New York, a new poll finds that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many question whether his far-right government shares American values. The poll

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Foreign companies operating in China say tensions with Washington over technology, trade and other issues and uncertainty over Chinese policies are damaging the business environment and causing some to reassess their plans for investing in the giant market. The results of surveys released Tuesday by the American Chamber of

By BROOKE SCHULTZ Associated Press/Report for America HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats will retain their one-vote majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after voters in Pittsburgh on Tuesday elected former congressional aide Lindsay Powell. Powell’s victory gives Democrats a 102-101 majority in the House. Republicans have a 28-22 majority in the Senate, creating a

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For nearly a week, families whose lives were upended by a Nashville elementary school shooting took turns sharing dark details to Tennessee lawmakers. Their children thought they were going to die. A teacher told students to race each other, knowing they needed to

By AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — More than 30 Atlantic countries on four continents have committed to bolster coordination on economic development, environmental protection, maritime issues and more. The adoption of the Declaration on Atlantic Cooperation was announced on Monday evening at a meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of