AP-National

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Holiday sales rose this year and spending remained resilient during the shopping season even with Americans wrestling with higher prices in some areas and other financial worries, according to the latest measure. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The rollout of potential new electric vehicle goals in Maine has been pushed back by a year. That’s because a  recent storm delayed a vote by environmental regulators. The Board of Environmental Protection postponed its vote last week and won’t meet again before year’s end. That delay means the proposed rules

PARIS (AP) — More than 50 French performers, writers and producers published an essay Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gerard Depardieu amid growing scrutiny of his behavior toward women. Advocates for sexual abuse victims expressed dismay at the outpouring of support. Depardieu was given preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Kuwait’s foreign affairs minister says the bodies of a Kuwaiti citizen and a Saudi with Kuwaiti residency who had disappeared in Iraq have been found. Iraqi security officials said the men had reportedly come to Iraq on a hunting trip. They were killed by an explosive left

VIENNA (AP) — The International Atomic Energy Agency says in a report to member states that Iran has increased the rate at which it is producing near weapons-grade uranium in recent weeks. It reverses a previous slowdown that started in the middle of this year. The U.N. nuclear watchdog said its inspectors had verified the

By LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — A three-minute viral video shows an irate Baltimore police officer berating a teenager because he ignored orders to stop skateboarding and called the officer “dude.” “Obviously your parents don’t put a foot in your butt quite enough because you don’t understand the meaning of respect,” he shouted

By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s Parliament says hackers tried to get into its data system, resulting in a temporary halt in its services. Tuesday’s statement said the cyberattack, which happened on Monday, has not “touched the data of the system.” Local media said a cellphone provider and an air flight

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer Online, direct-to-consumer health care has grown well beyond its roots mostly treating hair loss and acne or selling birth control pills. Companies like Hims & Hers and Ro have started weight loss programs. Rival Lemonaid Health has added seasonal affective disorder treatments to a care lineup that includes help

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Tokyo court has ruled that only the operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant had to pay damages to dozens of evacuees, relieving the government of responsibility. Plaintiffs criticized the ruling as belittling their suffering and the severity of the disaster. The decision on Tuesday

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Firefighters and volunteers worked overnight to reinforce dikes in northern and eastern Germany against rising floodwaters as heavy rain falling on already soaked ground pushed rivers and streams over their banks and forced several towns to evacuate residents. In the eastern Netherlands, several flood plains are underwater and rivers are surging,

By NICOLAS GARRIGA and OLEG CETINIC Associated Press MEAUX, France (AP) — Four children between nine months and 10 years old and their mother were killed in their apartment east of Paris, in what local authorities called an exceptionally violent crime. The children’s father was arrested Tuesday and is the primary suspect. Neighbors spotted a

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday released a sardonic statement about his transfer to a Arctic prison colony nicknamed the “Polar Wolf,” his first appearance since associates lost contact with him three weeks ago. Navalny, the most prominent and persistent domestic foe of President Vladimir Putin, is serving a 19-year sentence

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian officials and survivors say at least 140 people were killed by gunmen in weekend attacks on remote villages in north-central Nigeria’s Plateau state. It was the latest of such mass killing this year blamed on the country’s farmer-herder crisis. Plateau Gov. Caleb Mutfwang said on

By NICOLAS GARRIGA Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The forecourt of Paris City Hall sparkles with activity this holiday season, including a Christmas market and huge signs advertising the 2024 Olympics. It also hosts dozens of migrant families searching for a roof over their heads. About 50 families with children between three months and 10

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A huge fire at a guesthouse in Romania has left six people dead, including at least one child, and several others missing. Emergency intervention teams were deployed to the blaze that erupted on Tuesday morning in the village of Tohani. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations says 26 people had been

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two lawsuits say Nebraska’s two largest cities are violating a new state gun law by prohibiting them from public places such as parks. The Liberty Justice Center filed lawsuits Dec. 18 challenging executive orders issued by the mayors of Omaha and Lincoln. The lawsuits were filed on behalf of the Nebraska

By NAJIB JOBAIN, WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces on Tuesday expanded their ground offensive into urban refugee camps in central Gaza after bombarding the crowded Palestinian communities and ordering residents to evacuate. Gaza’s main telecom provider announced another “complete interruption” of services in the besieged territory.

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Daihatsu, a unit of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp., has shut down production lines at all its four factories in Japan while transport ministry officials investigate improper tests for safety certifications. The shutdown as of Tuesday comes a week after Daihatsu announced it was suspending all vehicle

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Turkish parliament’s foreign affairs committee has resumed deliberations on Sweden’s bid to join NATO. The committee meeting on Tuesday comes days after the Turkish president openly linked the Sweden’s admission to U.S. approval of Turkey’s request to purchase F-16 fighter jets, setting a new condition. Turkey had lifted its objection

By The Associated Press Asian shares advanced on Wednesday, tracking Wall Street gains as markets there reopened for what’s expected to be a quiet, holiday-shortened week of trading. U.S. futures were higher and oil prices were steady. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index added 1.2% to 33,681.24 as details of a policy meeting by the Bank of