AP National News

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund chief is warning the world economy is expected to grow less than 3% in 2023, down from 3.4% last year, increasing the risk of hunger and poverty globally. Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday growth is expected to remain around 3% for

By THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of France Thursday for the 11th day of nationwide resistance to a government proposal to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The furious public reaction to the plan has cornered and weakened French President Emmanuel Macron. France’s

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A civil rights group is urging U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to follow through on promises made to thousands of people of Caribbean descent who were wrongly targeted as illegal migrants in the so-called Windrush scandal. The Black Equity Organisation submitted a petition Thursday signed by more

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — Italian regulators say the company behind ChatGPT will propose measures to resolve data privacy concerns that sparked the country’s temporary ban on the artificial intelligence chatbot. The Italian data protection authority said Thursday that OpenAI promised to set out measures to address the concerns during a

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart have discussed expanding their economic cooperation and bolstering defense ties between their nations. Russia used Belarus as a staging ground for invading neighboring Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there. Last month, Putin said Russia next plans to deploy tactical

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Authorities in South Africa say nine suspected armed robbers were killed in an early-morning shootout with police. Police Minister Bheki Cele said three other suspects were wounded, including two who are in critical condition in the hospital. Police said the suspects were believed to be responsible for

By LISA BAUMANN Associated Press Deadly storms in the past two weeks have unleashed dozens of tornadoes in the United States, mainly in the South and Midwest, killing at least 63 people and damaging or destroying hundreds of homes. This year’s early severe weather, especially in the Midwest, is part of a trend seen over

By MALAK HARB Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation Thursday, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation. The agreement was reached in Beijing during a meeting between

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A pilot in South Africa made a hasty emergency landing after discovering a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat. Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday’s flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. He

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for peace talks over Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to him to “bring Russia to its senses.” But Xi gave no indication Beijing would use its leverage as Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic partner to press for a settlement. Xi gave no sign China had changed

By JOHN LEICESTER and OLEG CETINIC Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Protesters disrupted vehicle traffic at Paris’ main airport and police fired clouds of tear gas in other French cities as people marched in their thousands in a new round of strikes and nationwide demonstrations Thursday seeking to get President Emmanuel Macron to scrap pension

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — An independent investigative group has accused Croatian officials and police of using a clandestine WhatsApp group to share sensitive information about migrants trying to enter the country. It says it believed many of those discussed were later forcibly removed from the country, which is illegal under international treaties. Croatian police denied

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s coast guard says it is searching for an army helicopter carrying 10 crew members that went missing off a southern Japanese island. The coast guard said it received information that a Ground Self-Defense Force UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared from radar on a mission Thursday evening in an area north of

By TERRY CHEA, NOAH BERGER and JOSH EDELSON Associated Press FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — Water levels fell so low in key reservoirs during the depth of California’s drought that boat docks sat on dry, cracked land and cars drove into the center of what should have been Folsom Lake. Those scenes are no more after

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is spending his second day in a Milan hospital, as family members continue to visit the ailing political leader in intensive care. San Raffaele hospital, where Berlusconi’s personal physician is a chief anesthesiologist, hasn’t given any medical update so far on Thursday.

LONDON (AP) — British antitrust regulators have started investigating Amazon’s purchase of robot vacuum maker iRobot, adding further scrutiny to the $1.7 billion deal. The Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that it’s considering whether the deal will result in a “substantial lessening of competition” within the United Kingdom. In an initial step, the U.K.

By PREDRAG MILIC Associated Press PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Official results have confirmed a crushing defeat for Montenegro’s long-time leader Milo Djukanovic in a weekend presidential election. That marks his departure from the small Balkan state’s political scene after more than 30 years in power. The state electoral commission said Thursday that economy expert and

BEIJING (AP) — Iran and Saudia Arabia have agreed to jointly pursue economic stability, the Iranian foreign minister said Thursday, as well as reopen missions in their respective countries as the regional rivals stepped toward reconciliation after seven years of tension. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian made the announcement in a tweet after talks with

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer An independent tribunal has ruled that the European tour was within its rights to sanction members who competed on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf without permission. An appeal panel at Sports Resolutions found that players including Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood committed “serious breaches” of the European tour code of

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Ahead of a highly anticipated presidential announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Michigan for his first appearance this year in the battleground state transformed by Democratic majorities under high-profile Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The visit put the contrasting leadership styles of the Republican and Democrat on display