AP National News

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization says the agency is “concerned about the risk to life in China” amid the coronavirus’ explosive spread across the country and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the agency recently met with Chinese officials

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in his first major speech of 2023, has pledged to halve inflation, grow the U.K. economy and stop illegal immigration. In a speech setting out the Conservative government’s priorities for the year ahead, Sunak focused on tackling the U.K.’s slowing economy and

By ZEKE MILLER AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says House Republicans’ inability to unify behind a speaker candidate is “embarrassing” and “not a good look” for the country. Speaking at the White House on Wednesday before traveling to Kentucky for an event to highlight last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law with

LONDON (AP) — Irish regulators on Wednesday hit Facebook parent Meta with hundreds of millions in fines for online privacy violations and banned the company from forcing European users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission imposed two fines totaling 390 million euros ($414 million) in its decision

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings slipped in November but remained at high suggesting businesses are still determined to add workers, a blow to the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool hiring and wage gains.  There were 10.46 million job vacancies on the last day of November, down slightly from

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations are fine-tuning a coordinated response to China’s COVID-19 crisis and are zeroing in on travel restrictions that would upset both Beijing and the global airline industry. China has already vehemently rejected travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose and has warned of

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government has approved a bill aimed at bringing defense spending at the required NATO goal of 2% of gross domestic product as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said Wednesday the bill would “ensure a stable and transparent financing of big defense strategic projects in the future.”

By SAM McNEIL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Residents and activists say the Israeli military has demolished homes, water tanks and olive orchards in two Palestinian villages in the south of the occupied West Bank. Some residents there are at risk of imminent expulsion. The villages whose structures were demolished on Tuesday are part of

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran released a prominent actress from an Oscar-winning film on Wednesday, nearly three weeks after she was jailed for criticizing a crackdown on anti-government protests, local reports said. Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency said Taraneh Alidoosti, the 38-year-old star of Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning “The Salesman,” was released on bail.

By DAVID CRARY AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Many of the conservative prelates who dominate the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were appointed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. His recent death deprives them of a symbolic figurehead but is unlikely to weaken their collective power or end the culture wars that have divided

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s defense minister has signed a deal to buy a second batch of U.S Abrams main battle tanks as Warsaw beefs up its defensive capabilities and strengthens military cooperation with Washington in light of Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine. Poland is the first U.S. ally in Europe to procure Abrams tanks.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says natural gas storage levels are high despite Russian attempts to choke off supplies to Europe amid the war in Ukraine. The 27 EU countries stocked up on gas last year in case of winter shortages. The EU commission estimated Wednesday that joint gas storage levels stand at almost

By LISA MASCARO, FARNOUSH AMIRI and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan to open the second day of the new Congress much like the first — with leader Kevin McCarthy trying to become House speaker despite losing in multiple rounds of voting that threw the new GOP majority into chaos. It

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A little known Biden administration initiative to reduce gun violence that was funded by philanthropic foundations wrapped up in December with a celebration hosted in Washington. The Community Violence Intervention Collaborative was launched in June 2021 to get public funding to small nonprofits that work to

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations are fine-tuning a coordinated response to China’s COVID-19 crisis and are zeroing in on travel restrictions that would upset both Beijing and the global airline industry. China has already vehemently rejected travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose and has warned of

By SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet The Walt Disney Company is whipping up new attractions to mark turning 100 years old. Celebrations at Disney’s original Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim, California, kick off on Jan. 27 with the return of the short-lived Magic Happens parade, a new nighttime show with fireworks, and a

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Authorities in Pakistan have ordered shopping malls and markets to close by 8:30 p.m. as part of a new energy conservation plan aimed at easing Pakistan’s economic crisis. The move Wednesday comes amid talks with the International Monetary Fund. On Tuesday, Pakistan’s defense minister and and minister

By MICHAEL CANTU Edmunds The supply chain shortage has crushed automotive production and sales, but that hasn’t stopped automakers from introducing new and redesigned models. Electric vehicles are the next hot trend, but gas-powered and hybrid vehicles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and there are plenty of new ones hitting the market this year. The

By The Associated Press Twitter says it will ease up its 3-year-old ban on political advertising. It’s the latest change by Elon Musk as he tries to pump up revenue after purchasing the social media platform last year. The company tweeted late Tuesday that it’s relaxing its policy for cause-based ads in the U.S. It