AP National News

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister has ordered a crackdown on local businesses operating under the names of international brands without legal permission. That’s according to a statement from the premier’s office on Wednesday. The Associated Press reported last week that Iraq has become a major center of trademark violations

By WILSON RING Associated Press The head of the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee says he’s going to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session to close an exemption to child abuse and neglect reporting laws for members of the clergy. Democratic Sen. Richard Sears of Bennington says he was unaware of the exemption in

HOUSTON (AP) — Hundreds of bats lost their grip and plunged to the pavement underneath a bridge in Houston after going into hypothermic shock during the city’s recent cold snap, according to wildlife rescuers who saved them by administering fluids and keeping them warm in incubators. The Mexican free-tailed bats that roost at Houston’s Waugh

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Officials say the Turkish, Syrian and Russian defense ministers have held previously unannounced talks in Moscow. It was the first ministerial level meeting between rivals Turkey and Syria since the start of the Syrian conflict 11 years ago. A Turkish defense ministry statement said the Turkish, Syrian and Russian intelligence chiefs

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Longtime Kansas newspaper publisher and former Pulitzer Prize Board Chair Edward Seaton has died at 79. His son Ned told The Manhattan Mercury that Edward Seaton died Monday night of natural causes at his home in the northeastern Kansas community. Edward Seaton was chairman of Seaton Publications at the time of

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Seismic experts in Greece have called an emergency meeting with civil protection authorities following a new earthquake Wednesday on an island near Athens that caused no injuries or severe damage but puzzled scientists. The magnitude-4.9 quake occurred inland, near the western coast of the island of Evia, and follows an unusual

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks edged higher in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday as investors count down to the end of the worst year for the S&P 500 since 2008. The S&P 500 rose 0.1% as of 10:12 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 12 points, or less than

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Stocks are opening slightly higher on Wall Street Wednesday as investors count down to the end of the worst year for the S&P 500 since 2008. Tesla is rebounding from steep losses it suffered after reports Tuesday that it temporarily suspended production at a factory in

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The new TV series “José Andrés and Family in Spain” follows the groundbreaking chef and humanitarian on a food tour through his homeland. He travels with his three American-raised daughters, Carlota, Inés and Lucia Andrés. The ladies join their dad as they visits such places

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A police officer in Tampa, Florida, who was videotaped dragging a handcuffed woman into jail has been fired, authorities said. An internal investigation determined that former officer Gregory Damon violated department policies during the Nov. 17 incident, the Tampa Police Department announced Tuesday in a news release. The woman was being

By DAVID KOENIG and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Travelers who counted on Southwest Airlines to get them home suffered another wave of canceled flights Wednesday, and pressure grew on the federal government to help customers get reimbursed for unexpected expenses they incurred because of the airline’s meltdown. Exhausted Southwest travelers tried finding

ROME (AP) — Italy’s foreign minister has summoned Iran’s ambassador to Rome to express his country’s concerns over the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on anti-government protests that have been underway for over three months. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday conveyed Italy’s “indignation and worry” over the crackdown and said that he hopes Iran will

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer A change of scenery worked out just fine for Katie Ledecky. Shifting coasts and coaches after last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, the American swimmer turned in another stellar performance at the world championships, set a pair of world records and capped 2022 as The Associated Press Female Athlete of the

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — The Vatican has detailed rituals and procedures to follow when a pope dies. But it hasn’t published any rules for a pope emeritus. As a result, news Wednesday that the health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had worsened prompted questions about what would happen if and when

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Heavy rains and floods that devastated parts of the Philippines over the Christmas weekend have left at least 29 dead and 25 missing, the national disaster response agency said Wednesday. More than 86,000 people were still in emergency shelters after bad weather disrupted Christmas celebrations in the eastern, central and southern

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is marking the four-year anniversary of the detention in Russia of American businessman Paul Whelan. His continued imprisonment is one of several major irritants in tattered relations between Washington and Moscow. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says in a statement that securing Whelan’s release remains a top administration priority.

By DENG MACHOL Associated Press JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A local official says at least 57 people have been killed and more than a dozen others injured during recent ethnic violence in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei region. Armed groups of youths from the Nuer tribe attacked members of the Murle ethnic group in the

PARIS (AP) — Ukrainian authorities say a Ukrainian businessman and former lawmaker suspected of embezzling more than $100 million has been arrested at a luxury ski resort in the French Alps. Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations says French police arrested Kostiantyn Zhevago in a hotel in Courchevel on Tuesday based on an international warrant. Zhevago

By RADUL RADOVANOVIC and DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press JARINJE, Kosovo-Serbia Border (AP) — The lawyer for a former Kosovo Serb policeman has been ordered released from prison and placed under house arrest. The arrest of Dejan Pantic on Dec. 10 has triggered protests by Kosovo Serbs who erected multiple roadblocks in the north of the

By CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo was set to emerge from a deep freeze Wednesday, bringing some relief but also the tragic possibility of finding more victims amid melting snow from the area’s deadliest storm in decades. Officials said more than 30 people so far have been reported to have died