AP National News

By ALEX NISHIMOTO Edmunds The Lexus RX 350 has been redesigned for 2023 and features a new engine, improved technology and a more luxurious interior. But is it enough to elevate it to the top of the class? The experts at Edmunds compared it to their No. 1 pick in the midsize luxury SUV category,

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Environmental groups have welcomed a decision by Britain’s Conservative government to lift its opposition to onshore wind farms. But they warn that any benefit will be erased if the government backs plans to open the U.K.’s first new coal mine in three decades. The Conservative government has

By RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A spokesman says the Taliban authorities have executed an Afghan convicted of killing another man in the first public execution since the former insurgents took over the country last year. The official says that Wednesday’s execution in the western Farah province, carried out with an assault rifle

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer World shares slipped on Wednesday, with Hong Kong’s benchmark down more than 3%, even as Beijing announced it was scaling back its “zero-COVID” policies. U.S. futures and oil prices also dropped. The declines followed a retreat on Wall Street, driven by fears the Federal Reserve will need to keep

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Video game developer Ben Esposito’s first big break was a quirky game called Donut County starring a raccoon who dropped small objects and then entire neighborhoods into an ever-growing hole in the ground. His latest, Neon White, is a campy twist on the first-person shooter genre that involves careening

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — False earthquake alerts have gone off on Android smartphones in Iran as the country continues to grapple with nationwide protests. The deputy chief of Iran’s cyber police told Iranian state television on Wednesday that only Android phones received the fake alert. He blamed testing at state-owned service provider Iran

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press MONTEMOR-O-NOVO, Portugal (AP) — Dissident Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei is taking heart from recent public protests in China over the authorities’ strict COVID-19 policy, but he doesn’t see them bringing about any significant political change. “I don’t think that’s possible,” he told The Associated Press in an interview

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and TIAN McLEOD JI Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Tesla has launched sales in Thailand, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices aimed at competing with rivals like China’s BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans Wednesday at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall. Online purchases have begun,

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — China rolled back rules on isolating people with COVID-19 and dropped virus test requirements for some public places Wednesday in a dramatic change to a strategy that confined millions of people to their homes and sparked protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign. China has

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand court temporarily took away medical custody of a baby from his parents on Wednesday after they refused blood transfusions for him unless the blood came from donors who were unvaccinated against COVID-19. The court’s ruling in favor of health authorities places the

By ADI MARSIELA and NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press BANDUNG, Indonesia (AP) — Police in Indonesia say a Muslim militant and convicted bomb-maker who was released from prison last year blew himself up at a police station on the main island of Java, killing an officer and wounding 11 people. The attacker entered the police station

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Two passenger trains taking commuters to the city of Barcelona collided early Wednesday, injuring more than 150 people, though none seriously, Spanish officials said. Emergency services said medics tended to 155 people on site, with 39 later taken to medical centers for further treatment. The reported injuries were limited to knocks

By GERALD IMRAY AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The next World Cup will be the biggest ever after world soccer body FIFA took the leap from a 32-team field to 48 teams in 2026. It means more of soccer’s so-called “little teams” that didn’t make it to Qatar will be given a chance

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal has finished counting the votes that were cast in the Nov. 20 parliamentary elections. The results will ultimately determine the next prime minister. But formation of a new government could take days as no single party has secured a majority in the House of Representatives. Once the new House convenes,

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of police officers carried out raids across much of Germany on Wednesday against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the government in an armed coup. Officials said 25 people were detained. Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer Shares fell in Asia on Wednesday with Hong Kong’s benchmark down more than 2% even as Beijing announced it was drastically scaling back its “zero-COVID” policies, shifting away from trying to isolate every single case. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong fell 2.5% to 18,949.24 and the Shanghai

BERLIN (AP) — Officials say thousands of police have carried out a series of raids across much of Germany against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force. Federal prosecutors said some 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany’s 16 states. Prosecutors said 22 German citizens were

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The leader of a small polygamous group near the Arizona-Utah border had taken at least 20 wives, most of them minors, and punished followers who did not treat him as a prophet, newly filed federal court documents allege. Samuel Bateman was a former member of the

BERLIN (AP) — German news agency dpa reports that 25 people have been detained as part of a series of raids against suspected far-right extremists across the country early Wednesday. Dpa cited federal prosecutors as saying officers conducted searches in 11 of Germany’s 16 states against members of the so-called Reich Citizens movement. Some members