AP National News

By DAVID McHUGH Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The risk of recession is looming for Germany after Europe’s biggest economy shrank at the end of 2021 and as it faces a bumpy start to this year. The rapid spread of COVID-19’s omicron variant is deterring people from shopping and travel and supply bottlenecks are

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has commissioned new navy minelayers to add to its defenses against giant rival China. President Tsai Ing-wen presided over a ceremony commissioning the navy’s First and Second Mining Operations Squadrons. The ships are able to automatically sow large numbers of small but powerful mines without the need for divers. Such

By NINIEK KARMINI and EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful earthquake has shaken parts of Indonesia’s main island of Java, damaging buildings and houses and sending people into the streets, but no casualties were reported. Officials say there is no danger of a tsunami. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude

By ULIANA PAVLOVA and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Turkish and Armenian envoys have met in Moscow to try to end decades of bitterness between their countries and to establish diplomatic ties. Turkey was among the first countries to recognize Armenia’s independence in 1991. But the neighbors share a bitter relationship and have

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong International Airport is banning transit passengers from 150 countries and territories starting Sunday, tightening stringent travel controls in an effort to stem the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. Authorities also said Friday they will extend social distancing restrictions, including a ban on

BEIJING (AP) — China is dismissing a warning from Britain’s domestic intelligence service to lawmakers that a London-based lawyer is trying to “covertly interfere in U.K. politics” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party as “irresponsible.” A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says China has “no need to and will never engage in the so-called interference,” and

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Five people have been severely injured by a fire that erupted in Kuwait at a major oil refinery. The Kuwait National Petroleum Company said Friday five people were being treated at a nearby hospital for severe burns and another two for moderate burns. Others received treatment at an on-site

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has strongly repeated its demand that NATO doesn’t expand eastward despite the rejection of that by the military alliance amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday described Moscow’s demands that NATO will neither expand nor deploy forces to Ukraine and

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares have slipped in Europe and Asia after a retreat on Wall Street that left the Nasdaq composite down 2.5%. Benchmarks fell in Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai. China reported its global trade surplus surged nearly 30% in 2021 to $676.4 billion. South Korea’s central bank

By JOHN PYE and ROD McGUIRK Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke says he used his ministerial discretion to revoke the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds three days before the Australian

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Health Ministry says more than 500,000 people have received a 4th vaccine dose. The country began administering second boosters to the most vulnerable late last month and later began offering them to everyone over 60. Authorities hope the additional boosters will blunt a wave of infections driven by the omicron variant.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden is seeing increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea, saying there are “elements that deviate from the normal picture” and is increasing the country’s military preparedness. Lt. Gen Leif Michael Claesson said Thursday that “it does not have to mean an increased threat.” Sweden, which is not part of NATO, has

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials and media reports say a number of government websites in Ukraine are down after a massive hacking attack. While it is not immediately clear who was behind the attacks, they come amid heightened tensions with Russia and after talks between Moscow and the West

By NICK PERRY and STEVE McMORRAN Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — To people watching from afar, the treatment of tennis star Novak Djokovic by Australian immigration officials might have seemed harsh. But Australia has long taken a severe stance on immigration, including warehousing refugees in offshore detention camps and preventing overseas citizens from

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson’s former communications chief has apologized “unreservedly” for a lockdown-breaching party in Downing Street last year. It is the latest in a string of rule-breaking social events that are threatening to topple the British prime minister. James Slack said his April 2021 leaving party “should not

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ruling Communist Party says a top official in the southern region of Guangxi is under investigation for corruption. The Central Committee for Discipline Inspection says Vice Governor Liu Hongwu is being investigated for “serious violations of discipline and laws,” the party watchdog’s standard term for graft. It gave no further details.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government minister who decided to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa to enter the country says he did so in the name of public interest. The office of Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, has issued a statement saying the government wants to protect its

By ACHALA PUSSALLA Associated Press PALLAKKADU, Sri Lanka (AP) — Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants, after two more were found dead over the weekend. Around 20 elephants have died over the last eight years after consuming plastic trash in the dump.

By DAN GREENSPAN Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aisha Visram became the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL regular-season game in any capacity when she served as athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Kings in their 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society