AP National News

AP Business Writer The number of Americans applying for jobless aid ticked up last week but layoffs remain at historically low levels. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications rose by 3,000 to 221,000 for the week of Nov. 2. That’s fewer than the 227,000 analysts forecast. The four-week average of weekly claims,

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s federal prosecutor office said it arrested an American citizen who allegedly spied for China. The office said that the suspect, who was only identified as Martin D., was arrested in Frankfurt on Thursday and that his home was being searched. The accused, who until recently worked for the U.S. Armed Forces

Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa has closed its border again with Mozambique, where post-election protests have escalated, leading to clashes between protesters and the police. Authorities also warned South Africans to postpone non-essential visits to Mozambique. The border was closed earlier this week and partially opened on Thursday to allow limited movement of

LONDON (AP) — A British Parliament member has been charged with assault after video showed him beating a man in the street. Prosecutors said Thursday that Mike Amesbury, who has been suspended by the Labour Party, was charged with common assault charge in the Oct. 26 incident involving a 45-year-old man. Surveillance footage appeared to

Associated Press SIMON’S TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Prince William rode on a sea rescue boat along part of the South African coast as he wrapped up a four-day visit to Cape Town dedicated to promoting conservation and the battle against climate change. William met with volunteers at the National Sea Rescue Institute station in

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Dozens of Russian drones targeted Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in an eight-hour nighttime attack, authorities said Thursday as Russia kept up its relentless pounding of Ukraine after almost 1,000 days of war. Lone Russian drones and also swarms of drones entered Ukrainian airspace from various directions and at a

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s central bank has cut its key interest rate by half a percentage point to 2.75% in what was described as the largest reduction in over a decade. It’s the fourth rate cut this year. Riksbanken said Thursday that it would “provide further support to the economy and help inflation stabilize at

MADRID (AP) — Authorities in Spain seized 13 tonnes, or 13,000 kilograms, of cocaine in a cargo container apparently filled with bananas. They described it as the biggest anti-narcotics operation in the country’s history. Officials found bricks of drugs hidden behind the fruit on a vessel at the southern port of Algeciras in southern Spain,

Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Around 50 European leaders on Thursday called for a stronger defense posture across the continent that no longer necessitates a fundamental dependence on Washington as they gave a guarded welcome to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to Trump after the election result, also had

AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Nissan is reporting a loss for the latest fiscal quarter as its vehicle sales sank while costs and inventory ballooned. The Japanese automaker announced it is cutting 9,000 jobs globally, or about 6% of its more than 133,000 employees. Nissan is also slashing global production capacity by 20%. Chief

Associated Press CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California wildfire has destroyed 132 structures, mostly homes, in less than two days, fire officials said Thursday as raging winds were forecast to ease. The fire started Wednesday morning in Ventura County and has grown to about 32 square miles (83 square kilometers) at 5% containment. Its

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president has denied wrongdoing over a burgeoning influence-peddling scandal involving him and his wife. Already, the rumors are severely hurting his approval ratings and providing political munition to his political rivals. The scandal centers around allegations that President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A robot that has spent months inside the ruins of a nuclear reactor at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi plant delivered a tiny sample of melted nuclear fuel, in what plant officials said was a step toward beginning the cleanup of hundreds of tons of melted fuel debris. The sample, the

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — After Germany’s government coalition collapsed in a dramatic fashion when Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats, Scholz said he would lead the country with a minority government, despite calls from opposition leaders on Thursday for early elections. The chancellor said the minority government

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England has cut its main interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point after inflation across the U.K. fell below its target rate of 2%. The bank said Thursday its rate-setting panel lowered the benchmark rate to 4.75%. That is its second cut in three months,

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand has acquitted a Thai woman who had been charged with involvement in a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people and injured 120. The court ruled Thursday that there was not enough evidence to link Wanna Suansan to the bombing. Two other

Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament has passed a law that would allow it to deport family members of Palestinian attackers to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip or other locations. The law passed on Thursday was championed by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and his far-right allies. The law was passed with

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Police say a roadside bomb has exploded near a vehicle carrying security forces in restive northwestern Pakistan, killing four officers and wounding five others. A local police officer said the bombing happened on Wednesday in the South Waziristan district, which is a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong typhoon has hit the northern Philippines, prompting a new round of evacuations in a region still recovering from back-to-back storms a few weeks ago. Typhoon Yinxing is the 13th to batter the disaster-prone Southeast Asian nation this season. Tens of thousands of villagers were returning to emergency