AP National News

BERLIN (AP) — The Austrian government has announced new measures to slow down the spread of the omicron variant in the Alpine country. Chancellor Karl Nehammer told reporters in Vienna on Thursday: “We have to adjust to a new situation with omicron, we have to adjust to the fact that the infection numbers will increase

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, LISA MASCARO and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and members of Congress are solemnly marking the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Biden assailed then-President Donald Trump and his supporters, saying that “they failed” to overturn democracy. The ceremonies at the Capitol were

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire attorney general’s office says the wife of a man whose daughter went missing in 2019 has been charged with welfare fraud for collecting food stamps in her name. In a statement Thursday, the agency says Kayla Montgomery has been charged one with one count of welfare fraud for

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister has denounced a Facebook ban imposed on a far-right party for allegedly violating the social network’s rules on the fight against COVID-19 and hate speech. Facebook’s owner, Meta, removed the profile of Poland’s Confederation Freedom and Independence party on Wednesday, over posts criticizing vaccination and the wearing of

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s government has announced new incentives for people to get COVID-19 booster shots. People who had a booster jab two weeks previously will from next Monday no longer need to show a negative coronavirus test result to attend events and enter places where it otherwise would

By NOHA ELHENNAWY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Sudanese security forces have fired tear gas to disperse crowds as thousands took to the streets in the capital of Khartoum and other cities once again to protest the October military coup. In Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, security forces open live fire on protesters, killing

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remained at historically low levels, suggesting that the job market remains strong. U.S. jobless claims rose by 7,000 last week to 207,000.  The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week gyrations, rose by

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algeria’s presidency says the country’s ambassador has returned to Paris, three months after being recalled amid tensions related to the era of French colonial rule in the North African country. The move was announced by Algeria’s presidency Thursday. In October, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recalled ambassador Antar Daoud, citing alleged “irresponsible comments”

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe’s sky is filling up with near-empty flights that even airlines admit serve no purpose except securing valuable time slots at some of the world’s biggest airports. The practice comes as the European Union has committed to being a global leader in combating climate change and flights

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit surged to a near-record high of $80.2 billion in November as exports slowed  while imports jumped sharply. The  November deficit was 19.3% higher than the October deficit of $67.2 billion and was just below the all-time monthly record of $81.4 billion set

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Retired Republican U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy is ignoring pleas from former President Donald Trump to run for Wisconsin governor. Duffy announced Thursday on Jay Weber’s conservative talk radio show that he is taking a pass on running for the office currently held by Democratic Gov. Tony

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Powerball tickets sold in Wisconsin and California were winners of the latest jackpot and will split $632 million. The Wisconsin Lottery says the winning ticket in its state was sold in a Green Bay suburb at a Citgo station on Packerland Drive. The retailer will receive $100,000 for selling the winning

LONDON (AP) — The BBC has appointed British journalist Deborah Turness as its new chief executive for news and current affairs. Turness comes to the BBC from British media company ITN, where she is currently CEO. The 54-year-old native of England will replace Fran Unsworth, who is leaving at the end of January. Turness previously

By FRANCES D’EMILIO and MEHMET GUZEL Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Christians around the world have marked Epiphany with a series of celebrations. Epiphany is also known as the Three Kings Day for Catholics and the Baptism of Christ for the Orthodox  Pope Francis used a Mass to decry consumerism, parades were held in

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — French regulators have fined Google and Facebook a total of more than 200 million euros for not making it as easy for users to opt out of online tracking as it is for them to accept it. The CNIL data privacy watchdog said that while the

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Firefighters have left South Africa’s Parliament complex four days after a major blaze destroyed the main chamber of the country’s national legislature. Authorities said Thursday that a South African police unit that deals with serious or high-profile crimes has assumed control of the Cape

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s biggest governing party says it aims for a final decision by the end of March on the introduction of a universal vaccine mandate against COVID-19. Parliament last month approved legislation that will require staff at hospitals and nursing homes to show that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from the

PARIS (AP) — France is allowing vaccinated travelers from South Africa to enter its territory without having to observe a coronavirus quarantine. The French government published a decree Thursday that removed South Africa from the list of places subject to highly restricted travel rules. Unvaccinated people coming from South Africa still must quarantine in France

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Authorities say security forces have killed dozens of protesters and 12 police have died during extraordinarily violent demonstrations in Kazakhstan. One police officer was found beheaded in escalating unrest that poses a growing challenge to authoritarian rule in the Central Asian nation. Despite the severe response by

NEW DELHI (AP) — Police say a toxic gas leak from an industrial tanker has killed at least six people in western India. Police officer Mahesh Patel says another 25 people were hospitalized on Thursday after they inhaled the gas in an industrial complex in Surat, a city in Gujarat state. Other details were not