AP National News

By LOUISE DIXON Associated Press LONDON (AP) — English sparkling wine has been winning respect and an audience in recent years. Globally, English sparkling wines still make up a tiny part of the market but sales are growing. English sparkling wine uses the same three grapes as Champagne and the same production method. The vines

By KWASI GYAMFI ASIEDU Associated Press WEDOWEE, Alabama (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic church faces a clergy shortage. The number of priests has declined by 60% over the last 50 years. For nuns, there has been a 75% drop. To ease the shortage, dioceses have been looking overseas to recruit in places such as

The Associated Press Stocks are opening higher in muted trading on Wall Street Monday as traders return from the Christmas holiday. The S&P 500 was up 0.7% in the early going, led by more gains in big technology companies like Apple and Nvidia. The benchmark index is coming off its latest record high. European markets

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has resumed deliberations in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell after a long holiday weekend. The jury began its work last Monday, but only deliberated two full days because of the holidays. The British socialite is charged with recruiting and grooming teenagers as young as 14 to be

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s government minister for public security says he is now under round-the-clock protection after coming under threats from Jewish extremists. Omer Barlev sparked an uproar earlier this month when he criticized a wave of violence by West Bank settlers against Palestinian civilians in the Israeli occupied West Bank. On Monday, Barlev wrote

BOSTON (AP) — Edward O. Wilson, the pioneering Harvard biologist who advanced the provocative theory that human behavior such as war and altruism has a genetic basis, has died. He was 92. A tribute posted Monday on the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s website said Wilson died on Dec. 26. The professor won two Pulitzer prizes,

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators have stepped up a series of investigations into multiple engine fires that have plagued Hyundai and Kia vehicles for more than six years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a new engineering analysis investigation covers more than 3 million vehicles from

By COLLEEN LONG and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden insists that he strongly believes in the rights spelled out in the 1973 Roe v. Wade court decision, which are now under the most dire threat in decades. But he barely uses the word “abortion.” And when his administration has been

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Libyan lawmakers are meeting to discuss the many challenges that forced a postponement this month of the restive North African nation’s long-awaited presidential election. The parliament, based in the country’s east, is to weigh in on Libya’s election commission proposal to hold the vote on Jan. 24.

By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — When Ohio House legislative aide Adam Headlee got his hands on a new set of trading cards of Ohio lawmakers, the 25-year-old Republican set out to get each one signed. His office in Ohio’s state capital was already stuffed with political memorabilia, from campaign buttons

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s top court has rejected an appeal filed by Iran-backed factions contesting the results of parliamentary elections held in October. The lawsuit had been filed by a lawmaker whose pro-Iran coalition lost seats in the Oct. 10 vote. The Federal Supreme Court had not ratified the election results pending the appeal. The

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Libyan lawmakers are meeting to discuss the many challenges that forced a postponement this month of the restive North African nation’s long-awaited presidential election. The parliament, based in the country’s east, would weigh on Libya’s election commission proposal of holding the vote on Jan. 24. There were

BERLIN (AP) — A Berlin court says none of the parties has appealed against the verdict in the diplomatically sensitive trial of a Russian man who was convicted earlier this month of what judges concluded was the state-ordered killing of a Chechen man. The verdict on Dec. 15 prompted Germany’s foreign minister to expel two

By HOLDEN LEWIS of NerdWallet IBuyers are one of the few true innovations to hit the real estate industry in recent years. Yet consumers haven’t fully embraced them because of misconceptions about how iBuyers work, and what types of problems they resolve for sellers and buyers. There is little evidence that iBuyers lowball sellers, they

By DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top diplomat says talks between Russia and the United States on Moscow’s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine will start immediately after the new year holiday period. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday the talks will start immediately after Jan. 9. Moscow has

By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Bells rang at midday in Cape Town from St. George’s Anglican Cathedral to honor Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a day after his death. The bells at the cathedral, where Tutu urged South Africans of all races to work together against apartheid, will toll for 10 minutes at