AP National News

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s governing party chooses a new leader on Wednesday to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. They’ll have to turn around the country’s pandemic-hit economy, shape a newly empowered military and face security headaches in the region amid China’s rise. Four candidates are vying to become leader

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns in his first home game since he suffered an ankle injury on the same field almost a year ago, Trevon Diggs returned an interception 59 yards for a score and the Dallas Cowboys dominated the Philadelphia Eagles 41-21.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mostly lower as concerns about China chip away at investor optimism after a mixed finish on Wall Street. Benchmarks fell in Japan, Australia and South Korea, but rose in Hong Kong and Shanghai. A power crunch in some areas of China has shut

SUDBURY, Ontario (AP) — An operation is underway to evacuate 39 miners trapped underground for more than 24 hours after a mechanical problem blocked the entrance shaft to a mine in northern Ontario. Mining company Vale said Monday that a rescue team had reached the workers, who were in several different “refuges″ between 900 and

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Delegates from Venezuela’s government and opposition have concluded another round of talks in Mexico City after a delay that saw the government’s side arrive a day later than scheduled due to an apparent unhappiness with mediator Norway. The meetings had been scheduled to begin Friday, but were suspended when government representatives

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers are beginning a special session on a $1.3 billion prison construction plan. Gov. Kay Ivey called lawmakers back to Montgomery on Monday to vote on the proposal to build at least three new prisons and renovate others. The plan would use $400 million of

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have banned barbershops in a southern Afghanistan province from shaving or trimming beards, claiming their edict is in line with Shariah, or Islamic, law. The order was issued by the Taliban government’s vice and virtue department in Helmand province to barbers in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. During their

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Seoul and Tokyo officials say North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea in its latest weapon test. The South Korean government held an emergency National Security Council meeting and expressed regret over the North’s launch. South Korea’s military said the object fired from

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan is set to lift all coronavirus emergency measures when they expire later this week as infections slow and the nation tries to reactivate its economy. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce a lifting of the emergency later Tuesday. Government officials are preparing other plans

Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs will invest $3.5 billion within the next 10 years to address the climate crisis. A spokesperson for Emerson Collective, Jobs’ organizations, said Monday that Jobs will give the money to Waverley Street Foundation, an organization she set up in 2016. The spokesperson says the foundation will focus its work on “initiatives

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s eviction moratorium ends Friday. But tenants with unpaid rent can still stay in their homes beyond that date if they apply for assistance from the state. California is using billions of federal dollars to pay off up to 18 months of most people’s rent dating

By The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records. That’s according to figures released Monday by the agency. Homicides and non-negligent manslaughters climbed an estimated 29.4% to 21,570, an increase of 4,901 over 2019,

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has approved what he terms a nation-leading law requiring the garment industry to pay workers by the hour instead of for each piece of clothing they produce. Supporters said piece-rate compensation can be used to pay workers below the minimum wage. The

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted a lunch  for the leaders of divided Cyprus in hopes of spurring a return to negotiations to reunite the Mediterranean island nation. Talks have been stalled since 2017. The United Nations didn’t comment immediately on the discussion but Cypriot President Nicos

By JOE McDONALD and ZEN SOO AP Business Writers BEIJING (AP) — Global shoppers face possible shortages of smartphones and other goods ahead of Christmas after power cuts to meet government targets forced Chinese factories to shut down and left some households in the dark. In the northeastern city of Liaoyang, 23 people were hospitalized

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has accused the United States of hostility and demanded the Biden administration permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea. It also continued its recent streak of weapons tests that are apparently intended to pressure Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy. North

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A federal appeals court says it will wait until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a separate Mississippi abortion case before weighing in on a restrictive Georgia abortion law that a lower court blocked. A federal judge ruled last year that the law cannot take effect because

By AMY BETH HANSON, MARTHA BELLISLE and DAVID KOENIG Associated Press JOPLIN, Mont. (AP) — An Amtrak train that derailed in rural Montana over the weekend was going just under the speed limit at about 75 mph when it went off the track along a gradual curve. U.S. investigators also said Monday that the accident

By JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s new prime minister has appealed to the international community to stand together against Iran. In his maiden speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Naftali Bennett accused the Iran of marching forward toward the development of a nuclear weapon and threatened to to act alone if the

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has accused the United States of hostility and demanded the Biden administration to permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea as it continued its recent streak of weapons tests apparently aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy.  North Korean