AP National News

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s prime minister says he is concerned that the West’s calm response toward Turkish actions is encouraging it to behave in an unacceptable manner. Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the statements after a meeting with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Athens Friday on a final official visit. Neighbors and NATO

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A official report has concluded that Sweden’s response to the spread of coronavirus was too slow and its preparations to handle a pandemic were insufficient. Sweden has stood out among European nations for its comparatively hands-off response to the pandemic, emphasizing individual responsibility and choices instead of mandated government health measures.

By EVENS SANON and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has condemned gangs and kidnappings in a prerecorded address in which he also assured that the country isn’t running out of fuel despite severe shortages that sparked recent strikes. The message posted Friday is the first time Henry

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s president is pleading with citizens to get vaccinated as daily infections have soared to another all-time high. The Health Ministry on Friday reported 26,870 new confirmed infections in 24 hours. That’s the highest level since the start of the pandemic. It recorded 648 daily deaths

By TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The rapper Fetty Wap has been arrested in New York City on federal drug charges. The rapper, whose real name is Willie Maxwell, pleaded not guilty on Friday. Authorities said Maxwell was arrested at Citi Field in an alleged conspiracy to smuggle large amounts of heroin,

By GRANT PECK Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Myanmar has found a close colleague of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of treason and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. A member of their political party confirmed local media’s reports of the court’s decision. The sentence given 79-year-old Win Htein

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Stocks are falling at the open on Wall Street Friday, following European and Asian markets lower as leaders of the Group of 20 large and fast-growing economies meet in Rome to confront a faltering recovery. Some Big Tech stocks were dragging major indexes off record highs

By SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year. The proliferation of the Joro spider has driven some unnerved homeowners indoors and prompted a flood of anxious social media posts.

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis voters are deciding whether to replace the city’s police force with a new Department of Public Safety. The proposal evolved from calls to “defund the police” after the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis officer last year. There’s been an emotional debate

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages and salaries jumped in the three months ending in September by the most on records that date back 20 years as companies are forced to offer higher pay to fill a near-record number of available jobs. The Labor Department said Friday that pay increased 1.5%

WEST PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — The King of Rock n’ Roll is back in the building. An Elvis Presley bust that was swiped from a central Illinois saloon has been returned after the story of its theft attracted international attention. The Peoria Journal Star reports that employees at Jimmy’s Bar found the missing bust Thursday

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages and salaries jumped in the three months ending in September by the most on records that date back twenty years as companies are forced to offer higher pay to fill a near-record number of available jobs. The Labor Department said Friday that pay increased 1.5%

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME and ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — As South Africa heads to crucial local elections, the country has been hit by a series of crippling power blackouts that many critics say highlight poor governance. South African households and businesses have been struggling to cope with cuts in electricity for up to

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers slowed their spending to a gain of just 0.6% in September, a cautionary sign for an economy that remains in the grip of a pandemic and a prolonged bout of high inflation. At the same time, a key inflation barometer that is closely followed

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s far-right group leader has vowed to hold a new form of Independence March Nov. 11 after Warsaw Appeals Curt rejected the group’s complaint against a ban on their annual event that recently featured radical slogans and violence. The leader of the nationalist Independence March group said the march will go

AHMED AL-HAJ Associated Press SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Security officials say at least 11 civilians were killed when a ballistic missile launched by Houthis hit their house in Yemen’s central province of Marib. Officials added on Friday that all casualties belonged to the family of a key tribal leader and lived in the same house

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Protesters are gathering in the heart of London’s historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels ahead of the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow. The protests Friday are part of a worldwide day of action before leaders

By HUZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The U.S. wants to deepen its relationship with Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China, which has become a major point of conflict in the strained U.S.-China relationship. Sandra Oudkirk, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy, reiterated the U.S.

By JOSH BOAK, ZEKE MILLER and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — President Joe Biden and Pope Francis have wrapped up their meeting at the Vatican. The world’s two most notable Roman Catholics discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and poverty during their session Friday. Biden’s one-on-one meeting with the pope lasted about 75

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government has proposed record spending for 2022 to bolster post-pandemic economic recovery, with various industrial incentives and cash handouts for the poor and windfall taxes for high-income companies. Finance Minister Zarful Aziz put forward in Parliament the budget proposal of 332.1 billion ringgit, or $80.2 billion, up from $77.4