AP National News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio zoo once widely admired in its industry and by the general public has lost its most important accreditation. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said it plans to appeal the decision announced Wednesday by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The announcement came one day after the zoo announced its

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court has ordered an investigative journalist to pay 156,000 rubles ($2155) in compensation to a Dutch blogger who he alleged has ties to the Russia’s military intelligence agency. The court also ordered Roman Dobrokhotov to refute the tweet in which he made the claim. The decision Wednesday comes as authorities

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s central bank has unexpectedly raised interest rates as the central European nation faces an accelerating inflation rate that is currently the highest in the European Union. The annual inflation rate registered at 5.8% in September. That’s the highest in two decades. Economists predict that it

By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar’s foreign minister has arrived in Abu Dhabi and met with its crown prince in the clearest sign so far that relations between the two Gulf Arab states are easing following a years-long embargo that strained ties. The United Arab Emirates’ state-run WAM news

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Britain is experiencing empty gas pumps, worker shortages and unavailable items on store shelves. None of that got a mention from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday as he brushed off Britain’s economic bumps and said the country would emerge from Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — With three months until Christmas, toy companies are racing to get their toys onto store shelves as they face a severe supply network crunch. Toy makers are feverishly trying to find containers to ship their goods while searching for new alternative routes and ports. Some

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The first capital of the Confederacy has renamed a street honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Now it honors a Black civil rights lawyer. The Montgomery City Council voted Tuesday night to rename it Fred D. Gray Avenue, after the lawyer who grew up on the street and went on to represent

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in morning trading Wednesday as Wall Street undergoes a bout of volatility, driven in part by big swings in technology companies. The S&P 500 fell 0.8%. The benchmark index has risen or fallen by more than 1% the past four days. The

By COLLIN BINKLEY and RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A growing number of school districts in the U.S. are using federal pandemic funding on athletics projects. One school district in Iowa is spending $100,000 on a weight room renovation, while another in Wisconsin is spending $1.6 million on new synthetic

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is urging member countries to provide relief funds to consumers and small businesses hit hardest by rising gas and electricity prices. The suggestion comes amid criticism that the bloc’s climate change fighting policies are fueling the problem. Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said Wednesday that

By ANITA SNOW Associated Press TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Long delayed evictions are rolling out more than a month after the end of a federal moratorium that had protected tenants, including some who hadn’t paid rent for many months because of the coronavirus pandemic. It is far from the tsunami many people predicted, but the

By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s oil company Aramco closed just shy of a $2 trillion valuation the kingdom’s crown prince has long sought. Aramco’s market cap is being buoyed by high oil prices and increased demand for energy as economies recover from last year’s pandemic lockdowns. Aramco

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Authorities in North Macedonia say a fire in a COVID-19 field hospital that killed 14 people last month was caused by a short-circuit, and spread fast due to the presence of stored oxygen for the patients. The public prosecutor’s office said late Tuesday that the

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press writer BRDO CASTLE, Slovenia (AP) — European Union leaders have tried to reassure six Balkan countries in the Balkans region that they could join the trading bloc one day if they meet its standards. But the EU leaders failed to provide a credible signal on Wednesday that the enlargement process

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling on Wall Street as the market undergoes a bout of volatility. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% Wednesday morning. The benchmark index has alternated between gains and losses of more than 1% the previous four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.5% and the Nasdaq fell

By RAHIM FAEIZ and SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban say they arrested four Islamic State militants north of the Afghan capital, while witnesses say two Taliban fighters were shot dead in the country’s northeast, raising the specter of a widening conflict. The Taliban spokesman said on Wednesday that an operation

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer The upcoming world premiere at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra of a new classical music piece inspired by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would probably not have been possible if it wasn’t for a bunch of lawyers in the Chicago area, a Long Island fine arts foundation

The foreign minister of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is urging the new Lebanese government to implement reforms quickly, in order for the international community to unlock aid to crisis-hit Lebanon. Wednesday’s visit by the Cypriot official made him the first foreign minister from the European Union to visit Lebanon since a new Cabinet was

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Swedish health authorities have suspended the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 30 and under. Sweden’s Public Health Agency said Wednesday the move was done out of precaution. The agency said the reason for the pausing is “signals of an increased risk of

BERLIN (AP) — Austrian media have reported that investigators have searched the offices of the country’s governing People’s Party in connection with a bribery investigation. Prosecutors said that they are investigating Chancellor Sebastian Kurz among others. The Austria Press Agency reported Wednesday that the chancellery building was also searched, though it wasn’t immediately clear whether