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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A gem company in Sri Lanka has unveiled a rare and massive gemstone weighing 683 pounds (310 kilograms) that has been certified as one of the biggest corundums ever found in the country. Sri Lanka’s National Gem and Jewelry Authority says it has done a series of gemological tests on

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — West Africa’s regional bloc is threatening further sanctions against Mali if the country fails to make “concrete progress” toward holding democratic elections in February. The new warning came Sunday after leaders from the bloc known as ECOWAS held a summit in Nigeria’s capital. The new sanctions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing $1.2 billion in commitments from international businesses to support the economies and social infrastructure of Central American nations. Harris was tapped in March by President Joe Biden to work to counter the social, economic and political forces that drive migrants and asylum seekers to the U.S.

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has announced 60 finalists for $1 billion in economic development grants tied to the Biden administration’s coronavirus relief package. The grants are aimed at improving job training and regional industry partnerships. There were 529 applicants for the grants. The government ultimately will choose

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Long lines have formed for booster shots in Britain as the government urged all adults to get them and also reported the country’s first death involving the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said everyone 18 and up would be offered a third vaccine

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities reportedly say a homemade bomb detonated in a school attached to an Orthodox convent has wounded 12 people, including a 15-year-old. They say the suspected bomber was an 18-year-old former student of the school. The man survived and is currently in intensive care. The explosion occurred in the Vladychny convent

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s new government says it is extending the country’s current incentive payments for buyers of electric and hybrid cars by a year. But the country’s economy and climate ministry said Monday that the government is planning tougher requirements for vehicles to qualify for the support. The ministry says it will only provide

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order aimed at saving Americans time and frustration when dealing with the federal government. The order will attempt to streamline a broad range of services: renewing passports, applying for Social Security benefits, getting aid after natural disasters and much

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — An employee of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba who was fired after she went public with a sexual assault allegation says she is not encouraging other victims in China to come forward because doing so “will only cause them to suffer more hurt.” The employee, surnamed Zhou,

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign ministers are discussing how to thwart the threat of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine and what measures to take should Moscow decide to send its troops across the border. U.S. intelligence officials say Russia has moved 70,000 troops toward Ukraine’s border and is

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are holding a virtual summit this week to discuss bilateral relations and international issues. The talks come amid tensions between Moscow and the West over the massing of tens of thousands of Russian troops near its border with Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry