News

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a fresh pandemic low last week, another sign the job market is healing after last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 14,000 to 269,000 last week. Since topping 900,000 in early January, the weekly applications

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high of $80.9 billion in September as American exports fell sharply while imports, even with supply chain problems at American ports, kept climbing. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the September deficit topped the previous record of $73.2 billion

By DARKO BANDIC Associated Press ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Central and Eastern Europe is seeing spiraling coronavirus cases. Several countries in the regions that have lower vaccination rates than the rest of the continent reported daily record highs on Thursday. Other countries registered the most infections in months. Most countries in Central and Eastern Europe

By DAVID KOENIG Associated Press Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4 or get tested for the virus weekly. The new requirements are the Biden administration’s boldest move yet to persuade reluctant Americans to finally get a vaccine

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch newspaper reporter has been expelled from Russia, a move denounced as “unacceptable” by the Netherlands’ foreign ministry. The De Volkskrant newspaper reported Thursday that its Moscow correspondent, Tom Vennink, was ordered to leave Russia earlier this week after his residency permit was withdrawn

PARIS (AP) — The son of a former al-Qaida hostage has struck back at criticism of her decision to return to the West African country where she was held for four years. Sophie Petronin’s return without a visa to Mali has sparked criticism and made headlines in her native France. The French government spokesman accused

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England has confounded market expectations and held interest rates steady. It said Thursday that it wanted to see more information about what happens to unemployment after the government recently ended a program that subsidized worker pay during the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to keep

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is facing allegations of favoritism and corruption after a backlash from lawmakers and the public over efforts to rewrite lobbying rules and shield a member of Johnson’s party from censure. The Conservative Party lawmaker at the center of the dispute resigned

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has watched from the sidelines as the government that toppled him after 12 years in power passed a national budget, dealing a major blow to his hopes of a swift comeback. The man whose shadow loomed so large for