AP National News

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria has inked a $1.2 billion deal with a Chinese firm to revitalize a gas processing facility, a move that officials say could propel the African country to a leading position in aluminum production. The deal between the Chinese state-owned CNCEC and the BFI Group, a major investor in

MADRID (AP) — New storms in Spain have caused school closures and train cancellations two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other areas killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Coastal areas of Valencia have been placed under the highest alert as forecasters say up to 7 inches of rain could

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Wow, much bull market. Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency whose mascot is a super-cute dog that muses things like “much wow,” has been racing higher in value since Donald Trump won the presidential election last week. It got another bump after Trump named Tesla’s Elon Musk as one of the

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced he will ask for a vote of confidence in December, setting the path for an early election in February. His three-party coalition government collapsed last week when Scholz fired the finance minister following disagreements over how to revive the shrinking economy. Here are five things to

NEW DELHI (AP) — An association of editors and rights groups has condemned a decision by Bangladesh’s interim government to cancel press accreditations for 167 journalists, calling it a threat to press freedom in the country. The move to cancel accreditations has added to concerns over press freedom and harassment of journalists following the ouster

Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump chose Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general on Wednesday, bypassing more experienced options in favor of a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor and whom Trump has tasked with dramatically overhauling the Justice Department. Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — James Patterson’s latest philanthropic project marks a deepening of ties to his undergraduate alma mater. The bestselling author is teaming with Manhattan University on the James Patterson Honors Program, which has a mission to “provide a strong foundation in critical thinking, writing, and creative problem-solving to prepare top students for fulfilling

Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rapper Nelly won’t face drug charges following his arrest this summer at a St. Louis-area casino, a prosecutor said. “We don’t believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said in a statement Tuesday. Nelly, 49, whose birth name

Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The process of vetting candidates for some of the European Union’s top jobs has bogged down in acrimony. The biggest political faction in the bloc’s parliament, the European People’s Party, is accused by critics of collaborating with the hard right. Senior lawmakers have been questioning the 26 new members of

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Daniele Rustioni will become just the third principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in its nearly century-and-a-half history, leading at least two productions each season starting in 2025-26 as a No. 2 to music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Rustioni agreed to a three-year term. He is to helm revivals

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s trade minister says Turkey expects to be offered “partner country” status with the BRICS bloc of developing economies. The state-run Anadolu Agency quoted his remarks during a parliamentary committee meeting. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the bloc’s summit in Russia last month. Turkey requested to join the group as a

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia’s mass transit system is proposing a 21.5% fare increase starting New Year’s Day and also considering severe service cuts that would take effect in the summer. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority announced its plans Tuesday and scheduled a Dec. 13 public hearing on its proposal. If approved by SEPTA’s board, riders

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Legislators from Mexico’s ruling party have reelected the head of the National Human Rights Commission despite widespread opposition and her refusal to criticize the government. The reelection of Rosario Piedra for another six-year term in a congressional vote Wednesday was another example of the ruling Morena party’s attempts to weaken independent

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — An insurance magnate who was once a big political donor in North Carolina has pleaded guilty related to what prosecutors call a $2 billion scheme to defraud insurance regulators, policyholders and others. Greg Lindberg of Florida entered the plea on Tuesday in Charlotte to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses

Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The father of imprisoned Belarusian opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova says she’s considering asking authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko for a pardon after more than four years behind bars. Alexander Kolesnikov spoke to The Associated Press a day after seeing his daughter at a prison near Gomel where the 42-year-old musician-turned-activist

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A tribunal in Argentina has upheld a six-year sentence term and lifetime ban from holding public office sentence against former President Cristina Fernández, a dominant political leader in recent years in the South American country. Fernández was convicted and sentenced in 2022 for a fraud scheme that embezzled millions of

Associated Press BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said that leaders shouldn’t be negotiating at United Nations climate talks this year, with countries responsible for warming up the planet instead just providing the funds to deal with the global crisis. Yunus was chosen to head Bangladesh’s interim government after the nation’s longtime

NEW YORK (AP) — Disruptions to Amtrak service on the Northeast corridor are continuing due to a fire near a train route in New York City. Service between New York and New Haven, Connecticut, remains suspended and passengers are advised to take Metro-North. Railroad officials said Tuesday night that they expected normal service to resume

Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — U.S. and Polish officials have opened a new NATO missile defense base in northen Poland. Polish officials welcomed it as a significant boost to the security of the nation and the wider NATO region at a time of war in neighboring Ukraine. The U.S. missile defense base is being

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Nearly $1 billion in donations were pledged within days of the fire that ravaged Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral five years ago. The restoration chief Philippe Jost says 140 million euros, or around $148 million, still remains from the unprecedented outpouring of funds. The surplus, sourced from both billionaire benefactors and

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s royal court says it will phase out a labeling system dating to the 1800s that grants companies the right to use the image of the Danish crown on their letterhead, packaging and labels. The palace says the five-year renewable designations, including “Holder of the Royal Warrant” and “By Appointment to

Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Weeks of violent protests have marked the outcome of Mozambique disputed Oct. 9 elections, which saw ruling party Frelimo’s candidate Daniel Chapo declared the winner. At least 30 people have been killed and the post-election violence is set to be high on the agenda of a Southern African Development Community

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The only Church of England bishop to publicly demand the resignation of former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says his departure wasn’t enough to solve the church’s “profound failure” in safeguarding vulnerable people or ease the trauma suffered by victims of abuse. The 68-year-old Welby stepped down Tuesday after an

AP Sports Writer Seventy years since the last professional women’s baseball league, another one hopes to give women a chance to shine in baseball. The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is set to launch in 2026, the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League dissolved in 1954. Heightened interest in

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Niger’s military junta has banned the French aid group Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, or Acted, from working in the country amid tensions with France. The Ministry of the Interior signed a decree on Tuesday withdrawing the nonprofit organization’s licence to operate, without providing reasons for the decision.

Associated Press Aprons have their fans any time of year, but they especially go with Thanksgiving. For many people, aprons conjure up memories of family members cooking up a storm in the kitchen. For modern cooks, they can inspire confidence that you really can create something special for the holiday. Aprons carry all kinds of