AP National News

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister in an effort to address the country’s deep political crisis, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week. Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s parliament has voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave the European Union candidate country without sufficient natural gas supplies this winter. A majority in Moldova’s 101-seat legislature voted to pass the state of emergency, which will start on

AP Business Writer Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its switchback and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the U.S. because of a potential burn hazard. The company said that the mug’s lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn

Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — At least three feminist activists have been detained for vandalising a monument outside the United Nations building in Geneva to protest Russia’s war against Ukraine and what they see as the UN’s failure to stop the conflict. Two topless women with the group FEMEN, which is known for its provocative

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing’s monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A suspected Chinese spy with business ties to Prince Andrew has been barred from the United Kingdom because of concerns that he posed a threat to national security. A British immigration tribunal upheld the decision on Thursday in a ruling that revealed the Chinese national had developed such a close

AP Sports Writer Luke Littler was virtually unknown a year ago. Now he is making millions, transcending his sport and is searched for more often on Google than King Charles and the British Prime Minister. That Littler is a 17-year-old darts player who still lives at home with his parents in northwest England makes his

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese high court has ruled that the refusal to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, the latest victory for the LGBTQ+ community that adds pressure on the reluctant government. Friday’s decision by the Fukuoka High Court in southern Japan marks the eighth victory out of nine rulings since the first

PARIS (AP) — An ancient relic that many Christians revere as Jesus Christ’s “Crown of Thorns” returned Friday to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, five years after it was saved from the flames of the medieval monument’s devastating 2019 fire. The crown — a circular band of branches encased in a gilded golden tube —

BEIJING (AP) — The former coach of the Chinese men’s national soccer team Li Tie has received a 20-year prison sentence for bribery. Chinese state media reported Friday that Li, who once played in the English Premier League for Everton, was found guilty of “leveraging his positions” as head coach of the national football and

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has punished Serbia’s soccer federation for racist acts by fans at two Nations League games including trying to burn an Albania flag in Switzerland. On Monday, UEFA’s executive committee is set to confirm Serbia and Albania as co-hosts of the Under-21 European Championship in 2027. At a Switzerland-Serbia game last

BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand say a 14-year-old has been arrested on charges alleging that he stabbed a Thai-Australian schoolmate to death in a fight after having an ongoing feud. A police official in Chonburi province outside Bangkok said the suspect told investigators he and the victim harbored a mutual dislike from school and

Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Scientists suspect the first complete specimen ever recorded of the world’s rarest whale died from head injuries, an expert said Friday. The first dissection of a spade-toothed whale, a type of beaked whale, was completed last week after a painstaking examination at a research center near the New Zealand

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. Ukrainian defenses shot

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — A quarterly survey by Japan’s central bank shows business sentiment among manufacturers has improved slightly, especially in major heavy industries such as automaking, fossil fuels and machinery. The survey by the Bank of Japan, called the tankan, is a factor the central bank takes into account in assessing its

BEIJING (AP) — China’s military is keeping silent on its large deployment of naval and coast guard ships off Taiwan this week. Its top spokesperson quoted an ancient Chinese text called “The Art of War” instead. Wu Qian said Friday that military tactics adapt to changing conditions, just as flowing water does. He offered no

Dick Vitale said he’s cancer-free after his fourth bout with the disease in just over three years. The 85-year-old ESPN college basketball analyst announced Thursday on social media that he got the news after a morning scan. “SANTA CLAUS came early as Dr Rick Brown called & said that my PET SCAN at 7 AM

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s university students have held a noisy protest outside the state television building despite populist President Aleksandar Vucic’s pledge to fulfil their demands. The students blew whistles, booed and jeered on Thursday. Many said they are angry that the state RTS television carried Vucic’s accusations that the students were paid to

Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s capital and outlying provinces have faced rolling power blackouts for weeks in October and November, with electricity cuts disrupting people’s lives and businesses. And while several factors are likely involved, some suspect cryptocurrency mining has played a role in the outages. Iran economy has been hobbled for years

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s new state agency for nonlethal military procurement is an example of the type of reform that the country hopes will clear the path toward NATO. Western officials are closely monitoring the State Logistics Operator known by the local abbreviation DOT. They have been pleased with the results one

Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Sen. Mitt Romney has given his final remarks after seeing the Republican Party for which he was once the standard bearer drastically transform under Donald Trump. At a news conference Friday at his Salt Lake City office, the retiring senator reflected on his two-decade political career, which included

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — “The Bibi Files” started with a sudden leak that turned into a deluge. A source contacted documentarian Alex Gibney out of the blue and offered access to video recordings of police interrogations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife, Sara, son Yair and many others – some 1,000

AP Business Writers Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first

Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Six critically endangered Mekong giant catfish — one of the largest and rarest freshwater fish in the world — were caught and released in Cambodia recently in just a few days, offering new hope for the survival for the species. They can grow up to 10 feet long (3