Month: November 2021

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union will unveil a multibillion-euro plan aimed at bolstering the 27-nation bloc’s worldwide infrastructure and influence. The program to be revealed Wednesday is expected to mobilize up to 300 billion euros in public and private funds by 2027. Although the European Commission doesn’t present the project as an attempt to

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health advisers have endorsed an antiviral drug from Merck to treat COVID-19. It sets the stage for an expected authorization of the first pill that Americans could take at home for the coronavirus. The Food and Drug Administration panel voted that the drug’s benefits in

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose briskly in September, another sign that the housing market is booming in the aftermath of last year’s coronavirus recession.  The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price climbed 19.1% in September from a year earlier. The strong price gains marked a deceleration from

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer The United States has improved its surveillance system for tracking new coronavirus variants such as omicron, boosting its capacity by tens of thousands of samples since early this year. The U.S. got a slow start compared to other nations where labs were conducting genetic sequencing on many more

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has sternly warned NATO against deploying its troops and weapons to Ukraine, saying it represents a red line for Russia and would trigger a strong response. Commenting on Western concerns about Russia’s alleged intention to invade Ukraine, he said that Moscow is equally

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a famous saying in the world of showbiz: “Never work with children or animals.” NBC is wisely ignoring that as it mounts a live version of the hit Broadway musical “Annie.” The tale of the spunky young orphan with her dog Sandy set during

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is asking China to release “verifiable proof” that tennis player Peng Shuai is safe. The EU also urged Chinese authorities on Tuesday to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into Peng’s sexual assault allegations against a former Communist Party official. Peng dropped out of public view this month after

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has called off a spacewalk because of menacing space junk. Two U.S. astronauts were set to replace a bad antenna outside of the International Space Station on Tuesday. But late Monday night, Mission Control learned that a piece of orbiting debris might come

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica Seinfeld became a vegan almost by stealth. The cookbook author and philanthropist started quietly making separate meals for herself without dairy or meat. Over time, she has managed to win over her three teenage kids and her husband, comedian Jerry Seinfeld. They all eat

By MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. officials are considering a new method for testing water that could show more places have elevated lead levels than previously believed. The pending change under review at the Environmental Protection Agency is intended to test the water sitting in lead service lines, instead of water

NEW DELHI (AP) — India has reported that its economy grew at an 8.4% annual pace in the July-September quarter in the latest sign of an economic recovery in Asia’s third-largest economy. India suffered one of the biggest setbacks among major economies this year with the pandemic. Growth in the April-June quarter jumped 20%, the

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — A military helicopter crashed in Azerbaijan during a training flight on Tuesday, killing 14 people and wounding two more, Azerbaijani authorities said.The helicopter of Azerbaijan’s State Border Guard service crashed on Tuesday morning during a flight over the Garaeybat training ground in the east of Azerbaijan. That’s according to a joint

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity as the new omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads. New measures to combat variant came into force in England on Tuesday, with face coverings again compulsory in

BERLIN (AP) — German investigators say 14 suspects have been arrested in an investigation of a gang accused of bringing nearly five metric tons (5.5 U.S. tons) of cocaine from South America to Germany. German police said the investigation that led to Tuesday’s arrest was triggered by the seizure in a shipping container in Santos,

BERLIN (AP) — German police are looking for witnesses after burglars broke through the wall of a toy store to steal dozens of Lego sets. Police said Tuesday that the theft took place over the weekend in the western town of Lippstadt. The burglars left about 100 empty cardboard boxes behind, German news agency dpa

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jury selection is set to begin in former reality TV star Josh Duggar’s trial over federal child pornography charges. Duggar’s trial starts Tuesday in federal court in Arkansas. Duggar was charged in April with two counts of downloading and possessing child pornography. Duggar appeared in TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.” A

By MUHAMMAD FAROOQ Associated Press KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The head of a team of veterinarians has called for urgent medical care for a pair of elephants in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Dr. Frank Goeritz, whose team was sent by the global animal welfare group Four Paws to examine four elephants, reported Tuesday that

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic’s outgoing and incoming prime ministers have put aside their differences to support an initiative to administer 1 million COVID-19 booster shots in a week. Outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Prime Minister-designate Petr Fiala voiced their support Tuesday for the plan announced by the “Doctors help the Czech Republic”

By DAVID KEYTON and LORNE COOK Associated Press RIGA, Latvia (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is warning that the U.S.-led military organization must prepare for the worst as concern mounts that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine. Moscow denies it is planning to invade and accuses NATO of encircling Russia. But NATO

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama woman who says she was falsely arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart and then threatened by the company after her case was dismissed has been awarded $2.1 million in damages. A Mobile County jury on Monday ruled in favor of Lesleigh Nurse of Semmes. AL.com reports her lawsuit said

By AMRITA JAYAKUMAR of NerdWallet If your finances are in better shape this giving season, you can be more strategic with your dollars. The same causes you felt strongly about last year may not be on your priority list now. Start by writing down the top two or three issues that matter most to you

MADRID (AP) — Spanish fashion giant Inditex says the founder’s daughter has been named as the next chairperson of the company that owns Zara, Massimo Dutti and other clothing chains. Inditex said Tuesday that its board of directors named Marta Ortega to replace Pablo Isla, who has led the company since founder Amancio Ortega stepped

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Authorities say four family members, including a 20-year-old man who was suspected gunman, were found shot to death in a northeastern Indiana home. Police say an elderly woman hid in the home’s bathroom during the violence Monday night, then fled and alerted police. Allen County Sheriff’s deputies found the bodies

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s medical agency chief said Tuesday that it is ready to deal with the new omicron variant, and that it will take two weeks to have an indication whether the current COVID-19 vaccines will be able to deal with it.  Emer Cooke, the Executive Director

COPENHAGEN, Denmark. (AP) — Sweden’s first female prime minister has presented her one-party center-left minority government with only a few changes compared to her previous Cabinet. Magdalena Andersson had been Sweden’s finance minister and she picked Mikael Damberg, the previous home affairs minister, to replace her in that role Tuesday. Andersson is the leader of

By KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom’s antitrust watchdog has blocked Facebook’s acquisition of Giphy and ordered the social network to sell off the GIF-sharing platform. It said Tuesday that the deal hurts social media users and advertisers by stifling competition for animated images. The Competition and Markets Authority says

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British airline easyJet says it’s already seeing some impact on demand from the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in the days since it was first identified. The airline also revealed another full-year loss in excess of 1 billion pounds Tuesday. It says it’s seen signs that

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says there’s little chance the military organization would ever introduce a system for expelling anyone among its ranks. That’s despite the fact that tensions are quietly simmering between a number of the 30 member countries. Stoltenberg says he doesn’t plan to recommend such a system and that

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s president has refused to sign for the second time a parliament-sanctioned bill allowing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, arguing the wording is imprecise and effectively shelving the piece of legislation until a new parliament and government are chosen early next year. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a staunch Catholic, already showed reservations

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Official figures show that consumer prices across the 19 countries that use the euro currency are rising at a record rate. The European Union’s statistics agency said Tuesday that the eurozone’s annual inflation rate hit 4.9% in November, largely as a result of a huge spike in

By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A far-right former TV pundit with multiple hate-speech convictions has officially entered the race for France’s presidency. The launch of Eric Zemmour’s candidacy made official a campaign that had been gathering steam for months before it stumbled of late. Zemmour warned supporters in a video on Tuesday

KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Several prominent Kuwaiti opposition figures have returned home from a decade of self-exile after getting amnesty from the ruling emir. The long-awaited move celebrated Tuesday is aimed at ending a political paralysis that has burned a hole in public finances. Faisal al-Muslim was the latest to be greeted by screams of

By GEIR MOULSON and FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s next chancellor says he will back a proposal to mandate coronavirus vaccinations for everybody next year. But he said Tuesday that lawmakers should be free to vote according to their conscience on the issue. Center-left leader Olaf Scholz is expected to take office

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia has barred entry to travelers from 10 African countries, citing the threat from the new omicron coronavirus variant. The move, announced in a Health Ministry statement issued late Monday, came just two weeks after Cambodia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers. The Health Ministry said the entry ban

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s state-run news agency says authorities have arrested a prominent member of an opposition party over accusations that he engaged in “political and military espionage.” Anadolu Agency said late Monday that a court in Ankara ordered Metin Gurcan, a retired army officer and founding member of the opposition Democracy and Progress

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — A former member of the Islamic State group has been convicted by a German court of genocide and committing a war crime over the death of a 5-year-old Yazidi girl he had purchased as a slave and then chained up in the hot sun to die.  The

By LEE KEATH Associated Press KABUL (AP) — Human Rights Watch says that Afghanistan’s Taliban fighters have killed or forcibly “disappeared” more than 100 former police and intelligence officers since taking power in mid-August. A new report from the group points to continuing retaliation against members of the former armed forces, despite an announced amnesty.

By RAF CASERT and CARLA K. JOHNSON Associated Press Brazil and Japan joined the rapidly widening circle of countries to report cases of the omicron variant, while new findings indicate the mutant coronavirus was already in Europe close to a week before South Africa sounded the alarm. It highlights the difficulty in containing the virus

By ARITZ PARRA Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spanish officials say a fire in part of a building occupied by squatters in central Barcelona has killed four members of the same family including two children ages 1 and 3. Firefighters managed to put out the fire after rescuing four more people who are being treated

By SYLVIE CORBET and JEFFREY SCHAEFFER Associated Press PARIS (AP) — France has inducted U.S.-born entertainer, anti-Nazi spy and civil rights activist Josephine Baker into the Pantheon. She is the first Black woman to receive the nation’s highest honor. French President Emmanuel Macron presided over an elaborate ceremony Tuesday at the domed Pantheon monument in