AP National News

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The outgoing Honduran president has started a three-day surprise visit to Taiwan amid worries by the self-ruled island that the next president of the Central American nation may break off relations and switch to diplomatic ties with Beijing. President Juan Orlando Hernández and his wife will meet Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen

VIENNA (AP) — Austria is implementing a lockdown for unvaccinated people in two hard-hit regions next week and looks poised to move forward with similar measures nationwide. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg made the announcement Friday. Starting Monday, unvaccinated people in the regions of Upper Austria and Salzburg will only be allowed to leave their homes for

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Negotiators at this year’s U.N. climate talks in Glasgow appear to be backing away from a call to end all use of coal and phase out fossil fuel subsidies completely. The latest draft proposals from the meeting’s chair released Friday call on countries to accelerate “the

By THOMAS ADAMSON and SYVLIE CORBET PARIS (AP) — French authorities are investigating an alleged rape that occurred earlier this year in the presidential Elysee Palace. The Paris prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press on Friday the investigation was opened on July 12. But it did not immediately confirm French media reports saying a female

BERLIN (AP) — Lufthansa says it has repaid all the aid it received from the German government last year to help the airline through the coronavirus pandemic. Germany’s biggest airline received a 9 billion euro government rescue package in mid-2020. The German government took a 20% stake in the company, which has long made clear

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin has rebuffed allegations that a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine reflects Moscow’s aggressive intentions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Western media reports alleging that Moscow has intentions to invade Ukraine as “hollow and unfounded attempt to incite tensions.” Peskov told reporters that Russia needs

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Johnson & Johnson is splitting into two companies, separating the division that sells Band-Aids and Listerine, from its medical device and prescription drug business. The company said Friday that the division selling prescription drugs and medical devices will keep Johnson & Johnson as its name. The new consumer health

LONDON (AP) — A former top aide to Prince Charles has quit as chief executive of the heir to the throne’s charitable foundation after allegations he offered to help a wealthy Saudi businessman who made a large donation secure a knighthood and British citizenship. The Prince’s Foundation said late Thursday that Michael Fawcett, Charles’ former

LONDON (AP) — Around 1,000 people are believed to have crossed the English Channel in small boats on Thursday to reach the U.K. from France. The number is thought to have set a new daily record for Channel crossings by migrants and refugees. Lifeboat crews and Border Force boats were busy well into the evening

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Homer Plessy, the namesake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1896 “separate but equal” ruling, is being considered for a posthumous pardon. The Creole man of color died with a conviction still on his record for refusing to leave a whites-only train car in New Orleans in 1892. Now the Louisiana Board

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has sent paratroopers to Belarus in a show of support for its ally amid the tensions over an influx of migrants on the Belarus-Poland border. The Russian Defense Ministry said that as part of joint war games about 250 Russian paratroopers parachuted from Il-76 transport planes

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government is requiring children to get tested for COVID-19 as part of efforts to curtail a recent steep rise in cases. The education minister said all elementary and high schools are required to test the country’s 1.4 million students in two waves on Nov. 22

By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ASSISI, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis is visiting the hilltop town of his namesake for the fifth time of his pontificate, to mark the Catholic Church’s world day of the poor. The Friday visit is one of his first outings since the coronavirus pandemic. Francis took his

PARIS (AP) — The Paris Mosque is marking the sixth anniversary of the attack at the Bataclan concert hall that killed 90 people in the French capital. Muslim leaders laid a wreath at the venue one day before a broader commemoration is due to take place. The mosque is holding its commemoration early to fall

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban provincial spokesman says a bomb exploded in a mosque during Friday prayers, wounding at least 15 people in eastern Afghanistan, where Islamic State group militants have been waging a campaign of violence. Qari Hanif, the government spokesman for Nangarhar Province, said the bomb appeared to have been planted inside

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and VANESSA GERA WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Turkey has halted airline ticket sales to Iraqi, Syrian and Yemeni citizens wanting to travel to Belarus, which in recent months has became a key step for migrants and refugees trying to illegally enter the European Union. Friday’s move, announced by Turkey’s Civil Aviation Authority,

By ZEN SOO Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Chinese shoppers spent $139.1 billion during this year’s annual Singles’ Day shopping extravaganza, breaking last year’s record even though consumer spending slowed amid economic uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic. Experts say that the world’s largest online shopping festival has taken on a more muted tone this year

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s main opposition presidential candidate says he will strengthen military cooperation with the United States and Japan if elected to better cope with North Korea’s nuclear threat. Yoon Suk Yeol also says he will strive to make North Korea a leading foreign policy priority

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The Catholic Church in Portugal is setting up a national committee to coordinate the work of local church groups looking into possible cases of child sex abuse by members of the clergy. Portuguese bishops say the committee will “strengthen and broaden” the church’s response to any current and historic abuse allegations.