AP National News

By JOE McDONALD and ZEN SOO AP Business Writers BEIJING (AP) — Global shoppers face possible shortages of smartphones and other goods ahead of Christmas after power cuts to meet official energy use targets forced Chinese factories to shut down and left some households in the dark. In the northeastern city of Liaoyang, 23 people

By RISHI LEKHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of Indian farmers blocked traffic on major roads and railway tracks outside of the nation’s capital on Monday, marking one year of demonstrations against government-backed laws that they say will shatter their livelihoods. The farmers have renewed their protests with calls for a nationwide strike

BANGKOK (AP) — Seasonal monsoon rains may worsen flooding that has already badly affected about a third of Thailand, officials said Monday as flood gates and pumping stations were being used to reduce the potential damage. A tropical storm over the weekend swept through the upper part of the country, causing flash floods that affected

By ELENA BECATOROS and DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A strong, prolonged earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of at least 5.8 struck the Greek island of Crete on Monday, killing one person and injuring 20, while damaging homes and churches and causing rock slides near the country’s fourth-largest city. The quake sent

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The party that narrowly beat outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bloc pushed Monday for a quick agreement on a coalition government, but Europe’s biggest economy could still be in for weeks of uncertainty after an election that failed to set a clear direction. Olaf Scholz, the candidate

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Wall Street’s major stock indexes ended mixed Monday as losses by technology and health care companies outweighed gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% after spending much of the day essentially flat. The pullback ended a three-day winning streak for the benchmark

By SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Electricity is a potent symbol of endemic corruption in Iraq, rooted in the country’s sectarian power-sharing system. It’s perpetuated after each election cycle: Once results are tallied, politicians jockey for appointments in a flurry of negotiations, based on the number of seats won. Ministry portfolios and state

By BEN FINLEY Associated Press A federal judge said Monday that John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan four decades ago, can be freed from all remaining restrictions next year if he continues to follow those rules and remains mentally stable. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman in Washington said during

By AMY BETH HANSON, MARTHA BELLISLE and ANITA SNOW Associated Press JOPLIN, Mont. (AP) — An Amtrak train that derailed in rural Montana over the weekend was going just under the speed limit at about 75 mph (121 kph) when it went off the track along a gradual curve, killing three people and possibly ejecting

By ROBERT BURNS and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Gen. Mark Milley has been the target of more political intrigue and debate in two years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff than any of his recent predecessors were in four. One after another, firestorms have ignited around him — unusual

By COLLIN BINKLEY and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As Democrats push ahead with President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan, they’re promising historic investments across the arc of an education — from early childhood to college and beyond — in what advocates describe as the most comprehensive package of its kind in

By OMER FAROOQ Associated Press HYDERABAD, India (AP) — A cyclone flooded parts of India’s eastern coast with heavy rains and uprooted thousands of trees and power poles, knocking out electricity, before weakening to a deep depression Monday. A local official said heavy rains had lashed the town of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state, swamping

By LISA MASCARO and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Free pre-kindergarten and child care subsidies for families with small children. Dental care and hearing aids for seniors with Medicare. Infrastructure improvements in every state. There’s a lot in President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion government-reshaping plan, and it’s hitting a tumultuous time. With Republicans

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Sam is a powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean, but forecasters said late Sunday that it had peaked in intensity. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sam was centered about 800 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Its maximum sustained winds dropped to 130 mph Monday morning. Forecasters

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Monday, but fears of further waves of coronavirus outbreaks were clouding the economic outlook for the region, tempering the rally. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% to 30,35.62. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7% to 7,393.60. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.6% to

By JIM SALTER Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Rolling Stones are touring again, this time without their heartbeat, or at least their backbeat. The legendary rockers launched their pandemic-delayed “No Filter” tour Sunday at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis without their drummer of nearly six decades. It was clear from

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The inclusion of two women among the four candidates vying to become the next prime minister seems like a big step forward for Japan’s notoriously sexist politics. But their fate is in the hands of a conservative, mostly male governing party — and the leading female candidate

LANSING, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities say three people have died in the crash of a small plane in southern West Virginia. The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane went down after taking off from the Fayette Airport in Fayetteville at about 11 a.m. Sunday. State police Capt. R.A. Maddy tells news outlets that the wreckage

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Liz Cheney says she was wrong to oppose gay marriage in the past, a stand that once split her family. Cheney, R-Wyo., a fierce critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump, also tells CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she views her reelection campaign as the most important

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican army says it found a 43-acre (17.4-hectare) marijuana farm in the northern border state of Chihuahua. The army said Sunday that the fields were capable of producing about 11 tons (22,000 kilograms) of marijuana. The fields were found in a rural township not far from the town of Creel,