News

By STEPHEN McGRATH and ANDREEA ALEXANDRU Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu is resigning from his post, saying he needs a break from what he describes as a period of difficulty, but also of achievement in the country’s progress toward one day joining the European Union. Popescu, who has led

By The Associated Press A military transport plane that Russia said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday morning in a Russian region near Ukraine. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the crash in the Belgorod region or if anyone survived. The Associated Press could not confirm who was aboard the plane, and

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — World shares advanced Wednesday after China’s central bank announced fresh measures to boost its slowing economy and stabilize financial markets. The announcement late Wednesday pushed Hong Kong’s benchmark up 3.6%. Shares fell in Tokyo but rose in most other major markets. Oil prices advanced. In early

By OMAR FARUK Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A stadium in Somalia’s violence-prone capital is hosting its first soccer tournament in three decades, drawing thousands of people to a facility that had been abandoned for years and later became a base for military — and even extremists — amid civil war. The competition is

BEIJING (AP) — China, the world’s biggest exporter, says it is deeply concerned about tensions in the Red Sea that have upended global trade by forcing many shippers to avoid the Suez Canal. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Wednesday that China has been in “close communication with all parties concerned and making positive efforts

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China’s central bank plans to reduce the ratio of reserves banks must keep on hold as part of a slew of measures to support its slowing economy. Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, said the government soon plans to issue a policy on

By NAJIB JOBAIN and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants Wednesday near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city, where medics said hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people were trapped by the fighting. Israel has ordered residents to leave a swath of downtown Khan Younis

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — China’s central bank plans to reduce the ratio of reserves banks must hold to help boost the slowing economy. Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, also said the government soon plans to issue a policy on lending to property developers to help support

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s train drivers have brought rail traffic to a standstill again when they began a six-day strike to push their demands in a rancorous dispute with the country’s main railway operator over working hours and pay. The strike by the GDL union, which began early Wednesday, will affect passenger services and freight

By JUTARAT SKULPICHETRAT Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that popular progressive politician Pita Limjaroenrat, who was blocked from becoming prime minister even though his party placed first in last year’s election, did not violate the election law and can retain his seat in Parliament. Pita had been suspended from the

By SARUUL ENKHBOLD Associated Press ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — A truck carrying 60 tons of liquefied natural gas and a car collided at an intersection in the Mongolian capital, causing a series of explosions that killed three firefighters and injured 11 people. Images showed a massive fireball at the scene of the crash outside a

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A tropical low slowly moving toward northeast Australia reached cyclone strength on Wednesday and will bring flooding into Queensland state into the weekend. Tropical Cyclone Kirrily was moving west at 5 mph and forecast to make landfall overnight Thursday. Gusty winds were expected to affect the Whitsunday Islands on Wednesday evening

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday after Japan reported its exports jumped nearly 10% in December, though shares in Tokyo declined. U.S. futures and oil prices edged higher. Chinese shares resumed their upward climb after the vice chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Wang Jiangjun,

FORT SMITH, Northwest Territories (AP) — A coroner’s service in Canada’s Northwest Territories said there are fatalities from a plane crash near community of Fort Smith. The Northwest Territories Coroner’s Service did not say how many have died or give further details, saying it must first notify next of kin. There was no word yet