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By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s main opposition party Nationalist Party has announced a veteran politician as its vice presidential candidate as hopes for a cross-party alliance to challenge the ruling Democratic Progressive Party have fractured. Hou Yu-ih said former legislator and Cabinet member Chao Shao-kang would be his running mate

By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Oscar Pistorius could be granted parole on Friday after spending nearly 10 years in prison in South Africa for murder. The double-amputee Olympic runner was one of the world’s most admired athletes before he killed his girlfriend by shooting her multiple times through a

BEIJING (AP) — French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna says France and China should work together to reduce global tensions and address issues such as climate change and biodiversity. She met with Chinese officials in Beijing on Friday ahead of a major U.N. climate conference starting next week and an EU-China leaders meeting next month. The

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The top diplomats from South Korea, Japan and China are gathering in South Korea this weekend to discuss resuming their leaders’ summit, among other regional issues. Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the meeting will take place Sunday in the southeastern city of Busan. An

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares declined Friday in Asia, with Hong Kong’s benchmark retreating on selling of property shares following recent gains. U.S. futures edged higher after markets on Wall Street were closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Oil prices were mixed. Japan reported its consumer inflation rose for

By ANNA FRANTS Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — The shelves at Moscow supermarkets are full of fruit and vegetables, cheese and meat. But many of the shoppers look at the selection with dismay as inflation makes their wallets feel empty. Russia’s Central Bank has raised its key lending rate four times this year to try

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Afghan Embassy says it is permanently closing in New Delhi over challenges from the Indian government and a lack of diplomatic support. It said the decision announced Friday was already in effect from Thursday and follows the embassy’s earlier move to cease operations starting Oct. 1 due to the absence

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A temporary cease-fire agreement to facilitate the release of dozens of people taken hostage during Hamas’ raid on Israel is expected to bring the first respite to war-weary Palestinians in Gaza and a glimmer of hope to the families of the captives. After hitting a

By WAFAA SHURAFA, BASSEM MROUE and DAVID RISING Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war took effect early Friday, setting the stage for the exchange of dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The halt in fighting promised some

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — After the latest, horrifying killing of a college student allegedly by her resentful and jealous ex-boyfriend, students from Turin to Palermo have taken to pounding on classroom desks in unison to demand a stop to the slaying of women in Italy at the hands of men. Just

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific was using at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall. The Sept.

By GERALD IMRAY and MARIA CHENG Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa, Colombia and other countries that lost out in the global race for coronavirus vaccines are taking a more combative approach towards drugmakers and pushing back on policies that deny cheap treatment to millions of people with tuberculosis and HIV.

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Friday, with Hong Kong retreating on selling of property shares following recent gains. U.S. futures edged higher after markets on Wall Street were closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Oil prices slipped. Japan reported its consumer inflation rose for

By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell. What chemicals created the burning-trash-barrel scent that has lingered since a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina in August? Should he believe government agencies’ assessment of when the air, land and water will

By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s new constitutional projections for abortion access and other reproductive rights are supposed to take effect Dec. 7, a month after voters resoundingly passed them. That prospect seems increasingly uncertain. Existing abortion-related lawsuits are moving again through the courts now that voters have decided the