EXPLAINER: China's claims of coronavirus on frozen foods
BEIJING (AP) — China says it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food, but how valid are its claims and how serious is the threat to public health?
World News
Asian shares rise after Dow crests 30,000 on vaccine hopes
TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares rose Wednesday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 30,000 points for the first time despite an ongoing pandemic, as progress in development of coronavirus vaccines kept investors in a buying mood.
Tampa Bay outfielder Arozarena arrested in Mexico's Yucatan
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving an apparent custody dispute, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason.
The Latest: Tennessee won't mandate vaccines in its schools
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s governor says that once coronavirus vaccines become available, they will be optional in the state’s K-12 public schools.
EU, other donors step up with funds to help Afghanistan
GENEVA (AP) — The European Union, the United States and other donors on Tuesday pledged billions in new funds for Afghanistan, hoping to salvage years of work aimed to foster peace and stability in the country and coax along uncertain peace talks between the government and Taliban rebels — at a time when Islamic State extremists have increasingly caused havoc and bloodshed.
Simon Haydon, ex-AP international sports editor, dies at 64
LONDON (AP) — Simon Haydon, who shaped The Associated Press’ coverage of World Cups and Olympics as international sports editor and reported on landmark news events while traveling the world as a correspondent, including the downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, has died. He was 64.
Macron outlines France's baby steps out of lockdown
People in France will be able to go back to their favorite shops and attend religious services again next week after a month of partial virus lockdown — but they’ll have to wait until at least Jan. 20 to savor a meal in a restaurant or enjoy a gym workout.
UK eases restrictions so families can gather over Christmas
LONDON (AP) — British authorities gave the green light Tuesday to holiday reunions, relaxing restrictions on social mixing over Christmas and offering arriving international travelers a way to cut short quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19.
Restorers remove dangerous Notre Dame cathedral scaffolding
PARIS (AP) — Restorers at Paris’ fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral have completed key preliminary work by successfully removing all the perilous roof scaffolding, officials said Tuesday.
German defense minister rejects Turkey complaint over search
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's defense minister on Tuesday rejected Turkey's complaints over the search of a Turkish freighter in the Mediterranean Sea by a German frigate participating in a European mission, insisting that German sailors acted correctly.
Rape, abuses in palm oil fields linked to top beauty brands
SUMATRA, Indonesia (AP) — With his hand clamped tightly over her mouth, she could not scream, the 16-year-old girl recalls – and no one was around to hear her anyway. She describes how her boss raped her amid the tall trees on an Indonesian palm oil plantation that feeds into some of the world’s best-known cosmetic brands. He then put an ax to her throat and warned her: Do not tell.
Paris police under fire for forcing migrants from tent camp
PARIS (AP) — France’s interior minister ordered an internal police investigation Tuesday after officers were filmed tossing migrants out of tents while evacuating a protest camp in Paris.
Douglas Stuart hopes Booker win helps working-class writers
LONDON (AP) — Fittingly in this year of work-from-home and lockdowns, Douglas Stuart’s life-changing moment came to him on his sofa.
Greece strike to disrupt public transport
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Airlines are rescheduling or canceling flights to, from and within Greece this week as air traffic controllers join a nationwide public sector strike scheduled for Thursday.
Belgium approves more money for care homes hit by pandemic
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s northern region of Flanders approved 575 million euros ($680 million) Tuesday to support staff at nursing home and welfare facilities that has come under intense pressure during the coronavirus crisis.
China, Japan to cooperate in reviving virus-hit economies
TOKYO (AP) — The foreign ministers of Japan and China agreed Tuesday to cooperate in fighting the coronavirus and reviving their pandemic-hit economies, while trying to avoid actions that provoke tensions over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Virus outbreak delays production at world's top glove maker
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s Top Glove Corp., the world’s largest maker of rubber gloves, said Tuesday it expects a two-to-four-week delay in deliveries after more than 2,000 workers at its factories were infected by the coronavirus, raising the possibility of supply disruptions during the pandemic.
India bans 43 more mobile apps, including many from China
NEW DELHI (AP) — India banned 43 mobile apps on Tuesday, including many from China, with which it is locked in a military standoff along their border in the Himalayas.
UK family loses court battle in US diplomatic immunity case
LONDON (AP) — The parents of a British teen who was killed in a crash lost a court battle with the U.K. government Tuesday over whether an American woman involved in the collision had diplomatic immunity.
EU seals 6th vaccine deal, secures 160 million Moderna shots
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's executive said Tuesday it will sign a contract for up to 160 million doses of the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna.
Drones to the rescue: Berlin lab seeks quicker virus tests
BERLIN (AP) — A German lab is hoping to cut the time it takes to send coronavirus tests across Berlin by using drones, thereby avoiding the capital's clogged roads.
Lithuania's parliament OKs new PM, then closes due to virus
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania’s parliament approved Tuesday conservative Ingrida Simonyte as the Baltic country’s next prime minister before shutting down for a week because of a recent COVID-19 spike in the country.
European regulator moves to clear Boeing 737 for flight
BERLIN (AP) — European regulators on Tuesday took a step closer to letting the Boeing 737 Max fly again, publishing a proposed airworthiness directive that could see the aircraft cleared within weeks after being grounded for nearly two years over deadly crashes.
Asia Today: China reports 2 virus cases after mass testing
BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday reported two new coronavirus cases in the cities of Shanghai and Tianjin as it seeks to prevent small outbreaks from becoming larger ones.
