World

In 'Ma Rainey,' channeling the blues of August Wilson

NEW YORK - Like many of those involved in the making of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," it's not easy for Viola Davis to summarize what playwright August Wilson has meant to her except to answer, "Everyth...

Dec 16, 2020

Fed keeps rate near zero but sees brighter economy in 2021

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it will keep buying government bonds until the economy makes "substantial" progress, a step intended to reassure financial markets and keep long-te...

Dec 16, 2020

Vaccinations reach nursing homes, as California faces crisis

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. - The first COVID-19 vaccinations are underway at U.S. nursing homes, where the virus has killed upwards of 110,000 people, even as the nation struggles to contain a surge so alarm...

Dec 16, 2020

Prague zoo's month-old Sumatran orangutan finally has a name

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - He's called Pustakawan, or Kawi, if you wish. Prague's zoo said on Wednesday it has finally completed the process of naming a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan baby bor...

Dec 16, 2020

German government backs bill requiring 5G security pledge

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet approved a bill Wednesday that would require companies involved in setting up critical infrastructure such as high-speed 5G networks to guarantee tha...

Dec 16, 2020

Retail sales fell 1.1% in November, biggest drop in 7 months

NEW YORK - Americans held back on spending during the start of the holiday shopping season, a troubling sign for retailers and the state of the U.S. economy. U.S. retail sales fell a seasonally adjust...

Dec 16, 2020

US brands Vietnam, Switzerland as currency manipulators

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Treasury Department has branded Vietnam and Switzerland as currency manipulators while putting China and nine other countries on a watch list in an annual report designed to halt...

Dec 16, 2020

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's book 'Persist' to come out in April

NEW YORK - Sen. Elizabeth Warren has a book coming out about six key experiences and perspectives. The title should be familiar to those who have followed the Massachusetts Democrat's career: "Persist...

Dec 16, 2020

Suspect in Japan anime studio fire charged with murder

TOKYO - Japanese prosecutors formally filed murder charges Wednesday against a suspect in a deadly fire at a Kyoto anime studio last year, after it was determined that he has recovered enough from his...

Dec 16, 2020

Virus shuts many UK theatres but online the show goes on

LONDON - When Andrew Lincoln steps onstage at London's Old Vic Theatre as Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," he looks out on an empty auditorium. The spectators are beyond the theatre walls, in ...

Dec 16, 2020