El Salvador's Congress approves ending ban on metals mining

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador's Congress approved Monday a law that would lift the country’s seven-year-old ban on mining for metals. The law, proposed by President Nayib Bukele and passed on a 57 to 3 vote, would allow mining everywhere except nature reserves and...

Romanian lawmakers narrowly approve new pro-European coalition during period of political turmoil

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian lawmakers on Monday voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the...

France has a new government. Now it must fix the budget while avoiding collapse

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced a new government Monday, after the previous Cabinet collapsed in a historic vote prompted by fighting over the country's budget. The government, put together by newly named Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, includes...

Kosovo election authority bans main ethnic Serb party from parliamentary vote

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s election authority on Monday barred the main ethnic Serb party from competing in the upcoming parliamentary election, justifying the move by pointing to its nationalist stance and close ties to Serbia. The Central Election Commission declined to...

Takeaways from Trump's 1st rally speech as president-elect

PHOENIX (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump came to Arizona on Sunday for his first rally speech since winning the November election. He was greeted by thousands of adoring supporters who confirmed his popularity across the conservative base. Trump attempted in his 75-minutes on...

A court ruling could tip the majority to Republicans in the Minnesota House

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota House Republicans could start the 2025 legislative session in the majority after a judge ruled Friday that a Democratic candidate didn't meet the residency requirements for his suburban district. Ramsey County Judge Leonardo Castro ruled that Curtis...

Republican candidate for the North Carolina Supreme Court suffers legal setbacks in close race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The trailing Republican in a tight North Carolina Supreme Court race suffered legal setbacks Friday as a federal judge refused to halt any upcoming official declaration that his Democratic rival won their November election. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers...

House Republicans tee up vote on new government funding bill without debt limit increase that Trump demanded

Taiwan lawmakers clash after one party breaks into legislature to occupy speaker's chair

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Lawmakers clashed in Taiwan's legislature Friday when members of the president's political party who had broken into the building overnight to occupy the speaker's chair tussled with members of another major party who forced their way in to evict them. Some...

California regulators vote to delay closure of gas storage facility, site of worst US methane leak

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators have approved a controversial proposal to delay the closure of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility, the site of the nation’s largest known methane leak, which forced thousands of families from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. The...