TOKYO (AP) — A man has been arrested after stabbing eight people and injuring seven others with a chemical believed to be bleach at a tire factory in central Japan. The attack happened Friday at the Yokohama Rubber Co. in Mishima, Shizuoka prefecture. Eight people were taken to hospitals with stab wounds, and five are…… MORE
GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. (AP) — Graphite mines in the United States are seeing renewed interest after being largely closed for decades. Graphite is crucial for lithium-ion batteries and demand is surging amid trade tensions with China. Several companies, including Titan Mining Corp. in New York, have plans to mine graphite. Titan aims for commercial sales by…… MORE
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he will meet on Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida. Zelenskyy told journalists on Friday that the two leaders will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine during Sunday’s talks, and that the 20-point plan under discussion “is about 90% ready.” The announced meeting is…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed slightly lower as investors returned from the Christmas holiday. The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq all fell less than 0.1% Friday. Trading was light with institutional investors largely closed out for the year. With three trading days left, the S&P 500 has climbed nearly 18% this year. Gold…… MORE
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been sentenced to 15 years in prison and must pay 13.5 billion ringgit ($3.3 billion) for his role in the 1MDB corruption scandal. On Friday, the High Court found him guilty of abuse of power and money laundering, linked to over $700 million channeled…… MORE
BRUSSELS (AP) — France, Germany, the European Union and the United Kingdom are hitting out at a U.S. decision to impose travel bans on five Europeans the Trump administration accuses of pressuring tech firms to censor or suppress American views. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, which supervises tech regulation in Europe, is warning…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy economy expanded at a strong 4.3% annual rate from July through September as consumer spending, exports and government spending all grew. Tuesday’s report from the Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — up from its 3.8% growth rate in…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels despite some signs that the labor market is weakening. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 20 fell by 10,000 to 214,000 from the previous week’s 224,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — This was a scary good year for investors. It was scary because the U.S. stock market plunged to several historic drops on worries about everything from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to interest rates to a possible bubble in artificial-intelligence technology. In the end, though, it was a great year for anyone…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security is replacing its lottery system for H-1B visas with a new approach prioritizing skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. The change follows actions by the Trump administration to reshape the visa program. Critics say it has been a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay. A…… MORE
