SYDNEY (AP) — Australian leaders have promised to immediately overhaul already-tough gun control laws after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. At least 15 people died in the attack. It has fueled criticism that authorities are not doing enough to combat a surge in antisemitic crimes. Among the new measures…… MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal authorities have announced the arrests of four alleged members of an extremist group suspected of planning coordinated bombing attacks in Southern California. The arrests took place last week in the desert east of Los Angeles. According to a federal criminal complaint, the suspects were preparing to test improvised explosive devices…… MORE
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to four top retail stores for failing to promptly pull contaminated infant formula tied to a dangerous outbreak from their shelves. The FDA sent letters posted Monday to leaders at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons, saying the companies continued to sell ByHeart infant formula for days…… MORE
BERLIN (AP) — U.S. officials say Washington has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year war, and more talks are likely this weekend. The officials spoke Monday following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. European leaders there said they and…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have expanded approval of a drug that boosts libido in women who report stress due to a low sex drive. The Sprout Pharmaceuticals drug, Addyi, is now approved for women up to age 65 who’ve gone through menopause. Previously, the once-a-day pill was only for premenopausal women. The drug…… MORE
DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is pivoting away from its once-ambitious electric vehicle plans amid financial losses and waning consumer demand for the vehicles. Instead it’ll invest in more efficient gasoline-engines and hybrid EVs, the company said Monday. The Detroit automaker, which has poured billions of dollars into electrification along with most of its…… MORE
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company’s primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford,…… MORE
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain’s ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies…… MORE
BRUSSELS (AP) — France is creating a last-minute hurdle for a major trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc. European farmers are protesting in Brussels, fearing competition from the deal. Negotiators thought they would finalize it this year. The agreement would gradually remove duties on nearly all goods traded between the EU…… MORE
