Associated Press stories, Page 1382

When the National Hockey League and its players agreed to pause the season and participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, it came with the caveat of pandemic conditions not making it impractical to go to China. Seven weeks before puck drop at what was supposed to be the first Olympics...

The U.S. Army, for the first time, is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to highly skilled recruits who join for six years, The Associated Press has learned, as the service struggles to lure soldiers into certain critical jobs amid the continuing pandemic. Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, head of...

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres signed Michael Houser to a one-year, $750,000 contract and called up Aaron Dell from the minors on Wednesday to shore up their injury depleted goaltending ranks. The signing comes with Buffalo adding goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukonen and Malcolm Subban to their injured list. Luukonen is...

NEW YORK — For two years, coronavirus case counts and hospitalizations have been widely used barometers of the pandemic’s march across the world. But the omicron wave is making a mess of the usual statistics, forcing news organizations to rethink the way they report such figures. “It’s just a data...

BERLIN — Authorities in Germany say they have rescued 65 children from their abusers over the past two years as part of an investigating into a large-scale sexual abuse network. Police in Cologne said at a news conference Wednesday that the victims ranged from three months to 17 years. Investigators...

The Biden administration on Wednesday slapped sanctions on five North Korean officials in its first response to Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile test. The Treasury Department announced it was imposing penalties on the officials over their roles in obtaining equipment and technology for the North’s missile programs. In addition, the State...

Suspicion, misinformation, complacency and delays because of the holidays and bad weather have combined to produce alarmingly low covid-19 vaccination rates in U.S. children ages 5 to 11, authorities say. As of Tuesday, just over 17% were fully vaccinated, more than two months after shots for the age group became...

The Beijing Winter Olympics are fraught with potential hazards for major sponsors, who are trying to remain quiet about China’s human rights record while protecting at least $1 billion they’ve collectively paid to the IOC. That could reach $2 billion when new figures are expected this year. Sponsors include big...

NEW YORK — Hollywood’s awards season may be missing in-person glitz this year, but it doesn’t lack for star power. Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck landed individual nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, while the casts of “Belfast” and “CODA” were among those nominated...

CHICAGO — Jon Lester, a durable left-hander who won three World Series titles during 16 years in the majors, has announced his retirement. Lester, who turned 38 on Friday, finishes with a 200-117 record and a 3.66 ERA in 452 career games, including 451 starts. He also has been a...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Canadian electric school bus manufacturer will produce buses in West Virginia, bringing up to 200 jobs, Gov. Jim Justice announced Wednesday. GreenPower Motor Co. signed a lease-purchase agreement for a 9.5-acre manufacturing facility in South Charleston, Justice said in a statement. The move has the potential...

Wall Street capped a day of wobbly trading with modest gains for stocks Wednesday, as investors weighed the implications of the latest economic snapshot showing rising inflation. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% after veering between a loss of 0.1% and a gain of 0.8% over the course of the day....

A judge gave the green light Wednesday to a lawsuit against Prince Andrew by an American woman who says he sexually abused her when she was 17. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in an opinion that Andrew’s lawyers failed to successfully challenge the constitutionality of the lawsuit Virginia...

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Protesters opposing covid-19 restrictions in Bulgaria clashed Wednesday with police as they tried to storm the Parliament in the capital of Sofia. A heavy police presence prevented protesters from entering the building and some were detained. Several people, including police officers, were injured during the clashes. Eventually,...

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Jalen Bridges tied a career-high 22 points making all 10 of his foul shots and Gabe Osabuohien had a season-high 12 points, and West Virginia pulled away from Oklahoma State for a 70-60 win on Tuesday night. Kedrian Johnson made two foul shot to give the...

The Biden administration is increasing federal support for covid-19 testing for schools in a bid to keep them open amid the omicron surge. The White House announced Wednesday that a dedicated stream of 5 million rapid tests and 5 million lab-based PCR tests will be made available to schools starting...

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A car bomb exploded Wednesday outside the international airport in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, killing at least eight people and wounding nine others, a local doctor said. The al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was targeting “white officials” passing by. Dr. Abdulkadir Adam with...

BRUSSELS — Senior NATO and Russian officials were meeting Wednesday to try to bridge seemingly irreconcilable differences over the future of Ukraine, amid deep skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s security proposals for easing tensions are genuine. The talks come during a week of high-stakes diplomacy and a U.S.-led effort...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice tested positive for covid-19 on Tuesday, his office announced. Justice had a sudden onset of symptoms, then was administered a PCR test that was positive for the coronavirus. A test by a state laboratory confirmed the initial result and an additional test...

A passenger arrested in Honduras for damaging the cockpit of an American Airlines jet during boarding was released by authorities hours later. The flight scheduled to depart for Miami on Tuesday afternoon was delayed for hours until a replacement plane could be arranged. The flight arrived in Florida early Wednesday,...

PHILADELPHIA — A Christmas tree fire caused the blaze that killed 12 relatives in a Philadelphia rowhome duplex, investigators confirmed Tuesday as they identified victims and announced preliminary findings, but stopped short of officially saying a 5-year-old boy playing with a lighter was behind it. Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel hesitated...