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Asian shares are mixed in cautious trading after most U.S. stocks rose, settling back to where they were before last week’s swoon over the future of artificial intelligence. U.S. futures edged higher while oil prices declined. Benchmarks fell in Tokyo and Shanghai but rose in most other major markets. SoftBank's shares plunged 6.6% in Tokyo after it said Tuesday that it sold its entire stake in the AI chip company Nividia for $5.8 billion last month. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Dow industrials gained 1.2% to a record, surpassing its prior all-time high set two weeks ago. The Nasdaq composite dipped 0.3%

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A Turkish military cargo plane has crashed in Georgia near the Azerbaijan border, according to Turkish and Georgian authorities. The C-130 plane took off from Azerbaijan and was heading back to Turkey when it crashed Tuesday. There was no immediate word on possible casualties. There were 20 military personnel and crew on board. A search and rescue operation has been launched with Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities. The Georgian Interior Ministry says the crash occurred in the Sighnaghi municipality. An investigation has been launched under Georgian criminal laws related to air transport safety violations.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered security forces to stop sharing intelligence with the United States until it stops striking suspected drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of information Colombia will stop sharing with the United States after Petro acted Tuesday. At least 75 people have been killed by the U.S. military in strikes in international waters since August. The strikes began in the southern Caribbean but have shifted recently to the eastern Pacific. In October, the Trump administration placed financial sanctions on Petro over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade.

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Israeli and Palestinian officials say dozens of masked Israeli settlers have attacked a pair of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. They set fire to vehicles and other property on Tuesday before clashing with Israeli soldiers sent to halt the rampage. Four Palestinians were wounded. It was the latest in a series of attacks by young settlers in the West Bank. Earlier, tens of thousands of Israelis gathered for the funeral of an Israeli soldier whose remains had been held in Gaza for 11 years. Hadar Goldin’s family had mounted a long campaign to bring his remains home.

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A suicide bomber has attacked outside a district court in Islamabad, killing 12 people and injuring 27. The explosion occurred Tuesday near a police car. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility, but one of the group's commanders later disavowed the claim. The attack highlights the struggles of the Pakistani government against a resurgent Taliban and border tensions. Earlier, Pakistani security forces foiled an attack at an army-run college in a northwestern province. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned both attacks and called for swift justice. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain high, with recent peace talks stalling.

AP Wire
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bring a billion-dollar lawsuit against the BBC has cast a shadow over the British broadcaster’s future, but it could also be a bluff with little legal merit. The president’s lawyer sent the threat to the BBC over the way a documentary edited his Jan. 6, 2021, speech before a mob of his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol. Trump faces fundamental challenges to getting a case to court, never mind taking it to trial. He would also have to deal with the harsh glare of publicity around his provocative pep talk the day Congress was voting to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.

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A blue diamond weighing nearly 10 carats has sold at auction in Switzerland for $25.6 million including fees. The “Mellon Blue” is named for the late American arts patron Rachel “Bunny” Mellon. It had been expected to fetch $20-$30 million at the Christie’s auction on Tuesday. The house said the stone came in on the estimated range. The final price includes the “buyer’s premium” and other fees. The auction was the first installment of two days of jewelry auctions in Geneva. On Wednesday, rival Sotheby’s will put up the “Glowing Rose” pink diamond that’s expected to draw bids of around $20 million.