BEIJING (AP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hailed his country’s technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors while once again insisting his country would annex self-ruled Taiwan.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The standard mileage rate for the business use of a car, truck, van or other vehicle will increase by 2.5 cents in 2026. The IRS announced Monday that beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rate for a qualifying vehicle will be 72.5 cents per mile, up 2.5 cents from 2025.

More than a decade ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished without a trace, sparking one of aviation’s most baffling mysteries. Despite years of multinational searches, investigators still do not know exactly what happened to the plane. On Wednesday, the Malaysian government said a vessel began a new search operation for the missing plane.