AP News Summary at 11:17 p.m. EST

By The Associated Press

Republicans win 218 US House seats, giving Donald Trump and the party control of government

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have won enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump. A House Republican victory in Arizona, alongside a win in slow-counting California earlier Wednesday, gave the GOP the 218 House victories that make up the majority. Republicans earlier gained control of the Senate from Democrats. With hard-fought yet thin majorities, Republican leaders are envisioning a mandate to upend the federal government and swiftly implement Trump’s vision for the country.

Trump picks Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of state

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as his attorney general, opting for a loyalist who has built a national reputation as a disruptor and has vowed to dramatically overhaul the Justice Department. Trump on Wednesday also announced that he has tapped Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state. And he selected Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as his director of national intelligence. The choices continue a pattern of Trump stocking his Cabinet with those he believes he can trust to execute his agenda rather than longtime officials with experience in their fields.

Matt Gaetz once faced a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he could now lead

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, was once embroiled in a sex trafficking investigation by the Justice Department he’s been tapped to lead. The staunch Trump defender and loyalist was also under scrutiny by the House Ethics Committee over allegations including sexual misconduct, although that probe effectively ended Wednesday when Gaetz resigned from Congress. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended last year with no federal charges against him. Trump’s attorney general is expected to oversee radical changes to the Justice Department, which has been the target of the president-elect’s ire.

Republican John Thune of South Dakota is elected the next Senate majority leader

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John Thune has won an internal election among Republican senators to become the chamber’s next majority leader. It makes the South Dakota Republican a key partner on Capitol Hill to President-elect Donald Trump. Thune beat out two other competitors, Sens. John Cornyn and Rick Scott, by gaining majority support from GOP senators in a secret ballot vote. Republicans are replacing Sen. Mitch McConnell, the longest serving Senate party leader, as they prepare to take majority control of the Senate with the 53 seats they won in last week’s elections. Like McConnell, Thune hails from the Republican Party’s traditional wing. He has held the Republican whip position since 2019.

India’s Modi likely to find comfort in Trump’s return and a shared worldview

NEW DELHI (AP) — Donald Trump’s return to the White House has made many countries anxious and recalculating where they stand with the U.S., but India appears to be welcoming the change that may embolden nationalist leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Experts say a second Trump presidency is likely to play out in New Delhi’s favor. Modi seeks to reset India’s relationship with the West after recent frictions over his refusal to join sanctions against Russia or condemn its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Middle East latest: 3 young siblings killed in Gaza as Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill 6

Palestinian medics say an Israeli strike on a home in northern Gaza killed three siblings aged 6 and under. They were among at least six people Israel killed on Tuesday in the war-ravaged territory. And in Lebanon, the Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building south of Beirut killed at least six people and wounded 15. Israeli forces have encircled and largely isolated the Gaza Strip’s northernmost areas for the past month, saying Hamas militants have regrouped. Experts on hunger say famine is imminent or may already be happening there. Israel has also been striking deeper inside Lebanon since September as it escalates the war against Hezbollah.

Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities say an investigation into Chinese government hacking efforts has revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign mounted by Beijing. The FBI said Wednesday that the hackers compromised several U.S. telecommunications firms to access the call records and personal data of the people targeted. Officials wouldn’t say who the hackers went after but that those targeted include a “limited number” of people mainly involved in government and politics. China has denied hacking accusations, but federal authorities say Beijing has mounted an aggressive cyberespionage campaign designed to steal technological and government information and to target key infrastructure.

Man kills himself with blasts outside Brazil’s Supreme Court after failing to get inside

SAO PAULO (AP) — Authorities say a man who failed in an attempt to break into Brazil’s Supreme Court has killed himself in explosions outside the building that forced justices and staff to evacuate. The Supreme Court said two strong blasts occurred after Wednesday’s session finished and all the justices and staff left the building safely. Celina Leão, the lieutenant governor of Brazil’s federal district, said the suspect had earlier detonated explosives in a car in a Congress parking lot without causing injuries. Then he tried to get into the Supreme Court and the explosions occurred when he failed. Leão said only investigations will determine whether the owner of the car is the same man who died in the blasts.

US ambassador says Mexico ‘closed the doors’ on security cooperation and denies its violence problem

MEXICO CITY (AP) — U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar has lashed out at Mexico’s failure to accept aid in the fight against drug cartels, claiming the country “closed the doors” on security cooperation. Salazar criticized rampant violence, police corruption and the Mexican government’s attitude that “there is no problem.” He had previously defended many of the Mexican government’s actions. But on Wednesday he said former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s “hugs not bullets” strategy of not confronting the cartels had not worked. Salazar cited the violence in the northern state of Sinaloa as an example. Authorities there said Wednesday they found a pile of six or seven bodies on a roadside.

Japan’s sake brewers hope UNESCO heritage listing can boost rice wine’s appeal

OME, Japan (AP) — Deep in a dark warehouse, the sake sleeps, stored in rows of giant tanks. They hail from brewing techniques dating back more than 1,000 years. Junichiro Ozawa, who heads Ozawa Brewery, founded in 1702, hopes sake-brewing will win recognition as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, when the decision is made next month. Sake, the drink of choice for the nobility in the “The Tale of Genji,” has been widening its appeal, boosted by the international popularity of Japanese cuisine. The biggest destinations of sake exports are now the U.S. and China, but sake officials think there is room for growth.