Ban drops presidential bid:

TOKYO — Former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that he would not run for president of South Korea, a surprise announcement after weeks of laying political groundwork but then watching his plans erode over what he dubbed “fake news.” His decision leaves South Korea’s conservatives without an obvious successor to Park Geun-hye, the beleaguered incumbent, and gives progressives an unexpected boost.

Weakened graft law protested:

BUCHAREST, Romania — Protesters and riot police clashed sporadically in Romania’s capital late Wednesday as tens of thousands demonstrated against the government for decriminalizing some official misconduct, a move that critics at home and abroad called a major a setback for the anti-corruption fight. It was the second consecutive night of protests against the government, whose adoption of an emergency ordinance that decriminalizes abuse in office went against widespread protests and warnings from prosecutors and the president.

Nearly $27B sent to Mexico:

MEXICO CITY — Mexicans living abroad sent home almost $27 billion in 2016, the highest yearly figure on record, the central bank reported on Wednesday. The remittances rose 8.8 percent, from $24.78 billion in 2015 to 26.97 billion last year.

U.S. warns Iran on missile test:

WASHINGTON — The White House issued a cryptic warning Wednesday that the U.S. will act against Iran unless it stops testing ballistic missiles and supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen, but declined to say what retaliatory actions the U.S. would pursue.

Immigration status on census?

WASHINGTON — A White House draft executive order proposing to restrict foreign worker visas and target immigrants who get federal aid also recommends that the U.S. Census ask about immigration status, a change that experts said could have far-reaching consequences not only on immigrants but also on local economies and political redistricting. Annual questionnaires from the Census Bureau already ask whether respondents are citizens. But probing into the status of those who are not would be new, and Census experts say it would have a detrimental effect on future counts.

Cartwheeling teacher jailed:

PAWHUSKA, Okla. — Police in northern Oklahoma say they've arrested a substitute teacher on an indecent exposure complaint after she reportedly did a cartwheel in front of students while wearing a skirt but no undergarments. The Pawhuska Police Department says a student recorded the incident on a cellphone. Police Chief Scott Laird says the incident reportedly happened during a high school choir class in Pawhuska, about 100 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. The substitute teacher was arrested Tuesday afternoon and remained jailed Wednesday morning.

Viewers lose Univision:

NEW YORK — Spanish-language broadcast network Univision and the company’s cable channels have gone dark for millions of Charter customers because of a payment dispute. A Univision spokesman said Wednesday that customers in 37 markets, including New York and Los Angeles, home to large Hispanic communities, have lost access to Univision, the most popular Spanish-language network.

Parents charged in girl’s death:

READING, Pa. — Jonathan and Grace Foster, a Pennsylvania couple who told police their faith forbids any kind of medical treatment, were charged Wednesday in the pneumonia death of their 2-year-old daughter, becoming the latest members of their sect to be prosecuted for failing to take a dying child to a doctor.

He tried to have witness killed:

INDIANAPOLIS — A man serving two life sentences in a deadly Indianapolis house explosion has been convicted of a murder-for-hire charge.

Prosecutors say Mark Leonard, 47, tried to hire a hit man to kill a key witness in the house explosion case while he was in jail.

Club shooter’s widow still held:

OAKLAND, Calif. — A federal judge in California declined Wednesday to release the widow of the man who killed dozens of people at a Florida nightclub after prosecutors said she accompanied her husband on scouting trips for potential targets that included a Disney shopping complex. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu ordered a psychiatric evaluation done of Noor Salman, 31, before deciding whether to release her pending a trial on charges of supporting her husband’s attack and then lying to investigators.

Reports of the test emerged after Trump signed an executive order last week temporarily suspending immigration from Iran and six other majority-Muslim countries.

On one point, the U.S. and Iran agree: The test didn't violate the nuclear deal itself.

Ballistic missile testing wasn't explicitly included in the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. But as part of the final negotiations, Iran agreed to an eight-year extension of a U.N. ban on ballistic missile development. The U.N. Security Council later endorsed the agreement, calling on Iran not to carry out such tests. But Iran has flouted the prohibition regularly in the past year-and-a-half, drawing sanctions from the U.S. but also diplomatic cover from Russia.

At America's request, the U.N. Security Council held a session Tuesday to address the missile test. The council referred the matter to its committee on Iran and asked for an investigation.

Iran has long boasted of having missiles that can travel 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), putting much of the Middle East, including Israel, in range. Such capability would also put U.S. bases in the region in danger. Iran says its missiles are key to deterring a U.S. or Israeli attack.

In March, Iran test-fired two ballistic missiles. One was emblazoned with the phrase "Israel must be wiped out" in Hebrew, sparking international outcry.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.