Month: February 2022

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Like Facebook and Twitter, Spotify is learning the limits of deflecting responsibility for what is said on its platform. The podcasting industry has few standards about policing offensive or misleading content. That has left Spotify trying to figure out how to keep podcaster Joe Rogan’s

VIENNA (AP) — Diplomats from Iran and world powers have reconvened in Vienna to seek a deal reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal, with pressure mounting for results soon. Negotiators from Iran and the remaining parties to the deal — Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China — got back to work on Tuesday after a break

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Serena Williams is normally the one participating in a major championship matchup. But the seven-time Wimbledon winner is looking forward to watching the Super Bowl along with her commercial. The tennis superstar stars in a Michelob ULTRA commercial along with several other athletes such

ISTANBUL (AP) — Thousands of Turkish healthcare workers, frustrated by an erosion of their income, have gone on strike, demanding better pay and improved working conditions. Members of the Turkish Medical Association and other unions also staged protests in Ankara and in Istanbul on Tuesday, demanding increased wages. Some health care workers in Turkey earn

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — A new day of high-stakes diplomacy beckons as European leaders try to reinvigorate stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. In the background, Russia and NATO allies put on a show of resolve with fresh troop announcements and movements. French President Emmanuel Macron briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr

MADRID (AP) — Spain is scrapping a mandate to wear masks outdoors, as COVID-19 infection rates drop and hospitals report lower admissions. The government said Tuesday that mask-wearing will not be necessary outside beginning Thursday. The rule change includes children at school during their breaks outside. However, masks remain mandatory in indoor public spaces, including

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government says all pornography websites will be legally required to verify that users are 18 or older as part of new online safety rules. Under the government’s draft online safety bill, porn sites will be required to protect children from accessing them. Companies could use secure age verification technology to confirm

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s foreign ministry says it has summoned South Korea’s ambassador to protest against a social media post about disputed Kashmir by Hyundai Motor’s partner in Pakistan. Hyundai, a South Korean automobile manufacturer, is facing a severe backlash in India since its partner in Pakistan expressed solidarity on Facebook with the people

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers The co-founder of Peloton is stepping down as chief executive after an extended streak of tumult at the company. The company will also cut almost 3,000 jobs. John Foley first pitched the idea of an interactive exercise bike in 2011, hoping to disrupt the industry. He

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer COVID-19 vaccine sales boosted Pfizer earnings well past fourth-quarter expectations, but the drugmaker has set a lower-than-expected bar for 2022. Pfizer’s annual forecasts for both earnings and revenue fall short of analyst expectations even as the drugmaker expects another robust year of sales from its vaccine, Comirnaty, and its

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A group of fishing companies in New England is bringing its bid to try to end industry-funded monitoring programs to federal appeals court. The companies are part of the industry that harvests Atlantic herring, which are heavily fished off the East Coast. The federal government requires

By LAUREN SCHWAHN of NerdWallet The next time you check your DMs, you could see a message from a debt collector. Late last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rolled out new rules that allow debt collectors to contact debtors through social media. While the rule changes outline how these communications should work, consumer advocates

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A remote-controlled robot is being used to probe the hardest-hit nuclear reactor at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima plant, as officials push forward with clean-up operations that have been mired in delays. The plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said on Tuesday the submersible robot was sent into

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Vodafone Portugal says it has been hacked though no confidential customer data was compromised. The company is one of the country’s leading telecommunications companies. It said in a statement Tuesday that “a deliberate and malicious cyberattack aimed at causing damage and disruption” was underway. The company said the attack late Monday

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are telling the owners of nearly 485,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors because they can catch fire even if the engines are off. The recalls from the two Korean automakers are another in a long string of fire and engine

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s health minister has decried calls from the main opposition party to suspend the implementation of a vaccination mandate for health workers, saying that they send a dangerous signal. Parliament in December approved the legislation that will require staff at hospitals and nursing homes to get immunized

By CARA RUBINSKY Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — With nowhere really to go, journalists inside the Beijing Olympics bubble are encouraged to sleep on the job. They can’t visit the village rooms where competitors are staying, but they can try out the high-tech beds athletes are sleeping in. Several corridors at the main media center

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is announcing a $48 billion plan to become a major semiconductor producer. With the move, the bloc is trying to curb its dependency on Asian markets for the component that powers everything from cars to game consoles. As Europe’s reliance on Russia for energy

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish retiree is campaigning to keep in-person customer services at bank branches. On Tuesday he was handing government officials a petition with more than 610,000 signatures. Carlos San Juan from Valencia, a 78-year-old retired doctor, says he felt “left out” by the shift to online banking. His petition struck a chord