Month: May 2022

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bonds are supposed to be the safe part of any nest egg, but they’re on pace for one of the worst years in history. The worst off investors are those who invest conservatively, favoring bonds instead of stocks in hopes of securing historically steady returns.

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission is proposing to help Ukraine move its critical grain supplies to parts of the world at risk of food insecurity. The plan released Thursday by the European Union’s executive arm urges rail, road and river routes to get around a Russian blockade of Black

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates edged up again this week, with interest on the key 30-year loan at its highest level since 2009. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the 30-year rate ticked up to 5.3% from 5.27% last week. By contrast, the average rate

By JOSH FUNK Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as the virus spread rapidly among workers, according to a congressional report released Thursday. The

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Five-time former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been reappointed in an effort to bring stability to the island nation that’s engulfed in a political and economic crisis. Wickremesinghe is a contentious choice by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and took his oath

By ANDREW MELDRUM and MARIA CHENG Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The first factory to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Africa has announced that it has not received enough orders and is planning to stop production within a few weeks, in what a senior World Health Organization official described as a “failure” in efforts to achieve

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar has announced it will resume issuing visas for visitors in an effort to help its moribund tourism industry, devastated by the coronavirus pandemic and violent political unrest. Starting on Sunday, tourist “e-Visas” will be provided online in a move also intended to harmonize tourism with neighboring countries. Visitors need a certificate

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for jobless aid ticked up slightly last week but the total number of Americans collecting benefits remained at its lowest level in more than five decades. Applications for unemployment benefits rose by 1,000 to 203,000 for the week ending May 7,

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. producer prices soared 11% in April from a year earlier, a hefty gain that indicates high inflation will remain a burden for consumers and businesses in the months ahead. The Labor Department said Thursday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s foreign secretary warned the European Union on Thursday that the U.K. will have “no choice but to act” to revoke parts of a Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland if the EU does not show flexibility. Post-Brexit arrangements for border and customs checks in Northern Ireland have

The highest-ranking Russian official to go to prison in nearly two decades has been released after serving more than half of an eight-year sentence for bribery. A court granted former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev parole last month. Russian state television showed images of what it said was a convoy of cars taking him away

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece says it’s extending a bilateral military agreement with the United States for five years. Officials from Greece’s center-right government argued that enhanced alliances within NATO will help stabilize the region rattled by Russia’s war in Ukraine and tension in the eastern Mediterranean. The agreement announced Thursday needs to be ratified

By RANDA KRISS of NerdWallet Compared with larger companies, many small businesses have fewer resources to dedicate to cybersecurity, leaving them vulnerable to the ever-evolving tactics of cybercriminals. To protect themselves from cyberthreats, business owners should evaluate their online systems to understand where their data lives and what information needs to be kept safe. Small

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — The name “FIFA” can bring to mind images of the World Cup and soccer’s greatest players, like Pele, Zinedine Zidane or Lionel Messi. The acronym for the sport’s governing body may also remind some of shameless bribery and corruption. For many, though, it’s the video

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — It’s likely to be the quickest NATO enlargement ever and one that would redraw Europe’s security map. Finnish leaders announced Thursday their belief that Finland should join the world’s biggest military organization because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Sweden could soon follow suit. Should they apply for

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa. In its latest weekly assessment of the pandemic, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally. Those figures represent

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Inflation in Sweden increased last month to its highest level since 1991. Official figures from Statistics Sweden released Thursday said the consumer price index rose 6.4% in April from a year ago and was up from 6.1% in March. The agency says food prices increased, with meat and vegetables being “the

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology company SoftBank Group has dropped into losses as the value of its investments declines. It reported red ink totaling 1.7 trillion yen, or $13 billion, for the fiscal year through March, a reversal from a 4.9 trillion yen profit the year before. Although the

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press WEISSENHAUS, Germany (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy nations have gathered in northern Germany for a three-day meeting centered on Russia’s war against Ukraine and the wider impact it is having around the world. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the conflict already had become a

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Andy Byford points out the cathedral-like ceiling, the crystal-clear acoustics, the “pureness of the aesthetic” that surrounds him. The head of London’s public transport system is rhapsodizing about a subway station — part of a new line he says will be “the envy of the world” when

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s economy grew at the slowest pace in a year during the first quarter as retailers and manufacturers were hurt by supply disruptions and higher prices. That’s raising concerns that the U.K. may be headed for a recession. The Office for National Statistics says gross domestic product,

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer An American consortium has bought an English soccer team with the ultimate aim of winning the Premier League title. Some would say there is nothing especially new there but there is a huge catch when it comes to the recent purchase of Crawley Town. The unheralded fourth-division club located

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Nissan has returned to profitability for the first time in three fiscal years, despite challenges such as supply shortages caused by the pandemic and soaring costs.  Nissan reported a profit of 215.5 billion yen, or $1.7 billion, for the fiscal year through March, a

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A man in a Russian military uniform stood at the entrance of a large home improvement store in Poland’s capital, saluting shoppers and thanking them for funding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. His chest bedecked with medals, Polish activist Arkadiusz Szczurek was protesting at

By ALI ZERDIN Associated Press LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Officials say an explosion and fire at a chemical plant in southeast Slovenia has left five people missing and feared dead. Emergency officials said another two people were hospitalized in critical condition with severe burns after the blast, which was reported around 8.30 a.m. (0630GMT) Thursday

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leaders say they’re in favor of applying for NATO membership “without delay.” The annoucement by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday means that Finland is all but certain to join the Western military alliance. The decision of the Finnish leaders paves the