Month: August 2022

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices at the wholesale level fell from June to July, the first month-to-month drop in more than two years and a sign that some of the U.S. economy’s inflationary pressures cooled last month. Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that the producer price index —

BANGKOK (AP) — Immigration authorities say former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who last month fled anti-government protests in his country, has left Singapore. Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority did not give his destination, but officials in Thailand on Wednesday said they had been asked by the Sri Lankan government to allow him entry, and

By FRANCISCO SECO Associated Press ABOARD THE ASTRAL (AP) — A Spanish maritime rescue group and Italy’s coast guard have helped pull some 40 people from the Mediterranean Sea after their overcrowded wooden boat capsized during a rescue operation. An Associated Press photographer who was aboard the ship operated by Spanish group Open Arms documented

CHICAGO (AP) — McDonald’s will begin reopening some of its restaurants in Ukraine in the coming months. The burger giant closed its Ukrainian restaurants after Russia’s invasion nearly six months ago but has continued to pay its more than 10,000 employees in the country. McDonald’s said Thursday that it plans to gradually begin reopening some

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Recently retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has become the honorary co-chairman of a nonpartisan group devoted to education about the Constitution, joining Justice Neil Gorsuch at a time of intense political polarization and rising skepticism about the court’s independence. The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia said

SYDNEY (AP) — A second Australian state has banned public displays of Nazi symbols. New South Wales, the nation’s most populous state, on Thursday followed Victoria, the second most populous, which banned the public display of Nazi swastikas in June. The law was passed with the unanimous support of the state parliament’s upper chamber. The

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president has threatened to fire top agricultural officials if an investigation shows they improperly made and announced a decision to import sugar amid a shortage without his approval, his press secretary said Thursday. It’s the stiffest punitive step newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could take against officials over

By KELSEY SHEEHY NerdWallet Relying on your business to fund your retirement is a risky bet. A business failure, health issues or shifting market conditions can leave you unable to retire fully. Rather than gamble on everything going right, diversify your nest egg so it will last you well into your later years. Prioritize setting

MADRID (AP) — Spain has brought 294 Afghan refugees via Pakistan to Spain. The mission brings to 3,900 the number of Afghans flown to Spain since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year. Spain said Thursday said the 294 Afghans and their families flew into an air base near Madrid late Wednesday. The group includes

RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) — An eastern Indiana police chief says an officer shot in the head during a traffic stop and search for possible narcotics remains in “extremely critical” condition. Richmond Police Department Officer Seara Burton is being treated at a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, following the shooting Wednesday evening. Richmond Police Chief Michael Britt

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has met with a fourth group of transgender people who found shelter at a Rome church. Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano said the encounter took place Wednesday on the sidelines of Francis’ weekly general audience. The newspaper on Thursday quoted Sister Genevieve Jeanningros and the Rev.

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian capital has reintroduced public mask mandates as COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country. The New Delhi government on Thursday reinstituted a fine of 500 rupees ($6) for anyone caught not wearing a mask or face covering in public. India’s Health Ministry said 16,299 new cases were recorded

By CARA ANNA Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s public health agency says the continent of 1.3 billion people still does not have a single dose of the monkeypox vaccine, but “very advanced discussions” are underway with at least two partners. The acting director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Western nations to provide more money to help Ukraine’s military keep fighting nearly 5 1/2 months after Russia invaded its neighbor. Zelenskyy addressed defense leaders at a Denmark conference on Thursday aimed at strengthening financing for weapons, training

By SIBI ARASU Associated Press BENGALURU, India (AP) — Landfills are releasing a significant amount of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste, a study suggests. Scientists used satellite data from four major cities worldwide — Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina — and found

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says his government won’t leave citizens freezing or unable to pay their energy bills but acknowledges his country faces considerable challenges in the coming months. Rising fuel costs sparked by Russia’s war against Ukraine have put severe financial strain on many in Germany

By WANJOHI KABUKURU Associated Press MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s national parks, home to thousands of wildlife species such as lions, elephants and buffaloes, are increasingly threatened by below-average rainfall and new infrastructure projects. A prolonged drought in much of the continent’s east, exacerbated by climate change, and large-scale developments, including oil drilling and livestock

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say a search and rescue operation is ongoing for a second day for dozens of migrants missing after the boat they were on sank in rough seas off a southeastern Greek island. A Greek navy vessel and three nearby merchant ships are still searching

By FARES AKRAM Associated Press GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Palestinian death toll from last weekend’s fighting between Israel and Gaza militants has risen to 48, after an 11-year-old girl and a man died from wounds they suffered during the worst cross-border violence in over a year. Two wounded Gaza children, ages 8

By SUSIE BLANN Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Western nations have made more pledges to send arms to Ukraine as Britain’s Defense Ministry claimed that sanctions against Moscow are hurting Russian defense exports. On a day of give and take, the European Union’s full ban on Russian coal imports also kicked in Thursday. Britain

By DAVID KOENIG AP Business Writer DALLAS (AP) — Gasoline prices have dipped under $4 for the first time in more than five months — good news for consumers who are struggling with high prices for many other essentials. AAA said the national average for a gallon of regular was $3.99 on Thursday, down from

By SYLVIE CORBET and VANESSA GERA Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Firefighters from across Europe struggled Thursday to contain a huge wildfire in France that has swept through a large swath of pine forest, while Germans and Poles faced a mass fish die-off in a river flowing between their countries. Europe is suffering under a

LONDON (AP) — An alleged member of an Islamic State hostage-taking cell nicknamed “The Beatles” has been charged with terrorism offenses in Britain on Thursday after being deported from Turkey. London police say Aine Davis was arrested at Luton Airport north of London on Wednesday night and charged with offenses under the Terrorism Act. During

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed Friday in Asia after a muddled day on Wall Street, where benchmarks meandered following another encouraging report about inflation. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 surged 2.5%, catching up on gains after being closed Thursday for a holiday. Hong Kong and Seoul also advanced, while Shanghai

By The Associated Press The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Instead, men in uniform arrived and offered them amnesty — if they agreed to fight alongside the Russian army in Ukraine. Over the following days, about a dozen

By NASSER KARIMI and MEHDI FATTAHI Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Some of the world’s most prized works of contemporary Western art have been unveiled for the first time in decades — in Tehran. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric, rails against the influence of the West. Authorities have lashed out at “deviant”

By IGNATIUS SSUUNA Associated Press KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday rebuked Rwandan authorities over democracy and human rights concerns, saying the central African country may not reach its full potential without opening up political space and protecting freedoms. Blinken said the United States recognizes Rwanda’s incredibly difficult history

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is calling for tax breaks in the first major policy proposals of his reelection campaign. Kemp on Thursday proposed spending $2 billion in state surplus. That would include $1 billion on another state income tax rebate and $1 billion to renew a long