Month: March 2023

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time in three decades, the U.S. has a new favorite dog breed, according to the American Kennel Club. Adorable in some eyes, deplorable in others, the sturdy, push-faced, perky-eared, world-weary-looking and distinctively droll French bulldog became the nation’s most prevalent purebred dog last

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale price increases in the United States slowed sharply last month as food costs declined, a sign that inflationary pressures may be easing. From January to February, the government’s producer price index fell 0.1%, after a 0.3% rise from December to January, which was revised sharply

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and BASSEM MROUE Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting Syrian leader Bashar Assad for talks in the Kremlin that are expected to focus on rebuilding Syria after a devastating civil war and mending the country’s ties with Turkey. Welcoming Assad at the start of Wednesday’s meeting that

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling a half-million vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because the front seat belts may not latch properly. The recall covers some of the the automaker’s top-selling models including the 2017 through 2020 CR-V, the 2018 and 2019 Accord, the 2018 through 2020 Odyssey and the 2019 Insight. Also included

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A senior United Nations official says the world body remains committed to helping rival Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots reach an agreement remedying the island nation’s ethnic cleave that has been the source of instability in the east Mediterranean for decades. U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political and

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Videos circulating online show Iranians holding scattered anti-government protests during an annual fire festival that has ancient roots in the region. The videos appeared to show protesters in different cities chanting against Iran’s ruling clerics and hurling firecrackers at security forces during the celebrations that took place on Tuesday.

By MATT SEDENSKY AP National Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — New pants to replace Alex Morisey’s tattered khakis will have to wait. There’s no cash left for sugar-free cookies either. Even at the month’s start, the budget is so bare that Fixodent is a luxury. Now, halfway through it, things are so tight that even a

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet Many older adults are using medical marijuana to treat a variety of conditions, but experts say that conflicting laws, unclear safety standards and complicated rulemaking processes mean it could be years before Medicare may cover the drug. One in five Medicare recipients currently uses medical marijuana, according to a 2022

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Mike Pence and Bernie Sanders are hardly political allies. But after two large bank failures, the conservative former vice president and the democratic socialist senator are striking remarkably similar tones. Pence bemoaned “certain politically favored businesses” being “propped up” by government. Sanders said “we cannot continue down

By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Officials say Lebanon’s Central Bank chief has again been charged with corruption, this time after he failed to show up for questioning before a European legal team visiting Beirut in a money-laundering probe linked to the governor. Judicial officials say the governor, Riad Salamehm, his brother and

By MICHAEL CANTU Edmunds Both the Toyota Prius and Kia Niro have been redesigned for 2023. The new Prius is more powerful and better-looking than ever, but the bold new Kia Niro is a great all-around choice. Does it have what it takes to overthrow the Prius’ reign? Edmunds experts compared both hybrids to find

BEIJING (AP) — China’s Defense Ministry says Chinese, Iranian and Russian naval forces are staging joint drills in the Gulf of Oman near the mouth of the strategic Persian Gulf this week. The ministry’s announcement Tuesday says other countries are also involved in the “Security Bond-2023” exercises but gave no details. Iran, Pakistan, Oman and

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and PHILIPP JENNE Associated Press VIENNA (AP) — Austrian police are warning of a possible “Islamist-motivated attack” targeting churches and other houses of worship in Vienna. They cited undisclosed information the country’s intelligence service had received. Police in Vienna tweeted Wednesday that they had heightened security in front of certain buildings, including

By ACACIA CORONADO Associated Press DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — Long before a Chinese spy balloon captivated the U.S. last month, Kyle Bass foresaw a foreign danger planned for the skies above his Texas property. Dozens of massive wind turbines were set to span 15,000 thousand acres near the Devils River in Del Rio on

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish officials and media reports say floods caused by torrential rains have killed at least 11 people in two provinces that were devastated by last month’s catastrophic earthquake. The flooding has increased the misery for thousands who were left homeless. At least five more people are reported missing. The provincial governor

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Legendary British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens will release a new album of original songs this summer that took the “Peace Train” hitmaker over a decade to make and revisits familiar themes of togetherness. The 12-song collection is called “King of a Land” and comes out in

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homeownership is likely to remain a pipe dream for many Americans this spring homebuying season. The nation’s worst housing slump in nearly a decade stoked hope among prospective buyers that homes could be scooped up more easily and prices would come back to earth. But

TOKYO (AP) — Old-time baseball players would be appalled. Italy’s dugout at the World Baseball Classic comes outfitted with an espresso machine. And it’s getting lots of attention. Manager Mike Piazza says: “We are kind of shocked, actually, because this is something in Italian culture that’s sort of like water. I mean, coffee would be

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it expects to invest $230 billion over the next 20 years as part of an ambitious South Korean national project to build the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing base near the capital, Seoul. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the

By VITUS-GREGORY GONDWE and WANJOHI KABUKURU Associated Press BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Monitors say Cyclone Freddy has dissipated after killing hundreds of people in Mozambique and Malawi but flooding still threatens both countries. At least 225 people have died in Malawi’s south and within and around Blantyre, the country’s financial hub. In neighboring Mozambique, at

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — On Twitter, the Ugandan president’s son has mused about invading neighboring Kenya, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and offered cattle for the Italian prime minister’s hand in marriage. While many tweets are dismissed as laughable, the ones about succeeding his father in this East African nation

BERLIN (AP) — German police have conducted a major raid against a group of suspected people smugglers. German news agency dpa reported that around 400 officers, among them federal police and GSG 9 special units, searched more than 20 apartments and offices, mainly in Berlin, but also in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. Five men

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A new populist party riding the anger among Dutch farmers and rural communities at government policies to rein in agricultural pollution appears to be the big winner in provincial elections. The voting Wednesday also will indirectly decide the makeup of the Netherlands national senate and

By SYLVIE CORBET and ELAINE GANLEY Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French people hoping to preserve their retirement benefits are marching in the streets of Paris and hundreds of other cities. They’re on strike against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to save France’s pension system by raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. A joint

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has predicted the country will not enter technical recession this year. Hunt on Wednesday summed up the state of the British economy by saying authorities remain vigilant and “take whatever steps are necessary for economic stability.’’ He says the Office for Budget

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police have detained a senior police officer who fired multiple gunshots from his home in Bangkok, ending a standoff of over 24 hours after his colleagues tried to take him to a mental institution. An official said that on Tuesday morning, police Lt. Col. Kitikarn Sangbun’s superior officer was going to

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan health, railway, port and other state workers are on a daylong strike to protest against sharp  increases in income taxes and electricity charges, as the island nation awaits approval of an International Monetary Fund package to aid its bankrupt economy. Most government hospitals

By BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — After clashing with supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan outside his home for a second day Wednesday, police paused their efforts to arrest the ousted premier for failing to appear in court last week on graft charges. Police had besieged the