AP National Business

By COLLEEN BARRY and ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger in the French presidential vote, Marine Le Pen, have decried as “shocking” the multimillion euro payout to the CEO of carmaker Stellantis.  Stellantis CEO Carlos  Tavares’ remuneration package of 19.15 million euros in 2021 became an

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of California grocery store workers have approved a new contract with major supermarket chains, avoiding a potential strike. The union said Thursday members in the central and southern areas of California ratified a tentative deal that was reached last week. It grants some 47,000 employees at 540 stores higher wages,

LONDON (AP) — Climate-change protesters have snarled traffic by blocking four London bridges. Cars and red double-decker buses backed up along roads as hundreds of Extinction Rebellion activists occupied London’s Waterloo, Blackfriars, Lambeth and Westminster bridges, calling for an end to new fossil fuel investments. The Metropolitan Police force said “pockets of protest” were causing

By JOSHUA GOODMAN and HELEN WIEFFERING Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — A U.S. ban on seafood imports from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine was supposed to sap billions of dollars from Vladimir Putin’s war machine. But shortcomings in import regulations mean that Russian-caught pollock, salmon and crab are likely to enter the U.S. anyway,

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Two years after the pandemic tore through the economy, America’s auto market looks something like this: Prices are drastically up. Supply is drastically down. And gasoline costs drastically more. The result? A widening disparity between the richest buyers and everyone else. The most affluent buyers keep

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Lebanese foreign minister says Lebanon is ready to work with Cyprus to exploit potential gas deposits in waters between the two east Mediterranean countries, even though a deal on offshore rights hasn’t been formally finalized. Cyprus and Lebanon signed an agreement delineating their respective offshore

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal is running low on foreign currency reserves needed to import medicines, oil products, cars and a range of other items, and officials say they will run out in seven months if things don’t improve. The central bank says it has increased interest rates to discourage

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer The owners of the Chicago Cubs have dropped their interest in buying Chelsea. That leaves three remaining known bids for the enforced sale of the Premier League club by sanctioned Russian owner Roman Abramovich. The bid was being led by Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts but faced opposition from

By JOSH BOAK and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he plans to nominate Michael Barr to be the Federal Reserve’s vice chairman of supervision. Barr’s selection comes after Biden’s first choice for the Fed post, Sarah Bloom Raskin, withdrew her nomination a month ago in the face of opposition

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares have fallen in muted trading as most world markets were closed for Good Friday and other holidays. Energy trading was also closed for the day. Shutdowns in major Chinese cities due to coronavirus outbreaks and the war in Ukraine were weighing on sentiment. After

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will remove most pandemic restrictions, including indoor gathering limits, as it slowly wiggles out of an omicron outbreak officials say is stabilizing.  Starting next week, authorities will remove a 10-person limit on private social gatherings and lift a midnight curfew at restaurants, coffee shops and other indoor businesses.

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Samantha Moala recalls she was taking a shower at her home in Tonga when she heard what sounded like a gunshot so powerful it hurt her ears. As she and her family scrambled to their car to drive inland, ash blackened the sky. The world’s

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines and its pilots’ union are fighting over changes that the airline plans to make in how pilots train in flight simulators. The union sued American on Thursday in federal district court in Fort Worth. The lawsuit challenges American’s solution for handling situations in which one of the two

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Journalist Charlie Rose has reemerged by posting an interview with investor Warren Buffett on his website — Rose’s first public work since his career imploded in November 2017 after sexual misconduct charges. Rose wrote that the 75-minute interview was “a step in a journey to

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Federal regulators have approved CSX’s purchase of a regional railroad in the northeastern United States that will expand its network in New England. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board said Thursday that CSX can move forward with buying Pan Am Railways. The deal that was announced in late 2020 will expand CSX’s

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises is facing renewed pressure from a hedge fund to speed up its transition to digital publishing and consider adding new digital-savvy leaders to its board. This after successfully fighting off a hostile takeover from a different hedge fund. Lee’s largest shareholder,

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A lawyer for California’s civil rights agency resigned over what she alleges were undue attempts by Gov. Gavin Newsom and his office to interfere in a state lawsuit against video game giant Activision Blizzard. Melanie Proctor was assistant chief counsel with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Bloomberg reports

By The Associated Press Mercurial billionaire Elon Musk now says he wants to buy Twitter outright, taking it private to restore its commitment to what he terms “free speech.” But is he even serious? Can he get the money together? Will shareholders be happy? And what would the social platform look like if he succeeds? 

By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey for those 21 and older will begin April 21. That’s according to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The governor’s announcement in a tweet comes just three days after state regulators green lighted permits for seven facilities that already sell medical cannabis

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — José Mauro Coelho has taken the leadership as president of Brazil’s oil giant Petrobras. Coelho is the state-run company’s third president in a little more than three years. He was elected by the board of directors on Thursday and is expected to maintain the company’s policy on fuel prices in

The Associated Press Stocks closed lower on Wall Street Thursday as investors gave mixed reviews to earnings from four of the nation’s largest banks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose as inflation worries continue to overhang the markets. Investors again turned their attention to the drama surrounding Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Twitter. Musk

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Thursday: US Bancorp, Morgan Stanley rise; Tesla, Wells Fargo fall.

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The average salary in the major leagues rebounded to $4.4 million on opening day, boosted by a frenzy of free agent signings before and after the 99-day lockout, according to a study of baseball contracts by The Associated Press. New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer

The Associated Press Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Officials in a Georgia county say they’re moving ahead with plans to build a launch pad for commercial rockets barely a month after residents voted to halt the project by a margin of nearly 3-to-1. Commissioners in coastal Camden County said in a statement Thursday that

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Two House committees have launched an investigation into the government’s use of facial recognition software. The technology was most recently used by the Internal Revenue Service, but that was stopped after lawmakers and privacy advocates raised concerns. Critics of the software say databases could

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Southern California shoe store owner accused of mistakenly shooting and wounding a 9-year-old girl when he opened fire at shoplifters has agreed to be returned from Nevada to face charges. Police have said Marqel Cockrell fled the state in his car after the girl was hit by bullets on Tuesday

By THOMAS PEIPERT Associated Press DENVER (AP) — The online marketplace Letgo is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after the parents of five children were fatally shot and robbed while using the app to try to buy a used SUV in suburban Denver in 2020. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Denver on

SALINAS, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters have contained a massive blaze at a central California food processing plant that prompted authorities to tell thousands of nearby residents to evacuate and to order tens of thousands more to stay inside their homes. The fire at the Taylor Farms packaged salad plant in Salinas started Wednesday night. Authorities

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Like most businesses across the U.S., casinos are racing to hire new workers. That is leading to better wages and benefits in some places, and forcing casinos to become more creative. MGM Resorts used virtual reality goggles to let some job applicants experience what the

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates continued to climb this week as the key 30-year loan rate reached 5% for the first time in more than a decade amid persistent high inflation. The average 5% rate on the 30-year mortgage was up from 4.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports. The average rates

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s leaders say the military’s laser defense system has successfully intercepted drones, mortars, rockets and anti-tank missiles in recent tests. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement Thursday that the laser interceptions are “silent, they’re invisible and they only cost around $3.50” apiece. The

By GLENN GAMBOA AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Clinton Health Access Initiative selected Dr. Neil Buddy Shah as its new CEO Thursday, a sign of the global health organization’s move towards growth in low- and middle-income nations and use of new philanthropic efforts to help fund the expansion. Shah is currently managing

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says it will begin cracking down on e-cigarettes that have used synthetic nicotine to skirt oversight. The companies behind those products sell vaping flavors that appeal to kids. Previously, the agency could only regulate products that used nicotine derived from tobacco.

Associated Press In his first letter to Amazon shareholders, CEO Andy Jassy offered a defense of the wages and benefits the company gives its warehouse workers while also vowing to improve injury rates inside the facilities. Jassy, who took over from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as CEO last July, wrote the company has researched and

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Four big banks reported noticeable declines in their first quarter profits on Thursday, as the volatile markets and war in Ukraine caused dealmaking to dry up and a slowdown in the housing market caused the mortgage market to slow. The results from Citigroup, Goldman Sachs,

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the International Monetary Fund warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine was weakening the economic prospects for most of the world’s countries and called high inflation “a clear and present danger’’ to the global economy. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the consequences of

BOSTON (AP) — A California-based finance company has agreed to pay more than $900,000 to settle allegations that it was illegally leasing dogs in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts attorney general’s office said as part of the agreement announced Wednesday, Monterey Financial Services LLC will stop collecting on active leases, cancel about $700,000 in outstanding consumer debt

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Retail sales rose modestly in March, but higher prices for food, gasoline and other basics took a big share of consumers’ wallets. Retail sales increased 0.5% after registering a revised 0.8% increase from January to February. Spending has been fueled by wage gains, solid hiring

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up last week but remained at a historically low level, reflecting a robust U.S. labor market with near record-high job openings and few layoffs. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to 185,000, the Labor Department said, after nearly touching

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly nearly 595,000 vehicles in the U.S., most for a second time, because a “Boombox” function can play sounds over an external speaker and obscure audible warnings for pedestrians. The company says in government documents that the new recall will disable “Boombox” if owners are using a feature that

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank has kept its main interest rate unchanged for a fourth month running even as surging inflation has hit a 20-year high and eroded people’s purchasing power. The bank said Thursday that it was keeping its policy rate constant at 14%. The decision is in line with President Recep

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The first of four men accused in a failed plan to build a biotechnology plant in Vermont using tens of millions of dollars in foreign investors’ money raised through a special visa program has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Seventy-three-year-old William Stenger, the

By The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — With tensions around the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, the Cannes Film Festival plans to host some 35,000 people as the movie industry looks to reclaim its pre-pandemic glamour. On Thursday, organizers unveiled the 18 films that will compete for the coveted Palme d’Or prize at the

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say four people have been arrested and have been weapons seized in an investigation of suspected anti-government extremists who allegedly planned to cause a long nationwide blackout and kidnap well-known figures including the country’s health minister. Prosecutors and police said Thursday that raids were carried

By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Anti-virus controls are shutting down some of China’s biggest cities and fueling public irritation as infections rise. That is hurting a slowing economy and prompting warnings of possible global shockwaves. Shanghai is easing rules that confined most of its 25 million people to their homes, but most

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer wants to expand its COVID-19 booster shots to healthy 5- to 11-year-olds. U.S. health authorities already urge everyone 12 and older to get one booster dose for the best protection. And those 50 and older have the option of a second booster. Pfizer said Thursday new data shows

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer UnitedHealth Group delivered a better-than-expected first quarter and raised its 2022 forecast, as growth in Medicare Advantage coverage and care delivery once again helped the health care giant. The nation’s largest health insurance provider said enrollment in its Medicare Advantage plans grew nearly 9% to about 6.9 million people.

LONDON (AP) — British authorities have authorized a coronavirus vaccine for adults made by French drugmaker Valneva. The U.K. is the first country to authorize Valneva’s vaccine, which is also under review by the European Medicines Agency. Britain’s medicines regulator said Thursday that the two-dose vaccine is intended for adults ages 18 to 50. The

By The Associated Press The head of the European Central Bank says the bank would raise interest rates “some time after” ending its pandemic stimulus efforts later this year. The bank faces growing pressure to follow the United States, United Kingdom and other countries in taking a harder line to combat soaring consumer prices. But

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans are sharing milk rice and oil cakes to celebrate their traditional new year opposite President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office where they have camped out for a sixth day demanding his resignation over the worst economic crisis in memory. Soldiers disabled in the island nation’s

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares have fallen in muted trading as markets close for Good Friday and other holidays. Benchmarks declined in Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. Sydney and Hong Kong were among markets observing holidays. Shutdowns in major Chinese cities due to coronavirus outbreaks and the war in Ukraine

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal water managers think they have a plan to keep the Rio Grande flowing this summer, but they conceded Thursday it all depends on the weather. The Rio Grande is a major water source for millions of people and thousands of square miles of farmland

By OMER FAROOQ Associated Press HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Police say a fire in a pharmaceutical factory after an explosion has killed at least six workers on night shift and burned 13 others. Police said the fire broke out due to a tank leaking monomethyl nitric acid, which caused a big explosion on Wednesday night.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A top California state civil rights lawyer who was pursuing a discrimination case against video game giant Activision Blizzard has been fired, and another has quit in protest. Janette Wipper was chief counsel for the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing but Wednesday was her last day. Her attorney says

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — Police say a Southern California shoe store owner opened fire at two shoplifters but mistakenly shot a 9-year-old girl about to have her picture taken with a mall Easter bunny. The suspect fled the state and was arrested in Nevada. Authorities say Marqel Cockrell was chasing the shoplifters from his store

DENVER (AP) — Frontier Airlines has settled a discrimination suit brought by a group of flight attendants who claimed the carrier discriminated against them during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, Denver-based Frontier agreed to keep or change several policies to address the needs of pregnant and lactating

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Federal officials say it may be necessary to reduce water deliveries to Colorado River users to prevent the shutdown of a huge dam on the Arizona-Utah border. Glen Canyon Dam supplies hydropower to some 5 million customers across the U.S. West. Officials had hoped snowmelt would

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling about 460,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix a software problem that can inadvertently disable the electronic stability control system. The automaker says that when the vehicles are restarted, the software in rare cases may not automatically switch the system into the “on” mode. That can disable the system.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Delta, Fastenal rise; JPMorgan Chase, NanoString fall.

By FRANKLIN BRICENO Associated Press CIUDAD DE GOSEN, Peru (AP) — Every day for more than two years, Cindy Cueto has woken up in the house she shares with her three children atop a desert hill in Peru’s capital, and wondered: “What are we going to eat?” The 39-year-old bands together with her neighbors in

The Associated Press Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, and foreign exchange levels.

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer Amazon says it will add a 5% “fuel and inflation surcharge” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the retailer’s fulfillment services. The move comes as the e-commerce giant faces rising costs. Seattle-based Amazon said Wednesday on its website that the added fees will take effect April 28

By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson says the state has reached a settlement with e-cigarette giant Juul Labs, which will pay the state $22.5 million. The company also agreed to a variety of reforms to prevent underage use and sales. Ferguson filed a consumer protection

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California wants electric vehicle sales to triple in the next four years to 35% of all new car purchases. That’s part of proposed rules released Tuesday by the California Air Resources Board that aim to reduce planet-warming emissions. It puts the state on a roadmap to

ATLANTA (AP) — Delta Air Lines is dropping an extra charge for employees who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19. Delta said Wednesday that it has dropped the $200-a-month surcharge, which applied to unvaccinated employees covered by the company’s health plan. CEO Ed Bastian says Delta is dropping the charge because, he says, COVID-19 is now “a

PARIS (AP) — French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has warned against sending any more weapons to Ukraine. She also called for a rapprochement between NATO and Russia once Moscow’s war in Ukraine winds down. Le Pen is an outspoken French nationalist who has long ties to Russia. She is seeking to unseat President

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A major effort to overhaul care for people in the United States with mental health and drug problems is gaining traction in Washington. Congress and the Biden administration are working on overlapping plans to address concerns that cut across political dividing lines. Top goals include responding to

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch bank ABN AMRO has apologized for historic links to the slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the involvement of one of the bank’s predecessor institutions in “day-to-day business” of plantations. The bank is the latest institution to apologize for historic ties to slavery, following the Bank

By ZEKE MILLER and DAVID KOENIG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has announced it will extend through May 3 the nationwide mask requirement for airplanes and public transit as it monitors an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The order was set to expire April 18, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Associated Press Amazon announced Wednesday its free streaming service IMDb TV will be renamed Amazon Freevee later this month. The retailer said the streaming service will also expand its original programming by 70% in 2022, with spinoffs of shows such as “Bosh: Legacy” and other series. It will also add more original movies. Wednesday’s announcement

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — European Union nations Finland and Sweden have reached important stages on their way to possible NATO membership. The Finnish government issued a security situation report to lawmakers on Wednesday and Sweden’s ruling party started a review of the country’s security policy options.  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s governor says a Japanese battery technology company will build a $2 billion factory in Kentucky, creating 2,000 jobs. Gov. Andy Beshear says the development reinforces the state’s leadership in battery production. Beshear said Wednesday the Envision AESC plant at Bowling Green will produce battery cells

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Inventory difficulties hurt Bed Bath & Beyond during its fiscal fourth quarter and will continue into the current quarter, the home products retailer said Wednesday. For the three months ended Feb. 26, sales fell 22% to $2.05 billion. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research predicted sales of $2.08 billion.

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The surging cost of energy pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier — another sign that inflationary pressure is widespread in the U.S. economy. The Labor Department said Wednesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it

Associated Press While demand for homes has remained red hot, market conditions have slowed the pace of sales nationally compared with a year ago. Fewer homes are on the market while prices have jumped. Some homes are selling for more than their appraised value and would-be buyers with approved financing are losing out to buyers

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — America’s housing market has grown increasingly frenzied, and prices are out of reach for many buyers, especially first-timers. This spring, traditionally the busiest season for home sales, is more likely to deliver frustration and disappointment for aspiring homebuyers than it is homeownership. The number of

By WILSON RING and MARK GILLISPIE Associated Press VICTORY, Vt. (AP) — Tens of billions of dollars in federal money to improve broadband internet service in rural areas across the country are starting to reach the groups that will help provide the service, but experts say supply chain issues, labor shortages and geographic constraints will

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer The bid for Chelsea launched by Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca has added Canadian sports tycoon Larry Tanenbaum ahead of Thursday’s expected deadline for improved offers for the Premier League club. Tanenbaum was announced Wednesday as joining as co-managing partner of the bid. He has ownership stakes in

By PAUL J. WEBER and ACACIA CORONADO Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he will continue truck inspections that have gridlocked the U.S.-Mexico border for days. The two-term Republican governor said Wednesday he would not repeal his new policy at all bridges until there are more assurances of security. Abbott

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is urging China to use its “special relationship with Russia” to persuade Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Yellen said at the Atlantic Council in Washington on Wednesday that Beijing “cannot expect the global community to respect its appeals to the principles

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase said its first quarter profits dropped by 42% from last year, partly because the bank had to write down nearly $1.5 billion in assets due to higher inflation and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The nation’s largest bank by assets said it earned a

By MICHAEL CANTU Edmunds The 2022 Subaru BRZ has been completely redesigned with more power, sleeker looks and improved handling. But is it better than the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata RF hardtop, the reigning champ of small, driver-focused sports cars? Each vehicle offers a rear-wheel-drive setup, has room for two passengers, and is fun to

By SAM KEMMIS of NerdWallet For another year, summer travel plans are up in the air even as more people are ready to take to the skies. Summer vacations are roaring back, but you still need Plans A, B and possibly C to make sure you get away. Book flights and lodging early and take

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and ERANGA JAYAWARDENA Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s prime minister is offering to meet with protesters occupying the entrance to the president’s office, saying he would listen to their ideas for resolving the economic, social and political crisis facing the country. The protesters have camped out for a

MADRID (AP) — Spanish police have confiscated a huge hemp plantation in the northern province of Navarra and arrested three suspected growers. Spain’s Civil Guard said on Wednesday that the 1,025-acre ((415-hectare) plantation was the largest of its kind in Europe. Police say the owner reported that his crop was for industrial use. But investigators

BERLIN (AP) — A group of leading economic think tanks has slashed its forecast for growth in Germany this year. They predicted on Wednesday that Europe’s biggest economy will expand by 2.7% as Russia’s war in Ukraine weighs on prospects. The think tanks forecast an even worse performance if Russian gas supplies are cut off

BEIJING (AP) — Shanghai says it has released 6,000 more people from medical observation facilities, though the lockdown of most of China’s largest city was continuing in its third week. About 6.6 million people in the city of 25 million were allowed to leave their homes Tuesday, but some were restricted to their own neighborhoods.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An overloaded truck carrying 29 people hit a hillside and overturned near an illegal gold mine in Indonesia’s West Papua province on Wednesday. The crash killed 18 people and left others injured. The truck was crammed with miners and their families who were headed to the capital Manokwari to celebrate Easter.

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares are mostly higher after an advance on Wall Street that ended a three-day losing streak. Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai advanced while Seoul edged lower. Oil prices fell back and U.S. futures climbed. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 rose 1.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial