AP National Business

By JUSTIN SPIKE, PAUL WISEMAN and VANESSA GERA Associated Press BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — From appliance stores in the United States to food markets in Hungary and gas stations in Poland, rising consumer prices are putting a pinch on households and businesses worldwide. As economies recover from pandemic lockdowns, increased consumer demand, high energy costs

The Associated Press The Conference Board delivers its monthly index of U.S. consumer confidence Tuesday. The Federal Reserve serves up a report Wednesday based on its survey of business conditions across the U.S. Economists predict hiring in the U.S. accelerated in November for the second month in a row.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mixed as investors continue to cautiously weigh how much damage the new omicron coronavirus variant may unleash on the global economy. Benchmarks in Japan and Australia rose, but shares fell in South Korea. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was trading lower, while the Shanghai

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Nissan is investing 2 trillion yen, or nearly $18 billion, over the next five years and developing a cheaper, more powerful battery to boost its electric vehicle lineup. The Japanese automaker’s chief executive, Makoto Uchida, said 15 new electric vehicles will be available by fiscal 2030.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Lee Enterprises newspaper chain has adopted a “poison-pill” plan to protect itself from a hostile takeover while it considers an unsolicited offer from hedge fund Alden Global Capital to buy Lee for $24 a share. The plan would take effect if Alden gains control of more than 10% of Lee’s

By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The World Health Organization has urged countries not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant. WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel

By ALEXANDER VERSHININ Associated Press ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — The leaders of several Asian countries have called for boosting economic ties with Afghanistan and pledged to provide assistance to the Afghan people during a summit in Turkmenistan. The countries, which are part of the 10-nation Economic Cooperation Organization that includes Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press PRAGUE (AP) — Thousands have rallied in the Czech capital to protest the government’s restrictive measures to tackle a record surge of coronavirus infections. The protesters included supporters of a number of fringe political parties and groups that failed to win any parliamentary seats in October’s election. The participants didn’t

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands has moved into a tougher lockdown that was announced amid spiking infection rates even before the country recorded its first confirmed cases of the new, more highly transmissible omicron variant. Bars, restaurants, non-essential stores, cinemas and theaters were among the public places forced to shut

By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As demand for renewable energy surges, “community solar” installations are popping up around the U.S. They’re larger than home rooftop systems but smaller than utility-scale complexes. Community solar gardens are located atop buildings, or on abandoned factory grounds and farms. Customers subscribe to portions of energy

By DANICA KIRKA and TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell spent the first half of her life with her father, a rags-to-riches billionaire who looted his companies’ pension funds. She spent the second with another tycoon, Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while facing charges he sexually abused teenage girls. Now, after

By DANICA KIRKA and TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell spent the first half of her life with her father, a rags-to-riches billionaire who looted his companies’ pension funds. She spent the second with another tycoon, Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while facing charges he sexually abused teenage girls. Now, after

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco is suspending all incoming air travel from around the world starting Monday for two weeks because of the rapid spread of the new omicron variant of the virus. The government’s committee in charge of monitoring COVID-19 announced the move Sunday, tweeting that the decision was taken to “preserve the achievements

BANGOR, Maine (AP) — University of Maine researchers are trying to produce potatoes that can better withstand warming temperatures as the climate changes. Gregory Porter is a professor of crop ecology and management. He says warming temperatures and an extended growing season can lead to quality problems and disease for the state’s potato crop. Maine

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people have rallied in Belgrade to demand an end to alarming levels of air pollution in Serbia due to the use of coal-fired power plants and other factors The environmental protest comes a day after other environmental demonstrators blocked bridges and roads in several locations in Serbia, and scuffled

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Police in Washington state are investigating a shooting at a shopping mall that left one person seriously wounded and sent hundreds of Black Friday shoppers fleeing for exits or hiding in stores. As of Saturday afternoon, no arrests had been reported in the previous night’s shooting at the Tacoma Mall, south

DAISY NGUYEN Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A security guard has died after he was shot while protecting a San Francisco Bay Area television news crew. KRON-TV said Saturday that the station was devastated by the loss of Kevin Nishita. The former police officer was an armed guard who provided security for many reporters

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Skirmishes have erupted in Serbia between police and anti-government demonstrators who briefly blocked roads and bridges in the Balkan country in protest against new laws they say favor interests of foreign investors who are devastating the environment. Hundreds of people on Saturday appeared simultaneously in the capital Belgrade, the northern city

By DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court has ordered five people to remain in pre-trial detention for two months pending an investigation into a devastating blast in a coal mine in Siberia that resulted in dozens of deaths. Authorities reported 51 deaths after a methane explosion rocked the Listvyazhnaya mine in

By LORI HINNANT and DANICA KIRKA Associated Press CALAIS, France (AP) — Migrant smuggling networks organizing English Channel crossings have reaped tens of millions of euros this year. 2021 has been the busiest and deadliest ever recorded. Police and aid workers say the price per person varies depending on the network between 3,000 and 7,000

By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Worried scientists in South Africa are scrambling to combat the lightning spread across the country of the new and highly transmissible omicron COVID-19 variant as the world grapples with its emergence. The omicron variant has sent South Africa from a period of low transmission to rapid growth

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus has popped up in more European countries, just days after being identified in South Africa., leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread. The U.K. on Saturday tightened its rules on mask-wearing and on testing

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal investigators say an oil tanker hit an oil platform at night off Louisiana because its Turkish operating company didn’t give the ship’s master time to recover from 50 hours of sleepless travel. Nobody was hurt in the crash early Oct. 17, 2020. But the National

By ELODIE SOUPAMA and ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press LE GOSIER, Guadeloupe (AP) — France’s government is offering to discuss greater autonomy for the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The island has been wracked by virus-related rioting and strikes that reflect long-running frustrations over inequality with the French mainland. The overnight offer by the government minister

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Postal workers who recall packages and letters piled up in distribution hubs a year ago are gearing up for another holiday crush. The Postal Service and private shippers UPS and FedEx are bolstering their hiring by bringing in about 230,000 seasonal workers to ensure they don’t

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian government has asked Starlink Internet Services of Elon Musk’s SpaceX aerospace company to comply with the country’s regulatory framework before offering its satellite-based internet services. A Communications Ministry statement late Friday said that because Starlink is not the holder of a license, the public is advised not to subscribe

By BARRY HATTON Associated Press LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s new law on working from home has grabbed attention around the world for the way it protects staff. Under the new rules, companies can’t attempt to contact their employees outside working hours. They must also help staff pay for their home gas, electric and internet

BEIJING (AP) — Macao police have detained the head of Macao’s biggest casino junket organizer and others after Chinese authorities issued an arrest warrant for them over accusations that they ran an illegal cross-border gambling syndicate. The arrests in the gambling enclave came after prosecutors in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang on Friday

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The World Trade Organization is postponing its conference set to open Tuesday after Switzerland initiated new travel restrictions following the emergence of a worrying new coronavirus variant, officials said. The MC12 conference at WTO headquarters in Geneva was set to take up key issues like a long-awaited

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

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s government has launched measures to discourage foreign travel as a way to protect the country’s thin dollar reserves ahead of heavy debt payments. The Central Bank on Friday banned use of credit card installment payments for airline flights and other tourist services abroad. Argentina is trying to renegotiate repayment

The Associated Press Stocks closed sharply lower after a coronavirus variant from South Africa appeared to be spreading across the globe. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 905 points. The S&P 500 index fell 2.3%, its worst day since February and the Nasdaq composite had its worst drop in two months. Travel and energy stocks

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: Delta, Carnival fall; Moderna, Clorox rise.

By MARIA CHENG and HALELUYA HADERO A coronavirus variant recently identified in South Africa is leading to a new round of travel restrictions just as many had finally begun to ease. The risks of the new variant are largely unknown, but governments around the world are not waiting for scientists to better understand the variant

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has recommended an overhaul of the nation’s oil and gas leasing program to focus on areas that are most suitable for energy development and raise costs for energy companies to drill on public lands and water. The long-awaited report by the Interior Department on

HAYDEN, Ala. (AP) — Authorities are trying to figure out how hundreds of FedEx packages ended up dumped in the woods in Alabama. The Blount County Sheriff’s Office says 300 to 400 packages of various sizes were found in a ravine near the small town of Hayden on Wednesday. Sheriff Mark Moon said deputies were

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Mario Draghi says a bilateral treaty signed with French President Emmanuel Macron to deepen bilateral cooperation will in turn strengthen the European Union. Draghi told a joint press conference with Macron Friday that the treaty deepens cooperation “in crucial sectors, from security to justice, from research to industry.” That includes

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says it will ease its restrictions on exporting COVID-19 vaccines. The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Friday that as of January it will no longer require vaccine producers to request special authorization to export outside the 27-nation bloc. Earlier this year when vaccines

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL AP Science Writer NEW DELHI (AP) — The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, has resumed exports of coronavirus vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX distribution program after halting most overseas sales in March. The company was to have been COVAX’s main supplier, but an explosion of cases in India

by KELVIN CHAN AP Business Writer Climate activists have blockaded Amazon warehouses in three European countries. It’s part of a global effort to pressure the ecommerce giant on one of its busiest days of the year to improve working conditions and end business practices that hurt the environment. Members of Extinction Rebellion targeted 15 Amazon

SHONAL GANGULY Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of jubilant Indian farmers waving green and white flags have marked the anniversary of their movement by celebrating a victory that forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw agriculture laws the farmers feared would drastically reduce their incomes. Using tractors, jeeps and cars, farmers from New

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Cabinet has approved a $6.8 billion request for an extra defense budget through March to expedite the purchase of missiles, anti-submarine rockets and other weapons amid rising concern over the escalation of military activities by China, Russia and North Korea. The request, still pending parliamentary approval,

BEIRUT (AP) — A group of protesters have stormed a ministry building in Beirut as the Lebanese pound hit a new low amid a worsening economic and political stalemate. The protesters who stormed the Ministry of Social Affairs on Friday said conditions in the crisis-hit country have become unbearable as a result of the rapid

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s government has refused to back calls for a swift and sharp lockdown to curb the country’s worsening coronavirus situation, which has seen daily confirmed cases hit a new peak. Health Minister Jens Spahn said contacts between people need to be sharply reduced, warning Friday that “the

By TALI ARBEL and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — On this year’s Black Friday, things almost seem normal. Malls and stores report decent-sized crowds, if not the floods of people that used to fight over the latest toys and electronics. Online shopping is much too common for that now, and big

By OLEG CETINIC and THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press CALAIS, France (AP) — French fishing crews have briefly blocked French ports, ferry traffic across the English Channel and the freight entrance to the Eurotunnel to disrupt the flow of goods to the U.K., in a protest over post-Brexit fishing licenses. It’s the latest tension point between

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has drawn up plans to help people better understand when they are seeing political ads online and who is responsible for them. The proposals are aimed at ensuring fair and transparent polls or referendums. They would ban political targeting and methods used to reach

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s economy slowed in the third quarter, posting a slight contraction compared to the previous three months, though it was still well above the same quarter a year earlier. Data released Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography showed Mexico experienced a 0.4% quarterly contraction. The director of Moody’s

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan’s autocratic president has put his only son in charge of the Central Asian nation’s energy sector. The move further expands his clout in a move seen as laying the foundations for a political dynasty. According to a report Thursday by the official daily Neutral Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov told his

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, N.M. (AP) — A stillness enveloped Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico as Native American leaders gathered under a warm sun. They made the trip to Chaco Culture National Historic Park on Monday to celebrate a recent decision by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland

MADRID (AP) — Metalworkers in the southern Spanish province of Cadiz are returning to work after trade unions reached a pay agreement with employers. The agreement was approved by workers in a ballot Thursday. The open-ended strike began Nov. 16, with street protests at times turning violent as riot police clashed with strikers and their

By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s top court has ruled that the country’s widely criticized Job Creation Law is unconstitutional and ordered the government to amend it within two years. The law, passed last year, triggered days of protests in many cities that turned violent as thousands of enraged students and

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will continue providing natural gas to Serbia on terms favorable to its ally. Putin voiced confidence Thursday that a new contract for gas supplies to Serbia would be signed quickly to replace the current one that expires at year-end.  Putin said at the start of

By SARAH RANKIN Associated Press ABINGDON, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man is fighting to hang on to $9,000 in unemployment benefits that the state gave him when his compressor plant closed in 2018. The Virginia Employment Commission is trying to get those benefits back. Ernest Ray’s attorney says the case illustrates a radically dysfunctional

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A year after new owners took over Bally’s casino in Atlantic City, a $100 million facelift is underway involving hotel rooms, the casino floor and more. Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation bought the Boardwalk property last November, and company chairman Soo Kim says “the jury is

By SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — While many workers deemed essential in their respective states have already received pandemic hazard pay or hero pay, there are thousands more still waiting for the same financial pat-on-the-back. Many work in places like Connecticut, Minnesota and cities around the country that are still trying to

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prime minister says that starting in December the government will cut tax on fuels and on energy and will offer bonuses next year to counter inflation that has reached it highest level since 2001. Premier Mateusz Morawiecki said Thursday that the so-called “anti-inflation shield” will cost the government some 10

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis says he’s praying that God will help Lebanon “get up” and get back on its feet following an unprecedented economic crisis that has thrown three quarters of the country’s 6 million people including a million Syrian refugees into poverty. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met

By MIKE CORDER and MARIA CHENG Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The European Union drug regulator has authorized Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children from 5 to 11 years old. Thursday’s move clears the way for shots to be administered to millions of elementary school pupils amid a new wave of infections

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers buoyed by solid hiring, healthy pay gains and substantial savings are returning to stores and splurging on all types of items. But the big question is how much will supply shortages, higher prices and staffing issues dampen shoppers’ mood this holiday season. Shoppers, already

By ZEN SOO and HUIZHONG WU Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A renowned Chinese fashion photographer has apologized for her past work after online critics called it insulting to the Chinese people and fashion house Dior removed one of her photos from a show in Shanghai. Chen Man apologized in a social media post

By SOPHENG CHEANG Associated Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has opened a virtual meeting of Asian and European leaders with a call for sustainable and shared global growth as the world seeks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty European countries and 21 Asian countries, along with multinational organizations,

By DARIA LITVINOVA and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials say 52 miners and rescuers have died after a devastating blast in a Siberian coal mine about 250 meters (820 feet) underground. Hours after a methane gas explosion and fire filled the mine with toxic fumes, rescuers found 14 bodies but then

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says it will launch a task force to consider outlawing dog meat consumption after the country’s president offered to look into ending the centuries-old practice. The government on Thursday stopped short of saying the task force would ban dog meat. The seemingly vague

By DAVID McHUGH, EMILY SCHULTHEIS and JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Some of Europe’s Christmas markets are warily opening amid surging coronavirus infections. In Germany, the picturesque Frankfurt market is open over a wider area to thin out the crowds. Markets in Budapest are fenced off and customers have to show proof

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of “a very sad day” as her country became the latest to surpass 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The national disease control agency said Thursday it recorded 351 additional deaths over the past 24 hours, taking the total COVID-19

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets have declined as traders weigh the impact of a surge in coronavirus cases in Europe and anti-disease controls that threaten to disrupt trade and travel. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney declined. Austria has imposed a nationwide lockdown, while Italy imposed curbs on

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police are hunting for thieves who rushed into a Southern California Nordstrom store Wednesday night and ran off with pricey goods. It’s the latest in a string of organized retail thefts that have hit high-end stores. Police say five people entered the open Nordstrom shortly before 7 p.m. at

By ROGER SCHNEIDER Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — The FBI’s confirmation last week that it was looking at a spot next to a New Jersey landfill as a possible burial site for former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is the latest chapter in a search that began when he disappeared in 1975. Many of the theories

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president has nominated the first woman to serve as governor of the country’s central bank, saying that getting women into high office was a priority. The move comes one day after another female justice was named to the Supreme Court. But there was little room for celebration about the nomination

The Associated Press Stocks ended with scant gains after another wobbly day of trading on Wall Street Wednesday as the market remained unsettled ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The S&P 500 edged higher, even as slightly more stocks fell than rose. The index, which set a record high last Thursday, was pushed and pulled by

Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Gap, Nordstrom fall; Deere, Pure Storage rise.

By MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland is directing U.S. attorneys across the nation to swiftly prioritize prosecution of federal crimes that happen on commercial flights. The directive comes as federal officials face a historic number of investigations into passenger behavior. The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month that

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

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California regulators are denying most permits for the controversial oil and gas extraction process known as fracking, years ahead of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2024 ban. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that state oil regulators have denied 109 fracking permits in 2021, more than any prior year. Fifty of the permits were

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials in discussions earlier this month said the central bank “would not hesitate” to take appropriate actions to address inflation pressures that posed risks to the economy. In minutes released Wednesday of the Fed’s Nov. 2-3 meeting, Fed officials maintained that the spike in

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — More than 2,000 people have rallied in Belgrade against Serbian government policies that they say favor investors over the interests of the Balkan nation’s citizens and its environment. The crowd on Wednesday evening gathered outside the Serbian presidency building in central Belgrade, blocking traffic, and later marched toward the parliament and

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homebuilders and other real estate companies are increasingly betting that would-be homebuyers frustrated with a shortage of homes for sale and runaway prices will settle for renting their slice of the American Dream. Homebuilders have stepped up construction this year of new houses being built

By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Pres TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s deputy foreign minister has canceled meetings with Belgian officials after a decision by Brussels to begin labeling products made in Jewish West Bank settlements. Idan Roll said Wednesday on Twitter he was scrapping meetings with the Belgian Foreign Ministry and parliament during a visit

DENVER (AP) — A federal judge has ordered two lawyers who filed a class action lawsuit alleging the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump to pay more than $180,000 in attorney’s fees for the defendants. U.S. Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter said the lawsuit was a publicity stunt to manipulate “gullible members of

By MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Many Brazilians felt bearish about the new Wall Street-inspired bull sculpture outside the stock exchange, and didn’t have to wait long for it to crash: The statue has been removed a week after it was installed. The exchange had hoped to bestow the rundown city center

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish riot police have dispersed a protest in Istanbul by demonstrators denouncing the government’s economic policies and the surging cost of living. The protesters, mostly members of left-wing groups, were starting to gather in Istanbul’s Kadikoy district on Wednesday, when police intervened. The protesters were chanting slogans calling for President Recep Tayyip

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s government has approved the purchase of 12 used Rafale fighter jets from France worth about 1 billion euros to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-era aircraft and strengthen its air force amid lingering tensions in the Balkans. The contract is expected to be signed during the visit of French President

LONDON (AP) — Collins Dictionary has chosen the term NFT as its word of the year after surging interest in the digital tokens that can sell for millions of dollars brought it into the mainstream.  NFT is short for non-fungible token. Collins defines it as “a unique digital certificate, registered in a blockchain, that is

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal is reporting its highest number of new daily COVID-19 infections since July amid a surge in cases across Europe. Hospitalizations are rising more slowly in the country where 86% of people are vaccinated. The Portuguese government is due to announce on Thursday what new pandemic restrictions it is introducing, seven

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer Deere & Co. said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped 69% on strong sales of its agricultural and construction equipment despite a monthlong strike that began near the end of the period. The Moline, Illinois-based company said Wednesday that it earned $1.28 billion, or $4.12 per share, in the quarter

By DANIEL NIEMANN and FRANK JORDANS Associated Press ESCHWEILER, Germany (AP) — Germany is inching toward the mark of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. The country’s leader-in-waiting announced plans Wednesday to create an expert team at the heart of the next government to provide daily scientific advice on tackling the coronavirus pandemic. German officials including outgoing

ATLANTA (AP) — State environmental regulators are proposing a $3 million fine for the Hyundai Glovis Co. logistics and shipping firm after a cargo ship carrying vehicles capsized and polluted ocean waters off the Georgia coast. In an order posted Tuesday, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division said that pollutants, petroleum products and debris from the

By STEPHEN McGRATH Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Russian gas giant Gazprom says it has has granted Moldova a two-day extension to settle outstanding payments of nearly $74 million, stepping back from a threat to cut gas exports to the small Eastern European nation. The original deadline for the payment, which covers Moldova’s gas

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Friday that “he truly regrets” a quip he made this week about JPMorgan outlasting the Chinese Communist Party. Dimon was speaking at an event in Boston where he noted that both his bank and the Communist Party were celebrating

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s government says it will seek support in parliament to reintroduce mandates for wearing face masks in public places amid a rise in coronavirus cases. The new regulation would cover public transportation, hospitals and medical facilities and shops among other places. It would also expand the use of the country’s COVID-19

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that nullified a voter-passed amendment to the state constitution that would have legalized recreational marijuana use. Gov. Kristi Noem instigated the legal fight to strike down the amendment passed by voters in November. The

The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. mortgage rates were mixed this week. The average rate on the benchmark 30-year, fixed rate home loan was unchanged from last week at 3.1%; a year ago, it stood at 2.72%. Fifteen-year, fixed rate mortgage rates blipped up to 2.42% from 2.39% last week; it was 2.28% a

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Subway sandwich chain co-founder Peter Buck has died. He was 90. Subway says Buck died on Nov. 18 at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut. The cause of his death was not disclosed. Buck gave family friend Fred DeLuca $1,000 in 1965 to open a sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The shop

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s energy regulator is looking to appoint an administrator to oversee the latest business casualty in the country’s domestic energy market following the demand-led spike in gas prices. Ofgem said Wednesday that the 1.7 million customers of Bulb, the biggest company to fall victim to the big

By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince have overseen the signing of a series of cooperation agreements as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates repair ties and increase economic ties. The visit by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, seen as the

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says the massive spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is threatening the bloc’s recovery from the deep economic slump caused by last year’s onset of the pandemic. And medical experts said the situation could get much worse. EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Authorities in Cyprus say they will deny access to indoor areas such as shopping malls, restaurants and supermarkets to anyone who hasn’t received a third booster shot seven months after being vaccinated against COVID-19. The health minister said Wednesday the measure will take effect on Dec. 18 as the east Mediterranean