AP National Business

By DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Google says it plans to expand its cloud services infrastructure to Greece, promising to create nearly 20,000 jobs through direct investment and partnerships by the end of the decade. The move announced Thursday follows two-year-old plans by Microsoft to invest $1 billion to create data centers

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Bed Bath & Beyond’s sales declined 28% in its fiscal second quarter, but the performance managed to meet Wall Street’s expectations. The Union, New Jersey-based home goods retailer reported sales of $1.44 billion for the three months ended Aug. 27. That compares with sales of $1.99 billion a year

By JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — NATO believes that damage to two natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea is the result of sabotage. The military alliance says it will retaliate for any attacks on the critical infrastructure of its 30 member countries. The warning came as a fourth leak was

By CIARÁN GILES Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Socialist-led coalition government says residents whose wealth exceeds 3 million euros ($2.9 million) will be subject to a new asset tax in 2023 and 2024. Finance Minister María Jesús Montero said Thursday that the temporary wealth tax would affect 23,000 people, or 0.1 % of taxpayers.

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of millions of small U.S. companies will soon be required to submit details on their owners and others who benefit from them. Under a new regulation finalized Thursday, the Treasury Department will create a database containing personal information on the owners of at least 32 million

By SYLVIE CORBET The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — European Union nations are continuing to import and export nuclear fuel that is not under EU sanctions on Russia. The Ukrainian government and environmental activists want the ongoing trade to end. A ship carrying uranium that departed from France was heading toward the Russian port of

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Battered by surging consumer prices and rising interest rates, the U.S. economy shrank at a 0.6% annual rate from April through June, the government announced Thursday, unchanged from its previous second-quarter estimate. It marked the second consecutive quarter of economic contraction, one informal rule of thumb

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits dropped last week, a sign that few companies are cutting jobs despite high inflation and a weak economy. Applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Sept. 24 fell by 16,000 to 193,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany plans to spend up to 200 billion euros helping consumers and businesses cope with the surge in energy prices. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Thursday that the government is reactivating an economic stabilizing fund previously used during the global financial crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. Scholz said Russia’s decision to cut back

By VESELIN TOSHKOV Associated Press SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarians will go to the polls for the fourth time in less than two years in a general election overshadowed this time by the war in Ukraine, rising energy costs and galloping inflation. Pollsters expect that voters’ fatigue and disillusionment with the political system will result

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan says it will end mandatory COVID-19 quarantines for people arriving from overseas beginning Oct. 13. The Central Epidemic Command Center announced Thursday that the previous weeklong requirement will be replaced with a seven-day self-monitoring period. A rapid antigen test will still be required upon arrival, but those showing no symptoms

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Shares in luxury automaker Porsche have risen on their first day of public trading. The maker of the 911 sports car made its market debut Thursday on the Frankfurt stock exchange. Parent company Volkswagen carried out an initial public offering that is one of the

By JON GAMBRELL and ADAM SCHRECK Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia planned to annex more of Ukraine on Friday in an escalation of the seven-month war that was expected to isolate the Kremlin further, draw more international punishment and bring Ukraine extra military, political and economic support. The annexation — and planned celebratory

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will host a forum to highlight how coronavirus pandemic relief dollars have helped support Black- and minority-owned businesses. The Treasury Department says the importance of making sure the community finance system supports minority businesses will be “front and

By STEPHEN McGRATH and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the United States has been elected to head the U.N.’s telecommunications agency. She won a U.S.-Russia face-off for the leadership of a global agency that sets guideposts for radio, internet, satellite and television communications. The result on Thursday ended a

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s future NATO membership will make the Nordic country a more interesting target for Russian intelligence and influencing operations, and Moscow may seek to acquire NATO-related intelligence through its neighbor, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service said on Thursday. In its national security review, the agency known by the abbreviation SUPO said

By JILL LAWLESS and DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Liz Truss has defended her economic plan that roiled financial markets, saying she’s willing to make “difficult decisions” to get the economy growing. Truss gave her first public comments Thursday since her government last week announced billions in unfunded tax cuts

By STEPHEN McGRATH Associated Press SIGHISOARA, Romania (AP) — In a dingy basement, chinchillas bred to provide the fashion industry with their fur bite the wire of cages that are stacked floor-to-ceiling with no natural light, as their babies struggle across the wire-mesh floors. The scene captured on video is among the findings from an

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks sank again Friday after German inflation spiked higher, British Prime Minister Liz Truss defended a tax-cut plan that rattled investors and Chinese manufacturing weakened. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney retreated. Oil prices edged lower. Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index fell 2.1% on

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Chinese billionaire, one of the richest people in the world, is heading to trial in Minneapolis to defend himself against allegations that he raped a former University of Minnesota student after a night of dinner and drinks in 2018. Richard Liu, the founder and former CEO

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says Australia could have tough new data protection laws in place this year in an urgent response to a cyberattack that stole from a telecommunications company the personal data of 9.8 million customers. Dreyfus said Thursday the government will make “urgent reforms” to

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon says it’s raising its average starting pay for frontline workers from $18 to $19 a hour. That could help it attract more employees in a tight labor market as the holiday season approaches. The company said that beginning in October, warehouse and transportation workers

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer With roosters crowing in the background as he speaks from the crowded refugee camp in Bangladesh that’s been his home since 2017, Maung Sawyeddollah, 21, describes what happened when violent hate speech and disinformation targeting the Rohingya minority in Myanmar began to spread on Facebook. “We were good with

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than 900 would-be pot shop operators have applied for a chance to open New York state’s first legal dispensaries for recreational marijuana. The state Office of Cannabis Management tweeted the news Wednesday. The state has said it plans to issue about 150 licenses in this first round, which was open

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Saudi-funded LIV Golf is denying a report that it was close to a U.S. television deal in which it would buy time to be shown on FS1. Golfweek is citing sources as saying LIV Golf is nearing an agreement to buy time. LIV Golf issued a statement that the

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The two biggest U.S. railroad unions are fighting rumors that they might impose a contract on their members even if they reject the deals that prevented a nationwide strike that could have devastated the economy. The unions are emphasizing the potential benefits of the contracts

The Associated Press Stocks on Wall Street soared to their first gain in more than a week as some calm returns to financial markets around the world. The S&P 500 jumped 2% Wednesday for its best day in seven weeks. That snapped Wall Street’s longest losing streak since the coronavirus crash in February 2020. Bond

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Wednesday: Biogen, Thor rise; Apple, Equitrans Midstream fall.

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two new laws in California will let developers bypass local governments to build housing on commercial land. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws Wednesday aimed at increasing housing production. Both laws would let developers bypass local laws to build housing on land set aside for businesses. One

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for November delivery rose $3.65 to $82.15 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for November delivery rose $3.05 to $89.32 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for October delivery rose 9 cents to $2.58 a gallon. October heating oil rose 19 cents to $3.45 a gallon. October natural gas rose 22

By KEN SWEET and JAY REEVES The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Regions Bank for a second time in a decade was found charging illegal overdraft fees in a settlement that will require the bank to repay $141 million to customers plus $50 million in fines. An investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Soon enough, a bedside Amazon device might know whether you’re sleeping — or not. The e-commerce and tech giant said Wednesday that it will release a device that can track sleeping patterns without a wristband. The Halo Rise device will use no-contact sensors and artificial

By ALEX DANIELS of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy As the number of immigrants seeking court permission to avoid deportation grows, foundations in Los Angeles have joined with local governments to direct millions of dollars to pay for lawyers to represent the immigrants, an effort they hope will be copied across the country.

By KATHLEEN FOODY Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Nearly a dozen lawsuits in Illinois accuse gun-maker Smith & Wesson of illegally targeting young men at risk of violence with ads for firearms. The 11 suits filed Wednesday cite the 22-year-old gunman accused of opening fire on a July Fourth parade in suburban Chicago and killing

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss is under pressure to reverse announced tax cuts that have triggered a financial crisis in an already struggling economy. Demands are coming not just from the opposition, but from members of the governing Conservative Party. Conservative lawmakers watched with mounting alarm

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is warning the oil and gas companies against increasing prices for consumers as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida. Biden’s message to the industry is: “Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the

By LORNE COOK and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union officials say the 27-nation bloc should impose “biting sanctions” on Russian trade and hit officials responsible for “sham referendums” held in parts of Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums on joining Russia “are an illegal attempt

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A new government report says oil spills from tankers and pipelines in U.S. dropped dramatically from the last decade of the 1990s to the one from 2010 through 2019. It says the amount spilled and dumped in wastewater from drilling rigs and production platforms has increased

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Austria says it will start checks at its border crossings with Slovakia following a similar decision by the Czech Republic. The government said Wednesday the new measure becomes effective at midnight. The Austrian Interior Ministry says the border controls are intended to prevent migrant-smugglers from using Austria

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — For more than half a century, ABC, CBS and NBC have aired evening newscasts each weeknight on television. This fall, the competition has spread to another medium. With the launch of “CBS News Prime Time” with John Dickerson a few weeks ago, all three networks

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen is holding a share offering for a minority stake in its luxury division, Porsche. And it will rank among the largest in European history. Volkswagen could reap as much as 9.5 billion euros to fund its push into electric cars and software.

By ELDAR EMRIC Associated Press SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik is facing an election this weekend and he has blasted the West and praised Vladimir Putin over his policies in the Balkans. Dodik said late Tuesday that he’s a rare European politician who can meet the Russian president anytime he

By SYLVIE CORBET and JADE LE DELEY PARIS (AP) — A French Senate delegation says sexual and physical abuse in France’s porn industry is “systemic” and lawmakers should better regulate the production of violent videos. The report released on Wednesday was the first prepared for the French parliament to focus on the porn industry. The

By KRISTIN SHAW Edmunds Introduced in 2022, Hyundai’s Elantra N is the higher-octane version of its small value-packed sedan, made for people who secretly want a rally car that can still run errands efficiently. In the same segment, Volkswagen’s Golf GTI has emerged with a redesign inside and out for 2022. One car is the

By ANNIE MILLERBERND of NerdWallet A personal loan can be a good option when you need money, but it typically requires strong credit and high income to qualify. What if you don’t meet the requirements for a personal loan? Consider several alternative ways to get money, such as family loans and cash advances. These options

By ASHRAF KHALIL and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says his administration’s goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by the end of the decade is ambitious but doable, if only the nation would work together. It was the president at his most optimistic, sketching out a future where no

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, MARI YAMAGUCHI and TONG-HYUNG KIM Associated Press YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has said her trip to Asia is intended to shore up American alliances with Japan and South Korea. However, tensions between the two nations have undermined the united front that the U.S. wants to show toward China.

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — China’s yuan has fallen to a 14-year low against the dollar despite central bank efforts to stem the slide after U.S. interest rate hikes prompted traders to convert money into dollars in search of higher returns. A weaker yuan helps Chinese exporters by making their goods

By LORNE COOK and JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European companies are ramping up security around pipelines and energy prices are climbing again as the suspected sabotage of two pipelines that deliver natural gas from Russia underscored the vulnerability of Europe’s energy infrastructure and prompted the EU to warn of possible retaliation.

BEIJING (AP) — A former top graft buster at China’s ministry for intelligence and counterintelligence has been indicted on bribery charges. The case comes just weeks before a major congress of the ruling Communist Party, whose leader Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption a signature issue. Wednesday’s indictment of Liu Yanping, who headed the State

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — A lawyer for Tesla CEO Elon Musk says in court documents that U.S. Securities regulators are unlawfully muzzling his client. In a legal brief appealing a lower court’s decision, the lawyer accuses the Securities and Exchange Commission of violating Musk’s free speech rights. He contends in

BY ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press HAVANA (AP) — Cuban officials said they had begun to restore some power Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island while devastating some of the country’s most important tobacco farms when it hit the island’s western tip as a major storm. At least two people were

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street higher Thursday after Britain’s central bank moved forcefully to stop a budding financial crisis. Market benchmarks in Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney added more than 1%. Shanghai and Tokyo also rose. Oil prices edged lower after jumping by more than

By CURT ANDERSON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Environmental groups say the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry are at risk for leaks or other contamination triggered by Hurricane Ian. More than 1 billion tons are in “stacks” that resemble enormous ponds. Florida has 24 such phosphogypsum stacks around the state,

By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer A trial is underway in the federal government’s lawsuit aiming to kill a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue Airways in the Northeast. The government says the deal is, in effect, a merger that will cost consumers $700 million a year in higher fares. But the airlines say the

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Jabil, Hertz rise; Avidity, Provident Financial fall.

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Armed with a new law that boosts U.S. support for computer chip manufacturing, Vice President Kamala Harris said the administration was looking for new investments and partnerships as she sat down with Japanese technology executives on Wednesday. The morning meeting on her last full

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A union that rejected its deal with the nation’s freight railroads earlier this month now has a new tentative agreement. But officials cautioned that the contract dispute won’t be fully settled until all 12 rail unions approve their agreements this fall. The five-year deal announced

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for November delivery rose $1.79 to $78.50 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for November delivery rose $2.21 to $86.27 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for October delivery rose 11 cents to $2.49 a gallon. October heating oil rose 13 cents to $3.26 a gallon. October natural gas fell 25

By SARA HERSCHANDER of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy As the country’s food charities struggle to keep up with rising inflation and demand, the White House will host a conference on Wednesday. For several months, the Biden administration has hosted listening sessions with hunger and nutrition groups, corporations, and federal agencies to help

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press/Report for America CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning of economic calamity if climate change is not addressed with immediate government intervention. She says the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters could create devastating short-term supply reductions of everyday goods that could cause prices to

EMILY SCHULTHEIS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Economy and Energy Minister says the country will keep two of its remaining three nuclear power plants running until April to help prevent an energy shortage in the coming months. Tuesday’s announcement officially, albeit temporarily, reverses Germany’s long-held plan of shutting down its remaining nuclear plants by

By ADRIANA MORGA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid filing season starts Oct. 1 for the 2023-2024 school year. If you plan to attend college next year, experts say you might want to fill out the FAFSA application as close to the opening date as possible. Many institutions

By RANDALL CHASE AP Business Writer DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge on Tuesday ordered attorneys for billionaire Elon Musk to create a log of certain documents that relate to former Twitter security chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko but not directly to Zatko’s whistleblower complaint against the social media giant. The ruling came near the

By JON SUPER and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has accused the governing Conservatives of losing control of the economy. Keir Starmer says the government “crashed the pound” in order to give “tax cuts for the richest 1 per cent in our society.” Speaking

By The Associated Press Pro-Moscow officials say residents in one of the four occupied areas of Ukraine voted to join Russia in Kremlin-orchestrated referendums. According to Russia-installed election officials in Zaporizhzhia, 93.11% of the ballots cast in the vote were in support of the annexation. Results from three other Ukrainian regions were expected to follow

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish officials say two people have died in a fire at a facility belonging to state-owned oil giant PKN Orlen in central Poland. The fire at the facility near the town of Plock, which includes an oil refinery, was soon extinguished Tuesday, the company said. Iwona Śmigielska-Kowalska, spokesperson for the prosecutors’

By DYLAN LOVAN and TOM KRISHER Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ford will invest $700 million mainly at its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, creating about 500 new jobs over the next four years. The company made the announcement Tuesday after a state board approved incentives Ford’s investment in Kentucky. Most of the money

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers grew more confident for the second month in a row as gas prices continued to fall. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 108 in September, from 103.6 in August. The back-to-back monthly increases follow three straight monthly declines

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that stablecoins will need greater regulation as they become more widely used by consumers. Powell delivered his virtual remarks Tuesday to a conference on digital finance in Paris. Powell said the Fed hasn’t yet decided on whether to proceed with

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III’s new monogram has been unveiled, as the official period of mourning for his mother Queen Elizabeth II came to a close. The emblem, known as the king’s cypher, will appear on government buildings, state documents and some post boxes in the coming months and years. The cypher unveiled Tuesday

By HOPE YEN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — All 50 states have received final approval to begin construction on a first nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations that places one roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways. It’s part of the Biden administration’s plan to spur widespread adoption of zero-emission cars. The Transportation Department

BERLIN (AP) — The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Germany has pushed the country’s population to a new all-time high of more than 84 million. The German Federal Statistical Office reported Tuesday that by the end of June the country’s population increased by 843,000 people, or 1.0%, compared to the end of 2021. In comparison,

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and TOM MURPHY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is teaming up with a fertility startup to offer benefits under its insurance plan that will help its workers expand their families. The nation’s largest retailer and private employer said Tuesday it’s partnering with New York-based Kindbody to offer benefits such as

BOSTON (AP) — Biogen has agreed to pay $900 million to resolve allegations that it violated federal law by paying kickbacks to doctors in the form of speakers and consulting fees to persuade them to prescribe its multiple sclerosis drugs. Federal prosecutors in Boston say the agreement announced Monday settles a whistleblower lawsuit brought by

By NICOLE WINFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press ROME (AP) — The European Commission has signed off on the next 21-billion-euro ($20.2 billion) tranche of Italy’s pandemic recovery funds. The move on Tuesday is a welcome infusion that comes amid questions about whether the euroskeptic party of Giorgia Meloni will be able to keep the

By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press Facebook says it has identified and stopped a sprawling network of fake accounts that spread Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine throughout Western Europe. Facebook parent company Meta says the network created more than 60 websites that mimicked legitimate news organizations but parroted Russian talking points about Ukraine. More

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say more than 60 police officers raided a luxury yacht in northern Germany linked to a Russian businessman, in connection with alleged breaches of sanctions and money laundering rules. German weekly Der Spiegel identified him as oligarch Alisher Usmanov, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. The raid comes the

By LAUREN SCHWAHN of NerdWallet Debt can derail a person’s financial goals and take a toll on their mental health. And if they’ve been turning to you or others for money, those struggles can spread quickly. But as a close friend or relative, you have the potential to set them on the right course. Before

By ADAM SCHRECK and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Kremlin paved the way Tuesday to annex more of Ukraine and escalate the war by claiming that residents of a large swath overwhelmingly supported joining with Russia in stage-managed referendums the U.S. and its Western allies have dismissed as illegitimate. Pro-Moscow officials

By COLLEEN LONG and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has an ambitious goal for America: ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030. The administration’s plan includes expanding monthly benefits that help low-income Americans buy food. It also seeks to promote healthy eating and physical activity so that fewer people are

By The Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Asian Development Bank says it is devoting at least $14 billion through 2025 to help ease a worsening food crisis in the Asia-Pacific. The development lender said it plans a comprehensive program of support to help the 1.1 billion people in the region who lack healthy

By DANICA KIRKA, JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The British pound has stabilized as U.K. authorities tried to ease investor concerns after the biggest tax cuts in 50 years sent the currency tumbling to a record low. Some businesses are predicting a devastating combination of a weak currency and rising

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares tumbled Wednesday after a wobbly day ended with mixed results on Wall Street as markets churn over the prospect of a possible recession. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index sank 2.2% to 25,984.51 while the Kospi in Seoul lost 2.8% to 2,161.86. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA, JAN M. OLSEN and DAVID KEYTON Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Denmark believes “deliberate actions” caused big leaks in two natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, and seismologists said powerful explosions preceded the leaks. European leaders and experts pointed to possible sabotage amid the energy

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s second-largest wireless carrier says police are investigating the release by a purported hacker of stolen personal data from its customers and demanding a $1 million ransom in cryptocurrency. The Australian government has blamed lax cybersecurity at Optus for the breach, which affected 9.8 million people.