AP-National

By KATE ASHFORD of NerdWallet A 2023 report from investment firm Vanguard  estimates that about a quarter of Americans age 60 and over could move to a cheaper housing market and use the equity in their homes to upsize their retirement savings — making retirement more secure and enjoyable. In 2019, for instance, those with

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer A U.S. restaurant chain that only serves breakfast, brunch and lunch is keeping its original recipe for success as it evolves in response to changing work patterns. Florida-based First Watch is one of the fastest-growing chains in its category in terms of dollar sales and unit growth, according to

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has shipped around 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia since last year to help support its war in Ukraine. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik shared the assessment at a news conference on Monday, hours after the South

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO and DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — How much does it cost to feel special? At Chuck E- Cheese, the family entertainment and pizza chain, the price is $7.99, $11.99 or $29.99 per month. At the other end of the spectrum, the founder of a shopping app called Long

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the United States, many people are eagerly anticipating the Federal Reserve’s first cut to its benchmark interest rate this year: Prospective home buyers hope for lower mortgage rates. Wall Street traders envision higher stock prices. Consumers are looking for a break on credit card debt

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Nearly 970 million people are eligible to vote in India’s national elections that start Friday and will be held in phases until June 1. The sheer size of India’s population and the logistics of ensuring every voter can cast a ballot make for a daunting task.

By COLLEEN LONG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed an executive order aimed at advancing the study of women’s health by strengthening data collection and providing better funding opportunities for biomedical research. During a reception at the White House on Monday, he also chided Republicans for having “no clue about the

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has underscored the need to ensure that technologies sustain democratic values. He said at the third Summit for Democracy in South Korea on Monday that authoritarian regimes deploy technologies to undermine democracy and human rights. U.S. President Joe Biden first proposed a democracy summit

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish police have detained 12 people after fans of top tier soccer club Trabzonspor invaded the pitch following a home loss against Fenerbahce, touching off violent scuffles between the fans and visiting players. The Trabzonspor fans charged onto the pitch as Fenerbahce players celebrated their 3-2 win following the final whistle

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mixed in Asia after the Bank of Japan hiked its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 17 years, ending a longstanding negative rate policy. In a widely anticipated move, the BOJ raised its overnight call rate to a range of 0 to

By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation. The report, by

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Brisbane Olympics organizers have scrapped plans to demolish and rebuild an iconic cricket ground as the centerpiece of the 2032 Games while also rejecting a review panel’s recommendation for a new stadium in city parklands. Queensland state’s Premier Steven Miles has instead announced he’s decided to upgrade an existing rugby stadium

By MUNIR AHMED and RAHIM FAIEZ Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry and officials say the country’s jets targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside neighboring Afghanistan, attacks that the Afghan Taliban say killed eight people. Monday’s airstrikes also drew return fire from the Afghan Taliban in an escalation that’s likely

By The Associated Press A decade ago, President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine, a bold land grab that set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022. The quick and bloodless seizure of the diamond-shaped peninsula, home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet and a popular vacation site, touched off a wave of

By EMMA BURROWS, DASHA LITVINOVA and JIM HEINTZ Associated Press President Vladimir Putin has extended his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose outcome was never in doubt, declaring his determination to advance deeper into Ukraine and dangling new threats against the West. After the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times, it was

By The Associated Press Spring gets its official start Tuesday in the Northern Hemisphere. This year’s vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday. But what does that mean? The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle as it travels around the sun. On the equinox, the Earth’s orbit lines up so both hemispheres get the same amount

By ZIMO ZHONG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks advanced Monday ahead of policy decisions this week by Japan’s central bank and the Federal Reserve. Oil prices and U.S. futures rose. Chinese data for January-February were mixed, with property investment falling while other indicators showed improvement. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index jumped

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has begun a diplomatic tour of New Zealand and Australia, meeting with his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters in Wellington. Wang is the most senior Chinese official to visit New Zealand since his previous trip in 2017. New Zealand has had strong economic ties with

By ZEN SOO AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China has reported its manufacturing and investment improved in the first two months of the year, while weakness in the property sector weighed on the economy. The National Bureau of Statistics said industrial output rose 7% from a year earlier in January-February, better than analysts

By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press The lack of excitement many Americans feel about a presidential rematch has heightened interest in alternatives to the major-party candidates, none more so than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose famous name has helped him build buzz for his independent bid. Kennedy is a huge longshot to win Electoral College