AP National Business

GENEVA (AP) — After a nearly 2-1/2-year hiatus, the Swiss town of Davos is set to again host global elites from business, government and activist groups for the World Economic Forum. Russia’s war in Ukraine and climate change worries are expected to be on many minds at the event starting Monday as concern over the

LONDON (AP) — Google says its Russian subsidiary is planning to file for bankruptcy because it can’t pay staff and suppliers. Russian state media reported Wednesday that the U.S. tech company’s Russian subsidiary submitted notice of its intention to declare bankruptcy to a national registry. The company said in a press statement that the seizure

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Workers at a Target store in Christiansburg, Virginia, have withdrawn their request with federal union regulators for a union election. Such an election would have joined a wave of union organizing across the country at other retailers from Amazon to Starbucks. The petition was filed

By AMIR VAHDAT Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A United Nations special envoy says that the sweeping U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran have badly impacted the country’s economy and worsened the humanitarian situation in the Persian Gulf nation. Alena Douhan, the U.N. special rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday

By ZEKE MILLER and MIKE STOBBE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States – and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. Increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are putting

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The pandemic vastly changed the way Americans spend money and now as they return to pre-pandemic behavior, they’re tripping up retailers again. That dynamic has only been intensified in recent months as inflation jumps sharply, and the latest financial report from Target underscore the challenges.

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations is significantly lowering its forecast for global economic growth this year from 4% to 3.1%. In a new report Wednesday, it says the war in Ukraine has triggered increasing global food and commodity prices and exacerbated inflationary pressures, upending the fragile recovery

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO envoys failed to reach a consensus Wednesday on whether to start membership talks with Finland and Sweden, diplomats said, as Turkey renewed its objections to the two Nordic countries joining. The envoys met at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels after Finland and Sweden’s ambassadors submitted written applications

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is urging member countries to quickly replenish their depleted stocks of ammunition and military equipment. It’s ready to offer financial incentives to those willing to work together to replace materiel, some of which has been sent to help Ukraine. Many of the EU’s 27 member countries have sent equipment

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Qatar has committed to investing 4.7 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in Spain as the European country launches an economic overhaul with its share of European Union pandemic recovery funds. Qatar’s emir, Shekih Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made the announcement at a gala dinner held Tuesday by

By HALELUYA HADERO Associated Press A state agency in New York has filed an administrative complaint against Amazon, alleging the e-commerce giant discriminated against pregnant and disabled workers by denying reasonable accommodations and forcing them to take unpaid leave. Gov. Kathy Hochul made the announcement on Wednesday. Her office said Amazon employs in-house consultants who

By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — When Chandler Jones realized she was pregnant during her junior year of college, she turned to a trusted source for information and advice. Her cellphone. “I couldn’t imagine before the internet, trying to navigate this,” said Jones, 26, who graduated Tuesday from the University of Baltimore School

By OLEKSANDR STASHEVSKYI and CIARAN McQUILLAN Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Nearly 1,000 last-ditch Ukrainian fighters who had held out inside Mariupol’s pulverized steel plant have surrendered, Russia said Wednesday, as the battle that turned the city into a worldwide symbol of defiance and suffering drew toward a close. Meanwhile, the first captured Russian

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell sharply in afternoon trading on Wall Street Wednesday, led by led by steep drops in retailers as Target plunged after issuing a grim quarterly earnings report. The S&P 500 fell 2.9% as of 12:03 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell

By LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The wedding industry remains fraught with waste, but a growing contingent of brides and grooms is pushing for more sustainable changes, from the way they invite guests to the food they serve and the clothes they wear. The wedding resource The Knot estimates that more than

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s health minister says the government plans to spend another 830 million euros ($872 million) to buy new coronavirus vaccines that will allow the country to deal with a series of possible variants this fall. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Wednesday that the country “must be prepared for all eventualities” and wants

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) — A 168-year-old company in New Hampshire known for its handwoven, hardwood baskets is closing its factory and stopping production, partly because of an insect pest that has been destroying ash trees. The Peterboro Basket Company has been in business since 1854. The company said in a recent announcement that the baskets

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press BONN, Germany (AP) — Ahead of the G7 finance ministers’ meetings, the U.S. Treasury, several global development banks and other groups have unveiled a multi-billion dollar plan meant to address a worldwide food security crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Treasury announced Wednesday that several global development banks are

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Target’s first-quarter profit took a big hit from higher costs, despite strong sales growth. Target’s results Wednesday reflect the pressure on retailers’ profits coming from surging inflation and persistent clogs in the supply chain. Minneapolis-based Target reported that its net income fell 52% from a

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press BONN, Germany (AP) — The U.S., several global development banks and other groups have unveiled a multi-billion dollar plan to stave off a worldwide food security crisis worsened by Russia’s war in Ukraine, a key danger facing an increasingly fragile world economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning that high