AP National Business

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A spokesman says the Cypriot president has scrapped plans to grant free-of-charge, around-the-clock use of state-financed luxury vehicles to top civil servants amid a public outcry over a perceived waste of taxpayers’ money.  Government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said in a statement on Monday that President Nicos Anastasiades instructed the Finance Ministry

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — Ron Deibert does digital counterintelligence for the people. The internet watchdog Citizen Lab that he founded and directs  has been remarkably effective in calling to account governments and private sector firms that use information technology to imperil others. Its digital sleuths at the University of Toronto

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News says it is retooling its streaming service to better incorporate programs and personalities from the television network. The service debuts a new evening newscast on Monday, along with a series of prime-time programs that make use of work done on “60 Minutes,” “CBS

By LIZ WESTON of NerdWallet Although most people are happy in retirement, some retirees report feeling symptoms of depression. In retirement, older people can gain newfound time and hobbies, but they can also lose elements of their former life, such as social interaction and a sense of identity. These struggles could be a risk factor

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has won the first stage of his effort to overturn a U.K. ruling that opened the door for his extradition to U.S. to stand trial on espionage charges. The High Court in London gave Assange permission appeal the case to the U.K. Supreme

LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s battle to avoid extradition to the U.S. will go to Britain’s Supreme Court after he was granted the right to appeal a lower court ruling. The High Court in London on Monday allowed Assange to appeal its decision that he could be sent to the U.S to stand

People who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer allowed in France’s restaurants, bars, tourist sites and sports venues unless they recently recovered from the virus. A new law came into effect Monday requiring a “vaccine pass” that is central to the government’s anti-virus strategy. France is registering Europe’s highest-ever daily coronavirus infection numbers and

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mostly lower in Europe and Asia after Wall Street logged its worst week since the pandemic began in 2020. Investors have been growing increasingly worried about how aggressively the Federal Reserve might act to cool rising inflation. At the same time, outbreaks of the

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities are testing some 2 million residents of Beijing after a series of virus cases prompted concerns two weeks ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics. The new measures in Beijing came as the city of Xi’an lifted a monthlong lockdown on its 13 million

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will expand rapid testing and shorten quarantines as it reshapes its pandemic response to deal with a faster-than-expected surge in coronavirus infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. The number of new infections exceeded 7,000 for a third straight day and was

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mixed in Asia after Wall Street logged its worst week since the pandemic began in 2020. Benchmarks declined in Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney but rose in Tokyo. Shanghai was little changed and U.S. futures were higher. Investors have been growing increasingly worried about

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have lifted a monthlong lockdown of Xi’an and its 13 million residents as infections subside ahead of the Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, the 2 million residents of one Beijing district are being tested following a series of cases in the capital. The government told people in areas of Beijing deemed at

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mixed in Asia after Wall Street logged its worst week since the pandemic began in 2020. Benchmarks declined in Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney but rose in Tokyo. Shanghai was little changed and U.S. futures were higher. Investors have been growing increasingly worried about

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Friday will never be the same in Dubai. The Middle East’s financial hub has shifted its weekend this year from Friday and Saturday to the Western-style Saturday and Sunday along with the rest of the United Arab Emirates. That has thrown Dubai’s beloved institution

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have lifted a monthlong lockdown of Xi’an and its 13 million residents as infections subside ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in less than two weeks. Meanwhile, the 2 million residents of one Beijing district are being tested following a series of cases in the capital. The government told

The Federal Reserve meets on interest-rate policy and announces its decision on Wednesday. The Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation gives its latest monthly update on Friday. Earnings season accelerates with Apple’s latest quarterly results. 

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street logged its worst week since the pandemic began in 2020. Benchmarks declined in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney but rose in Shanghai. U.S. futures were higher. Investors have been growing increasingly worried about how aggressively the

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Business Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The nation’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, is poised to emerge from five years of criminal probation amid worries that it remains too dangerous to be trusted. Over the last five years, the utility became an even more destructive force. More than 100 people

By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lost control of his Chinese-owned social media platform WeChat account and a lawmaker has accused China’s leaders of political interference. Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Monday that Morrison’s 76,000 WeChat followers were notified his page had been renamed

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities have lifted a monthlong pandemic lockdown on the northern Chinese city of Xi’an and its 13 million residents. The announcement Monday followed the restart of commercial flights from the city the day before. Xi’an has been a cornerstone of the ruling Communist Party’s “zero tolerance” strategy toward COVID-19 that mandates lockdowns,