AP National Business

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina city is planning to put up a historical marker to commemorate a nightclub that hosted Black musicians and patrons in the segregated South. The city of Clemson purchased the marker in honor of the Littlejohn Grill. The venue opened after World War II and stayed open until the

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Building materials maker Kingspan says it has agreed with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One racing team to end a partnership deal after protests from families of people who died in a high-rise fire in London. The company said in a statement that it was “ deeply aware

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized and ordered an inquiry after a leaked video showed senior members of his staff joking about holding a lockdown-breaching Christmas party. The video has poured fuel on allegations that government officials flouted coronavirus rules they imposed on everyone else. Johnson

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer says a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears to offer important protection against the new omicron variant. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech tested how well vaccine-produced antibodies could neutralize omicron in lab dishes. They found significant weakening after the standard two doses. But a booster dose increased

MILES BRANMAN Edmunds (AP) — One of the perks of buying a new vehicle is that it offers features that promise a safer and more convenient driving experience. Some technologies have trickled down from luxury to mainstream segments, while others have been introduced quickly across the market. But which features are essential? In this week’s

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization’s European region has recorded a slight drop in both COVID-19 cases and deaths last week after facing a string of weekly increases. The U.N. health agency also noted figures showing that all the 212 confirmed cases of the omicron variant so far identified in 18 European Union countries

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Olaf Scholz has become Germany’s ninth post-World War II chancellor, opening a new era for the European Union’s most populous nation and largest economy after Angela Merkel’s 16-year tenure. Scholz’s government takes office with high hopes of modernizing Germany and combating climate change but faces the immediate

By BUSABA SIVASOMBOON Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s Supreme Court has affirmed a three-year, two-month prison sentence for a top construction tycoon in connection with a poaching incident in a wildlife sanctuary in which a black panther was shot and cooked over a campfire. Premchai Karnasuta is president of Italian-Thai Development PLC, one of

By AMANDA BARROSO of NerdWallet It’s easy to go overboard on gifts for your kids for the holidays, but the result could be a drained bank account and an overstuffed toy bin come January. Money and child development experts point out that setting a holiday spending budget keeps your finances in check and could help

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Angela Merkel is credited with raising Germany’s profile and influence and working to hold a fractious European Union together. She also been lauded for managing a string of crises and being a role model for women in a near-record tenure that ends with her leaving office amid

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Olaf Scholz has taken over as Germany’s new chancellor at the head of a three-party coalition government, ending the 16-year era of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. Scholz will lead a 17-member Cabinet with one more minister than Merkel’s team. Green co-leader Robert Habeck will become vice chancellor.

By FRANK JORDANS Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — The European diplomat chairing nuclear talks between Iran and world powers says negotiations in Vienna will resume Thursday. Enrique Mora tweeted Wednesday that the parties to the 2015 Vienna accord will meet in the Austrian capital after consulting with their governments in recent days. European diplomats had

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A leaked video that shows staff members in British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office joking about holding a lockdown-breaching Christmas party last year is adding fuel to allegations that government officials flouted coronavirus rules they imposed on everyone else. The prime minister’s office has been trying for

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Stocks are mostly higher in Europe and Asia after another broad rally on Wall Street as investors wager that the new variant of the COVID-19 virus won’t pose a big threat to the economy. Oil prices fell back. Shares rose in Paris, London, Tokyo and Shanghai

By GRANT PECK Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — Facebook’s parent company Meta has announced a new ban on postings linked to Myanmar’s military to include all pages, groups, and accounts representing military-controlled businesses. It had already banned advertising from such businesses in February. The February action, which also banned military and military-controlled state and media

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has downgraded its growth estimate for the last quarter, saying weaker consumer spending and trade resulted in a 3.6% contraction. The government’s revised estimate Tuesday compared with an earlier estimate of minus 3.0% growth. The world’s third-largest economy has been mired in recession and struggling to recover from the impact of

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German police and customs officers have conducted dozens of raids and arrested at least nine people in a crackdown on the alleged human trafficking of temporary workers from outside the European Union. Authorities say they are investigating around 20 suspects for suspected involvement in allegedly forging EU

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Stocks are mostly higher in Asia after another broad rally on Wall Street as investors wager that the new variant of the COVID-19 virus won’t pose a big threat to the economy. Oil prices fell back. Shares rose in Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul, while Hong Kong

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A company once owned by “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli will pay up to $40 million to settle allegations that it jacked up the price of a life-saving medication by roughly 4 ,000% after obtaining exclusive rights to the drug. The Federal Trade Commission announced the settlement Tuesday. The FTC and seven