AP National Business

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s environment minister has pledged to retaliate if France carries through on threats to block U.K. ships from French ports. He warned Friday that “two can play at that game’’ in the worsening dispute rooted in Britain’s departure from the European Union. Britain summoned the French ambassador

BEIJING (AP) — More than 2,000 tourists visiting China’s Inner Mongolia region have been sent to hotels to undergo two weeks of quarantine. The move follows reports of an outbreak of COVID-19 in the vast, lightly populated region that attracts visitors with its mountains, lakes and grasslands. An announcement from the regional government on Friday

BEIJING (AP) — A newspaper reports a troubled Chinese developer whose struggle to avoid a multibillion-dollar debt default has rattled global financial markets made an overdue $45.2 million payment on a bond one day before it would have been declared in default. The South China Morning Post says Evergrande Group made the payment on a

By DAVID McHUGH and JOSH BOAK Associated Press ROME (AP) — The global economy is giving leaders of the Group of 20 countries a lot to talk about at their summit this weekend in Rome. The presidents and prime ministers representing 80% of the global economy will confront a recovery hampered by an energy crunch

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Consumer prices across the 19 European Union countries that use the euro currency have spiked to the highest level in over 13 years. Inflation in the 19 countries, like elsewhere in the world, has been soaring amid rising energy prices, supply chain backups and labor shortages tied

By LISA MASCARO, AAMER MADHANI and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he has reached a “historic” framework with Democrats in Congress on his sweeping, though scaled-back domestic policy plan. But Biden still must nail down votes from a few skeptical fellow Democrats. Biden announced the framework at the White

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Global shares are mostly lower despite that latest rally on Wall Street. European indexes fell in early trading and most Asian benchmarks also fell. But Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 finished higher, recovering from morning losses, as investors stepped to the sidelines to see the outcome of

By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s often-strained relations in past years with European economic powerhouse Germany have taken center stage during a visit to Athens by outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel as both the country’s president and prime minister aired past grievances. President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was Merkel’s first official meeting during

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei’s sales fell 32% from a year earlier in the first nine months of 2021 under U.S. sanctions and following the sale of its Honor smartphone brand. The chairman of Huawei Technologies Ltd. says its smartphone and other consumer-oriented businesses have been significantly

By DAVID McHUGH and JOSH BOAK Associated Press ROME (AP) — The global economy is giving leaders of the Group of 20 countries a lot to talk about at their summit this weekend in Rome. The presidents and prime ministers representing 80% of the global economy will confront a recovery hampered by an energy crunch

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mixed amid recent signs of optimism about the global economy, including recent rallies on Wall Street. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 recovered after falling in morning trading to finish higher, although investors stepped to the sidelines to see the outcome of Japan’s parliamentary elections

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. Tonga is among the few remaining nations in the world that have avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like many of its neighbors, Tonga’s isolation has

By LISA MASCARO, AAMER MADHANI and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he has reached a “historic” framework with Democrats in Congress on his sweeping, though scaled-back domestic policy plan. But he still must nail down votes from a few skeptical fellow Democrats. Biden announced the framework at the White

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicaid issues are turning up as winners in President Joe Biden’s social budget framework even as divisions force Democrats to hit pause on far-reaching improvements to Medicare. The blueprint Biden released Thursday fulfills a campaign promise to help poor people locked out of Medicaid expansion across the

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on a movie set has put a microscope on an often-unseen corner of the film industry where critics say the pursuit of profit can lead to unsafe working conditions. With a budget of around $7 million, the Western “Rust”

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Filled with pink and fuzzy things and cuddly bears, 6%DOKIDOKI, a tiny store in the heart of Tokyo’s Harajuku district, is bursting with “kawaii,” the Japanese for “cuteness.” What it doesn’t have enough of, as in zero, are foreign tourists. And it could sure use some.

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are slipping, despite recent signs of optimism about the global economy, including recent rallies on Wall Street. Benchmarks fell in morning trading in Japan, China, South Korea and Australia. Investors stepped to the sidelines to see the outcome of Japan’s parliamentary elections Sunday. The

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California judge has declined to validate a contract granting permanent access to federally controlled water for the nation’s largest agricultural water supplier. A state court needs to approve the deal for the U.S. government to be bound by its terms. Environmentalists had blasted the deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term mortgage rate rose this week as inflation pressures, the coronavirus pandemic and some supply shortages linger. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reports that the average rate for a 30-year mortgage jumped to 3.14% from 3.09% last week. In contrast, the key rate stood at 2.81% this time last year. The rate

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A company that made and operated casino-style games used for illegal gambling will pay $3.5 million and permanently stop its California operations under a court settlement announced Thursday. Pong Game Studios Corp. agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged it provided software to gambling dens that offered slot- and poker-style computer