AP National Business

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — This weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest will have Ukrainian flags, Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian fans — but not the country’s wartime leader. Organizers say they rejected a request from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a video address to the final of t he pan-continental music competition on

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The U.K. economy grew sluggishly during the first three months of the year as double-digit inflation curbed consumer spending and labor unrest curtailed output in industries ranging from transportation to healthcare and education. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, increased 0.1% in the first

By JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department on Friday is launching the application process for cities to receive a total of $500 million in grants to become technology hubs. The $500 million is part of a $10 billion authorization from last year’s CHIPS and Science Act to stimulate investments in new

By NICOLE WINFIELD and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has joined Italy’s conservative premier in encouraging Italians to have more children after Italy registered a record low birth rate last year. Francis urged concrete political action to invert the “demographic winter” that in population terms resulted in the disappearance of a

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Sprinkle the sequins and pump up the volume: The 67th Eurovision Song Contest reaches its climax on Saturday with a grand final broadcast live from Liverpool. There will be catchy choruses, a kaleidoscope of costumes and tributes to the spirit of Ukraine in a competition that

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer NIIGATA, Japan (AP) — Financial leaders of the Group of Seven advanced economies are focusing on ways to fortify ever more complicated financial systems and supply chains during meetings in Japan ahead of a summit next week. Japan’s finance minister cited growing use of online banking and social media

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press Officials from Japan and South Korea are discussing a visit by South Korean experts to the Fukushima nuclear plant before it begins the controversial release of treated but radioactive water into the sea. The safety of the water is a major sticking point as the two sides work to improve

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — This weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest will have Ukrainian flags, Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian fans — but not the country’s wartime leader. Organizers rejected a request from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a video address to the final of the pan-continental music competition on Saturday. He was expected to urge the world

BEIJING (AP) — Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell has held meetings and visited businesses in Beijing in a sign of progress in restoring a nearly decade-long rift in relations with China. In Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that the two sides need to “develop understanding and dialogue and I’ve

By GABE STERN Associated Press/Report for America CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A bipartisan group of Nevada lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would give massive tax credits aimed at bringing film production to southern Nevada, including a $1 billion Sony expansion. It’s the latest attempt at diversifying southern Nevada’s gaming and tourism-reliant economy, which

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday is expected to announce an even bigger budget deficit than the $22.5 billion hole that he confronted in January, reflecting an economy burdened by a sagging stock market and disrupted by a series of powerful winter storms that delayed billions of

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly lower Friday on looming worries over U.S. banks and lagging demand from China, the region’s major driver of growth. “Asian equities struggled for direction after weak inflation data in China pointed to weakening demand,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday backed a California animal cruelty law that requires more space for breeding pigs, a ruling the pork industry says will lead to higher costs nationwide for pork chops and bacon. “While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops

By The Associated Press New music from the Jonas Brothers, a double feature of Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez films and the latest installment in the highly popular Zelda games are among the entertainment titles coming to a device near you this weeke Associated Press’ entertainment journalists break down what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music

By DENISE LAVOIE AP Legal Affairs Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a law banning licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Payne in Richmond, if not

By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As California lawmakers hail the work of a historic panel that has delved into reparations proposals for African Americans for nearly two years, a state senator on the task force is warning Black residents to not assume that large cash payments are on the

By DENISE LAVOIE AP Legal Affairs Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a law banning licensed federal firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 violates the Second Amendment and is unconstitutional. The ruling came Wednesday. It would prevent dealers from selling handguns to 18- to

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writers Elon Musk said Thursday he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as it’s now called — and it’s a woman. He did not name her but said she will be starting in about six weeks. Musk, who bought Twitter last fall and