HARARE, Zimbabwe — The introduction of the world’s newest currency in April inspired a reggae artist to record a song praising the ZiG, or Zimbabwe Gold. The catchy tune, titled “Zig Mari,” received generous play on state television and radio. The musician, Ras Caleb, received a car and $2,000 — ironically paid in greenbacks, not the new ZiGs — from a businessman with close ties…

A group of investors will put up $6 billion to fund development of artificial intelligence by Elon Musk’s xAI SAN FRANCISCO — A group of investors will put up $6 billion to fund development of artificial intelligence by Elon Musk’s xAI. The company said on its website Sunday that the Series B funding round will be used to take xAI’s first products to market and…

After the collapse of a condominium tower in North Miami in June 2021, Rebecca Fishman Lipsey realized her organization needed to overhaul how it responded to disasters. As CEO of the Miami Foundation, the city’s primary community foundation, Fishman Lipsey got to work coalescing support for victims of the tragedy that killed 98 people and destroyed the 136-unit building. Funders were eager to help, but…

Furiosa won the holiday box office over Garfield by a hair ByLINDSEY BAHR AP film writer Furiosa won the holiday box office over Garfield by a hair. It was a close race, but the wasteland warrior of “ Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ” came out slightly ahead of the plump orange cat with an estimated $32 million in ticket sales over the four-day weekend…

MEXICO CITY — Concepción Alejo is used to being invisible. Alejo, 43, touches her face up with makeup on a Tuesday morning, and steps out of her tiny apartment on the fringes of Mexico City. She walks until the cracked gravel outside her home turns into cobblestones, and the campaign posters coating small concrete buildings are replaced with the spotless walls of gated communities of…

With stubborn inflation and higher costs, layoffs at small businesses are sometimes a necessity ByMAE ANDERSON AP business writer NEW YORK — With stubborn inflation and higher costs, layoffs at small businesses are sometimes a necessity. U.S.-based employers announced 64,789 cuts in April, down 28% from 90,309 cuts announced in March, according to a report by global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger,…

MEXICO CITY — An American quarry company on Monday rejected the Mexican president’s campaign of criticisms and closures, as well as his offer to buy its property on the Caribbean coast. In July, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered to buy the American company’s Caribbean coast property for about $385 million amid a bitter, years-long dispute. Alabama-based Vulcan Materials said in a statement Monday that…

DES MOINES, Iowa — More than 4 million chickens in Iowa will have to be killed after a case of the highly pathogenic bird flu was detected at a large egg farm, the state announced Tuesday. Crews are in the process of killing 4.2 million chickens after the disease was found at a farm in Sioux County, Iowa, making it the latest in a yearslong…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Missile attacks twice damaged a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned ship Tuesday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, with a private security firm saying radio traffic suggested the vessel took on water after being struck. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have launched a number of attacks targeting ships over Israel’s war on…

“Drag is joy, but it’s under attack. Our very existence, our self-expression, our art — all of it is being threatened. And we’ve had enough.” That’s the opening salvo of Qommittee, a group of drag performers banding together to protect and promote their art form, as it announced its formation ahead of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month. “We’ve always had to fight tooth and nail for…