Category: News
Stock market today: Asian stocks gain ahead of US and Japan rate decisions
HONG KONG — Asian stocks advanced Monday ahead of policy decisions this week by Japan’s central bank and the Federal Reserve. Oil prices and U.S. futures rose. Chinese data for January-February were mixed, with property investment falling while other indicators showed improvement. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index jumped 2.4% to 39,639.27. Markets are awaiting a decision by the Bank of Japan on Tuesday on…
Spotify paid $9 billion in royalties in 2023. Here’s what fueled the growth
LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spotify paid out $9 billion in streaming royalties last year, the streaming giant said Tuesday in its latest “Loud and Clear” report. Spotify’s fourth annual report, which originally launched in 2021 following criticism over its lack of transparency, noted record accomplishments, including the highest annual payment from any retailer to the music industry. “This is everything we know…
4 things to know from Elon Musk’s interview with Don Lemon
SAN FRANCISCO — Former CNN reporter Don Lemon mixed it up with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an interview Lemon posted on Musk’s X social network Monday. The interview was supposed to kick off Lemon’s new talk show on X, formerly known as Twitter, at least until Musk canceled the show shortly after the interview was recorded. Over the course of slightly more than an…
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Bank of Japan ups key rate for 1st time in 17 years
HONG KONG — Asian markets were mostly higher Wednesday ahead of expected guidance by the Federal Reserve on the timing of its cuts to interest rates. Oil prices and U.S. futures fell. Japan’s markets were closed for a holiday. On Tuesday, the Bank of Japan hiked its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 17 years, raising the rate to a range of zero…
The Bank of Japan ends its negative interest rate policy, opting for its first hike in 17 years
TOKYO — Japan’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate Tuesday for the first time in 17 years, ending a longstanding policy of negative rates meant to boost the economy. The Bank of Japan‘s lending rate for overnight borrowing by banks was raised to a range of 0 to 0.1% from minus 0.1% at a policy meeting that confirmed expectations of a shift away from…
IRS chief zeroes in on wealthy tax cheats in AP interview
WASHINGTON — IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has a message for high-wealth tax cheats who are wrongly deducting private jet travel and otherwise shorting the government on their taxes: Pay your fair share so “others aren’t shouldering the burden of funding our government.” He also has a thought for ordinary taxpayers putting off the inevitable with less than a month left in tax-filing season: “Get it…
UnitedHealth says it has made progress on recovering from a massive cyberattack
UnitedHealth Group is testing software for submitting medical claims as it continues to recover from a cyberattack that disrupted care billing systems UnitedHealth is testing the last major system it must restore from last month’s Change Healthcare cyberattack, but it has no date yet for finishing the recovery. The health care giant said Monday that it is testing software for submitting medical claims. It already…
Historic covered bridges are under threat by truck drivers relying on GPS meant for cars
LYNDON, Vt. — One of Vermont’s historic covered bridges has fallen under threat from modern technology. Box truck drivers relying on GPS continually crash through Lyndon’s 140-year-old Miller’s Run bridge despite signs, including a flashing one, to deter vehicles that are too tall or too heavy from crossing. Drivers can face a fine of $5,000 from the town, plus state penalties. Still, the bridge keeps…
2 years on, still no answer to why a China Eastern Boeing 737 crashed, killing all 132 people aboard
BEIJING — Two years after a Boeing 737-800 passenger jet crashed on a domestic flight in China, killing all 132 people on board, accident investigators indicated Wednesday that they have not yet determined the cause. An update issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China on the eve of the second anniversary of the crash shed little new light on it. It largely reiterated earlier…
Australia gets its most senior Chinese leadership visit since 2017 as relations thaw further
SYDNEY — Australia received its most senior Chinese leadership visit in nearly seven years Wednesday with stability a key theme of the discussions between the countries’ foreign ministers. China’s Wang Yi met with his counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra on his tour of Australia and New Zealand. It was the highest level meeting in Australia between the nations since 2017 and comes as relations continue…