Asian shares mostly rise after last week's Wall Street rallies

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mostly higher after Wall Street shares finished near their record levels. Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Shanghai in Monday morning trading. Worries are simmering about China’s economy, as analysts say the data for August aren’t strong enough to reflect ongoing dynamic growth. Retail sales rose 3.4%; factory output was up 5.2%. Shares rose in Seoul, but fell in Sydney. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 barely budged last Friday, down by less than 0.1% from its latest all-time high. The Dow dipped 0.6%. The Nasdaq rose 0.4%.

Trump administration renews push to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook ahead of key vote

President Donald Trump's administration has renewed its request to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors. The administration filed a response to a federal appeals court on Sunday, arguing against Cook's legal reasons for staying on the job. This move comes ahead of the central bank’s vote on interest rates. Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Fed governor, has been accused of mortgage fraud, which she denies. A federal judge ruled her removal illegal, but the administration appealed. This marks the first time a president has tried to fire a Fed governor.

Ukrainian drones strike one of Russia's top oil refineries, sparking fire

Officials say Ukrainian drones have struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries and sparked a fire. The officials said Sunday that the overnight attack on the Kirishi refinery in Russia's Leningrad region follows weeks of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. The facility produces about 355,000 barrels of crude per day. Regional Gov. Alexander Drozdenko said that three drones were downed. It caused a fire that was quickly extinguished. No injuries were reported. Recent Ukrainian drone strikes and rising demand have caused gasoline shortages in Russia. Russia has paused gasoline exports in response with a full ban until Sept. 30.

'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' opens to $70M, biggest anime debut to claim top box-office spot

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” carved out a place in box office history this weekend, slicing straight to No. 1 to outpace the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999. The film also opened in 49 international markets, earning a global total so far of $178 million. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” took the No. 2 spot at the box office, earning $26 million in North America.

Workers commenting on Kirk's death learn the limits of free speech in and out of their jobs

NEW YORK (AP) — In the days following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, numerous workers have been fired for their comments on his death, among them MSNBC political analyst Matthew Dowd. It’s not the first time workers have lost their jobs over social media posts. Laws can vary across states, but overall, there’s very little legal protections for employees who are punished for speech made both in and out of private workplaces. And the prevalence of social media has made it increasingly common to track employees’ conduct outside of work.

China launches probes targeting US semiconductors ahead of Madrid trade talks

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has launched two probes targeting the U.S. semiconductor sector ahead of trade talks in Spain. China’s Ministry of Commerce on Saturday announced an anti-dumping investigation into certain analog IC chips imported from the U.S. The ministry also has announced an anti-discrimination probe into U.S. measures against China’s chip sector. The probes come as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are set to meet in Madrid from Sunday to Wednesday for talks on trade, national security and the ownership of TikTok. It is the latest in a series of negotiations aimed at reducing trade tensions and postponing higher tariffs on each other’s goods.

Qatar denounces Israel before major summit on Israel's attack in Doha targeting Hamas leaders

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar's prime minister has denounced Israel as Arab and Muslim foreign ministers are meeting to discuss a unified response to Israel's attack on Doha. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is also Qatar's foreign minister and he made these comments before a meeting scheduled for Monday. He said Sunday that Qatar remains committed to working with Egypt and the United States for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. But he stressed the need for consequences for Israel's attacks in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the strike. He has accused Hamas leaders in Qatar of blocking ceasefire attempts.

With Hyundai raid, Trump's immigration crackdown runs into his push for foreign investment

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s efforts to boost U.S. manufacturing by attracting foreign investment are clashing with his immigration crackdown. Immigration authorities recently raided a Hyundai plant in Georgia, detaining over 300 South Korean workers. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that this could deter future investments from his country. He expressed concerns about the U.S. not issuing visas for temporary workers needed to set up new plants. Trump has promised to make it easier for foreign investors to bring skilled workers legally. Raids and other restrictions could risk alienating allies that are pledging to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. to avoid high tariffs.

FAA seeks $3.1 million in fines from Boeing over safety violations, 2024 midair panel blowout

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking $3.1 million in fines from Boeing over safety violations, including an incident in January last year where an Alaska Airlines jetliner lost a door plug panel on its fuselage in midflight. No one was seriously injured, and the plane landed safely. The agency said Friday that the proposed penalty covers violations from September 2023 through February 2024. The FAA said it identified hundreds of quality system violations at Boeing’s 737 factory and a subcontractor’s facility. Boeing has 30 days to respond to the FAA.

The late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani instructs heirs to sell stakes in his empire

MILAN (AP) — The late Italian designer Giorgio Armani instructed his heirs to sell an initial 15% stake in his fashion empire. In his will, he prioritized French conglomerate LVMH, eyewear giant Essilor-Luxottica, or cosmetics company L’Oreal. Armani gave 40% control to his collaborator Leo Dell’Orco, and 15% each to his niece and nephew. The Armani Foundation will control the remaining 30%. Armani died on Sept. 4 at the age of 91. His business will, rewritten last spring, specifies selling the stake within 18 months. Armani's final collections will be presented at Milan Fashion Week, starting Sept. 23, marking the 50th anniversary of his fashion house.