Hawaii's Fragrant flower lei faces competition from cheaper imports

HONOLULU (AP) – Dear Tourist: The flowers in that bright-purple lei you received on your Hawaii vacation almost certainly weren’t grown in the Aloha State. The vast majority of those odorless orchids are imported from Thailand, where it is cheaper to grow and string them into the garlands synonymous with Hawaiian culture.

US stock market remains calm, even as oil prices rise

NEW YORK (AP) - Most U.S. stocks fell, but the market remained calm, even as the price of oil got back to rising. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% Wednesday for a second day of modest moves following what had been a wild stretch caused by the war with Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%.

China's exports surge in Jan-Feb despite waning trade with the US

HONG KONG (AP) – China’s exports jumped nearly 22% in the first two months of the year from a year earlier, powered by a surge in shipments of computer chips, autos and electronics. The export figures released by China were much better than economists had forecast. They far exceeded the 6.6% annual pace of growth recorded in December.

Trump has one prescription for midterms. House Republicans have another

DORAL, Fla. (AP) – President Donald Trump insisted he had the answer for Republicans anxious about losing their congressional majority this year: build on an already strict national voter identification law to ban mail ballots and restrict transgender rights.

North Korean leader Kim watches cruise missile tests with his daughter

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter observed tests of strategic cruise missiles fired from a warship, state media reported Wednesday, as North Korea threatened responses to U.S.-South Korean military drills.

US allies and rivals in Asia gauge fallout from war in the Middle East

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – As war spreads across the Middle East, U.S. rivals and allies in Asia are preparing for the consequences, which include possible economic shock and long-term security threats. Here’s a look at how the fighting in the Middle East is impacting the Koreas, Japan and China.

North Korean leader's sister criticizes US-South Korea joint drills

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday criticized the United States and South Korea for proceeding with their annual joint military exercises at a perilous moment for global security, and warned that any challenge to the North’s safety would bring “terrible consequences.”

War with Iran delivers another shock to the global economy

WASHINGTON (AP) – The war with Iran is doing collateral damage to the world economy. The conflict is driving up energy and fertilizer prices; threatening food shortages in poor countries; destabilizing fragile states such as Pakistan; and complicating options for the inflation fighters at central banks like the Federal Reserve.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Morning Edition

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Tuesday rejected U.S. allegations that it detains foreigners to obtain leverage over other countries, saying Afghan authorities arrest people for violating laws not to make a deal. The U.S. State Department on Monday announced the designation of Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention.