Pakistanis face unprecedented fuel price rise of up to 54%

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistanis faced record fuel price increases Friday, as petrol and diesel prices rose by up to 54% driven by the war in the Middle East that has caused global oil prices to surge. The increase adds pressure to a cash-strapped nation already grappling with high inflation, as economists warned the hike would push up food prices and living costs.

Tesla sales rise after brutal year of Musk boycotts but still fall short of expectations

NEW YORK (AP) – Sales of Tesla vehicles rose in the past three months in a possible sign recovery is afoot after a brutal year of boycotts over Elon Musk’s politics but still fell short of expectations. The company Thursday said sales rose 6% to 358,023, the first time in three years it posted a first-quarter increase from the year-earlier period.

Trump unveils 100% tariff on some patented drugs on 'Liberation Day' anniversary

NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that could slap long-threatened pharmaceutical tariffs of up to 100% on some patented drugs from companies that don’t reach deals with his administration in the coming months.

McDonald's tries a simpler approach with its new McValue menu

After two years of tweaks to its value menu, McDonald’s has a new strategy: keep it simple. The fast-food giant’s budget-focused McValue menu will have 10 items that each cost under $3 starting April 21. The breakfast items include hash browns or a Sausage McMuffin. A small order of fries or a McDouble burger are among the options the rest of the day.

Average US long-term mortgage rate climbs to 6.46%, highest in 7 months

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed for the fifth straight week, reaching its highest level in nearly seven months, another setback for home shoppers in the midst of the spring homebuying season.

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Got an awkward Gmail address? Google is now letting users change it

Good news for people who regret the Gmail address they came up with when they registered for an account: Google is now letting users change it. Google started quietly rolling out the change late last year in India and said this week in a blog post that it’s now available for all Google Account users in the United States.

Stocks recover most early losses as US oil tops $110 a barrel

NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks recovered most of their earlier losses as volatility returned to Wall Street after two days of solid gains. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% after slumping as much as 1.5% in early trading Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 154 points, or 0.3% as of 12:35 p.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Stocks in Europe pared their losses.

Trump administration appeals ruling that blocked Pentagon action against Anthropic

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s order blocking the federal government from taking punitive measures against artificial intelligence company Anthropic after a dispute with the Pentagon over military use of AI.