Bloomberg Volkswagen AG’s Audi brand was raided by German prosecutors as investigations into the manipulation of diesel engines continue to weigh on the automaker more than a year after revelations of emissions cheating. More than 100 police took part in searches Wednesday at the company’s main sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm as well as seven other locations across Germany. …

  AP US homebuilders are feeling more optimistic about their sales prospects than they have been since the high-flying days of the housing boom. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Wednesday jumped to 71 this month. That’s up six points from 65 in February and the highest reading since June 2005. Readings above 50 indicate …

  DAMASCUS / AP A suicide bomber detonated his explosives’ vest inside the main judicial building in the Syrian capital on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people and wounding many others, state media said. The official news agency, SANA, said another suicide explosion struck a restaurant in Rabweh district of Damascus, leading to an identified number of casualties. The bombing …