In brief: European Union keeping Russian sanctions as conflict continues

BRUSSELS – The European Union foreign ministers are ruling out any immediate easing of sanctions against Russia as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine, despite concerns about the economic consequences.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Monday that since the fighting around the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine had intensified, “this is no time to talk about the easing of sanctions.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevicius said Russia has shown “no political will, no movement on the ground, so no reason to change policy.”

In Paris, French President Francois Hollande expressed concerns about the economic consequences of the sanctions for the European economy.

He stressed that French food producers have been especially affected by the sanctions, and said European officials “must make efforts” to address these issues.

Amazon Studios will make movies

SEATTLE – Amazon Studios is branching out from television series to movies, announcing plans to begin producing and acquiring original movies for theatrical release and, within weeks, video streaming.

Just five years after its launch, Amazon Studios says it will begin producing motion pictures this year and aims to release a dozen original “prestige movies” annually.

Independent filmmaker Ted Hope will oversee creative development for the new unit, Amazon Original Movies. Hope co-founded and ran Good Machine, a production company behind Academy Award-nominated films, including “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and “Eat Drink Man Woman.”

Amazon Original Movies will focus on unique stories, characters and voices from “top and up-and-coming creators,” according to the company. Once movies have hit theaters, they’ll debut on Amazon Prime Instant Video within four to eight weeks.

Low mortgage rates spur loan applications

LOS ANGELES – Mortgage rates keep falling, and that has borrowers rushing to close a deal.

Applications for home loans soared 49 percent for the week that ended Jan. 9, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the largest pop since 2008. The jump from a week earlier came from a 66 percent increase in refinances, and a 24 percent gain in purchase applications.

Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said lenders on average were offering a 30-year fixed loan at 3.66 percent last week, compared with 3.73 percent a week earlier, and 4.41 percent from the same time last year.