AP National News

By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press Most Americans are used to casting their ballot for a single person for each office. But Alaska’s races will unfold in the overhauled ranked choice system. Instead of picking a single candidate for office, voters have the option to rank who they want to fill a particular seat. The first

PANAMA CITY (AP) — A strong 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook western Panama early Thursday, though there were no initial reports of damage. Panama’s national civil defense agency said via Twitter that the earthquake was felt in Herrera, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and western Panama. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth

By EDNA TARIGAN Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has found contaminated medicines that are suspected of being linked to the deaths of 99 children this year due to acute kidney injury, officials said Thursday. Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said it was tracing 26 medicinal syrups used to treat fevers, coughs and

By CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to visit Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge, which is being rebuilt after collapsing early this year. The bridge collapse occurred just before Biden was scheduled to visit the city in January and became a symbol of the country’s troubled infrastructure. Now the Democratic

By KANIS LEUNG and ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian tycoon Alexey Mordashov has left Hong Kong for South Africa nearly two weeks after the U.S. accused the city of operating as a safe haven for sanctioned individuals. The marine department confirmed that the $500 million superyacht

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA and KRISTA LARSON Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A top World Health Organization official says Uganda’s Ebola outbreak is “rapidly evolving” a month after the disease was reported in the East African country. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the U.N. health agency’s regional director for Africa, praised Uganda’s Ministry of Health for “remarkable

By KRISTA LARSON Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses being given in Africa has dropped by more than 50% over the past three months. That comes even as the continent lags far behind the rest of the world when it comes to vaccination. Only

By ELAINE KURTENBACH and MATT OTT AP Business Writers Wall Street was pointed toward gains early Thursday as investors awaited more corporate earnings reports for clues about how companies and consumers are handling persistent, four-decade high inflation. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.3% and futures for the S&P 500 gained less

By BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan lawmakers have begun debating a proposed constitutional amendment that would trim the powers of the president, a key demand of protesters who are seeking political reforms and solutions to the country’s dire economic crisis. The Indian Ocean country is effectively bankrupt. Severe shortages

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts woman who released a swarm of bees on sheriff’s deputies as they tried to serve an eviction notice is facing multiple assault and battery charges, authorities said. Rorie S. Woods, 55, pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Oct. 12 in Springfield District Court and was released without bail,

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press JAY, Maine (AP) — Across the U.S., families are looking to the winter with dread as energy costs soar and fuel supplies tighten. The Department of Energy is projecting sharp price increases for home heating compared with last winter and some worry whether heating assistance programs will be able to

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the United Nations’ World Food Program is renewing pressure on oil-rich Persian Gulf countries to give his agency more help to deal with mounting humanitarian crises. WFP Executive Director David Beasley’s comments on Thursday followed a meeting with the development minister of Germany. the country is the agency’s second-biggest

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Global stock markets declined Thursday as the British prime minister faced demands to quit and Japan reported its 14th straight monthly trade deficit. London and Frankfurt opened lower and Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong declined. Oil rose more than $1 per barrel. British Prime Minister Liz

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s top security official has suggested that a fire that destroyed a shelter for Ukrainian refugees on Germany’s Baltic coast could have been arson. Police said the 14 residents and three employees who lived in the shelter were rescued from the flames when the former hotel in

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that Russia’s war in Ukraine must not lead to a “worldwide renaissance” for coal. His comments on Thursday come as Germany itself brings coal-fired power plants back online in an effort to prevent an energy crunch this winter. In a speech to parliament, Scholz highlighted his government’s

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press JAY, Maine (AP) — Families are looking forward with dread as winter approaches with high energy costs and tight fuel supplies. The Department of Energy is projecting sharp price increases for home heating compared to last winter. Some worry whether heating assistance programs will be adequate for struggling families. Last

By FRANCES D’EMILIO Associated Press ROME (AP) — Italy’s president has begun formal consultations with the aim of quickly giving the country a new government. The uphill task of trying to form a governing coalition is expected to go to far-right leader Giorgia Meloni. Her Brothers of Italy party triumphed in the country’s general election

By AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims. A government report released Wednesday lays out grim trends across the country for