AP National News

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s government is warning that the country could well be on the cusp of another major surge in COVID-19 cases despite its high vaccination rate. Though the government recently relaxed the mandatory use of facemasks, it is again starting to encourage the population to use them. This is to counter an increase

By JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s new environmental protection minister has set some ambitious goals: Tamar Zandberg believes she can use her office to play an important role in the global battle against climate change while also promoting peace in the volatile Middle East. Zandberg laid out her agenda in an interview

BEIJING (AP) — At least three people have been killed and 30 injured in an apparent gas explosion at a hotel in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang. State media reported the blast occurred as the city of more than 8 million people is renovating and replacing old gas lines. Images posted online showed a

By ARITZ PARRA Associated Press MAHBAS REGION, Western Sahara (AP) — For nearly 30 years, the vast territory of Western Sahara in the North African desert has existed in limbo, awaiting a referendum that was supposed to let the local Sahrawi people decide their future. On one side, the Polisario Front wants the territory to

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military will appeal a landmark court ruling that struck down its decision to discharge the country’s first known transgender soldier before she was found dead earlier this year. A court ruled that the military unlawfully discriminated against the soldier by forcing her out

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s new governor-general says she plans to reach out to people marginalized by issues like homelessness, addiction and discrimination. Cindy Kiro is the first Indigenous woman appointed to the role as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II. She took her oath in both Maori

NEW YORK (AP) — The Premier Hockey Federation has reached an agreement to make ESPN+ the exclusive home for watching games in this U.S. this season. It is a major step forward for the women’s hockey league in putting all of its games on a single platform. The deal covers 60 regular-season games for the

By MARK PRATT Associated Press An extraordinarily rare coin with a face value of just pennies when it was minted in mid-17th century New England could sell for the equivalent of about $300,000 when it’s put up for auction in London next month. Auctioneer Morton & Eden Ltd. says the silver one shilling coin made

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man is facing his second execution date this year for the killing of a woman abducted at gunpoint and shot in a cemetery. Willie B. Smith III was scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday night for the 1991 slaying. The 52-year-old inmate was

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the U.S. has donated its 200 millionth COVID-19 shot to help vaccinate the rest of the world. The Biden administration is aiming to lead a global vaccination campaign even as it rolls out boosters for domestic use. The donated doses include more than

By KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India has administered 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, a milestone for the South Asian country where the delta variant fueled a crushing surge earlier this year. About 75% of India’s total eligible adult population has received at least one dose, while around 30% is fully

By CHRISTINA LARSON AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The coronavirus that caused the pandemic can keep evolving as long as people are still getting infected, but that doesn’t mean new variants will emerge as regularly or that they’ll be more dangerous. When a virus infects people and replicates inside them, small mutations can occur

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump says he’s launching a new media company with its own social media platform nine months after being expelled from social media for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Trump says his goal in launching the Trump Media & Technology

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — A major Chinese real estate developer whose struggle to avoid defaulting on billions of dollars of debt rattled financial markets has called off the sale of a $2.6 billion stake in a subsidiary and has made no progress in selling other assets. China Evergrande Group said

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Polls have consistently shown Democrat Terry McAuliffe with the overwhelming support of Black Virginians in the gubernatorial race. But his victory may hinge on whether this core part of his base shows up in strong numbers to vote. In an off-year election when turnout is generally

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, MICHAEL BALSAMO and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is voting on whether to hold longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from a committee investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. That committee has vowed to move swiftly and forcefully

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Many parts of California are seeing heavy rainfall this week for the first time in months. But the rain did not stop Gov. Gavin Newsom from issuing a statewide drought emergency on Tuesday. Newsom’s order might seem strange as forecasters predict parts of the state could

MARIPOSA, Calif. (AP) — A California sheriff has scheduled a news conference to announce the causes of death of a Northern California family and their dog who were found in a remote hiking area. The case has baffled authorities, who have already ruled out numerous causes, including a weapon, suicide and drugs or alcohol. Mariposa

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer Asian shares are mixed after major Chinese property developer Evergrande said a plan to sell its property management arm to a smaller rival had fallen through. Shares slipped in Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, were little changed in Australia and Shanghai. Shares in China Evergrande Group tumbled 12.5% while