AP National News

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Estonia is gearing up for an unusual presidential election. There’s only one candidate seeking office in Monday’s vote by the Baltic nation’s lawmakers. The lack of competition is unprecedented since Estonia, a former Soviet republic, regained independence 30 years ago. The five-year term of President Kersti Kaljulaid

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer NBC’s Olympics coverage has long been built on a foundation of human-interest stories and showcasing their road to the Games. The same philosophies will apply to the coverage of Paralympics, which will air on NBC for the first time. Sunday will mark the first time that Paralympics coverage will

By ARITZ PARRA Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Until last week, journalist Shabeer Ahmadi was busy covering the news in Afghanistan. But after a hasty and excruciating decision to leave for an uncertain future in Spain, he’s helplessly glued to news feeds on his cellphone, following every twist in the dramatic end of the evacuation

By JEFFREY SCHAEFFER Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Paris’ iconic Arc de Triomphe is set to be wrapped in silver and blue recyclable polypropylene fabric next month as part of a posthumous art installation designed by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The idea for the installation was formed in 1961, when the collaborating couple lived in

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and ZEINA KARAM Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Arab heads of state and senior officials from the region including archenemies Iran and Saudi Arabia are meeting at a conference hosted by Iraq. The meeting aims at easing Mideast tensions and emphasizing the Arab country’s new role as mediator. Among the participants Saturday

By JEFF AMY Associated Press New Orleans finds itself in the path of Hurricane Ida 16 years to the day after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic flooding. But Ida arrives at the doorstep of a region transformed since 2005 by a giant civil works project and closer attention to flood control. The federal government spent

By REBECCA SANTANA and KEVIN McGILL Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Residents of south Louisiana are bracing for the approach of what is expected to be a rapidly intensifying Hurricane Ida. The potent storm is expected to bring winds as high as 130 mph when it slams ashore Sunday afternoon — along with dangerous

By ROBERT BURNS Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is warning that it’s “highly likely” an Islamic State affiliate will try another attack in Afghanistan. The State Department has urged all American citizens to leave the vicinity of Kabul’s airport immediately, citing in its early morning warning a specific, credible threat. Biden has

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Singapore and Vietnam was overshadowed by global events that created new challenges for her and her team. She faced questions throughout the trip about the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Her travel to Vietnam was delayed by potential health attacks on

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. rushes to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan, a growing number of Republicans are questioning why the U.S. should take in Afghan citizens who worked side by side with Americans. It’s further exacerbating divides within the party heading into next year’s midterm elections. Former

By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the county, the offices of members of Congress have become makeshift crisis centers. The lawmakers are being flooded with requests for help getting people onto one of the last flights coming out of the Kabul airport before Tuesday. That’s President Joe Biden’s deadline

BEIJING (AP) — China’s defense ministry has protested the passage of a U.S. Navy warship and Coast Guard cutter through the waters between China and Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China. A statement posted Saturday on the ministry’s website called the move provocative and said it shows that the United States is the biggest

By The Associated Press From the Great Wall of China to the picturesque Himalayan mountains of India, Asia’s tourist destinations are looking to domestic visitors to get them through the COVID-19 pandemic. With international travel heavily restricted, foreign tourists can’t enter many countries and locals can’t get out. In the metropolis of Hong Kong, glamping

By JULIE WATSON and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s assassin has been granted parole. The decision by a California Parole Board panel Friday came after two of RFK’s sons went against several of their siblings’ wishes and supported releasing Sirhan Sirhan and prosecutors declined to argue he

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Newly formed Hurricane Nora has swept past Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta area and is heading north for possible close encounters with other resorts farther north. Forecasters say Nora had top sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) late Saturday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecasts that Nora will drag along the coast

By STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Body camera video shows a Los Angeles police officer briefly pressing a knee to the neck of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes as he struggled with them last month. Police video released Friday shows Hayes gasping “I can’t breathe” seconds before another officer uses a

SALINAS, Calif. (AP) — Several Northern California high school students have been disciplined after officials learned they posted online photos and videos of a Black baby doll being stomped on and driven over at a football game. The students posted images and videos on an Instagram account where some images were accompanied by racists captions.

By KELLI KENNEDY and ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — One of Florida’s largest health networks is seeing the capacity of its hospital morgues strained amid a spike in seriously ill COVID-19 patients and a backup at funeral homes. While virus-related hospitalizations in the state recently started leveling off, the number of daily