Pandemic provokes spike in demand for food pantries in US
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Brooklyn Dotson needed food. Her first unemployment check had yet to arrive after she was let go by the warehouse where she used to ...
US long-term mortgage rates hover near low; 30-year at 3.31%
WASHINGTON — U.S. long-term mortgage rates hovered near all-time lows for the third straight week amid fresh signs of severe damage to the economy and...
Poland lawmakers defer final vote on divisive abortion bill
WARSAW, Poland — Polish lawmakers on Thursday postponed a final decision on a controversial proposal to impose a near-total ban on abortion in the pre...
Amid pandemic, debate rages in Mexico: is beer essential?
MEXICO CITY — Perhaps one of the most heated debates in Mexico during the pandemic — after disagreements about personal protective equipment and testi...
Leading in pandemic becomes part of audition for Biden’s VP
CHICAGO — California Sen. Kamala Harris is raising money for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden while speaking out about the dispro...
Oil and gas giant Shell targets ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050
BERLIN — Energy company Royal Dutch Shell told investors Thursday that it aims to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2050, a move that ...
Reopening could require thousands more public health workers
SEATTLE — Before Washington state lifts its stay-at-home order, public health workers in Seattle’s King County want to be ready to douse any new spark...
Tokyo Olympics could cut ‘extras’ in face of soaring costs
TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic organizers and the IOC said Thursday they will cut some of the extras out of next year’s postponed games, an attempt to limit wh...
Belgian bluebells are too beautiful to see during pandemic
HALLE, Belgium — When nature is at its brightest this year, it needs to be hidden from sight.
Veteran’s garden walk raises $16M for UK health service
LONDON — A 99-year-old World War II veteran has completed his quest to walk 100 laps of his garden in eastern England and raised almost 13 million pou...
Israeli president asks parliament to choose prime minister
JERUSALEM — Israel’s president Thursday asked the Knesset to choose a new prime minister, giving parliament three weeks to agree upon a leader or plun...
Some leaders use pandemic to sharpen tools against critics
BANGKOK — Health concerns were on artist Danai Ussama’s mind when he returned to Thailand last month from a trip to Spain. He noticed that he and his ...
With price high, Thais with dwindling incomes sell off gold
Bangkok — With gold prices rising to a seven-year high, many Thais have been flocking to gold shops to trade in their necklaces, bracelets, rings and ...
High-level North Korean defector wins South parliament seat
SEOUL, South Korea — A former senior North Korean diplomat won a constituency seat in South Korea’s parliamentary elections, the first such achievemen...
Coronavirus could erode global fight against other diseases
NEW DELHI — Lavina D’Souza hasn’t been able to collect her government-supplied anti-HIV medication since the abrupt lockdown of India's 1.3 billion pe...
Trump says new guidelines aim to lift some restrictions
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he's prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as...
South Korean ruling party wins vote held amid virus fears
SEOUL, South Korea — The ruling liberal party secured a resounding victory in South Korea’s parliamentary elections, which had the highest turnout in ...
AP Interview: Governor says Brazil has ‘Bolsonaro-virus’
SAO PAULO — After a heated confrontation with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last month over his lackadaisical approach to the coronavirus, govern...
Asian stocks slide after weak US data add to global gloom
BEIJING — Asian stocks were mostly lower Thursday after unexpectedly weak U.S. retail and other data added to gloom about the impact of the coronaviru...
Chris Cuomo says his wife, like him, has the coronavirus
NEW YORK — Chris Cuomo, who late last month revealed he had tested positive for the coronavirus, said his wife Cristina has now also been infected.
Trump threatens to bypass Senate rules on nominees
WASHINGTON — Citing the coronavirus, Donald Trump is threatening unprecedented action — adjourning both houses of Congress — to entice the Senate to a...
Navy hospital ship in Los Angeles might scale back mission
WASHINGTON — The USNS Mercy hospital ship docked in Los Angeles may be able to scale back its medical operation a bit over the next week as the corona...
Navajo Nation extends weekend lockdowns as virus cases rise
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has extended its weekend lockdowns preventing people from leaving their homes, except in emergencies, on the vast...
American schools may look radically different as they reopen
SAN FRANCISCO — School administrators across America are trying to re-imagine classrooms — and the prospect of reopening schools — in the era of socia...
US judge cancels permit for Keystone XL pipeline from Canada
BILLINGS, Mont. — A U.S. judge canceled a key permit Wednesday for the Keystone XL oil pipeline that’s expected to stretch from Canada to Nebraska, an...
Guatemala expands testing of deportees arriving from US
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala has started testing all deportees arriving on flights from the United States for COVID-19 if anyone on their flight tests p...
Justice Dept. watchdog to inspect prisons amid virus spread
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s inspector general will conduct remote inspections of Bureau of Prisons facilities to ensure they are following b...
Thousands protest Michigan governor’s social distance order
LANSING, Mich. — Thousands of flag-waving, honking protesters drove past the Michigan Capitol on Wednesday to show their displeasure with Gov. Gretche...
Nevada gearing up for coronavirus, whether wave comes or not
RENO, Nev. — Nevada health officials are moving toward opening several hundred temporary hospital beds within days to handle a potential surge of coro...
Mnuchin, Schumer rev up talks as small business aid runs dry
WASHINGTON — With a key coronavirus rescue fund nearly exhausted, negotiations are accelerating in Washington over President Donald Trump’s $250 billi...