AP National News

By MADDIE BURAKOFF AP Science Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A new study adds evidence that a fossil species from Africa could be our earliest known ancestor. Researchers examined arm and leg bones linked to a 7-million-year-old skull that was found two decades ago. Earlier studies of the skull concluded it belonged to a creature

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. securities regulators are questioning Twitter about how it calculates the number of fake accounts on its platform. The Securities and Exchange Commission in June asked the company about the methodology for calculating the false or spam accounts and “the underlying judgments and assumptions used by management.” The agency’s Division of Corporation

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African workers have demonstrated against the country’s rising cost of living including record-high fuel prices and increased costs for basic foods. About 1,000 workers marched on Wednesday to the Union Buildings, the seat of government in the capital Pretoria, calling for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government to

By JIM VERTUNO Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas judge presiding over the trial of the woman accused of killing pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson says it will likely will be delayed from its scheduled October start because defense lawyers have filed a flurry of motions that require consideration. Kaitlin Armstrong’s attorneys initially

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Heavy rains have triggered flash floods and wreaked havoc across much of Pakistan since mid-June, leaving 903 dead and about 50,000 people homeless, the country’s disaster agency said Wednesday. Thousands whose homes were swept away now live in tents, miles away from their inundated villages and towns,

By SEUNG MIN KIM, CHRIS MEGERIAN, COLLIN BINKLEY and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on a campaign promise to provide $10,000 in student debt cancellation for millions of Americans — and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need

By KRISTIN M. HALL Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jerry Allison, an architect of rock drumming who played and co-wrote songs with childhood friend Buddy Holly and whose future wife inspired the classic “Peggy Sue,” has died. He was 82. His death was confirmed Wednesday by a spokesperson for Gold Mountain Entertainment, which manages

By VESELIN TOSHKOV Associated Press SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A 17-year-old pilot became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria, where his journey kicked off five months ago. Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-British dual national, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria’s capital,

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of coronavirus deaths reported worldwide has fallen by 15% in the last week while new infections dropped by 9%. In its latest weekly assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.N. health agency said there were 5.3 million new cases and more than 14,000 deaths reported

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press The new Netflix series “Partner Track” follows Ingrid Yun, a hard-working attorney in New York, whose goal is to make partner. To make that happen, she must navigate microaggressions and favoritism shown toward her male, mostly white coworkers at the old boys club law firm. In real life, its lead,

By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian court has ordered two Russians and a Ukrainian to remain in custody while authorities conduct an espionage investigation into the suspects’ activities at a former military weapons manufacturing plant. A judge ruled Wednesday in favor of prosecutors who requested that the trio be kept

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer The compound in psychedelic mushrooms helped heavy drinkers cut back or quit entirely in the most rigorous test of psilocybin for alcoholism. The study was published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. More research is needed to see if the effect lasts. The study involved 93 patients who took either

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are stuck in their holding pattern Wednesday, as Wall Street waits for a highly anticipated speech about interest rates scheduled for the end of the week. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 24

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A Belgian-British teenager became the youngest person to fly around the world solo in a small aircraft after he landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria, where his global journey kicked off five months ago. Mack Rutherford, who turned 17 during the trip, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, to

By EMILY ROSE Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it has discharged four soldiers for attacking Palestinians without cause, after video circulated on social media showing them beating and kicking two detainees. Wednesday’s military statement said the soldiers had stopped a Palestinian vehicle north of the West Bank city of Ramallah two

By COLLEEN BARRY AP Business Writer MILAN (AP) — Outgoing Italian Premier Mario Draghi said the country is less vulnerable to interruptions of Russian natural gas supplies because of its moved rapidly to reduce dependence on Moscow. He said Wednesday that Italy has already stockpiled 80% of its capacity of natural gas reserves ahead of

BERLIN (AP) — German officials launched what they say is the world’s first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains Wednesday, replacing 15 diesel trains that previously operated on nonelectrified tracks in the state of Lower Saxony. The 14 trains use hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity that powers the engines. The German government has backed expanding

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister urged President Joe Biden and Western powers to call off an emerging nuclear deal with Iran, saying that negotiators are letting Tehran manipulate the talks and that an agreement would reward Israel’s enemies. Yair Lapid called the emerging agreement a “bad deal” and suggested

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Cabinet has approved legislation that ensures protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic are continued during the fall and winter when more virus cases are expected. The rules also include the obligation to wear N95-type face masks during all long-distance travel by train and