National elections

BERLIN (AP) — The party that narrowly beat outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s bloc pushed Monday for a quick agreement on a coalition government, but Europe’s biggest economy could still be in for weeks of uncertainty after an election that failed to set a clear direction.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's center-left Social Democrats won the biggest share of the vote in a national election Sunday, narrowly beating outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel ’s center-right Union bloc in a closely fought race that will determine who succeeds the long-time leader at the helm of Europe's biggest economy.

The latest on Germany's general election on Sunday:

The center-left Social Democrats have won the biggest share of the vote in Germany’s national election, beating outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Union bloc in a closely fought race.

BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of environmental activists staged a rally outside Germany's parliament Friday, two days before the country holds a national election, to demand that politicians take stronger action to curb climate change.

BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel provided a rare splash of color amid Germany's staid election campaign while visiting a bird park where she posed with half a dozen parrots.

Not content with the bird feed on offer, one of the rainbow lorikeets took a peck at the long-time German leader's hand, prompting a theatrical scream from Merkel.

MOSCOW (AP) — The head of Russia's Communist Party, the country's second-largest political party, is alleging widespread violations in the election for a new national parliament in which his party is widely expected to gain seats.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A frontrunner in the race for a joint opposition candidate to fight Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in next year's national election opened his campaigning Friday promising to “liberate” the country from the right-wing populist leader.

BERLIN (AP) — Berlin's city government said Friday it is buying some 14,750 apartments from two large corporate landlords for 2.46 billion euros ($2.9 billion) — a deal announced a week before local and national elections as the German capital tries to expand the supply of publicly owned accommodation.

BERLIN (AP) — The center-right candidate hoping to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel is celebrating his party's narrow victory in local elections in a northern German state, two weeks before a national election in which he is struggling in the polls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The campaign organization aiming to maintain Democratic control of the House in the 2022 midterm races raised $10 million last month, its best August haul ever during a year without a national election.

BERLIN (AP) — The center-right Union bloc's candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor sought the support Saturday of skeptical Bavarian allies 15 days before Germany's national election, in which polls indicate the party could get its worst result since World War II.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines' governing party nominated President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday as its vice presidential candidate in next year's elections, a maneuver widely seen as an effort to keep the popular leader near the center of power while avoiding constitutional term limits.

BAGHDAD (AP) — With the help of the United Nations, authorities in Iraq are taking measures to prevent voter fraud in national elections next month, the U.N. envoy to Iraq said Tuesday.

However, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert stressed that Iraqi political parties and candidates must abstain from intimidation, voter suppression and bribes to ensure the October federal elections are free and fair.

BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of activists protested Saturday in Berlin for a more inclusive and progressive society, the German news agency dpa reported.

Over 350 organizations including Amnesty International, Fridays for Future, pro-women rights and refugee support groups had called for the march through the German capital three weeks before the country's national election on Sept 26.

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that she would never govern with support from Germany's hard-left opposition Left party, an option that two of her would-be successors have refused to rule out ahead of the country's national election in September.

TOKYO (AP) — A close ally of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was defeated in a high-profile mayoral election in Yokohama, Suga's home turf, in a sharp setback for the already unpopular leader ahead of general elections later this year.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany on Friday commemorated 60 years since the day East German authorities started building the Berlin Wall, where at least 140 people were killed over three decades trying to flee to the west.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief said Monday that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has crushed any prospect of free and fair elections in November by arresting dozens of opposition figures.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — The United States has slapped visa restrictions on 50 immediate family members of Nicaraguan officials who have been involved in or benefited from President Daniel Ortega’s growing repression, the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The committee charged with helping Republicans wrest control of the House in 2022 raised $45.4 million over the last three months, a record quarterly haul during a year without a national election.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party on Saturday was declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

ROME (AP) — The Italian Senate on Thursday approved lowering the age voters must reach before they are eligible to elect senators from 25 to 18.

Voters who are 18 or older can already cast ballots in national elections for the lower house of Italy's Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies.

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s national elections commission on Sunday denied a claim by major opposition groups that the parliamentary election results that gave an overwhelming victory to the acting prime minister’s party are invalid.

BERLIN (AP) — The three leading contenders to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in Germany's upcoming national election spoke out strongly Thursday in favor of the European Union and its ideals.

In a combative speech, the candidate from Merkel's center-right Union bloc recalled how the Soviet blockade of West Berlin had demonstrated the importance of international cooperation.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Nearly 100 days after Dutch national election, talks to form a new ruling coalition remain deadlocked, the official who has led weeks of negotiations said Tuesday.

The conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy led by three-term Prime Minister Mark Rutte won the most seats in the three-day election that ended March 17, but the splintered result has so far prevented the formation of a new govering coalition.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s environmentalist Greens are putting the finishing touches on their election pitch and preparing to formally endorse Annalena Baerbock as their candidate for chancellor, amid a slip in the party's poll ratings fueled in large part by its own mistakes.

BERLIN (AP) — A state vote on Sunday is German politicians' last major test at the ballot box before a September election that will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel. After a bumpy start to the year, the longtime leader's bloc is hoping for a good showing in an eastern region where a far-right party is a strong challenger.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Somalia’s foreign minister told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that an agreement has been reached between the federal government and regional states that will lead to long-delayed national elections.

BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany has chosen two representatives supported by the hard-right wing of the party to lead it into the upcoming national election.

The party announced Tuesday that 71% of members in an online poll voted for co-chairman Tino Chrupalla and parliamentary co-leader Alice Weidel, beating a rival duo from the more moderate wing of the party.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s only state governor from the rising Green party on Wednesday announced ambitious new climate targets that includes boosting new technologies so that “Tesla will soon only see our tail lights.”

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's environmentalist Greens party wants to boost rail travel at the expense of domestic flights to help the country achieve its goal of sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia has again delayed its national election after some opposition parties said they wouldn’t take part and as conflict in the country’s Tigray region means no vote is being held there, further complicating Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's efforts to centralize power.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A top U.N. envoy urged Iraqis on Tuesday to uphold the integrity of “all-important national elections” next October, saying the world will be watching to see that voting is free and transparent without political pressure or interference...

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The controversial two-year term extension for Somalia’s president evaporated Saturday after intense public pressure, as the lower house of parliament approved his request to instead support efforts to organize the country’s long-delayed national election...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s ruling party lost all three parliamentary by-elections held Sunday, loosening Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s grip on power ahead of national elections later this year...

BERLIN (AP) — A German software developer who made a fortune from bitcoin has given the environmentalist Green Party one of the biggest political donations in the country's history in hopes it will win this year's national election — and consider banning the digital currency...

BERLIN (AP) — Pressure mounted Saturday on the two contenders hoping to lead German Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right bloc into September's national election to end their power struggle and agree which of them will run to succeed her...