BERLIN (Reuters) - The far-right Alternative for Germany scored a historic victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, exit polls showed on Sunday, dealing a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, but it was unclear whether the result would be enough to govern. The AfD won 44.5% of the vote, according to exit polls of ARD broadcaster, up from 20.8% in 2021. Merz’s CDU fell to 18.5% from 37.1% in 2021, a setback in a state the conservatives have governed since 2002. Most parties have ruled out joining an AfD-led coalition, meaning the party would likely need a majority of seats to take power.

 

*** 

WASHINGTON (Bloomberg) - The U.S. has confirmed 3,134 measles cases so far this year, driven by a growing outbreak in Pennsylvania linked to two deaths that started a feud between the governor and the nation’s top health leader. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 231 new cases in the week ending Sept 3. The nation is already at the highest levels since 1991, the last year with more cases, which occurred prior to the formal elimination of the disease. Pennsylvania has recorded 577 infections and 98 hospitalizations as of Friday, according to the state’s health department. Most of the infections are centered in Lancaster County.

 

*** 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the war in the Middle East still raising energy costs, Americans face record-high gasoline prices for Labor Day weekend, just as political campaigns kick off for midterm Congressional elections. The national average gasoline price will probably hit $4.03 on Labor Day, far surpassing the previous record of $3.83 per gallon set in 2012, said GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan. The Reuters Power Up newsletter by columnist Ron Bousso provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. “Gasoline, while not at all-time records, is at its highest level ever recorded this late in the calendar year, meaning Americans could for the first time ever see a national average price of gasoline above $4 per gallon on Labor Day,” De Haan wrote in a recent blog post. The national average price of gasoline stood at around $4.13 per gallon on Thursday, up nearly a dollar from last year’s average, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy. Analysts say $4 per gallon is a pain point for many consumers.

 

*** 

KATMANDU (AP) - Rescuers in Nepal are racing to reach thousands of people missing in areas near the China border after catastrophic floods as search operations enter their 12th day. The flooding that authorities say was likely caused by a glacial collapse last month has killed at least 1,384 people and left more than 5,500 missing, among them about 800 foreigners, across the two countries. In Nepal, rescuers have retrieved 1,341 bodies and are searching for about 4,996 people, the national disaster agency said on Sunday. In Tibet, the death toll has risen to 43, with 519 people missing, Chinese state news agency Xinhua

 

*** 

NEW YORK (AP) -The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a new world map that represents Africa more accurately in its larger size, a culmination of a recent campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups. Friday’s resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favor. Only the U.S. voted against it while six other countries - Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine - abstained. The vote encourages governments and institutions around the world to replace the traditional Mercator map, commonly used since the 16th Century, with the Equal Earth projection that advocates and geographers say shows locations more accurately.