TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Isle Royale National Park’s gray wolves, one of the world’s most closely monitored predator populations, are at their lowest ebb in more than a half-century and could die out within a few years, scientists said today. Only nine wolves still wander the wilderness island chain in western Lake Superior and […]

BEIRUT ( AP) — Syrian troops clashed with army defectors in several areas near the capital Damascus in the first significant battles there since President Bashar Assad’s forces regained control of the suburbs weeks ago, activists said today. The clashes highlight the shifting nature of the Syrian conflict, with rebel fighters igniting new fronts soon […]

HONG KONG ( AP) — Apple- mania gripped Asia today as the company’s latest iPad went on sale, drawing hordes of die- hard fans to shops selling the highly anticipated tablet. Gadget fans lined up in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore so they could be among the first to get their hands on the device. […]

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea announced plans today to blast a satellite into space on the back of a long-range rocket, a provocative move that could jeopardize a weeks- old agreement with the U. S. exchanging food aid for nuclear concessions. The North agreed to a moratorium on longrange launches as part of […]

AUGUSTA (AP) — An effort is under way to do away with Maine’s presidential caucuses and replace them with primaries. Republican Senate President Kevin Raye has proposed a change in state law that would establish a Maine presidential primary one week after New Hampshire’s firstin the-nation presidential primary starting in 2016. Raye tells Maine Today […]

PORTLAND (AP) — After a two- week scramble, six Republican candidates submitted more than 2,000 signatures apiece to clear a hurdle to the June primary ballot following Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe’s decision to forgo a fourth term. Four previously announced Democratic candidates also met Thursday’s deadline. Maine Attorney General William Schneider and Treasurer Bruce Poliquin […]

PORTLAND (AP) — A state regulatory agency acted legally when it approved a massive residential development around Moosehead Lake, the supreme court ruled Thursday, giving the green light to a project that critics contend could spoil the character of the North Woods made famous by writer Henry David Thoreau. The Land Use Regulation Commission spent […]

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon continues to struggle to clarify confusion created by an independent report that said unidentified body parts of some victims of the Sept. 11 attacks were incinerated and dumped in a landfill. Top officials promised a full accounting to the victims’ families. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, the chief of staff of the Air […]

TOPSHAM — Local American Legion posts will gather Sunday to honor several local veterans, some posthumously, and families for their service in the U.S. military. The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the American Legion Post 202 on Foreside Road. Forty-four area veterans and families will be recognized with state of Maine Honorary […]

TOPSHAM — The burgeoning Mid Coast Veterans Council will meet Saturday at 2 p.m. All area veterans are welcome. The meeting will be held at American Legion Post 202, located at 79 Foreside Road in Topsham. Before attendees get down to organizational matters, they will welcome Secretary of State Charles Summers. Summers, who wasn’t able to […]