Â鶹Éç¹ú²ú

OTTAWA — The Liberals sharpened their attacks on the Conservatives as the House of Commons returned from its summer break on Monday with the prospect of a snap election looming large.

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) — Officials warned people to stay out of the ocean at several beaches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia after they said medical waste, including hypodermic needles, washed ashore. The source of the waste was under investigation.

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — A tribe in Oregon whose culture is tied to the ocean is suing the U.S.

EDMONTON — Alberta's energy minister is promising strong action by next fall to clean up the province's growing backlog of unreclaimed oil and gas sites.

HALIFAX — Ottawa is negotiating a $500-million bailout for Nova Scotia's privately owned electric utility, saying the money will be used to prevent a big spike in electricity rates.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Firefighters on Monday battled flames spreading through a national park in Brazil that is enveloping Brasilia in smoke. It's the latest wildfire in the country, which is experiencing an historic drought.

LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — Firefighters were battling a pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate. The fire began at 9:55 a.m.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — It's noisy, smelly, shy — and New Zealand’s bird of the year.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Gordon has weakened to a depression as it swirls through open waters in the Atlantic. The storm was located about 1,020 miles (1,645 kilometers) east of the northeast Caribbean on Monday.

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical storm conditions were expected along a stretch of the U.S. Southeast seacoast and the system bringing gusty winds, heavy rain and potential flooding was stronger, forecasters said Monday morning.