Authorities have raced to slow the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo with strict measures, including by limiting public gatherings and enforcing social distancing. Officials have also urged people to limit physical contact, wash their hands regularly and report suspected cases quickly. The precautions, though not always adhered to, are reshaping social life in a country where weddings are typically vibrant, daylong celebrations bringing together hundreds of relatives, friends and well-wishers. For Jean Claude Érable and his bride Solange Hahati, celebrating their wedding on Saturday in such conditions meant having some family members and friends absent on one of their happiest days.

Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, insists voters will support him despite controversies about his past. Speaking Friday, he addressed reports of sending explicit messages to women while married and allegations of volatile behavior. Platner denies some claims and says he's a changed man. Despite concerns, many Democrats back him, seeing him as their best chance to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner's campaign has faced scrutiny over past controversies, including a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol and offensive online comments. Supporters argue his personal growth makes him worthy of public life.

A new Gallup poll finds support for same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has stopped rising after two decades. About two-thirds of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, according to the poll, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023. Most of the change is driven by Republicans. The views of Democrats and independents on the topic have remained mostly stable. A 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision led to nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage. Conservative lawmakers in some states have called for that ruling to be overturned, something the court has so far rejected considering. The poll also found a shift in views of transgender issues.

Graham Platner’s wife has responded to news reports about his alleged sexually explicit texts with several women. This controversy adds to Platner's campaign challenges as he seeks the Democratic nomination in Maine to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins. On Saturday night, Platner posted a video of his wife, Amy Gertner, on X. In it, she called the coverage “gossip” and said that “no marriage is perfect.” The Wall Street Journal first reported the texts, noting Gertner informed the campaign in August. Campaign staff at the time decided the texts were private and being managed by the couple.

A family of four from Massachusetts who were killed when a bus crashed into multiple vehicles in Virginia were traveling to a wedding at the time. The family wedding will go forward Sunday in South Carolina. But a relative says it also will be a time to mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark. A fifth person died in Friday's crash as well: 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda of Massachusetts. The bus driver is in custody and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The war in Gaza and the mass displacement of Palestinians have helped fuel an increase in marriages of young girls. That's according to official data and experts. Some mothers see marriage as a source of protection and financial support in the harsh conditions of sprawling tent camps. Girls who marry early can face sexual assault and physical abuse from their husbands and in-laws. Many also become pregnant too young, putting them at risk of miscarriage or worse. Divorce rates are also high among early marriages, meaning some return home with babies and no support. The Associated Press spoke to six girls in Gaza who got married between 13 and 16 and their parents. They spoke on condition they not be identified by their full names because of the deep sensitivity of the issue.

The Iranian government held a mass wedding as part of its “Sacrifice for Iran” event in Tehran amid regional tensions. It combined traditional…

KOOVAGAM, India (AP) — Under stage lights, hundreds of transgender women adjusted their sarees, tucked flowers into their hair, and waited to …