U.S./World category, Page 347
Bette Nash, who was named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Bette Nash, who was once named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, has died. She was 88. American Airlines, Nash’s employer, announced her passing on social media Saturday. The carrier noted that Nash spent nearly 70 years warmly caring for customers in the air. “Bette was a legend...
Pope apologizes after being quoted using vulgar term about gay men in talk about ban on gay priests
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar and derogatory term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis’ comments, which were delivered behind closed...
U.S. consumer confidence rises in May after 3 months of declines
WASHINGTON — Consumer confidence in the U.S. rose in May after three straight months of declines, though Americans are still anxious about inflation and interest rates. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose in May to 102 from 97.5 in April. Analysts...
Hong Kong police arrest 6 people accused of violating the city’s new national security law
HONG KONG — Hong Kong police on Tuesday arrested six people, including a former organizer of the city’s decades-long annual vigil that commemorated China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown, for allegedly publishing seditious social media posts, in what were the first publicly known arrests under the city’s new national security law. Secretary...
Judge nixes bid to restrict Trump statements that could endanger officers in classified records case
WASHINGTON — The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida on Tuesday denied prosecutors’ request to bar the former president from making public statements that could endanger law enforcement agents participating in the prosecution. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in her order that prosecutors on special counsel...
U.S. vows more returns of looted antiquities as Italy celebrates latest haul of 600 artifacts
ROME — Italy on Tuesday celebrated the return of around 600 antiquities from the U.S., including ancient bronze statues, gold coins, mosaics and manuscripts valued at $65 million, that were looted years ago, sold to U.S. museums, galleries and collectors and recovered as a result of criminal investigations. U.S. Ambassador...
‘We have nothing’: As Israel attacks Rafah, Palestinians are living in tents and searching for food
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The tent camps stretch for more than 10 miles along Gaza’s coast, filling the beach and sprawling into empty lots, fields and town streets. Families dig trenches to use as toilets. Fathers search for food and water, while children dig through garbage and wrecked buildings...
‘Son of Sam’ killer Berkowitz denied parole in 12th attempt
ALBANY, N.Y. — “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz, who set New York City on edge with late-night shootings in the 1970s, was denied parole after his 12th board appearance. Berkowitz, 70, was rejected after a Board of Parole prison interview on May 14, according to information listed on a...
Israeli army says it used small munitions in Rafah airstrike, and fire was caused by secondary blast
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military said Tuesday that an initial investigation into a strike that sparked a deadly fire in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has found the blaze was caused by a secondary explosion. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said the military...
Record set Friday for most airline travelers screened at U.S. airports
ATLANTA — A record was broken ahead of the Memorial Day weekend for the number of airline travelers screened at U.S. airports, the Transportation Security Administration said Saturday. More than 2.9 million travelers were screened Friday at U.S. airports, surpassing a previous record set last year on the Sunday after...
North Korean rocket carrying its 2nd spy satellite explodes in mid-air
SEOUL, South Korea — A rocket launched by North Korea to deploy the country’s second spy satellite exploded shortly after liftoff Monday, state media reported, in a setback for leader Kim Jong Un’s hopes to field satellites to monitor the U.S. and South Korea. Monday’s failed launch came hours after...
Biden says each generation has to ‘earn’ freedom, in solemn Memorial Day remarks
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden marked Memorial Day with a pledge that the United States would continue the work of the nation’s fallen toward creating a more perfect union, “for which they lived, and for which they died for.” Delivering remarks at a solemn remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery,...
Iran further increases its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, watchdog says
VIENNA — Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report on Monday by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the latest in Tehran’s attempts to steadily exert pressure on the international community. Iran is seeking to have economic sanctions imposed over...
Netanyahu acknowledges ‘tragic mistake’ after Rafah strike kills dozens of Palestinians
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a “tragic mistake” had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people. The mistake...
Bus crashes into vehicles in southern Turkey, leaving 10 dead and 39 injured
ANKARA, Turkey — A passenger bus crashed into vehicles on a highway in southern Turkey, killing at least 10 people and leaving 39 others injured, officials said Monday. The accident occurred in the province of Mersin late on Sunday, when the bus veered into the opposite lane in heavy rain...
At least 2,000 feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide. These are some challenges rescuers face
BANGKOK — The Papua New Guinea government said more than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive in a landslide in the South Pacific island nation, after the side of a mountain came down in the early hours of Friday morning when the village of Yambali was asleep....
Man in custody after stabbings at a Massachusetts theater and a McDonald’s
BRAINTREE, Mass. — A man was taken into custody after six people, including four girls at a movie theater, were stabbed in separate attacks that may be connected, police in Massachusetts said. Police said a man came into the AMC Braintree 10 south of Boston at about 6 p.m. Saturday...
At least 21 dead in Memorial Day weekend storms that devastated several U.S. statesVideo
A series of powerful storms swept over the central and southern U.S. over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, killing at least 21 people and leaving a wide trail of destroyed homes, businesses and power outages. The destructive storms caused deaths in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky and were just north...
Over 670 people died in a massive Papua New Guinea landslide, UN estimates, as survivors seek safety
MELBOURNE, Australia — The International Organization for Migration on Sunday increased its estimate of the death toll from a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea to more than 670 as emergency responders and traumatized relatives gave up hope that any survivors will now be found. However, a Papua New Guinea...
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel’s massive air, sea and ground offensive....
Republican-appointed University of Wisconsin regent refuses to step down when term ends
MADISON, Wis. — A conservative University of Wisconsin regent says he won’t step down when his term ends this month. Then-Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, appointed Robert Atwell to the Board of Regents in May 2017. His seven-year term ends this month. Atwell sent an email to Universities of Wisconsin...
At least 27 people killed in a fire at an amusement park in western India, police say
NEW DELHI — A major fire broke out Saturday at an amusement park in Gujarat state in western India, killing at least 27 people, including several children, police and media reports said. The fire erupted at the park in the city of Rajkot in Gujarat state. Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava...
Emergency convoy delivers provisions to survivors of devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea
MELBOURNE, Australia — Survivors searched through tons of earth and rubble by hand looking for missing relatives while a first emergency convoy delivered food, water and other provisions Saturday at the site of a landslide that devastated a remote village in the mountains of Papua New Guinea and was feared...
What you can do to try to stay safe when a tornado hits — and well beforehand
ATLANTA — Record warmth this winter fueled a deadly tornado outbreak across parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas in March. Then tornadoes killed multiple people and injured at least 35 others in Iowa. Recent twisters have even struck in places unaccustomed to them, such as one near Los Angeles...
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has taken back control in areas of Kharkiv region, aerial attacks continue
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces have secured “combat control” of areas where Russian troops entered the northeastern Kharkiv region earlier this month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Meanwhile, two people were killed Saturday in an aerial attack on the city of Kharkiv, which is the region’s capital, according to local officials....
