U.S./World category, Page 518
Danish queen to undergo ‘major back surgery’
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, whose half-century reign makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch, will undergo “major back surgery” later this month, the royal palace said Wednesday. The 82-year-monarch will be hospitalized afterward and undergo “a longer rehabilitation process,” the royal household said in a statement. “During a long...
United Airlines flight bound for New Jersey turns around after fire in cabin
SAN DIEGO — A fire on board a New Jersey-bound United Airlines plane prompted it to return to San Diego International Airport and four people were taken to a hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, authorities said. Flight 2664 was heading to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey when...
Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake pass 11,000
GAZIANTEP, Turkey — With hope fading to find survivors, stretched rescue teams toiled Wednesday in Turkey and Syria, searching for signs of life in the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll passed 11,000 in the deadliest quake worldwide in more than a decade....
North Korean troops encouraged by Kim Jong Un, his daughter
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lauded the “irresistible might” of his nuclear-armed military as he visited troops with his daughter to mark the 75th founding anniversary of his army, state media said Wednesday. The visit came amid indications North Korea is preparing to stage a...
U.S., states weigh farmland restrictions after Chinese balloon
HARLOWTON, Mont. — Near the banks of Montana’s Musselshell River, cattle rancher Michael Miller saw a large, white orb above the town of Harlowton last week, a day before U.S. officials revealed they were tracking a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the state. The balloon caused a stir in the...
Memphis officer took, shared photos of bloodied Tyre Nichols
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Documents released Tuesday provided a scathing account of what authorities called the “blatantly unprofessional” conduct of five officers involved in the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols during a traffic stop last month — including new revelations about how one officer took and shared pictures of the...
Navy divers begin pulling up Chinese spy balloon debrisVideo
WASHINGTON — Navy divers began pulling pieces of the downed Chinese spy balloon from the depths of the ocean floor on Tuesday, using sophisticated reconnaissance drones dubbed the Kingfish and the Swordfish to locate the debris. After collecting all of the balloon’s white fabric and shell structure found floating on...
Race to find survivors as quake aid pours into Turkey, Syria; death toll soars above 7,200Video
NURDAGI, Turkey — Search teams and aid poured into Turkey and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures and sometimes using their bare hands dug through the remains of buildings flattened by a powerful earthquake. The death toll soared above 7,200 and was still expected to rise. But...
Disney faces losing control of its kingdom with Florida bill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney’s government in Florida has been the envy of any private business, with its unprecedented powers in deciding what to build and how to build it at the Walt Disney World Resort, issuing bonds and holding the ability to build its own nuclear plant if it wanted....
Newspapers dying? Ralph Nader’s giving birth to one
NEW YORK — At age 88, Ralph Nader believes his neighbors in northwest Connecticut are tired of electronics and miss the feel of holding a newspaper to read about their town. So at a time when local newspapers are dying at an alarming rate, the longtime activist is helping give...
Newborn, toddler saved from rubble in quake-hit Syrian town
JINDERIS, Syria — Residents in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble of a five-story apartment building leveled by this week’s devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday. The newborn girl was found buried...
Court denies aid for Hiroshima A-bomb survivors’ children
TOKYO — A Japanese court on Tuesday rejected a damage suit filed by a group of children of Hiroshima atomic bombing survivors seeking government support for medical costs, saying the hereditary impact of radiation exposure is still unknown. A group of 28 plaintiffs whose parents suffered radiation exposure in the...
LGBTQ groups demand Japan adopt equal rights law by G-7
TOKYO — Japanese LGBTQ people and rights groups condemned a recent discriminatory remark by a senior aide of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, demanding his government enact laws to ban discrimination against sexual minorities, legalize same-sex marriage and guarantee equal rights before Japan hosts a Group of Seven summit in May....
Russian shells spark hospital fire before expected assault
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian shelling hit more civilian targets in Ukraine, starting a fire at a town hospital and damaging five apartment buildings, local officials said Tuesday, as Ukrainian authorities reported a Russian troop buildup in eastern areas that Kyiv suspects is preparation for a new offensive around the anniversary...
Amid soaring crime, Memphis cops lowered the bar for hiring
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Beyond the beating, kicking, cursing and pepper spraying, the video of Tyre Nichols’ deadly arrest at the hands of young Memphis police officers is just as notable for what’s missing — any experienced supervisors showing up to stop them. That points to a dangerous confluence of trends...
Lucky player in Seattle suburb wins $754.6M Powerball prize
AUBURN, Wash. — A single winning ticket for a $754.6 million Powerball jackpot was sold at a department store in a Seattle suburb, Washington state lottery officials said Tuesday. The winning numbers drawn Monday night were 5, 11, 22, 23, 69 and the Powerball 7. The winning ticket was bought...
New York funeral home finds woman breathing hours after declared dead
MILLER PLACE, N.Y. — An 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a New York nursing home but found to be breathing three hours later at the funeral home where she had been taken, authorities said. The woman was pronounced dead at Water’s Edge Rehab and Nursing Center at Port Jefferson...
White House: Improved surveillance caught Chinese balloonVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Monday that improvements ordered by President Joe Biden to strengthen defenses against Chinese espionage helped to identify last week’s spy balloon — and to determine that similar flights were conducted at multiple points during the Trump administration. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said...
New Jersey charges Paterson officer who shot, wounded fleeing personVideo
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey’s top law enforcement official brought criminal charges Monday against a police officer he said shot a fleeing person in the back, wounding him severely. Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the state filed charges of second-degree aggravated assault and official misconduct against Paterson Police Officer Jerry...
Harry Whittington, shot by Dick Cheney in hunting mishap, dies at 95
Harry Whittington, the attorney from Texas who survived a hunting accident in 2006 when then-US Vice President Dick Cheney shot him in the face while tracking a passing bird, has died. He was 95. He died early Saturday morning at home, the New York Times reported, citing his wife. A...
Salman Rushdie gives 1st interview since 2022 stabbing
NEW YORK — Months after being stabbed repeatedly as he prepared to give a lecture, Salman Rushdie is blind in his right eye, struggles to write and, at times, has “frightening” nightmares. But, he said during his first interview since the attack, he still has a feeling of gratitude. “Well,...
French parliament debates Macron’s divisive pension bill
PARIS — France’s parliament on Monday started debating a fiercely contested pension bill that’s triggered recent strikes and large street demonstrations, with more protests set to come this week. The lower house, the National Assembly, began debating the plans that would raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64....
Woman plotted with neo-Nazi to attack power grid, feds say
BALTIMORE — A Maryland woman spent months conspiring with a neo-Nazi leader based in Florida to plan an attack on Baltimore’s power grid, hoping to further their racist mission, law enforcement officials said Monday. The plan was thwarted when both suspects were arrested last week, adding to a growing list...
3 U.S. tourists stabbed in popular Puerto Rican neighborhood
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Three U.S. tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico early Monday after police said someone told them to stop filming in a renowned seaside community known as La Perla that is popular with visitors. The confrontation began when one of the tourists, who lives in South...
Florida teen pleads guilty to fatally stabbing classmate
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A Florida teenager faces a possible life sentence after he pleaded guilty Monday to fatally stabbing a 13-year-old classmate 114 times and leaving her body in a wooded area near their homes in 2021. The plea came as jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday morning...
