Church confirms pope to visit Cuba in spring
HAVANA (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI will visit Communist-run Cuba this spring, a senior Roman Catholic Church official said Thursday, the first trip by a pontiff since John Paul II’s historic tour in 1998. The exact date of the trip,…
Teens told to be true to who they are
HONG KONG (AP) — Emma Watson’s advice to teenagers is: “feel comfortable in your own skin.” The 21-year-old Harry Potter star, on her second visit to Hong Kong, said she loves travelling in Asia. The British actress cast as Hermione…
UK lifts ban on female submariners
LONDON (AP) — Women will be allowed to serve on submarines for the first time in Britain’s history, the country’s defense secretary announced Thursday, after research showed there were no health reasons to support the ban. A small number of…
Five killed in tour helicopter crash near Lake Mead
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Recovery and investigative teams are heading to a remote site near Lake Mead where a helicopter slammed into a mountainside, killing the pilot and the four passengers who were on a tour of the Las Vegas…
Jodie Foster’s dad convicted of housing scheme
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jodie Foster’s estranged father faces more than 25 years behind bars after being convicted of bilking more than $100,000 from the poor and elderly in a home-building scheme. City News Service reports that Lucius Foster was…
Nation marks 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — In wheelchairs and on walkers, the old veterans came Wednesday to remember the day 70 years ago when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. But FDR’s “date that will live in infamy” is becoming a more…
Police: Ex-Miss USA was above legal alcohol limit
DETROIT (AP) — Former Miss USA Rima Fakih was speeding and weaving through traffic with an uncorked, half-empty bottle of champagne and a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when she was arrested in the Detroit enclave of…
Fugitive ‘Red Shirt’ leader surrenders in Thailand
BANGKOK (AP) — A fugitive leader of Thailand’s “Red Shirts” protesters who escaped a police raid by rappelling down a hotel facade in a scene captured by network news teams surrendered Wednesday after 20 months on the run. Arisman Pongruangrong,…
Obama, Clinton to world: Stop gay discrimination
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Obama administration’s declaration that it plans to use foreign assistance, international diplomacy and political asylum to promote gay rights abroad is a momentous step that could dangerously backfire if not pursued with delicacy and an…
Twenty killed in rare attacks on Afghan Shiites
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck a crowd of Shiite worshippers marking a holy day Tuesday in the Afghan capital as at least 20 people were killed in an unprecedented wave of violence against the minority Islamic sect…
