PARIS (AP) — France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It's been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone.
AMSTERDAM (AP) — The blockbuster exhibition of paintings by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer closed its doors for the final time on Sunday, with the art and history national museum of the Netherlands hailing the show as its most successful ever.
Tragedy that left 5 dead or missing puts spotlight on safety in Alaska charter fishing industry
June 3, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Morgan Robidou posed next to the bright aluminum hull of his prized new vessel, a 30-foot (9-meter) fishing boat that he could use to take friends, family or tourists out after salmon or halibut in the bountiful waters of southeast Alaska.
Hawaii allows more concealed carry after US Supreme Court ruling, but bans guns in most places
June 3, 2023 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green on Friday signed legislation that will allow more people to carry concealed firearms but at the same time prohibit people from taking guns to a wide range of places, including beaches, hospitals, stadiums, bars that serve alcohol and movie theaters.
Disney lawsuit judge removes himself from case but not for reasons cited by DeSantis
June 2, 2023 GMTORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge overseeing the First Amendment lawsuit that Walt Disney Parks filed against Gov. Ron DeSantis and others is disqualifying himself, but not because of bias claims made by the Florida governor.
India train crash death toll rises above 230 with 900 injured as rescuers comb through debris
June 3, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people after two passenger trains derailed Friday night in India, killing more than 230 people and leaving hundreds of others trapped inside more than a dozen mangled rail cars, in one of the country's deadliest train crashes in decades.
Lisa Marie Presley will be buried at Graceland next to son
January 13, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Lisa Marie Presley will be buried at Graceland, the famed home of Elvis Presley that on Friday became a gathering place for fans distraught over her death a day earlier.
More than half a dozen house boats momentarily caught fire at a popular boating destination on the Utah-Arizona line on Friday, igniting while tourists and jet skiers stood by before the flames were extinguished.
Billy Joel to end his record-breaking concert series at Madison Square Garden in 2024
June 1, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Billy Joel is finally moving out of his monthly perch at Madison Square Garden. The singer-songwriter says he will conclude his residency in July 2024 with his 150th lifetime performance at the venue.
Tropical Storm Mawar intensifies rains for Japan, threatens floods and mudslides in some regions
June 2, 2023 GMTNAHA, Japan (AP) — Heavy rains intensified by Tropical Storm Mawar fell on Japan’s main archipelago Friday, halting trains and triggering floods and mudslides in central and western regions where residents were urged to use caution or evacuate.
JetBlue strikes a deal to sell Spirit’s LaGuardia operation if it succeeds in buying Spirit
June 1, 2023 GMTJetBlue Airways said Thursday it has agreed to sell Spirit Airlines’ holdings at New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Frontier Airlines if it succeeds in buying Spirit.
The announcement seemed designed to persuade regulators to approve JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion takeover of Spirit.
NEW YORK (AP) — Airbnb sued New York City on Thursday over an ordinance that the company says imposes arbitrary restrictions that would greatly reduce the local supply of short-term rentals.
The 2022 ordinance, which the city plans to begin enforcing next month, would require owners to register with the mayor’s office, disclose who else lives in the property, and promise to comply with zoning, construction and maintenance ordinances.
Technical issues cause delays for Spirit, Air Canada
June 1, 2023 GMTMIRAMAR, Fla. (AP) — Spirit Airlines and Air Canada are dealing with technical issues on Thursday that have delayed some of the airlines' flights.
Spirit said in its initial tweet that the technical issue they were dealing with impacted their website, app and airport kiosks.
Heather Mack, convicted in mother’s murder in Bali, plans to plead guilty in US, attorney says
June 1, 2023 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago woman facing federal conspiracy charges in the 2014 killing of her mother during a luxury vacation in Bali plans to plead guilty, her attorney said Thursday.
LGBTQ+ people flock to Florida for Gay Days festival
June 1, 2023 GMTORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people are flocking to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park rides, mingle with costumed performers, dance at all-night parties and lounge poolside at hotels during Gay Days, a decades-long tradition.
Coast Guard suspends search for Carnival Magic passenger who went overboard off Florida
June 1, 2023 GMTThe U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for a 35-year-old man who was reported missing from a Carnival cruise ship off of Florida's Atlantic Coast.
Who are the bride and groom in Jordan’s royal wedding?
June 1, 2023 GMTHe's heir to the throne in one of the oldest monarchies in the Middle East and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. She's a Saudi architect with an aristocratic pedigree of her own.
Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, 28, and Rajwa Alseif, 29, are to be married on Thursday at a palace wedding in Jordan, a Western-allied monarchy that has been a bastion of stability for decades as Middle East turmoil has lapped at its borders.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand's national airline is asking passengers to step on the scales before they board international flights.
Air New Zealand says it wants to weigh 10,000 passengers during a monthlong survey so pilots can better know the weight and balance of their planes before takeoff.
American Airlines says it will appeal a ruling that would break up a partnership with JetBlue
May 31, 2023 GMTDALLAS (AP) — American Airlines said Wednesday it will appeal a court decision that would force the airline to break up its partnership with JetBlue Airways in the Northeast.
American and JetBlue face a late-June deadline to end the agreement in which they coordinate flights and share revenue.
NEW YORK (AP) — Little Amal, a 12-foot (3.7-meter) puppet of a Syrian refugee, will journey across the United States this fall, visiting key places in America's history to raise awareness about immigration and migration.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — An unprecedented string of wildfires in Canada's Atlantic-coast province of Nova Scotia continued to burn out of control for a fourth day on Wednesday, preventing thousands of evacuees from trying to see if their homes have been destroyed.
ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) — Surrounded by dozens of cheering people in green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21 starting in August, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that it's searching for a man who fell from a cruise ship off the coast of Florida.
The 35-year-old passenger fell from the Carnival Magic ship about 185 miles (300 kilometers) east of Jacksonville on Monday, the service said in a statement.
Time is a precious commodity and some readers need to be hooked from page one. T.J. Newman 's 2021 debut novel “Falling” (Avid Reader/Simon & Schuster) begins with a sentence that blasts out of a cannon: “When the shoe dropped in her lap the foot was still in it.”
Cruise ship passengers left terrified after ship sails through rough seas on return to Charleston
May 29, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A cruise ship that navigated rough seas off the South Carolina coast over the Memorial Day weekend has resumed sailing on its next cruise, Carnival Cruise Lines said Monday.
4 dead after tourist boat capsizes in storm on Italian lake
May 29, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — A body was retrieved early Monday in a northern Italian lake by police divers, raising to four the final death toll in the capsizing of a tourist boat a day earlier during a sudden, violent storm that included a whirlwind.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Jerusalem’s iconic citadel has opened its revamped museum after a three-year, $50 million makeover that included a restoration of its signature minaret.
The Tower of David, the ancient fortress on the western edge of the Old City, contains remnants of successive fortifications built one atop the other dating back over two millennia.
Pay per wave: Native Hawaiians divided over artificial surf lagoon in the birthplace of surfing
May 29, 2023 GMTEWA BEACH, Hawaii (AP) — Brian Keaulana is the quintessential Native Hawaiian waterman, well-known in Hawaii and beyond for his deep understanding of the ocean, gifted with surfing and lifeguarding skills passed down from his big-wave rider father.
LONDON (AP) — Travelers arriving in the U.K. faced long delays Saturday after a technical problem shut electronic border gates at airports across the country for most of the day, forcing everyone to have their passports checked manually on what was expected to be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Can’t get Taylor Swift tickets? See all of Swift’s eras on display at this costume exhibit
May 26, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has been breaking records and delighting fans on the U.S. leg of her Eras Tour, a splashy celebration of her career and new releases since the pandemic.
LONDON (AP) — British Airways canceled dozens of flights Friday, blaming computer problems for disrupting plans for thousands of passengers at the start of a busy holiday weekend — a rocky kickoff to the summer travel season in Europe.
California’s epic melting snowpack means cold, deadly torrents ahead of Memorial Day weekend
May 26, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California rivers fed by this winter's massive Sierra Nevada snowpack have been turned into deadly torrents, drawing warnings from public safety officials ahead of the Memorial Day weekend's traditional start of outdoor summer recreation.
California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to storms, new power sources
May 26, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — California regulators say the state is unlikely to run out of electricity this summer because of a big increase in power storage and a wet winter that filled the state's reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric power plants that were dormant during the drought.
2 planes aborted landings in San Francisco when a Southwest jet taxied across their runways
May 25, 2023 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two airliners aborted landings at San Francisco International Airport last week after pilots spotted a Southwest Airlines jet taxiing across runways on which the other planes had been cleared to land.
The unofficial start of the summer travel season is here, with airlines hoping to avoid the chaos of last year and travelers scrounging for ways to save a few bucks on pricey airfares and hotel rooms.
Housing crisis remains in Kentucky’s poor Appalachia region after flood waters recede
May 25, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Ky. (AP) — Shirley Howard’s feet splashed into nearly a foot of water when she stepped out of bed on a summer morning last July amid a torrential rainfall.
A devastating flood swallowing up Kentucky’s Appalachian region had reached her bedroom in the night.
Firewalkers in Greece honor Saint Constantine in mystery-shrouded, centuries-old rituals
May 25, 2023 GMTLAGKADAS, Greece (AP) — Sotirios Gkaintatzis danced across burning coals, his stomping bare feet raising sparks and puffs of smoke as he held aloft an icon of Saints Constantine and Helen.
Gkaintatzis is the leader of a group of anastenaria -- the devotees of St.
Yellowstone baby bison put to death after visitor picks it up, leading herd to reject it
May 24, 2023 GMTYELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A man who picked up a bison calf in Yellowstone National Park caused it to be shunned by its herd, prompting park officials to kill the animal rather than allow it to be a hazard to visitors.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific sacks crew members accused of discriminating against non-English speakers
May 24, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has dismissed three cabin crew members after a passenger accused them of discriminating against non-English speakers, in a case that drew criticism from Chinese state media.
GENEVA (AP) — Geneva's airport was briefly closed to flights on Tuesday as climate activists stormed a private jet fair on a nearby tarmac by ripping down or scaling fences, handcuffing themselves to landing gear and other material, and scuffling with police and security before being hauled away.
North Dakota plans new state park near Canadian border
May 22, 2023 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota is planning a new state park in a scenic gorge close to the Canadian border to promote tourism in the northeastern part of the state.
MADRID (AP) — It’s not as if Madrid was short on world-ranking galleries with the likes of the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía, among others.
But next month, Spain is set to unveil what is touted as one of Europe’s cultural highlights of the year with the opening in the Spanish capital of The Royal Collections Gallery.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov.
American Airlines and JetBlue must abandon their partnership in the Northeast, federal judge rules
May 20, 2023 GMTAmerican Airlines and JetBlue Airways must abandon their partnership in the northeast United States, a federal judge in Boston ruled Friday, saying that the government proved the deal reduces competition in the airline industry.
Russia-Georgia flights resume despite protests, strained ties
May 19, 2023 GMTTBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Direct flights resumed on Friday between Russia and Georgia amid protests and sharp criticism from the South Caucasus nation’s president, just over a week after the Kremlin unexpectedly lifted a four-year-old ban despite rocky relations.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Canada’s second-largest airline, WestJet, and its pilots union say they have reached a last-minute deal, averting a strike on Friday before a holiday weekend in the country.
Dubai’s next big thing? Perhaps a $5 billion man-made ‘moon’ as the city’s real estate market booms
May 19, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Who says you cannot reach for the moon? A proposed $5 billion real estate project wants to take skyscraper-studded Dubai to new heights — by bringing a symbol of the heavens down to Earth.
CANNES PHOTOS: Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones fever sweep Cannes on festival’s 3rd day
May 19, 2023 GMTIndiana Jones fever — and fervent love for its star, Harrison Ford — have swept through the Cannes Film Festival.
Ford and his last film as the whip-cracking explorer held the spotlight Wednesday with a premiere that provided equal parts glamour and emotion.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Country music star Garth Brooks promises no two shows of his new Las Vegas residency opening Thursday night will be the same.
From the occasional special guest to a rotating cast of band members, Brooks, in an interview hours before his first show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, even teased the possibility that fans may hear new music for the first — and last — time at “Garth Brooks/Plus One.”
Officials: Man hospitalized after Florida Keys shark bite
May 18, 2023 GMTMARATHON, Fla. (AP) — A man was hospitalized Thursday after being attacked by a shark in the Florida Keys, officials said.
The 20-year-old Miami-Dade man was bitten on the leg while spearfishing off Marathon, according to a Monroe County Sheriff's Office news release.
10K bridges similar to Pittsburgh one that collapsed should be checked for corrosion, report says
May 18, 2023 GMTInvestigators looking into the collapse of a Pittsburgh bridge want transportation officials nationwide to examine more than 10,000 other bridges with similar construction to ensure they don't have the same kind of corrosion that was found on the bridge that collapsed.
New Jersey blinks in dune repairs standoff, allows emergency erosion fixes in defiant town
May 18, 2023 GMTNORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey environmental officials will allow a shore town to carry out emergency repairs to its badly eroded beachfront, even as they continue a years-long fight with city officials over how best to protect the popular Jersey Shore resort's fragile coastline.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A 9-mile (14-kilometer) stretch of Florida sugar-white sand in an unspoiled natural setting alongside the Gulf of Mexico is the nation's best beach for 2023, according to the annual ranking released Thursday by the university professor known as “Dr.
Flooding across Alaska has inundated scores of homes, with several of them knocked from their foundations by large ice chunks, and shut one of the state's few east-west highways down to one lane.
Ice jams on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers caused most of the damage through a large swath of Alaska, while a quick melt of the snowpack caused Moose Creek to overflow near Glennallen, causing delays for motorists on the Glenn Highway which connects Anchorage to points east, including Canada.
‘The Office’ star Rainn Wilson crisscrosses the globe in search of inner bliss for TV series
May 17, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Rainn Wilson wanted to find inner happiness. So he got on a plane. Many planes.
The actor, who memorably played scheming, egotistical Dwight Schrute on “The Office” has crisscrossed the world to explore how people in different countries find their glee.
Japan’s economy rebounds on healthy consumption as COVID restrictions ease, tourists arrive
May 17, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan’s economy grew at an annual pace of 1.6% in the quarter through March as private demand rebounded after COVID-19-related restrictions were eased, according to data released Wednesday.