Taylor Swift says Vienna show cancellation is 'devastating', explains silence
LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers canceled Taylor Swift's Vienna show after a thwarted terror plot, Swift has issued her first statement about the cancellation. She called the cancellation devastating, saying it filled her with “a renewed sense of fear” and “tremendous guilt because so many people were planning to come to the show.” She thanked authorities and said she was holding off on speaking out until after the end of her European Eras tour to prioritize safety. Following the cancellation, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations, and her social media pages have been dormant.
Authorities said that among the bodies recovered from the wreckage of the yacht was that of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch.
PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — The body of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was among those recovered off the coast of Sicily from the wreckage of a superyacht that its shipyards said was unsinkable, according to the Italian coast guard. Lynch's body and that of five others were recovered by rescuers. One woman remains missing. The Baysian sank in a storm early Monday while moored offshore. Civil defense officials believe it was hit by a type of tornado known as a water tornado, which caused it to sink rapidly. Fifteen of the 22 people on board survived. Lynch had recently celebrated being acquitted of fraud charges.
Banana-loving Japanese woman becomes world's oldest
TOKYO (AP) — Tomiko Itooka is now the world's oldest person at 116. Guinness World Records confirmed the Japanese woman's status on Thursday following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas. Itooka lives in a nursing home in southeastern Japan. She was born May 23, 1908, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which verifies details of people believed to be over 110 years old. She celebrated her birthday three months ago, receiving flowers, cake and a card from the mayor. Her favorite food is bananas. When informed she was the oldest person in the world, Itooka replied, “Thank you,” something she often says to caregivers at home.
Australian penguin Sphene, one half of famous same-sex couple, dies at age 11
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An 11-year-old member of a world-famous same-sex penguin couple has died at a Sydney aquarium. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium announced Thursday that Sphen, a gentoo penguin, died this month. He and his 8-year-old partner, Magic, attracted international attention in 2018 when they built a nest of pebbles together and tried to raise a chick in the enclosure. International attention grew when they successfully adopted and raised two chicks in 2018 and 2020. Their union was celebrated with a float at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, featured in the Netflix series “Atypical” and incorporated into the Sydney-based New South Wales education curriculum.
Man arrested after opening plane door and walking on wing at Australian airport
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A passenger was arrested at an Australian airport after exiting an emergency exit from a stopped aircraft, walking along the wing and exiting the jet engine onto the runway. Authorities said the Jetstar flight had arrived at Melbourne Airport from Sydney and was parked at the terminal gate when the man exited the plane through the right-hand exit on Thursday. The exit automatically slides from the back of the fuselage wing to the ground, but the man chose to walk along the wing and exit through one of the Airbus A320's two engines. Officers arrested the man for “suspected aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety regulations,” according to the Australian Federal Police.
Russian climber rescued in Pakistan Himalayas, arrives at hospital
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistani military helicopter has evacuated two Russian climbers from the base camp of the country's highest peak to a northern city after they were stranded a week ago when they were hit by ice on the remote peak, authorities said. The five Russian climbers had been attempting to reach the summit of Mount Gasherbrum to retrieve the body of a fellow climber who was killed last Friday after being hit by ice. Rescuers evacuated two of the climbers by helicopter on Monday, but bad weather left the other two stranded at base camp. Police official Akhtar Hussain said the two Russians were in stable condition.
A US government report found that twice the recommended amount of fluoride can lower a child's IQ.
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. government report concludes that twice the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water reduces children's IQs. The report, based on an analysis of previously published studies, is the first time a federal agency has concluded there's a link between exposure to high levels of fluoride and lower IQs in children. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost through normal wear and tear. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Ultrasound image of flood victim's son found on Connecticut beach miles from collapsed home
A Connecticut mother got some good news this week after the heartbreak of her home being destroyed in deadly flooding that ravaged parts of the state on Sunday. An ultrasound image of Randy Marcusio's now 3-year-old son was found on a beach in Westport, about 30 miles from her property in Oxford. A stranger walking along the beach on Monday found a slip of paper with Marcusio's name and two ultrasound images on it. She returned the slip to Marcusio on Wednesday. The creek beside Marcusio's house overflowed, washing away much of the land below it and causing the house to collapse on Monday.
Detroit judge accused of handcuffing teen girl and putting her in prison gear during school field trip
DETROIT (AP) — More uproar in Detroit a week after a judge ordered a girl to wear a prison uniform and handcuffed during a school field trip. Lawyers for 15-year-old Eva Goodman have filed a lawsuit in federal court. They accuse Judge Kenneth King of humiliation, false arrest and false detention. They specifically noted that the judge saw the girl as falling asleep and behaving badly. The girl's lawyers say King's behavior was “extreme and outrageous.” There has been no immediate comment from the judge's lawyers. King was removed from court work last week until she completes training.
Sam Sam the Cat ran away and was found nearby 11 years later thanks to a microchip.
A South Carolina cat has been reunited with his owner after 11 years thanks to a microchip. Charleston County Animal Control found Sam the Catman earlier this month. Sam was skinny and had been eating scraps from a group of stray cats. Charleston Animal Society staff scanned Sam's microchip and found out his owner lives on a farm less than a mile from where he was found. Jennifer Ravenel said she was surprised and overjoyed. Stroking her lost friend, she said she has been heartbroken since Sam was gone and that she can no longer hold a cat on her lap.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
