Taylor Swift's Erast tour resumes in London with help from Ed Sheeran after thwarted terror plot
LONDON (AP) — Taylor Swift made a spectacular return to her Eras Tour at London's Wembley Stadium with the help of Ed Sheeran, who headlined the acoustic section of the crowd-pleasing show and performed a collaboration between the pair. The past few weeks have been difficult for the singer, with tragedies and thwarted terror plots. Mourning continues after an assailant killed three young fans at a Swift-themed dance class in Southport, northern England, and a show was canceled after a foiled plot to attack a concert venue in Austria where police arrested three Islamic State-inspired militants. Swift has four more dates left at Wembley Stadium to close out the European leg of her Eras Tour.
International astronomy groups join calls for a moondial to keep time on the moon
WASHINGTON (AP) — An international group of astronomers is calling for a standard for keeping time on the moon, where the seconds run faster. As more countries and private companies look to future lunar missions, astronomers want uniform clocks to ensure perfect synchronization. The International Astronomical Union voted Thursday to encourage space agencies around the world to collaborate on a timekeeping standard. The United States and Europe have also called for such a standard. Astronomers are still in the early stages of determining exactly how time will run on the moon.
'Hollywood Squares' host and Broadway star Peter Marshall dies at 98
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Peter Marshall, who served as host of “Hollywood Squares” and straight man to the stars for 16 years, has died at 98. Born in West Virginia, Mr. Marshall was a singer and actor who appeared in films and on Broadway before landing the job on “Hollywood Squares” in 1966 and hosting more than 5,000 episodes by 1981. The questions Mr. Marshall posed to his celebrity guests, most notably show regular and center squarer Paul Lynde, served as a setup for jokes before the real answers. He missed out on leading roles in Hollywood, but found one in musicals.
Police arrest four suspects in murder of former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police have arrested four suspects in connection with the death of former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wachter. Wachter was shot and killed while stopping a thief from stealing a catalytic converter from his car. Police say Wachter was returning home after a bartending shift in the early hours of May 25 when three men approached him in downtown Los Angeles, holding up his car. Police say one of the men shot Wachter, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Wachter played Brando Corbin on the long-running ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022.
Detroit judge disqualified for dressing sleepy teen in prison uniform during courtroom tour
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit judge has fallen out of favor after ordering a teenage girl to wear a prison uniform and be handcuffed during a tour of his courtroom. The chief judge of the 36th District Court said Judge Kenneth King will receive “necessary training.” The 15-year-old girl fell asleep during a tour of King's courtroom organized by a nonprofit where she volunteers. King said the girl's behavior led him to have her wear a prison uniform, be handcuffed and give her a stern lecture. The girl's mother said the judge was a “vicious bully” and that the girl was sleepy because her family had no permanent residence.
Panda twins born in Hong Kong to world's oldest primiparous mother, Ying Ying
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong has celebrated the birth of a home-grown giant panda, whose mother, the theme park where the twins were born, announced she is the world's oldest recorded first-time giant panda mother. Ying Ying gave birth to a male and female panda at Ocean Park on Thursday, one day before she turned 19. Ying Ying and her partner Lele are the second pair of pandas gifted to Hong Kong by Beijing since the city was returned to China in 1997. Pandas are widely considered China's unofficial national mascot.
The gnarled old cherry tree, Stampy, is gone, but its clone, the little Stampling, lives on.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stumpy lives on! The overgrown, gnarled cherry tree, an unlikely social media celebrity, was cut down earlier this year along with more than 100 others to make way for major repairs to the crumbling seawall protecting the Tidal Basin. But as construction on the seawall gets underway in earnest, horticulturists at the National Arboretum have successfully cloned Stumpy, illustrating the trees' epic story of survival. Five young saplings will be grown over the next few years with a view to replanting Stumpy once the Tidal Basin restoration is complete.
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Colombia to promote mental health and combat cyberbullying
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have arrived in Colombia where they will take part in several events promoting youth mental health and combating cyberbullying, one of the couple's latest charitable efforts. The couple were welcomed at the official residence of Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez in downtown Bogota, where they were treated to Colombian coffee and local pastries made with cheese and yuca. Marquez, a human rights activist and Colombia's first black vice president, said he would introduce the prince and duchess to Colombia's cultural riches and the government's efforts to fight inequality in a country where 33 percent of the population lives in poverty.
Notre Dame suspends men's swimming team for one year after NCAA gambling violations
The University of Notre Dame has suspended its men's swimming program for at least a year after an outside investigation found that team members violated NCAA rules by betting on the outcomes of competitions. The investigation also found that team members “failed to treat each other with dignity and respect.” Athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement Thursday that not all team members were involved in inappropriate conduct and that coach Chris Lindauer and his staff cooperated fully with the investigation. Team members will be allowed to transfer schools, but anyone found to have violated the anti-gambling rule will face NCAA sanctions.
Sweden reports first case of more infectious form of MPOX first identified in Congo
LONDON (AP) — Swedish health authorities say they have identified the first case of the highly contagious MPOX strain identified in eastern Congo, a day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak in Congo and across Africa a global emergency. The Swedish public health authority said in a statement Thursday that the patient had recently received medical care in Stockholm. Because Sweden and other developed countries have the resources to stop MPOX, scientists believe the new outbreak linked to Congo could be stopped relatively quickly if identified.
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