Washington – An American military team’s initial assessment is that Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies used explosives Sunday to blow large holes in four ships anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. official said Monday. The official said each ship has a 5- to 10-foot hole in it, near or just below [...]

New Haven, CT – A top fire official says a fire at a Connecticut mosque appears to be arson. New Haven Fire Chief John Alston said Monday investigators had found evidence the Sunday afternoon blaze at the Diyanet Mosque was “intentionally set” and a criminal investigation is underway. He didn’t disclose the nature of the [...]

Washington – U.S. President Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday, describing him as “like me, a little controversial,” and brushing off concerns about threats to democratic norms in Hungary during Orban’s tenure. Welcoming the right-wing Hungarian leader for a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump lauded him for being tough on [...]

Atlanta – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter broke his hip Monday at his Georgia home, underwent successful surgery and was recovering comfortably, a spokeswoman for the Carter Center said. Carter was on his way to go turkey hunting, the spokeswoman, Deanna Congileo, said in a statement. She said that he was treated in Americus, Georgia, [...]

Tel Aviv – Travelers will have dozens of additional check-in counters and more parking under an $840 million expansion plan for Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The country’s Transportation Ministry approved the plan for the international arrivals and departures terminal to feature an additional 90 check-in counters, four more luggage conveyor belts, an expanded duty-free [...]

New York – New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is considering a run for the White House in 2020, on Monday threatened to fine the Trump Organization $2.1 million a year starting in 2030 unless the president’s business reduces emissions from its buildings. “It doesn’t matter who you are, even the president of the [...]

New York – Wall Street sank on Monday after China defied Washington by announcing retaliatory tariffs, the latest salvo in the two countries’ increasingly belligerent trade war, sending investors fleeing equities for less risky assets. All three major U.S. indexes lost ground in a widespread sell-off, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq posting its biggest one-day percentage [...]

Houston, TX – A bakery in Houston that dates back to Poland in the early 19th century lost its kosher certification after deciding to stay open on Passover. The Three Brothers Bakery was certified by the Houston Kashruth Association but no longer appears on the organization’s website. Owners Bobby and Janice Jucker told the local [...]

New York – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio staged a chaotic press event Monday in the lobby of Trump Tower in which he said he will announce this week whether he’s running for president. Speaking at a podium steps from the spot where President Donald Trump announced his own presidential run in 2015, [...]

Seattle – Amazon.com Inc is rolling out machines to automate a job held by thousands of its workers: boxing up customer orders. The company started adding technology to a handful of warehouses in recent years, which scans goods coming down a conveyor belt and envelopes them seconds later in boxes custom-built for each item, two [...]