Director Nia DaCosta is the first Black woman to helm a Marvel movie.

This week’s new entertainment releases include Gal Gadot in the international espionage thriller “Heart of Stone,” the return of the comedy “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu and “Painkiller,” a new Netflix limited series detailing the rise of opioid use in the United States from various perspectives.

An album from Madonna, a carol from Mariah Carey and music from “Super Mario Bros.”.

Audiences said let’s go to the movie theater for “The Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo's late president Satoru Iwata oversaw the video-game maker's global growth, helping make Super Mario and Pokemon household names.

Turkey is demanding an apology from Italy’s premier after he called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “dictator.”.

An Associated Press survey of Division I athletic directors found that nearly 73% believe allowing athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image or likeness will decrease the number of schools that have a chance to be competitive in college sports.

Octogenarians in Tuscany watched in disbelief and indignation as lawyers, magistrates, professors and other younger professionals got vaccinated against COVID-19 before them, despite government pledges of prioritizing Italy’s oldest citizens.

An unopened copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.

— Wyoming’s governor is rejecting a call by President Joe Biden for states to reimpose mask orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus cases nationwide are on the rise, but infections in Wyoming have fallen off sharply since December. Tribal health officials said that the United Kingdom strain was confirmed in a sample obtained in the western part of the reservation. State health officials on Monday announced more than 1 million people in the state, about 17% of Wisconsin’s population, have completed their vaccination cycles. AdThe COVID-related hospitalizations dropped to 549 on Monday, far below the pandemic record of 5,082 on Jan. 11, according to the state’s pandemic dashboard.

"The world cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is over to start planning for the next one,” Tedros said during a news conference. Steven Solomon, WHO's principal legal officer, said the proposed pandemic treaty would need to be ratified by lawmakers in the participating countries. European Council President Charles Michel first laid out the idea of a pandemic treaty at the U.N. General Assembly in December. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the U.S. has concerns about the current push for a new pandemic treaty. “That should be our focus currently.”WHO legal officer Solomon said the pandemic treaty might also address issues such as the sharing of vaccine technology and vaccine supplies, but gave no indication how that might happen.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the World Cup 2022 group A qualifying soccer match between Serbia and Portugal at the Rajko Mitic stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)Portugal and Belgium were left frustrated by draws in their World Cup qualifying matches. Stéphanie Frappart made more history as the first woman to referee a men's World Cup qualifier as the Netherlands beat Latvia 2-0. TV replays indicated the ball did cross the line, but goal-line technology and video review aren't used in the World Cup qualifiers. Artem Dzyuba scored both of Russia's goals to move within one goal of the Russian team record of 30 held by retired striker Alexander Kerzhakov.

"It’s not up to Europe to pay the price for this policy.”AdBritain denied it faces such a quandary, saying it was confident it had adequate vaccine supplies, but the tension underscored the foul political mood. To avoid losing out on vaccines, especially to Britain, EU leaders late Thursday backed a export control system that aims to keep doses in the EU until the company that produces then has fulfilled its delivery contracts to EU nations. EU leaders accuse British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, in particular, of putting its contract with the U.K. ahead of promises to the bloc. Britain points out that it signed a vaccine deal with AstraZeneca first, and has warned the EU against stopping companies from fulfilling their contracts. While visiting a plant near Barcelona, Breton said that 52 factories across the EU are currently churning out vaccines.

Italy's nursing homes have been declared an initial success in an otherwise lagging vaccine campaign. AdThe final jab for the first one-third of the nursing home’s 94 residents this week marked the beginning of the end of a year-long struggle to protect its fragile wards. Nursing homes like the Martino Zanchi Foundation suffered the brunt of Italy’s first wave, claiming at least one-third of Italy's official virus victims. But the system was too taxed to test nursing home residents and those deaths never figured into Italy's death toll. AdOn Monday, 27 of the nursing home's residents received their second shot.

People hold signs while participating in a "stop Asian hate" rally outside the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon, March 20, 2021. Two other bills introduced by Democrats would increase communication between minority communities and law enforcement. One proposal would direct the Georgia Emergency Communications Authority to implement a statewide translation system for 911 calls. The other would direct the group that administers law enforcement training in Georgia to offer community response and proactive outreach training in languages other than English. AdDemocratic Sen. Sheikh Rahman is a Bangladeshi immigrant who was the first person of Asian descent elected to the Georgia state Senate.

"I started thinking about my son.”Lyon waited in the room, less than a minute, he figures, until he heard the sound of bells signaling someone had opened the front door at Youngs Asian Massage. "I couldn’t believe it was happening.”AdLyon's eyewitness account and police reports released Tuesday reveal a closer look at the carnage of March 16. His right hand in his back pocket, he walked into Youngs Asian Massage through the front door. ___AdRita Barron told deputies she heard screams and loud thumps coming from Youngs Asian Massage. Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49, was an entrepreneur who owned Youngs Asian Massage and other businesses.

(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – A man who survived the shooting that killed his wife at an Atlanta-area massage business last week said police detained him in handcuffs for four hours after the attack. Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said in an emailed statement Monday afternoon that his office would not have any further comment on the case and is focusing on the investigation and prosecution. In all, seven of the slain victims were women, six of them of Asian descent. Gonzalez said they put him in handcuffs and detained him for about four hours, according to the website. “Only when they finally confirmed I was her husband, did they tell me that she was dead," he said.

The increasing pressure on ICU wards — where today 1,334 people are currently receiving care — comes amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in the Eastern European country. ___PHOENIX — Arizona on Saturday reported 735 additional confirmed coronavirus cases with 42 more deaths amid indications of continued slowing of the coronavirus outbreak. Arizona’s pandemic totals rose to 835,765 cases and 16,733 deaths, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard. The government on Saturday reported cases topping the previous record in June. ___WARSAW, Poland — Poland reported more than 25,000 coronavirus cases Saturday, compared to less than 15,000 in early March.

(AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)LAS VEGAS — The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is changing course and now plans in-person spring graduation ceremonies in May as the coronavirus outbreak slows. UNLV President Keith Whitfield on Friday announced the change from plans announced in February to hold graduation virtually. ___LONDON — The U.K. says half of the country’s adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. AdThe government on Saturday reported cases topping the previous record in June. AdJust one third of Italy’s 7.3 million vaccine doses administered so far have gone to people in that age group.

Medical staff members tend to a patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit of the Papa Giovanni XIII hospital in Bergamo, Italy, Thursday, March 18, 2021. One year later, the picture is much improved: the hospital now is treating fewer than 200 virus patients, just one quarter of those requiring intensive care. The picture is much improved now: The hospital is treating fewer than 200 virus patients, just one quarter of whom require intensive care. As of early March, two-thirds of Italy's virus-related deaths were among those over 80; the median age of Italy's pandemic dead currently hovers over 80 after spiking to 85 last summer. Only like this will we respect those who have left us,” Draghi said on the anniversary of the first army convoy carrying the virus dead from Bergamo.

Gioeni, who left the priesthood 20 years ago and married in 2014, said he has decided to formally leave the church after the Vatican decreed that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God cannot bless sin. I am not renouncing my faith in God but rather I am renouncing a role and a rite,” said Gioeni, 49. Born in Mendoza province some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Buenos Aires, Gioeni pursued a religious vocation as a young man despite being tormented by doubts about his sexuality. “It was a defense.”After ordination he rose quickly in the provincial church, while secretly exploring chatrooms for the local gay community. In recent years Gioeni has become an LGBTQ activist lobbying for a more open Catholic Church.

Premier Mario Draghi visited the northern city on Thursday to commemorate a national day of mourning for Italy’s coronavirus victims. The anniversary came as much of Italy including Bergamo is under new lockdown, with schools, shops and restaurants shuttered, amid a new surge of infections blamed on variants. And it comes as Italy’s halting vaccination campaign has slowed down further because of the temporary suspension of AstraZeneca shots. AdIn a post, Fusco said he was bringing to the ceremony the memories of the Bergamo dead and “that great book of painful stories, tears and emotion and also the sharing and consolation that is our Facebook group." Ad“Today remembering the dead would mean pointing out that what happened was just the opposite of that fate," the lawyers said.

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is working with U.S., Indian and Japanese partners to provide emergency coronavirus vaccine to Papua New Guinea. Australia has provided 8,000 AstraZeneca doses from its own stockpile to its nearest neighbor after an explosion of infections in the South Pacific island nation in recent weeks. Morrison said Friday that the European Union has yet to respond to his recent request for 1 million AstraZeneca doses contracted by Australia to be sent to Papua New Guinea as soon as possible. It has an agreement with ImmunityBio, which has a COVID-19 vaccine in clinical trials, to produce the vaccine sometime next year. Biovac, based in Cape Town, has the capacity to produce between 20 million and 30 million vaccines in a year.

Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., speaks during a virtual meeting of the National Governors Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Washington. But what President Biden said is, ‘We should do an investigation.’ I agree with him on that. When asked repeatedly about the allegations, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has recited the response that the women should be heard and the investigations should continue. But the constant drip of allegations from Albany has become harder for Biden to ignore. Their orbits are intertwined; a number of Democrats have worked for both men in their roles as senator, vice president, governor and housing secretary.

Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., speaks during a virtual meeting of the National Governors Association, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Washington. But what President Biden said is, ‘We should do an investigation.’ I agree with him on that. When asked repeatedly about the allegations, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has recited the response that the women should be heard and the investigations should continue. But the constant drip of allegations from Albany has become harder for Biden to ignore. Their orbits are intertwined; a number of Democrats have worked for both men in their roles as senator, vice president, governor and housing secretary.

(AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)For people wondering where is all the free-agent quarterback movement as the NFL's “legal tampering” period enters its second day, well, calm down. He started seven and played in nine games last season for Miami, throwing for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He will be replaced as Tua Tagovailoa's backup by Brissett, who will get a one-year, $5 million deal in Miami. The Bengals also reached agreement with Pittsburgh safety Mike Hilton on a four-year, $24 million contract, also according to a person with knowledge of the deal. Kelly signed a three-year, $21 million deal exactly a year ago and started all 16 games at right tackle.

A plastic tape prevents people from sitting at a coffee table in downtown Rome, Monday, March 15, 2021. As is the case elsewhere in Europe, virus variants are suspected of fueling increases in serious cases in France. AdAs they received first vaccines on Wednesday, doctors in Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, warned that the virus has exploded in the past several days. The country of 7 million has vaccinated more than 1.5 million people, which is among the highest rates in Europe. It was emerging Monday from a two-month pandemic lockdown, with the country gradually reopening over the next seven weeks, barring setbacks.

But Italian women went into the COVID-19 crisis already struggling for decades to expand their presence in the workforce. About 54% of women in Italy had jobs in 2019, before the pandemic hit, compared with 73% for men and an EU average for women of around 67%. AdSome 37% of Italian men have degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), compared with 16% for women. But even after Italian women armed themselves with college degrees and skills they remained behind in the workforce. Meanwhile, Italian cultural attitudes toward working women seem stuck in a time warp for Carmen Basso, 63.

A police officer patrols in the Chatelet area amidst the new coronavirus pandemic, in Paris, Saturday, March 13, 2021. Some of the nation’s governors routinely block access to public records, keeping the public in the dark about key decisions involving the coronavirus pandemic. Polling shows divides by race and politics, with Black Americans and supporters of former President Donald Trump expressing more skepticism about the vaccines. Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative spoke to the The Berkshire Eagle. Ad___WASHINGTON - Commercial air travel appears to be on the upswing despite the coronavirus pandemic.

(AP Photo/Moises Castillo)COMITANCILLO – Families of some of the 16 Guatemalan migrants killed near the Mexico-U.S. border in late January began burying their remains Saturday in the town of Comitancillo, where 11 of the victims were from. The migrants' charred bodies arrived Friday night to the region near Guatemala's border with Mexico after being sent from the other side of Mexico, Reynosa, just across the U.S. border from Texas. “We are seeing his coffin, we will not see his face anymore,” reflected Magdalena Dalila Miranda, the young man's sister. Because the bodies had been burned, it took weeks for positive identifications through DNA samples, but the families in Guatemala had already started mourning. The massacre raised memories of another migrant massacre in Tamaulipas in August 2010, when members of the Zetas cartel killed 72 migrants near the town of San Fernando.

Colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The Associated Press. Boise State was among the more equal schools in the AP's survey, with 16 male players, five female players and three who identified as nonbinary. (AP Photo/Otto Kitsinger)Colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The Associated Press. Many schools, intentionally or not, have sidestepped those restrictions by housing their esports program outside of the athletic department. AdBoise State was among the more equal schools in the AP's survey, with 16 male players, five female players and three who identified as nonbinary.

(AP Photo/John Locher)Nobody knew exactly what to say in Oklahoma City around 7:10 p.m. local time on March 11, 2020. The NBA was the first major league to stop play. A day later, so did the NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. We had no idea the true impact of what happened.”AdThe global fight against COVID-19 didn’t begin that night in Oklahoma City, of course. Sports are games, and games are charted with numbers, and the numbers from the past year are incalculable.

Dr. Gabriele Zanolini director of the main covid ward at Mellino Mellini hospital tends to a patient in the emergency COVID-19 in Chiari, northern Italy, Monday, March 8, 2021. In this surge, patients in the Chiari hospital COVID-19 ward are increasingly family members — husbands and wives, fathers and sons — Zanolini said. And unlike previous spikes, the average age has dropped, with many of the virus patients needing breathing aid between 45 and 55 years of age. “Everyone must do his part to contain this spread of this virus,” Draghi said Tuesday. “We find ourselves hit by another wave, and we are very tired.”Ad___Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Manchester United won 2-0. Manchester United's 2-0 victory on Sunday halted City's winning run at 21 matches in all competitions. The most important number to Guardiola is 11 — the points advantage City holds over second-place United. City running away with the title seemed unimaginable in November when it lost to then-leader Tottenham. After a one-two with Marcus Rashford, the left back scored his first league goal since 2018, putting the ball through Rodri’s legs.

Carla Wallenda, a member of The Flying Wallendas high-wire act and the last surviving child of the famed troupes founder, has died. Her family said she died Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Sarasota, Fla. (AP Photo, file)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Carla Wallenda, a member of “The Flying Wallendas” high-wire act and the last surviving child of the famed troupe's founder, has died at the age of 85. In 1951, her father told her she could join the high-wire act if she could do a headstand on top of the family's seven-person pyramid. She was able to join the high-wire act later that year. She is survived by her son, two daughters, Rietta Wallenda Jordan and Valerie Wallenda, and 16 grandchildren.

Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at a COVID-19 vaccination site in the Brooklyn borough of New York. For the good of the state Governor Cuomo must resign.”AdHer public push for his resignation came shortly after a Sunday press conference where Cuomo said it would be “anti-democratic” for him to step down. “There is no way I resign,” Cuomo told reporters. "I was elected by the people of New York state. Cuomo said the next six months will determine how successfully New York emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

In this image taken from video from the Office of the NY Governor, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Albany, N.Y. (Office of the NY Governor via AP)NEW YORK – Another woman who worked for Gov. Andrew Cuomo is describing conduct she felt was inappropriate for the workplace. Liss told the Journal she initially thought of Cuomo’s behavior as harmless, but it grew to bother her. Cuomo’s workplace conduct has been under intense scrutiny in recent days as several women have publicly told of feeling sexually harassed, or at least made to feel demeaned and uncomfortable by the Democrat.

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)ROME – An Italian prosecutor on Saturday requested life in prison for two young American men charged with slaying an Italian police officer in central Rome. A lawyer for Elder said he was not surprised the prosecutor requested life sentences. Cerciello Rega’s partner, Andrea Varriale, testified that he tried to stop blood pouring out like a “fountain” from his partner. AdVarriale has also testified that he heard his partner cry out “Carabinieri!” as Elder and Cerciello Rega struggled in the street. But Elder told the court he heard no such cry of identification.

Kisco, N.Y. New Yorks attorney general has promised a thorough investigation of allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed at least two women. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)It was Andrew Cuomo’s Emmy-winning performance: daily televised coronavirus briefings in which the New York governor projected competence and compassion, helping to calm a nervous nation. To New Yorkers who have watched the Democrat for years, however, the allegations are consistent with how Cuomo maintains his tight grip on power. Assembly member Ron Kim, a Democrat who blasted Cuomo over those deaths, said Cuomo called and threatened to “destroy” him if he didn’t retract his criticism. AdWhile he started as a centrist, he’s since moved to the left — though many progressive lawmakers still view Cuomo with distrust.

Eric Holcomb received his COVID-19 vaccine shot Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the opening of the state’s first mass vaccination clinic. Holcomb wore a face mask in the front passenger seat of an SUV while getting the shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the drive-through clinic. Ad___TORONTO — Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19, approving the Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose. Canada has pre-purchased 10 million Johnson & Johnson doses, with options to buy another 28 million. The U.S. approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last month.

Italy's objections centered both on the general shortage of supplies in the EU and on “the delays in the supply of vaccines by AstraZeneca to the EU and Italy," a Foreign Ministry statement said. The EU has been specifically angry with AstraZeneca because it is delivering far fewer doses to the bloc than it had promised. Of the initial order for 80 million doses to the EU in the first quarter, the company will be struggling to deliver just half that quantity. There were rumors that the company was siphoning off from EU production plants to other nations, but CEO Pascal Soriot insisted that any shortfall was to be blamed on technical production issues only. In total, it has ordered up to 400 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and sealed agreements with other companies for more than 2 billion shots.

Like other countries in the European Union, its national vaccine campaign lags far behind that of Israel, Britain and the United States. AdAfter initially limiting the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 65, an independent expert committee is likely to recommend lifting that restrictions, said Merkel. The measures sweep aside many of the rigid rules German officials have repeated in recent weeks — including Merkel, who said recently that at 66, she would not be taking the AstraZeneca vaccine because it wasn't approved for her. France, which at more than 87,000 dead has among the highest coronavirus tolls in Europe, had used only 25% of the 1.6 million AstraZeneca vaccines it has received as of Tuesday. But in an effort to double the number of shots Germany administers — currently about 200,000 per day — she and the governors agreed to start letting doctors practices do vaccinations by April.

Italy, a nation of 60 million people where COVID-19 first erupted in the West in February 2020, has registered nearly 3 million confirmed cases. Roberto Speranza told reporters that the variant, associated with higher transmission rates, has shown pervasiveness "among the youngest age group” of the population. Italy, a nation of 60 million people where COVID-19 first erupted in the West in February 2020, has registered nearly 3 million confirmed cases. The president of the government Superior Institute of Health, Silvio Brusaferro, said that as of analyses of cases on Feb. 18, 54% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy involved that variant. But, said Brusaferro, “if measured today surely the percentage would be higher.”Another variant, found in Brazil, is now involved in 4.3% of recent COVID-19 cases in Italy, Brusaferro said, particularly in central Italy, including the area of Rome's region.

The administration is invoking the Defense Production Act, a wartime measure that gives the federal government authority to direct private companies to meet the needs of the national defense, to equip two Merck facilities to produce the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. AdBiden said Johnson & Johnson will operate 24/7 to produce the vaccine. Tom Wolf said Tuesday that teachers will receive doses of the newly approved one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, under a plan his administration will release. AdHe gave few details, but said he and a bipartisan legislative task force agreed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be set aside for teachers and then other workers considered to be essential, but who are not included in the first vaccination phase. States are receiving 2.8 million doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.

The Democratic governor is struggling through a sexual harassment scandal thats testing the limits of his partys support as Democrats grapple with their first political crisis of the post-Trump era. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK – Democrats across the country celebrated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the face of governing competence as President Donald Trump fumbled his administration's response to the exploding pandemic last year. Both of New York's Democratic U.S. senators have publicly embraced the state attorney general's nascent investigation into Cuomo's behavior. While Democrats across the country are not rallying behind Cuomo, few are calling for him to step down.

CNN host Chris Cuomo told viewers on Monday, March 1, 2021, that he obviously could not cover the charges against his older brother, New York Gov. (AP Photo/File)NEW YORK – CNN host Chris Cuomo told viewers Monday that he “obviously” couldn't cover the stories surrounding his older brother, New York Gov. “Obviously, I'm aware of what's going on with my brother,” Chris Cuomo said on Monday. Chris Cuomo had caught COVID-19 and was doing shows from his basement, quarantined from his family. “An apology would have been a good start.”As Chris Cuomo said, CNN has covered the story elsewhere on the network.

The Democratic governor is struggling through a sexual harassment scandal thats testing the limits of his partys support as Democrats grapple with their first political crisis of the post-Trump era. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)NEW YORK – Democrats across the country celebrated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the face of governing competence as President Donald Trump fumbled his administration's response to the exploding pandemic last year. Both of New York's Democratic U.S. senators have publicly embraced the state attorney general's nascent investigation into Cuomo's behavior. While Democrats across the country are not rallying behind Cuomo, few are calling for him to step down.

Elder told the court that Vice Brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega had his hands pressing on Elder’s neck. So, the defendant contended, he reached for his knife and stabbed Cerciello, whom he said he mistook for a thug, in self-defense. “In a blink of the eye, they came around and rushed us without saying a word,” Elder told the court. But Elder told the court he heard no such cry of identification. Natale-Hjorth has said he didn't realize the police officer had been stabbed while the scuffles were happening.

Cuomo subjected her to an unwanted kiss during years of sexual harassment have spurred calls for an investigation and questions about who might meaningfully conduct one. Andrew Cuomo subjected her to an unwanted kiss during years of sexual harassment have spurred calls for an investigation — and questions about who might meaningfully conduct one. The agency has tackled sexual harassment claims in the past, finding that former Democratic Assembly Member Vito Lopez made unwanted sexual advances on female staffers. Mario Cuomo — the current governor's father — said a JCOPE investigation into Boylan's allegations “would just be total farce, in terms of credibility." AdThe attorney general's Civil Rights Bureau sometimes looks into sexual harassment complaints itself if it sees evidence of "a pattern, practice or policy of sexual harassment affecting a significant number of people.” Boylan accused Cuomo of “pervasive harassment” of female staffers.

Italy is pressing the United Nations for answers about the attack Monday on a U.N. food aid convoy in Congo that left the young ambassador and his paramilitary police bodyguard dead. Ambassador Luca Attanasio and Carabiniere paramilitary officer Vittorio Iacovacci were killed Monday north of Goma when an armed group stopped them as they travelled in a two-car convoy to a World Food Program school feeding project. The WFP's Congolese driver, Moustapha Milambo, was also killed in the attack and was buried in Goma on Tuesday. Italy has formally asked the U.N. for an inquiry into what happened amid questions about whether the U.N. security arrangements were sufficient for the mission. Attanasio is survived by his wife and three young daughters, at least one of whom attended the funeral, as well as his parents and siblings.

People line up for vaccines at a clinic in Central Falls, R.I., Saturday Feb. 20, 2021. Nearly a third of adults in the city have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to state data. Like Central Falls, it’s a tiny former industrial city that is overwhelmingly Latino. But the two cities’ fortunes could not be more different during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. And the vaccine rollout hasn’t been all smooth sailing in Central Falls.

The trip was undertaken at the U.N.’s invitation, according to Di Maio. The Italian embassy in Kinshasha, Di Maio noted, has two armored vehicles at the ambassador's disposal for moving around the city and the country. But for Monday's mission, to visit a WFP school food project in Rutshuri in eastern Congo, Attanasio was traveling in U.N. vehicles. Only hours earlier, Di Maio, flanked by Premier Mario Draghi, met the arrival of the bodies of the two Italians at a Rome military airport. Italy will reinforce its commitments to aid Africa, Di Maio said, calling that the “best way to honor the memory″ of the two slain Italians.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, center, poses with Evgeni Malkin, left, and Kris Letang during a ceremony honoring his 1000th NHL hockey game with the team before an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby had two assists in his 1,000th NHL game, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Saturday night. Crosby became the 25th active skater to play in his 1,000th game. Crosby entered his 1,000th game with the eighth-most points in NHL history through 1,000 games. 87 jersey to recognize their captain before his 1,000th NHL game.

On the eve of his franchise-record 1000th regular season game, the superstar looks just as dangerous as ever, with no end in sight. Crosby will cross another milestone Saturday night when he becomes the first Penguin to play in 1,000 regular-season games. Ad“He’s not ready to relinquish the best player in the game attribute or that he’s carried here for a decade-plus,” Sullivan said. The idea of Crosby playing with regularity again — let alone getting to 1,000 games — seemed improbable at best. AdStill, despite the constant setbacks, Crosby remained committed to both the short game and the long one.

Delivery-only brands — cooked in another brand's kitchen and often delivered by third parties like Uber Eats — were proliferating even before the pandemic. But over the last year, delivery-only brands have seen explosive growth as the pandemic made delivery a more popular option. On Wednesday, Applebee’s is launching Cosmic Wings, a delivery-only brand that specializes in chicken wings and Cheetos-flavored dipping sauce. Grubhub and DoorDash won’t say how many delivery-only brands are on their platforms. In some cases, delivery-only brands have become big businesses of their own.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi attends a debate at the Senate, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, before submitting his government to a vote of confidence. A confidence vote Thursday in the lower Chamber of Deputies is also expected to give Draghi broad backing, since he has secured support from across Italy's political spectrum. Ad“Today, unity isn’t an option, it’s an obligation,“ Draghi said to applause as he outlined his government program. Italy has one of the EU’s worst records on making use of designated EU funds, a trend Draghi seems intent on ending. Draghi quoted Pope Francis in calling for a new approach to preserving the environment and Italy’s cultural and natural treasures.

According to a Pew study released on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, Black Americans attend church more regularly than Americans overall, and pray more often. (AP Photo/Branden Camp)NEW YORK – Black Americans attend church more regularly than Americans overall, and pray more often. “I don’t think there should be a Black Church,” said Dr. Clyde Posley Jr. of Antioch Baptist Church in Indianapolis. Among the respondents, 77% said predominantly Black churches had played a role in helping Black people move toward racial equality. “This means acknowledging the white supremacy that exists in the church and ways white church leaders and white members of the faithful benefit from it.”The Rev.

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 file photo, Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels. But thats hardly likely to be Contes last hurrah in politics. But that’s hardly likely to be Conte’s last hurrah in Italian politics. But a return to the ballot box could come sooner, given Italy's fluctuating political dynamics. ”What's important is to have a political trajectory, cultivate a political path to offer to the voters and to the country."

FILE - In this July 1981 file photo released by The White House, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, left, and Vice President George Bush go horseback riding at Camp David, Md. He capped it off by beating one of his granddaughters at Mario Kart during his first presidential visit to Camp David, the historic retreat for U.S. leaders. That’s what Camp David has traditionally offered presidents: a respite from Washington where they can shed their ties and relax with family. Bill Clinton tried to replicate that diplomatic alchemy when he invited Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to Camp David for Mideast peace talks in 2000. He said when foreign leaders descend on Camp David, it can be like an “adult sleepover.”“Going to camp in the cabins creates an atmosphere where leaders are very close together.

The ski business is a big source of winter tourism in Italy and the news came on the eve of the expected opening. The ski industry swiftly lamented that they have repeatedly prepared slopes and lifts, only to have been denied permission to open, including just before the year-end holidays. Italy, with over 93,000 confirmed virus deaths, has Europe's second-highest known death toll in the pandemic after Britain. “The (ski) stations have invested a lot to prepare the slopes, hire personnel, get organized with hoteliers. Tourism and leisure travel has suffered in Italy for nearly a year since the COVID-19 outbreak struck the nation.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella had tasked the former European Central Bank president with trying to form a government up to managing the the health, economic and social crises of the coronavirus pandemic. AdDraghi’s most-quoted words so far have been those uttered in 2012 when the euro-zone risked collapsing in a crisis of confidence and he vowed the European Central Bank would do “whatever it takes” to rescue the euro. The current head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, tweeted her congratulations. Italy's health minister through the pandemic, Roberto Speranza, kept his post, the sole minister from a small left-wing party. ___This story has been corrected to show that employees applauded for Conte, not Draghi.

The formation of a broad-based government of national unity was widely expected after most political parties across the spectrum signaled their support for Draghi. Draghi also has the support of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi's center-right Forza Italia and former Premier Matteo Renzi's Italy Alive Party. The far-right Brothers of Italy party said it will remain in opposition, after Salvini and Berlusconi broke their right-wing alliance to back Draghi. Draghi, 73, replaces Giuseppe Conte, who resigned after a small party yanked support over the handling of the pandemic. For his 23-member Cabinet, Draghi also transformed the environment ministry into a more developmentally oriented post for ecological transition, tapping Roberto Cingolani, an expert in nanotechnology, to run it.

Pope Francis has named the French nun to a Vatican position that should give her a vote in any upcoming meeting of bishops, a small step forward in the long campaign of Catholic women to have a greater say in Catholic decision-making. Luis Marín de San Martín, over the weekend as undersecretaries in the office that organizes thematic, weeks-long meetings of bishops at the Vatican. “A door has been opened,” the head of the Synod of Bishops office, Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, told the Vatican's in-house media. AdThe Vatican’s laity office has two female undersecretaries, Linda Ghisoni and Gabriella Gambino, while the Vatican’s office for religious orders counts Sister Carmen Ros Nortes as its undersecretary. But aside from them the Vatican hierarchy is exclusively male and Francis himself counts no women among his closest advisers.

In this image take from UNTV video, Nayib Armando Bukele, President of El Salvador, speaks in a pre-recorded video message during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at U.N. headquarters in New York. The tweet was widely shared in El Salvador. More recently, Stryk teamed up with another DC firm, Rational 360, which is run by veteran Democratic operatives including Joe Lockhart. El Salvador in October hired Rational 360 for $65,000 per month. Bukele’s government has also awarded a $780,000 contract to a newly formed U.S.-based entity called Invest El Salvador.

In a normal year, Rios Sambadrome would be preparing for its great moment of the year: the worlds most famous Carnival parade. But a week before what should be the start of Carnival, the pandemic has replaced pageantry. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)RIO DE JANEIRO – In a normal year, Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome would be preparing for its great moment of the year: the world’s most famous Carnival parade. Rio’s hotel occupancy rate normally reaches about 80% in the hot summer months and 100% during Carnival. It's now at roughly 50-60%, according to Alfredo Lopes, the president of Rio’s Hospitality Workers Union.

Leader of the Five-Stars Movement Vito Crimi, 2nd from right, addresses the media at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Draghi, 73, the former president of the European Central Bank completed a first round of talks with political parties this week. Another round is expected early next week on potential Cabinet ministers and a synthesis from Draghi of his vision for the new government. AdItaly's president tapped Draghi this week to form a government after the resignation of ex-Premier Giuseppe Conte, who lost support of a small but key coalition party. Salvini’s move to support Draghi puts him at odds with the far-right Brothers of Italy party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni.

FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2006 file photo, the governor of the Mexican state of Puebla, Mario Marin speaks during a news conference in Puebla, Mexico. The press freedom organization Artículo 19, which is representing Cacho, said Marín could face up to 12 years in prison for the charge of torture if convicted. AdAccording to Artículo 19 lawyer Leopoldo Maldonado, there is sufficient evidence against Marín, including recorded telephone conversations. Marín’s trial could be a “watershed” that “cracks open the impunity pact that has prevailed in Mexico for decades,” Maldonado said. In December 2005, Marín sent police to arrest Cacho in Cancun and drive her to Puebla.

Outgoing Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves as he leaves after meeting journalists outside Chigi palace Premier's office in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Draghi must rely on political support to pass measures aimed at helping Italy emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and revive its economy, already stagnant before being pummeled by lockdown measures. “I hope for a political government that is solid and has sufficient cohesion to be able to make political choices, because the urgencies of the country need political choices, they can’t be entrusted to technocrats,” Conte said. Conte also pitched to two other parties from his unraveled coalition, the center-left Democrats and the leftist Free and Equal Party. His call for a political alliance appeared to indicate Conte intended to stay in politics, even while out of office.

FILE - In this Thursday, July 4, 2013 file photo, President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi smiles during a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Because it is Mario Draghi,’’ the deputy manager of the leading Milan Daily Corriere della Sera, Daniele Manca, said on Wednesday. He took a pragmatic approach during the financial crisis. Draghi joined the ECB as its third chief in 2011, just as Italy was engulfed in a debt crisis. The largely ceremonial role proves key in helping manage Italy’s all-too-frequent political crises, which require deft negotiations and unassailable knowledge of Italy’s constitution and institutions.

Former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi speaks to the media after accepting a mandate to form Italy's new government from Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Rome's Quirinale Presidential Palace, Wednesday Feb. 3, 2021. During his tenure at the European Central Bank, Draghi became known as “Super Mario" for using new and sometimes unorthodox policy tools to solve the vexing debt crisis and other problems. “As such, it will not vote in favor of a technical government headed by Mario Draghi,” Crimi said in a statement. “If they (the 5-Stars and the League) are going to somehow support Draghi then the government I think can be born," he said in an interview. “Now everyone of good will must welcome President Mattarella's appeal to support the government of Mario Draghi," he said Wednesday.

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2011 file photo, Dustin Diamond attends the SYFY premiere of "Mega Python vs. Gatoroid" at The Ziegfeld Theater in New York. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit 90s sitcom "Saved by the Bell," was hospitalized last month in Florida and his team disclosed later he had cancer. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)“Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond died Monday after a three-week fight with cancer, according to his representative. Former co-star Mario Lopez took to Twitter to say farewell: “Dustin, you will be missed, my man. “Dustin was a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh.

Nintendo Co. reported Monday that its profit for the first three fiscal quarters nearly doubled as people around the world stayed home for the pandemic and turned to playing games. The Japanese video-game maker behind the Super Mario and Pokemon franchises said April-December profit surged to 376.6 billion yen ($3.6 billion) from 196 billion yen the previous year. After this fourth year of holiday season Switch sales, cumulative sales total 74 million consoles, Nintendo said. Nintendo expects a 400 billion yen ($3.8 billion) profit for the fiscal year through March 2021, up from 258.6 billion yen the previous fiscal year. One COVID-19-related setback for Nintendo has been the delayed opening of its theme park in Japan called Super Nintendo World, built with Universal Studios.

FILE - In this file photo dated December 10 1995, showing Dutch Professor Paul J. Crutzen, left, receiving the Nobel prize for chemistry from Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. According to a statement from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, Dutch scientist Paul J. Crutzen, who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work understanding the ozone hole, died Thursday Jan. 28, 2021, at the age of 87. (AP photo/Eric Roxfelt, FILE)BERLIN – Paul J. Crutzen, a Dutch scientist who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work understanding the ozone hole and is credited with coining the term Anthropocene to describe the geological era shaped by mankind, has died. “Paul Crutzen was a pioneer in many ways,” Martin Stratmann, the president of the Max Planck Society, said in a statement. According to the Nobel Institute, Crutzen got a job as a programmer at Stockholm University's Department for Meteorology despite having no programming experience.

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) gets a shot past Washington Capitals goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) for an overtime goal in an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. More than 15 years in the NHL has taught the Pittsburgh Penguins longtime captain that it's simply part of the business. Having the architect who put together a roster that led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cups resign without warning is another. Ad“I think there’s some great people here that will continue to do good work,” Crosby said. Crosby arrived with the top pick in the 2005 draft, and Allvin joined the Penguins as a scout in 2006.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their first NFL title since 1970 when they beat San Francisco in last year's Super Bowl. What we get Sunday is a matchup of dynamic offenses and overlooked defenses, the top two teams in the conference. Kansas City (15-2) has the confidence of a reigning champion and a charisma few NFL teams can match. That could provide an edge over Bills rookie Tyler Bass — except that Bass has been very reliable all season. Buffalo punter Corey Bojorquez and Kansas City rookie Johnny Townsend were two of the most dependable in the AFC.

Diamond is undergoing chemotherapy treatments after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representative. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit 90s sitcom, was hospitalized earlier this month in Florida. Last week, his team disclosed he did have cancer. (AP Photo/Dana Ferguson, File)Original “Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond has begun undergoing chemotherapy treatments after being diagnosed with cancer, according to his representative. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit ’90s sitcom, was hospitalized earlier this month in Florida.

He was convicted in April 2017 on 67 counts, including health care fraud, submitting false claims and falsifying patient records. A White House statement credited Menendez with supporting clemency for Melgen, who was a donor to Democratic politicians and a longtime friend of the Cuban-American New Jersey senator. In a statement of his own, Menendez said he did very little on Melgen’s behalf and did not expect the clemency decision from Trump. “I don’t pretend to know what motivates President Trump to act, but I am pretty sure it’s not me,” Menendez said. A federal jury in New Jersey failed to reach a verdict on charges that Melgen used his relationship to bribe Menendez.

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. “The White Tiger” shows her acting chops in a way that American productions have thus far failed to. The film, from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (“Blackfish”), is adapted from Matthew Teague’s Esquire article about his own experience. — AP Film Writer Lindsey BahrMUSIC— After a hectic 2020, all you need is the smooth and soothing sound of Rhye to help you start the new year right. — AP Music Editor Mesfin FekaduTELEVISION— The rise and impact of one of the first female rap groups is dramatized in the Lifetime movie “Salt-N-Pepa” (8 p.m. EST Sunday).

(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)SAN JUAN – Pedro Pierluisi vowed to achieve statehood for Puerto Rico and fight against poverty, corruption and COVID-19 after he was sworn in Saturday as the U.S. territory’s new governor. “I need everyone to battle our common enemies.”Saturday’s ceremony marked the end of a chaotic four-year period in which Puerto Rico had three governors, including Pierluisi himself briefly after former Gov. Congress created the board in 2016, a year after Puerto Rico declared its more than $70 billion public debt unpayable, an amount accumulated in part by previous administrations borrowing money to cover budget deficits. At the time she was the island’s justice secretary, but since there was no secretary of state at the time, Puerto Rico’s constitution dictated she assume the governorship. A new legislature also was sworn in on Saturday, marking the first time that the majority of Puerto Rico’s Senate is female.

25 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. All extracurricular activities tied to the Fiesta Bowl were shelved, the sightseeing tours among them. “Our players, to have the opportunity to do the things that would typically be involved in the Fiesta Bowl would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Manning said. You would like to have the full experience of the Fiesta Bowl, but it’s the way that it’s gone this year.”The Fiesta Bowl is the culmination of what coach Matt Campbell has built during five seasons in Ames. We’ve had some great games in the past.”HALL'S IMPACT: Oregon's top priority defensive will be trying to slow Hall.

“Damn!’’ Comotti exclaimed when nursing home staff confirmed that her well-wishers - 9-year-old Simon, his sister Marta and mother Alessia - were people she had never met before. The “Santa’s grandchildren” program is in its third year. Last year, it matched 2,550 “grandchildren” with residents of 91 nursing homes. This year, 5,800 gifts were dispatched to 228 nursing homes around the country -- an outpouring that is, in part, a reaction to the devastating toll that the coronavirus has had on the elderly, comprising the majority of Italy’s confirmed 70,000 COVID-19 dead. This was the Zanchi nursing home's first year participating in the “Santa’s grandchildren” program.

USC reached the Oregon 49, but the Ducks' pass rush prevented Slovis from getting off a Hail Mary. Brown’s first throw for the Ducks was a TD pass to Redd on Oregon’s opening drive. USC earned its spot in the title game by going unbeaten with three late comeback victories along the way. Shough hit Johnson with a 16-yard TD pass in the second quarter before Stepp’s 1-yard TD run capped USC’s 80-yard drive in response. Brown hit Dye with a short TD pass to finish a drive that consumed half of the third quarter.

(Trae Patton/Peacock via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. The Melissa McCarthy comedy, her latest with director-husband Ben Falcone ("Tammy," “The Boss"), had been headed to theaters but will instead debut Thursday on HBO Max. —AP Film Writer Jake CoyleMUSIC— Miley Cyrus is ready to rock ‘n’ roll on her new album. The pop star recruited some famous rock stars to help on her seventh studio release “Plastic Hearts,” including Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol and Joan Jett. Everyone wears wear full hazard protection gear as they navigate a “giant house of cards.”— Can you have a “Saved by the Bell” without Screech?

Peru's new interim President Francisco Sagasti waves to the crowd after he was designated by Congress to lead the nation, in Lima, Peru, Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Congress chose Sagasti to become the nation's third president in the span of a week after Congress ousted Martin Vizcarra and the following protests forced his successor Manuel Merino to resign. People waved the nation's red-and-white flag and blared horns outside the gates of Congress as Francisco Sagasti of the centrist Purple Party was selected the legislature's new president. Shortly after the vote, he took an oath to become Congress' president. In his speech before Congress, Sagasti recognized the deep wounds the legislature must work to repair before the election.

Voters across Puerto Rico are choosing new leaders they believe would help heal a U.S. territory wracked by corruption, hurricanes, earthquakes and the pandemic. “There’s still a lot at play.”Another hotly contested race is that for mayor of Puerto Rico’s capital. The elections commission has not certified any winners in those races or others. The president of Puerto Rico’s elections commission, Francisco Rosado, said he wasn’t satisfied with the job that the administrative board responsible for counting those votes is doing. “The elections commission was one of the few institutions that had credibility,” he said.

(Nintendo, the Japanese company behind Super Mario and Pokemon video games, reported Thursday that its fiscal first half profit more than tripled as passed time while stuck at home during the pandemic playing games. AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)TOKYO – Nintendo, the Japanese company behind Super Mario and Pokemon video games, reported Thursday that its fiscal first half profit more than tripled as passed time while stuck at home during the pandemic playing games. Kyoto-based Nintendo Co.’s profit for the six months through September soared to 213 billion yen ($2 billion), up from 62 billion yen a year ago. Six-month sales soared to 769 billion yen ($7.4 billion) from 444 billion yen. Nintendo raised its full year profit forecast through March to 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion), up from an earlier projection of a 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) profit.

Instead, he favored extending legal protections to gay couples under what is understood in Argentina as a civil union law. It turned out, Francis’ comments were apparently taken from a May 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa that were never broadcast. The guidance issued by the secretariat of state doesn’t address the issue of the cut quote or that it came from the Televisa interview. After the anecdote ends, the film cuts to Francis’ comments from the Televisa interview. The pope's comments about gay civil unions came from a different part of the Televisa interview and included several caveats that were not included in the film.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested the FBI should stop investigating an incident in which his supporters were seen surrounding a Biden campaign bus in Texas, which led Democrats to cancel an event there. Trump’s tweet come as tensions remained high between the president and FBI Director Christopher Wray, and as Trump has pressed the Justice Department and FBI to act against his rivals, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden himself. At one point, one of the pickup trucks can be seen colliding with an SUV that was driving behind the bus. This weekend, caravans of Trump supporters also blocked the Mario Cuomo Bridge in New York, which spans the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack, and snarled traffic on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. At least we’ve never had a president who thinks it’s a good thing,” Biden said during a campaign event in the Philadelphia suburbs.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Ghosts, skeletons, princesses and black cats roamed the streets as usual this Halloween, but they kept their distance, wore face coverings and carried hand sanitizer in their quest for treats. Like with everything else this year, the pandemic also left its mark on Halloween. Parades, parties and haunted houses were canceled due to bans on large gatherings and concerns that spooky celebrations could spread the coronavirus. In the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Tomeka Ray took her 4-year-old daughter, Diamond, trick-or-treating in the afternoon. Caden Korchuk, 11, and friend Jayden Schoning, 10, both dressed as skeletons, also appreciated getting their candy delivered from a distance.

Women take pictures of an area destroyed by a deadly landslide in Nejapa, El Salvador, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. The slide occurred Thursday night when earth from the upper part of the San Salvador volcano was set in motion, sweeping up trees and homes. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)

Women take pictures of an area destroyed by a deadly landslide in Nejapa, El Salvador, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. The slide occurred Thursday night when earth from the upper part of the San Salvador volcano was set in motion, sweeping up trees and homes. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez)SAN SALVADOR – A landslide left nine people dead, seven injured and one missing after torrential rains in El Salvador, civil defense officials said Friday. Local resident Roxana Ruíz came to the search area looking for news of her cousin; she later learned her body had been found. “We believe that we can find people alive and we are not going to rest,” said Interior Minister Mario Durán.

Soldiers stand guard near the site where mass graves were found in Salvatierra, Guanajuato state, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. A Mexican search group said Wednesday it has found 59 bodies in a series of clandestine burial pits in the north-central state of Guanajuato, and that more could still be excavated. (AP Photo/Mario Armas)SALVATIERRA – Search teams dug for more remains Thursday at a site in central Mexico where 59 bodies have already been found in clandestine graves over the past week in an area known as a cartel battleground. She said searchers have found indications that more bodies may be buried there, so the search continues. The goal is to recover the bodies, identify them and return the remains to their families, she said.

Tourists walk on the beach as the tail end of Hurricane Zeta makes landfall in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, early Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. Zeta, the 27th named storm of a very busy Atlantic hurricane season, was a hurricane when it began raking across Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Tuesday. It emerged in the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm but was expected to regain hurricane strength before landfall south of New Orleans on Wednesday evening. Officials in two Mexican states hit by Zeta reported power outages and damage caused by downed trees, but no deaths. The extraordinarily busy hurricane season has focused attention on the role of climate change, which scientists say is causing wetter, stronger and more destructive storms.

Clouds gather over Playa Gaviota Azul as Tropical Storm Zeta approaches Cancun, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. A strengthening Tropical Storm Zeta is expected to become a hurricane Monday as it heads toward the eastern end of Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and then likely move on for a possible landfall on the central U.S. Gulf Coast at midweek. Carlos Joaquín warned that “nobody should be on the streets ... you shouldn’t go out anymore” until the hurricane passed. Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29, 2005. There was also a Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005, but that year had 28 storms because meteorologists later went back and found they missed one, which then became an “unnamed named storm."

Newgarden won the season finale, using a spectacular two-car pass for the lead in a valiant effort to win a second consecutive title. Dixon has won two of the last three championships, a run interrupted last year when Newgarden won his second title. Newgarden tied Dixon with his series-best fourth win of the season but Newgarden was in too large of a hole to catch his rival. It came to a close in front of a sold-out 20,000 spectators, the largest crowd of the season for IndyCar. There was nothing Newgarden could do, even on a day he did everything he had to, to deny Dixon a sixth championship.

Pope Francis, right, greets bishops at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary Francesco, which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival. A source in Mexico said the Vatican, which used its own cameras to shoot the interview and provided raw footage to Televisa afterward, had deleted the civil union quote in question. After the anecdote ends, the film cuts to Francis’ civil union comments in the Televisa interview. As pope, Francis had never come out publicly in favor of legal protections for civil unions, and no pontiff before him had, either.

Pope Francis listens to a priests introducing the group of faithful attending the weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)LGBTQ Catholics and their allies in the U.S. welcomed Pope Francis’ endorsement of same-sex civil unions, the first time he’s done so as pontiff, while some prominent members including a bishop said Wednesday that he was blatantly contradicting church teaching. “The Pope’s statement clearly contradicts what has been the long-standing teaching of the Church about same-sex unions,” Tobin said in a statement. “It is no overstatement to say that with this statement not only has the pope protected LGBTQ couples and families, but he also will save many LGBTQ lives,” DeBernardo said. “Pope Francis’ words will highlight the inclusive, accepting essence of Christianity that so many people care about,” said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, a fellow with the faith initiative at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank.

As the vast majority of in-person fitness clubs switched to virtual classes when the pandemic hit, Legacy Fit took the opposite approach. “You’re going, going, going 100 miles an hour. Add the challenges of a devastated economy and constantly changing rules for operating in a pandemic, and survival is even tougher. Despite the challenges, some analysts say the pandemic has created a climate for businesses to flourish if they can distinguish themselves. "If you don’t embrace the change, you’re going to get lost in it.”

They are not as secure as government drop boxes, which are put in well-lighted places and are tamper-proof,” he said. The California GOP drop boxes are a new version of “vote harvesting," which is legal in California and allows party volunteers to collect multiple ballots and deliver them to election officials. Some of the party's drop boxes were labeled as “official,” even though they are not authorized by county election officials. Jessica Levinson, an election law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles said labeling the boxes official clearly was illegal. “I'm assuming they decided on less labor-intensive ways of trying to get at it,” he said of the Republican drop boxes.

MEXICO CITY – Mario Molina, winner of the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1995 and the only Mexican scientist to be honored with a Nobel, died Wednesday in his native Mexico City. Later, he focused on confronting air pollution in major cities like his own Mexico City and pushing for global actions to promote sustainable development. One of his last public appearances was alongside Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, also a scientist, in a video conference during which Molina reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and the importance of wearing masks to avoid transmission. Only two other Mexicans have been awarded Nobel Prizes: Alfonso García Robles received the Peace Prize in 1982 for his work on nuclear weapons negotiations and writer Octavio Paz was awarded the prize for literature in 1990. Molina died on the same day this year's prize for chemistry was awarded.