PARIS (AP) — The “Mona Lisa” has given up another secret.Using X-rays to peer into the chemical structure of a tiny speck of the celebrated work of art, scientists have gained new insight into the techniques that Leonardo da Vinci used to paint his groundbreaking portrait of the woman with the exquisitely enigmatic smile.The research
Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton has pneumonia and is in intensive care in a Texas hospital.Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, shared Retton’s condition in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Kelley said the 55-year-old Retton, who became the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around title, is “fighting for her life” and not able to
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of travelers faced disruption as all flights were suspended on Wednesday at London’s Luton airport after a fire tore through a newly built parking garage, destroying vehicles and partially collapsing the structure.Four firefighters and an airport employee were treated in hospitals for smoke inhalation after the fire, which erupted on Tuesday
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A former prime minister of Slovakia who plans to end the country’s military support for Ukraine is poised to return to office after his political party signed a deal Wednesday with two other parties to form a coalition government. The leftist Smer, or Direction, party captured 22.9% of the vote in
COTONOU, Benin (AP) — French troops have started leaving Niger more than two months after mutinous soldiers toppled the African country’s democratically elected president, the military said Wednesday. The French didn’t specify how many troops were departing or where they were headed.Late Tuesday, Niger’s state television broadcast images of a convoy leaving a base in
High school students’ scores on the ACT college admissions test have dropped to their lowest in more than three decades, showing a lack of student preparedness for college-level coursework, according to the nonprofit organization that administers the test.Scores have been falling for six consecutive years, but the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students in
TOKYO (AP) — Officials from Sapporo and the Japanese Olympic Committee on Wednesday announced a decision to withdraw the northern Japanese city as a candidate to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, with the effort soiled by massive corruption and bid-rigging tied to the one-year delayed Tokyo Games. Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto and JOC President Yasuhiro
VIGO, Spain (AP) — A fire in an apartment building that was reportedly occupied by squatters in Spain’s northwestern city of Vigo killed four people, including three children, municipal authorities said Wednesday.Emergency services initially said that all four victims were between 9 and 14 years old, but Vigo Mayor Abel Caballero later confirmed one of
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Dozen of activists protested Wednesday at Norway’s parliament to express frustration over the Norwegian government’s failure to shut down a wind farm they say endangers the way of life of Sami reindeer herders.At the center of the dispute are the 151 turbines of Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, which is located
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s Wildlife Department defended its use of puppies as live bait to capture black panthers spotted at a Malaysian village after animal rights groups protested the method and appealed to the government to use other means.The department resorted to using puppies after earlier attempts to lure the panthers with a
