100-year-old British D-Day veteran dies before he can honor fallen comrades one more time
British army veteran Bill Gladden, who survived a glider landing on D-Day and a bullet that tore through his ankle a few days later, wanted to return to France for the 80th anniversary of the invasion so he could honor the men who didn’t come home.
Papua New Guinea leader takes offense after Biden implies his uncle was eaten by cannibals
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape has accused Joe Biden of disparaging the South Pacific island nation by implying that an uncle of the U.S. president had been eaten by “cannibals” there during World War II.
AI-aided virtual conversations with WWII vets are latest feature at New Orleans museum
An interactive exhibit opening Wednesday at the National WWII Museum uses artificial intelligence to let visitors hold virtual conversations with images of veterans, including a Medal of Honor winner who died in 2022.
Russian PM to visit Beijing as China renews criticism of Western arms sales to Ukraine
China says Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will visit Beijing next week for talks, marking the latest exchange in a relationship in which Russia is becoming increasingly reliant on China for economic and diplomatic support.
Experts: Dallas air show crash may lead to more safety rules
While the cause of a deadly collision between two vintage military aircraft at a Dallas air show to commemorate Veterans Day remains unknown, experts say the accident will likely renew discussion over whether additional safety rules are needed for such events.
US official says Solomon Islands leader 'missed opportunity'
The U.S. deputy secretary of state says the prime minister of the Solomon Islands “missed an important opportunity” by failing to attend a memorial service to mark the anniversary of a key World War II battle, amid concerns the South Pacific island nation is building closer ties with China.
Veterans Day legislation targets GI Bill racial inequities
In honor of Veterans Day, a group of Democratic lawmakers is reviving an effort to pay the families of Black veterans who fought on behalf of the nation during World War II for benefits they were denied or prevented from taking full advantage of when they returned home from war.
S. Korean sexual slavery survivor wants UN court judgment
Lee Yong-soo, a South Korean woman who was sexually enslaved by Japan's World War II military, weeps during a press conference at the Press Center in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Lee called for the leaders of both countries to settle an impasse over the issue by seeking judgment from the International Court of Justice. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL – A South Korean woman who was sexually enslaved by Japan’s World War II military called for the leaders of both countries to settle an impasse over the issue by seeking judgment from the International Court of Justice. Bilateral tensions over sexual slavery flared again last month when a South Korean court ruled that the Japanese government must give 100 million won ($90,000) to each of 12 victims who filed lawsuits in 2013 over their wartime sufferings. While a lawsuit at the U.N. court could only happen if both countries agree to take their dispute there, it would be illogical for Japan to object when it has already accused South Korean court rulings of violating international law, he said.
Bulgaria: Nationalists honor pro-Nazi general with flowers
Bulgarian far-right nationalists hold torches as they gather in the country's capital, to honour a World War II general known for his anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi activities, in Sofia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)SOFIA – Far-right nationalists gathered in Bulgaria's capital Saturday to honor a late World War II general known for his anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi activities. AdThe general served as war minister from 1935 to 1938, and led the pro-Nazi Germany Union of Bulgarian Legions from 1932 until 1943. Contemporary nationalists deny that Lukov was an anti-Semitic fascist or that they are promoting neo-fascism. On Saturday, Bulgarian National Union supporters placed a wreath and flowers in front of Lukov’s former home and held torch lights in tribute.
World War II veteran celebrates 102nd birthday in Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – One of America’s oldest World War II veterans celebrated a major milestone on Thursday. Miami Beach police lined up and saluted Walton as he pulled up in his vehicle on Ocean Drive Thursday morning. His son, Paul Walton, said he wants people to meet a World War II veteran because the number of surviving veterans from that war is rapidly shrinking. Paul said his dad had the chance to meet a Civil War veteran when he was younger, but he didn’t do it and now he regrets it. He’s traveling to all 50 states to meet the governor of each one and give people the chance of meeting a World War II veteran before it’s too late.
Florida begins COVID-19 vaccine program for veterans of WWII and Korean War
Florida will expand its vaccination of homebound seniors to veterans of World War II and the Korean War, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced. Florida is expanding its COVID-19 vaccination program for homebound seniors to veterans of World War II and the Korean War, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday. It follows the state launching vaccine drives for homebound Holocaust survivors last week, and for homebound veterans of the Bay of Pigs invasion earlier this week.
Russia expels EU diplomats over Navalny as tensions rise
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Swedish and Polish diplomats in St. Petersburg and a German diplomat in Moscow of taking part in what it called “unlawful” rallies on Jan. 23. Tens of thousands of people across Russia took to the streets that day to protest Navalny's arrest. The diplomats were declared “persona non grata” and were required to leave Russia “shortly,” a ministry statement said. Navalny accused Artemenko’s family of exploiting the frail man for their own gain, alleging the case was fabricated and the evidence falsified. “The judge should burn in hell, and you’re selling your grandfather out,” Navalny said, as Artemenko’s grandson testified.
Capt. Tom Moore, WWII vet whose walk cheered UK, dies at 100
Tom Moore, the 100-year-old World War II veteran who captivated the British public in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic with his fundraising efforts, has died, Tuesday Feb. 2, 2021. AdFor three weeks in April, fans were greeted with daily videos of Captain Tom, stooped with age, doggedly pushing his walker in the garden. When Captain Tom finished his 100th lap on April 16, a military honor guard lined the path. The celebration continued on his birthday a few days later, when two World War II-era fighter planes flew overhead in tribute. But it was the public that embraced Captain Tom, flooding the village post office with some 6,000 gifts and 140,000 birthday cards.
Future of Holocaust research in Poland hinges on libel case
It is the first closely watched Holocaust speech case since Poland sought to pass a law in 2018 that would have criminalized the act of falsely blaming Poland for Germany’s Holocaust crimes. The current case is instead a civil libel case tried under a pre-existing law, yet many scholars believe it will set an important precedent for freedom of Holocaust research. “This is a case of the Polish state against freedom of research,” Grabowski told The Associated Press on Monday. Grabowski, a Polish-Canadian whose father was a Polish Holocaust survivor, has faced considerable anti-Semitic harassment by nationalists, both online and at lectures in Canada, France and elsewhere. Maciej Swirski, the head of the organization, said no public money was used to fund the legal case.
Unwanted virus milestone: UK's civilian dead now tops WWII's
The United Kingdom has suffered its worst civilian loss of life since World War II by a significant number. But the United Kingdom has now suffered its worst civilian loss of life since World War II by a significant number. Here's a look at some of Britain's struggles with civilian deaths during World War II and since. In World War II, the threat to Britain was existential. WORLD WAR II CIVILIAN DEATHSFrom September 1940-May 1941, the U.K. suffered an intensive bombing campaign by Germany's Luftwaffe that struck the biggest cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Seoul court orders Japan to compensate 12 Korean sex slaves
Portraits of late former South Korean comfort women are displayed near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. A South Korean court on Friday ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 South Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, the first such ruling expected to rekindle animosities between the Asian neighbors. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL – A South Korean court on Friday ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 South Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, a landmark ruling that’s set to rekindle animosities between the Asian neighbors. Observers say it’s unlikely for Japan to abide by the South Korean court ruling. In 2015, South Korea’s previous government reached a deal with Japan to resolve the sexual slavery dispute.
Chinese Americans who served in WWII honored by Congress
That law made it illegal for Chinese laborers to immigrate to America and limited the Chinese population in the U.S. for more than 60 years. Chinese Americans served in all major branches of the military, including the so-called Flying Tigers, the 14th Air Service that flew missions in the China-Burma-India Theater. For their service to the nation during the war, Chinese-American veterans were honored at a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony Wednesday. "With this honor, we are telling a more complete story of the people who fought for the United States during World War II and the personal and systemic challenges they faced.,'' Takano said. She and other Chinese Americans “answered the call to duty when our country faced threats to our freedom,″ Chin said in a videotaped presentation at Wednesday’s ceremony.
Mechanic: 'Everything perfect' before fatal WWII plane crash
“And that morning, everything was perfect,” Melton told NTSB investigators. I mean, there was no reason not to fly, you know.”The plane crashed into a maintenance building at the airport while trying to land after the No. Melton told officials that the No. “I don’t know why we weren’t, you know, gaining altitude,” Melton said. I don’t know what happened.”McCauley and Foster, 71, of Jacksonville, Florida, tried to return to the airport.
Lidia Menapace, Italian Resistance member, dies at age 96
ROME – Lidia Brisca Menapace, a Resistance member during World War II who later was an advocate of pacifism and women’s rights and was elected to the Italian Senate on a Communist party ticket, has died. Italian state radio said she had been hospitalized for several days with COVID-19 in Bolzano, the Alpine city where she had lived in latter decades. As young woman, Lidia Brisca pedaled a bicycle to deliver medicine and messages to Resistance fighters, known as Partisans, based in the countryside of the northern Piedmont region of her birth. She was the first woman to be elected to the provincial legislature of Bolzano, another Alpine province. She remained proud of the Resistance spirit, remarking that she was still a Partisan, because “being so is a choice of life."
World War II vet beats COVID-19, marks 104th birthday
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Alabama man who spent World War II repairing bomb-damaged trains in France recovered from a fight with COVID-19 in time to mark his 104th birthday on Thursday. Major Wooten was physically drained and a little fuzzy mentally after battling the new coronavirus but appears to be on the mend, said granddaughter Holley Wooten McDonald. She said her mother recovered from COVID-19, and so did a sister who developed the illness and had to spend a week on a ventilator. In the spring, he was hospitalized with serious heart problems and recovered, McDonald said. For Wooten's birthday, a company erected a yard display that included the Alabama athletics logo, a cake, candles and a patriotic hat.
National museum dedicated to Army debuts on Veterans Day
The Sherman tank that first broke through enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Those are just a few of the artifacts that tell the 245-year story of the nation's largest and oldest military branch at the new National Museum of the United States Army. Morando said the museum does not shy away from discussing painful aspects of Army history. The museum was built with private funds raised by the Army Historical Foundation. The Army provided the land and $230 million for site preparation, infrastructure, exhibits and the interior work that turns a building into a museum, officials said.
Dutch Protestant Church admits failing Jews in World War II
René de Reuver, speaking on behalf of the General Synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, said the church’s role began long before Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. “Also in the war years, the ecclesiastical authorities often lacked the courage to choose a position for the Jewish citizens of our country,” he added. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews — 70% of the Jewish community — didn’t survive World War II. He and his parents, sister and two brothers were sent to a Dutch concentration camp at Westerbork, then transferred to another camp. De Reuver promised that the Protestant Church would work to fight anti-Semitism going forward.
Most of us can walk into a polling station and vote -- this is what it’s like for deployed military members
It’s an issue that dates back to World War II: Making sure American servicemen and servicewomen have the ability to cast a vote in a presidential election, no matter where they’re stationed. With the passage of the Soldier Voting Act of 1942, it was settled: Military members would be given easy access to vote. Moran, who’s currently deployed in Poland, cast her first-ever absentee ballot for this year’s election. Although voting is a common task for many Americans, for most soldiers, it is a very unorthodox method -- voting overseas, that is, but the process is quite simple. In the 2000 presidential election, Republican nominee George W. Bush relied on 537 ballots to tilt Florida in his direction.
Shell shareholders get reward as oil giant returns to profit
LONDON – Royal Dutch Shell increased its dividend payout to shareholders following a better-than-expected third quarter of the year, months after cutting it for the first time since World War II. The dividend hike came as the company reported earnings on a current cost of supply basis — the industry standard — of $177 million in the July to September period. Though down 97% on last year because of the sharp slide in oil prices, the company's earnings still beat the consensus in financial markets of $146 million. Like others in the sector, Shell has faced a double challenge this year, dealing with plunging oil prices, some of which turned negative for a short while in April, and increased pressure to set new environmental goals. Shell and its U.K. rival BP have pledged to lower emissions to net zero by the middle of the century.
2 Stanford economists win Nobel prize for improving auctions
The two American economists, both professors at Stanford, won the Nobel Prize in Economics for improving how auctions work. For helping make auctions run more efficiently, two Americans on Monday won the Nobel prize for economics. You’ve won the Nobel Prize.’’ Awakened, Milgrom stammered for a moment and then said: “Wow.’’The two men tackled the tricky problem of making auctions work efficiently. Last week, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus. The prize for physics honored breakthroughs in understanding black holes, and the chemistry prize went to scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool.
First stone laid at Dutch Holocaust Memorial in Amsterdam
THE HAGUE – A friend of World War II Jewish diarist Anne Frank laid the first stone Wednesday at a new memorial under construction in Amsterdam to honor all Dutch victims of the Holocaust. “I almost can't believe it, but it is now really happening,” Jacques Grishaver, chairman of the Netherlands Auschwitz Committee, said in a statement. “The first of the more than 102,000 stones has been laid.”The last of the stones, each of which is engraved with a name, is expected to be placed in the memorial in March. A Dutch court cleared the way last year for the memorial to be constructed. Amsterdam Municipality had granted permission for construction to start in 2017, but residents argued that it was too big for the location and could cause traffic problems.