Israel's military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Oct. 7 attack
TEL AVIV, Israel — The head of Israel’s military intelligence directorate has resigned over Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s military intelligence, becomes the first senior Israeli figure to say he will step down over the failures surrounding Hamas’ attack, which triggered the war in Gaza. It could set the stage for more resignations. Haliva said in October that he shouldered the blame for not preventing the attack, which broke through Israel’s vaunted defenses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not taken responsibility for the failures around the attack, saying he and other top officials will answer for their actions after the end of the war against Hamas.
Aid approval brings Ukraine closer to replenishing troops
KYIV, Ukraine — Approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of a $61 billion package for Ukraine puts the country a step closer to getting an infusion of new firepower. But the clock is ticking. Russia is using all its might to achieve its most significant gains since the invasion by a May 9 deadline. In the meantime, Kyiv has no choice but to wait for replenishment after months of rationing ammunition. The Pentagon has said it could get weapons moving to Ukraine within days if the Senate and President Joe Biden give final approval to the plan. Experts and Ukrainian lawmakers say it could take weeks for the assistance to reach troops.
European Space Agency adds 5 new astronauts in only fourth class since 1978
COLOGNE, Germany — The European Space Agency has added five new members to its astronaut corps. They graduated Monday during a ceremony in Cologne, Germany, after completing a year of training. That brings the space agency’s astronaut roster up to 11. The new astronauts are from France, Belgium, Britain, Switzerland and Spain. An Australian has also joined them as part of an agreement. The newcomers are now eligible for trips to the International Space Station. More than 20,000 people applied for the five slots.
Kroger, Albertsons — still hoping to merge — agree to sell more stores to satisfy regulators
Supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons say they will sell more of their stores in an effort to quell the federal government’s concerns about their proposed merger. The companies said Monday they would now sell 579 Kroger and Albertsons stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based grocery company, for $2.9 billion. Kroger and Albertsons announced their proposed merger in 2022, and last fall they said they would sell 413 stores to C&S in markets where stores overlap. But the U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued to block the merger in February, saying a lack of competition would raise grocery prices and the planned sale to C&S was inadequate.
Express files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, announces store closures
NEW YORK — Express Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the fashion retailer is seeking to sell the majority of its stores. Columbus, Ohio-based Express is also the parent of Bonbons and Upwest brands. It said Monday it planned to close 95 of its Express stores and all its UpWest stores. Express also said that it received a non-binding letter of intent from a group led by WHP Global to potentially purchase the majority of its stores and operations. Express said it had filed for Chapter 11 protection to facilitate the proposed transaction.
EU ratchets up pressure on TikTok's new rewards app over risks to kids
LONDON — The European Union is demanding TikTok provide more information about a new app that pays users to watch videos and warned that it could order the video sharing platform to suspend addictive features that pose a risk to kids. The 27-nation EU’s executive Commission said it was opening formal proceedings to determine whether TikTok breached the bloc’s new digital rules when it rolled out its TikTok Lite app in France and Spain. TikTok Lite is a slimmed down version of the main TikTok app that lets users earn rewards. The commission wants to see the risk assessment that TikTok should have carried out before deploying the app in the European Union.
15 injured when tram collides with guardrail at Universal Studios theme park near LA
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Authorities say more than a dozen people suffered mostly minor injuries when a tram used for tours crashed into a railing at Universal Studios Hollywood near Los Angeles. The LA County Fire Department says its units responded around 9 p.m. Saturday to the theme park in Universal City. The fire department says 15 people were transported to hospitals with minor injuries. The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.
