AP National News

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds have gathered on both sides of the Delaware River to watch an annual Christmas Day reenactment of George Washington’s 1776 crossing. Washington Crossing Historic Park officials say reenactors in three boats completed the crossing in about an hour Saturday afternoon under overcast skies. Earlier in the month, about 5,000

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Influential Bluegrass musician J.D. Crowe died early Friday morning, his family announced on social media. The Lexington, Kentucky, native was 84. No cause of death was given. Born James Dee Crowe in 1937, his career spanned more than 50 years and included stints with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys, Mac Wiseman

By NICOLE WINFIELD, MICHAEL TARM and PETER SMITH Associated Press A worldwide surge in COVID-19 infections thanks to the omicron variant is tempering Christmas celebrations. Pope Francis used his Christmas address Saturday to pray for more vaccines to reach poor countries. Many U.S. churches canceled in-person services while others reported small but significant attendance. Britain’s

By AL-HADJI KUDRA MALIRO Associated Press BENI, Congo (AP) — A bomb has exploded at a restaurant as patrons gathered on Christmas Day in an eastern Congolese town where Islamic extremists are known to be active. There was no immediate word on fatalities following the blast in Beni on Saturday. Witnesses told The Associated Press

By STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Parts of California are getting a White Christmas after all, with snowfall pounding mountains across the state. At Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada, officials wondered if the recent snowfall could break the snowiest December record of 179 inches set in 1970. Other areas of California

LONDON (AP) — Scottish singer Tom Walker has praised the piano skills of the Duchess of Cambridge after the pair recorded a Christmas tune that was shown during a carol concert. The 30-year-old Walker performed new song “For Those Who Can’t Be Here. He was accompanied by 39-year-old Kate playing the piano in a prerecorded

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies shot and wounded a 44-year-old man during a shootout in Northern California after he allegedly carjacked an SUV at gunpoint. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says the man was struck at least once by gunfire on Friday evening and was taken to the hospital in critical but stable

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two police officers from Wichita, Kansas, are being treated for injuries not considered life-threatening after being shot in the early hours of Christmas Day. Police investigating a domestic violence report made contact early Saturday with the suspect, 24-year-old Malik Rogers. Police say he resisted arrest and fired several shots. One officer

By TALI ARBEL AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to COVID-19 disrupted holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year. FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, notes more than 900 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690

LONDON (AP) — British police have arrested a man armed with a weapon on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Thames Valley police say the security breach took place at 8:30 a.m. on Christmas Day. The 19-year-old from Southampton is in custody. Thames Valley Police Superintendent Rebecca Mears said Saturday the man had been arrested “on

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Three members of the K-pop superstar group BTS have been infected with the coronavirus after returning from abroad. The group’s management agency says RM and Jin were diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday evening, and another member, Suga, tested positive on Friday. All three took their

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II in her Christmas Day message has shared the pain she felt after the death of her husband as she encouraged people everywhere to celebrate with friends and family despite the grief caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The queen said in remarks broadcast Saturday that

By NICOLE WINFIELD and PETER SMITH Associated Press Christmas has arrived around the world amid a surge in COVID-19 infections that kept many families apart, overwhelmed hospitals and curbed religious observances. Yet there were homilies of hope Saturday as vaccines and other treatments become more available. Pope Francis used his Christmas address to pray for

MADRID (AP) — Authorities on one of Spain’s Canary Islands have declared an official end to a volcanic eruption that started in September. The director of the Canaries’ volcanic emergency committee announced the eruption on La Palma officially finished on Saturday following 10 days of no lava flows, seismic activity or significant sulfur dioxide emissions.

By JOHN RABY Associated Press SPENCER, W.Va. (AP) — As the coronavirus pandemic prepares to enter another calendar year, the fatigue on the front lines of the health care industry wears on. In West Virginia, nurse Chania Batten says her job is at times overwhelming administering COVID-19 vaccines at the drive-thru clinic at the only

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people across England are spending a few minutes of Christmas Day to line up under leaden winter skies to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as the omicron variant fuels a surge in infections across the country. The Good Health Pharmacy in north London is one of

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — Abortion rights groups say President Nayib Bukele’s government has freed three Salvadoran women who were sentenced to 30 years in prison under the nation’s strict anti-abortion laws after suffering obstetric emergencies. Morena Herrera of the Citizen’s Group for the Depenalization of Abortion said late Friday that the group was