NEW YORK High school senior Fiona Lowenstein is not known for a lack of self-confidence — after all, she once approached federal lawmakers for a sixthgrade paper on women and politics. But running for student body president of Calhoun School in Manhattan last spring was a whole other matter. “ It was very, very nervewracking […]

BOSTON (AP) — Dave Maynard, a Boston radio and television personality for nearly five decades, has died at the age of 82. Maynard’s death was announced Thursday by WBZ-TV and WBZ-AM radio, where he was the host of long- running programs. WBZ-AM aired an interview with Maynard’s son, Mike, who said his father died in […]

NAIROBI, Kenya ( AP) — The Somali militant group al- Shabab has formally joined al-Qaida, according to a video translation released Thursday of a message from al- Qaida’s leader. Ayman al- Zawahri gave “glad tidings” that al-Shabab had joined al-Qaida, according to the translation of the 15-minute video by the Site Intelligence group. “Today, I […]

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt launched a major campaign on Thursday to attract an extra 4.6 million tourists to the U.K. through advertisements in 14 cities worldwide. VisitBritain, the main U.K. tourism association, said the goal of the campaign, dubbed “GREAT,” is to maximize the tourism and business potential generated by Britain’s […]

LONDON (AP) — A surgical kit advertised as belonging to a Nazi concentration camp commandant has been withdrawn from sale, and questions have been raised about its origins. Grace Cloke, a spokeswoman at Villa Hall Auctions, said Thursday it was withdrawn “on the recommendation of police” after the auction house received “nasty” phone calls. The […]

WASHINGTON ( AP) — Don’t have the slightest clue what your health insurance covers? The Obama administration says that’s going to change, starting this year. Officials announced Thursday that private health plans will have to provide consumers with a userfriendly summary of what’s covered, along with key cost details such as copays and deductibles. Just […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A defense attorney for the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan said Thursday that his client has shown he is not dangerous and should be allowed to spend more time outside a Washington mental hospital. John Hinckley, who shot and wounded Reagan outside a Washington hotel in 1981, has spent […]

WASHINGTON ( AP) — Documents from the National Archives are going on view to explore the life of Benjamin Franklin as a scientist, diplomat, philanthropist and founding father. A new exhibit, “Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World,” will follow Franklin’s life from his youth in Boston where he was surrounded with Puritan traditions […]

MOSCOW (AP) — A rash of teenage suicides in Russia has set off alarm bells and experts are urging the government to take immediate action. Russia has the world’s third-highest rate of suicide among teenagers aged 15 to 19, with about 1,500 taking their own lives every year, according to UNICEF. The rate is higher […]

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it has successfully tested an upgraded radar for the Arrow missile defense system, developed with the United States and designed to intercept projectiles that might be fired at the Jewish state from Iran. Defense official Yair Ramati says the test was conducted today in conjunction with the U.S. Missile Defense […]