Uterine cancer is on the rise

Cancer of the uterus, also called endometrial cancer, is increasing so rapidly that it is expected to displace colorectal cancer by 2040 as the third-most-common cancer among women and the fourth-leading cause of women’s cancer deaths. The mortality rate has been increasing by almost 2% a year overall, with even sharper spikes among Asian, Hispanic and Black women, according to a recent study in JAMA Oncology. Uterine cancer was long believed to be less common among Black women. But newer studies have confirmed that it is not only more likely to strike Black women but also more likely to be deadly.

McMahon steps down as head of WWE during misconduct investigation

Vince McMahon, a longtime executive for World Wrestling Entertainment, has stepped down as chair and CEO while the company’s board investigates allegations of misconduct against him, the company said Friday. Stephanie McMahon, his daughter, will take over as interim CEO and chair, the company said. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon agreed to pay a secret $3 million settlement to an employee with whom he was said to have had an affair and that the board had been investigating since April. The investigation unearthed other nondisclosure agreements involving claims of misconduct by McMahon, the Journal reported.

Gunman kills 3 seniors over potluck dinner at Alabama church

Police say a 70-year-old man who fatally shot three elderly people at a church potluck dinner in Alabama had attended services there previously. Prosecutors charged Robert Findlay Smith with capital murder Friday in the Thursday night attack at St. Stephens Episcopal Church outside Birmingham. Two were victims were 84 and the third one was 75. The church’s retired pastor, the Rev. Doug Carpenter, said witnesses told him the gunman sat alone at the dinner and declined to join other members before opening fire. Carpenter said a church member in his 70s rushed the gunmna and struck him with a folding chair and took his gun away.

A defiant Putin says Russia will flourish without the West

President Vladimir Putin of Russia, seeking to rally anti-American sentiment in Europe and across the world, lashed out anew at the United States on Friday, calling it a fading power that treats its allies as colonies, and said the West was falsely blaming its economic woes on the war in Ukraine. Putin spoke at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as the European Commission on Friday formally recommended that Ukraine be granted candidate status to become a member of the European Union, the first step in a long and arduous road that may have no immediate impact on the war but could give the country a morale boost.

Russian TV shows videos of 2 US vets captured in Ukraine

Russian state television has shown video of two U.S. military veterans who went missing last week while fighting in Ukraine. The videos confirm that the men were taken captive and raise fears about their fate. Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, both from Alabama, are believed to be the first Americans captured by Russian forces since the war began on Feb. 24. Drueke is shown on camera telling his mother he is alive. Russian RT, which broadcasts in English, says the Americans are being held by Russian-backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Brazil police: Remains found those of British journalist

Federal police say that some of the human remains found deep in Brazil’s Amazon have been identified as belonging to British journalist Dom Phillips. The remains of two people were found Wednesday near the city of Atalaia do Norte after fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, nicknamed Pelado, confessed he killed Phillips, 57, and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, 41. He told officers he used a firearm to commit the crime and led police to a spot in the remote forest to locate the remains. Police announced the forensic identification of Phillips’ remains in a statement. They still have not identified Pereira’s remains.

Bill Cosby civil trial jury must start deliberations over

After two days of deliberations, jurors in a civil trial deciding on sexual abuse allegations against Bill Cosby will have to start from scratch on Monday. By the end of Friday, jurors had decided on nearly all questions put before them, including whether Cosby had sexually assaulted plaintiff Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 when she was 16. Los Angeles County Judge Craig Karlan, who had promised one juror she could depart after Friday, wanted to accept the partial verdict, but courthouse closure rules left him no choice but to close down. Jurors will begin again with an alternate.

SpaceX reported to fire employees critical of CEO Elon Musk

A report in The New York Times says the rocket ship company run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fired several employees involved in an open letter that blasted the colorful billionaire for his behavior. The Times and several other media outlets cited an email from SpaceX’s president saying the company had terminated employees who put together and circulated the letter that denounced Musk for actions that they characterized as a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment. It’s unclear how many workers lost their jobs. B.ut the email from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell left no doubt that the company believed they had crossed an unacceptable line.

Extradition order for Julian Assange approved by Britain

The British government approved an extradition order Friday for Julian Assange, the embattled WikiLeaks founder, confirming a court decision that he can be sent to the United States to stand trial on espionage charges, though his legal fight against the decision is not over. While the order is a blow for Assange, whose case is seen by rights groups as a potential challenge to press freedom, he is expected to appeal the decision in a British court, and the government said he had 14 days to do so. The approval of the order by Priti Patel, the home secretary, is the latest turn in a long-running court battle.

China launches third aircraft carrier in major milestone for Xi Jinping

China launched its third and most advanced aircraft carrier Friday, bringing the country one step closer to a modern navy capable of competing with the United States’ military naval power. The ship is the navy’s most modern and resembles the latest American carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The launch comes amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea and days after China’s defense minister, Gen. Wei Fenghe, warned it would not back down from war with Taiwan if Taiwan took steps toward independence. China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, has made modernizing the military a key mission, and expanding its navy is at the heart of that plan.

By wire sources