Extradited teacher appears in Australia court on sex charges

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A former teacher extradited from Israel after a six-year legal battle appeared in an Australian court Thursday to face child sex abuse charges. Malka Leifer, 54, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court by video link from a police station where she is in COVID-19 quarantine. ...

Tornado leaves path of destruction in Alabama, killing 1

FULTONDALE, Ala. (AP) — A terrifying nighttime tornado that blasted through suburban Birmingham, trapping entire families in the remnants of shattered homes and killing a teenager sheltering in his basement, left a trail of destruction Tuesday that stunned even longtime residents used to Alabama's violent...

Israel extradites woman wanted for sex crimes to Australia

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli authorities on Monday extradited a former teacher accused of sexually abusing her former students in Australia, capping a six-year legal battle that had strained relations between the two governments and antagonized Australia's Jewish community. Malka Leifer, who is wanted on 74...

Israel extradites Malka Leifer, former teacher wanted on child sex abuse charges, to Australia after 6-year legal battle

French leader tells child sex abuse victims 'we believe you'

PARIS (AP) — Amid a national French reckoning with sexual abuse of children by family members, President Emmanuel Macron told victims Saturday: “We believe you. You will never again be alone.” The French government pledged on Thursday to toughen laws on the rape of children after a massive...

Kansas House panel to warn new member over past behavior

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A newly elected Kansas lawmaker accused of threatening two state officials and abusive behavior toward girls and young women before taking his seat will get a public warning about his past conduct rather than facing possible removal from office, a committee decided Friday. A state House...

French victims of child abuse speak out in new #MeToo wave

PARIS (AP) — “I was 9. ... It was my father. He raped me until I was 17.” The French government pledged on Thursday to toughen laws on the rape of children after a massive online movement saw hundreds of victims share accounts about sexual abuse within their families. The move comes in the...

HHS leaders: No evidence of child abuse surge amid pandemic

NEW YORK (AP) — Top officials overseeing child welfare at the Department of Health and Human Services say they’ve seen no solid evidence to bear out warnings that serious forms of child abuse would surge during the coronavirus pandemic. Lynn Johnson, HHS assistant secretary for children and...

Kansas House Dems move to oust member over issues with women

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators on Tuesday began the process to oust a newly elected lawmaker over multiple issues that include the 20-year-old’s rhetoric on Twitter and allegations that he harassed and threatened girls and women. A formal compliant filed in the House by Democratic members...

Prosecutors fight sentence reduction for murder convict

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Prosecutors believed justice was served nearly two decades ago when Adrian Peeler was sentenced to a combined 60 years in state and federal prisons for his roles in Bridgeport's cocaine trade and the 1999 killings of an 8-year-old murder trial witness and the boy's mother. Peeler,...