OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another major railroad has gone to court to determine whether it has the authority to require all its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. BNSF railroad filed a lawsuit Sunday against its major unions over its mandate. It joins Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific, which both filed similar lawsuits against the unions last month. The unions, which have filed some of their own lawsuits in response, argue that the railroads should have negotiated with them before imposing their mandates. The railroads that have imposed vaccine mandates say they are complying with ..read more

LONDON (AP) — The British government says it will launch an independent inquiry into how a hospital electrician was able to sexually abuse at least 100 corpses in hospital mortuaries. David Fuller admitted last week that he murdered two women in 1987 whom he subsequently sexually assaulted. Police searches of 67 year-old Fuller’s home uncovered four million images of sexual abuse that included video recordings of him abusing bodies over a period of 12 years at two hospitals in southeast England. On Monday, while announcing the inquiry into how Fuller was able to go undetected, Health Secretary ..read more

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. humanitarian chief  is urging Myanmar’s military leaders to provide unimpeded access to the more than 3 million people in need of “life-saving” humanitarian assistance since government forces seized power on Feb. 1. He says it’s needed “because of growing conflict and insecurity, COVID-19 and a failing economy.” Martin Griffiths also urged donors on Monday to respond to the U.N. appeal, saying less than half of the $385 million required has been raised since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Griffiths’ statement was issued as th ..read more

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Instead of a message in a bottle, it was the decals on a trash can that tell the story of a 3,500-mile voyage, from South Carolina to Ireland. Officials with Myrtle Beach say a waste barrel somehow floated away from their the coastal city and washed up in County Mayo, on Ireland’s northwestern coast. The city says Keith McGreal wrote to them that he’d spotted a bright blue barrel with city stickers on it “and thought it would make a good news story.” City officials posted McGreal’s photos of the barrel, bearing shell encrustation and other signs of maritime immersion ..read more

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has reported a new record high for daily COVID-19 infections, and dozens of deaths. But health officials also say they’re seeing a sharp increase in vaccination appointments after new restrictions on unvaccinated people kicked in over the weekend. A senior health ministry official told a briefing pn Monday that over the past seven days there’s been an 185% increase in first vaccination appointments, and a 200% surge in booster shot appointments. Unvaccinated people in Greece can only enter banks, government departments and most shops if they show a recent negative ..read more

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) — Police in a Milwaukee suburb say three officers are recovering after they were hit by gunfire while responding to a report of shots fired at hotel over the weekend. Wauwatosa police on Monday said the three officers were shot and wounded by a gunman at the Radisson Hotel Saturday night. Authorities initially said two officers were wounded. The officers were investigating a report of gunfire and began checking rooms on the second floor when they were met with gunfire from one room. Officers returned fire, however, the male suspect was not struck. Moments later, the man le ..read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Randal Quarles announced Monday that he will resign from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors at the end of the year after completing a four-year term as the central bank’s top bank regulator, opening up another vacancy on the Fed’s influential board for President Joe Biden to fill. Quarles had served as the Fed’s first vice chair of supervision, which gave him wide-ranging authority over the banking system. In that role, Quarles oversaw a broad loosening of the financial regulations that were put in place after the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and recession. The pos ..read more

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Some banners were burned at a temporary memorial honoring the 49 victims who died in a massacre at a Florida gay nightclub five years ago. The foundation that runs it is seeking the public’s help in catching the vandal. The onePulse Foundation over the weekend released security video on its Facebook page showing a man in a wheelchair setting fire to an outdoor wall on which banners, photos, messages and flowers are posted in memory of the victims who died at the Pulse nightclub in 2016. The foundation asked the public to notify the police if they recognized the man in the ..read more

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s prime minister says that preliminary talks with the International Monetary Fund are moving forward as the small nation works to pull itself out of one of the worst economic crises in more than a century. Najib Mikati said during an economic conference Monday that an amended financial recovery plan by the government’s financial adviser will be ready by the end of November. Mikati’s announcement comes a month after Lebanon’s Finance Ministry said it has resumed “interactions” with the IMF on a bailout plan. Deep disagreements festered within the Lebanese delegation during ..read more

LONDON (AP) — European lawmakers have pioneered efforts to rein in big technology companies and are working to strengthen those rules, putting them ahead of the United States and other parts of world. While Europe shares values with the U.S., none of the big tech companies that dominate online life are based on the continent. Some say that allowed European officials to make a more clear-eyed assessment of the risks posed by tech companies largely headquartered in the U.S. Drawing up a new package of digital rules for the 27-nation European Union is getting a boost from Facebook whistleblower F ..read more