Town has 1st service since church attack

Town has 1st service since church attack

SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas

Hundreds of mourners crowded into the tiny town of Sutherland Springs for the first Sunday service since a gunman stormed the First Baptist Church a week earlier, killing more than two dozen people in the worst mass shooting in Texas history.

After an emotional sermon held outdoors under a massive white tent, congregants and the public were invited to return to the church for the first time since the tragedy. A chilling memorial set up inside the church included 26 white chairs – including one for the unborn baby of a victim who was pregnant – bearing each victim’s name or nickname painted in gold.

Initially, the church had planned to have Sunday’s service at an adjacent community center, which can accommodate a few dozen people. But when organizers realized hundreds planned to attend, the service was moved to a massive white tent erected in a baseball field.

Treats, supplies head to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

A stash of frozen treats and other supplies rocketed toward the International Space Station on Sunday, this time from Virginia’s cold eastern shore.

NASA’s commercial shipper, Orbital ATK, launched the cargo ship just after sunrise from Wallops Island, aboard an unmanned Antares rocket.

The Cygnus capsule should reach the orbiting lab Tuesday. It’s loaded with 7,400 pounds of cargo, including sweet treats for the six station astronauts.

Mass graves found

KIRKUK, Iraq

Iraqi security forces have found mass graves in an area recently retaken from the Islamic State group that could contain up to 400 bodies, an Iraqi official said Sunday.

The bodies of civilians and security forces were found in an abandoned base near Hawija, a northern town retaken in early October, Kirkuk governor Rakan Saed said. He didn’t say when authorities will start exhuming the bodies from the mass graves.

Khalaf Luhaibi, a local shepherd who led troops to the site, said IS used to bring captives to the area and shoot them dead or pour oil over them and light them on fire.

A $15.1B Boeing buy

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Long-haul carrier Emirates purchased 40 American-made Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners on Sunday at the start of the biennial Dubai Air Show, a $15.1 billion deal certain to please U.S. President Donald Trump who has touted the plane’s sales as a job creator in America.

The deal appeared to surprise Boeing’s archrival Airbus, whose staff had attended a long-delayed news conference and left the room just moments before the announcement.

Uber seals deal with SoftBank

dETROIT

Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank has reached a deal with Uber to invest billions in the ride-hailing giant.

Uber Technologies Inc. confirmed the investment in a statement Sunday without giving details.

But a person briefed on the deal told The Associated Press that SoftBank Group will buy about $1 billion worth of new Uber stock, then will offer to purchase shares from investors and Uber employees with the goal of reaching a 14 percent stake in the company.

Uber currently is valued at $68.5 billion, but stock offers will be based on a lower valuation, so it’s unknown just how much the total deal multibillion-dollar deal will be worth, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details were not released.

Associated Press