■ United Kingdom
Bush cost London US$7m
Policing US President George W. Bush's state visit to London cost ?4.1 million (US$7 million), the head of London's police force said on Tuesday. Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said that over half the money went on officers' salaries, while ?1.7 million was spent on overtime, catering, transport and equipment. The Metropolitan Police -- mindful both of protests and the potential for a terrorist attack -- canceled all leave and scheduled 14,000 officer shifts to cover the four-day state visit.
■ United States
Three charged in blaze
Three people were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday in the first criminal counts over a Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people and injured some 200 in February. Capping a nine-month investigation into the blaze at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a grand jury returned felony indictments against two of the club's owners and a tour manager for the rock band Great White. In what became the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in US history, The Station went up in flames on Feb. 20 when sparks from a pyrotechnic display at the start of a Great White concert spread to flammable foam on the club's walls.
■ United States
Tree crushes woman
A Florida woman on her morning jog was killed Tuesday after being crushed by a 12m magnolia tree that fell on her. Amber Farrell, 27, was about 7.5m from the tree on a residential street when it fell and struck her from behind, trapping her under its 60cm-thick trunk, said police spokesman Todd Hutchinson. Farrell's husband reported her missing when she didn't return from her jog, but her body wasn't found until city workers began cutting up the tree to clear the street. "I was standing over her and didn't know it," said Eddie Floyd, a tree cutter.
■ United States
Gore move downplayed
Contenders for the Democratic candidacy in the November elections played down the surprise endorsement of Howard Dean by ex-vice president Al Gore, during a debate in New Hampshire late Tuesday. Democratic hopefuls were critical of Gore's decision, but spared former Vermont governor Dean, 55, from their usual attacks aimed at slowing his imposing lead in the race for the nomination. Gore, who narrowly lost the 2000 presidential election, might have been expected to support his former running mate Joe Lieberman, one of Dean's eight rivals who had promised to skip the presidential race if Gore threw his hat in. "I can tell you that our phones have been ringing off the hook at campaign headquarters. I've been stopped in airports by people angry about what happened," Lieberman said.
RSS