UNITED STATES
Sardine death a mystery
Thousands of slimy, reeking sardines gurgled to the surface of an increasingly murky southern California marina on Thursday as crews kept scooping and vacuuming tonnes of fish that perished in a huge, unexplained die-off. Volunteers and city workers scrambled for a third day to remove the bloated fish that bobbed to the surface of King Harbor. It could take about a week to clean up the mess. “The virtue is we can get them easier,” police Sergeant Phil Keenan said. “The vice is they smell.” An occasional breeze carried the stench from the shallow marina where the fish died late on Monday. By Thursday evening, 85 tonnes of fish had been removed, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin said.
UNITED STATES
Teen survives bridge jump
A California high school student visiting the Golden Gate Bridge on a Thursday morning field trip climbed over a railing, jumped and somehow survived the 67m plunge into San Francisco Bay that kills dozens of people each year. Most jumpers die a grisly death, with massive internal injuries, broken bones and skull fractures. Some die from internal bleeding, while others drown. However, the 17-year-old lived, and a statement from his school said he suffered no severe injuries beyond bruising and tenderness. He was rescued by a surfer who paddled over and took him ashore, a police officer said.
UNITED STATES
Twins give birth in tandem
Twin sisters have given birth to baby girls only two hours apart — and in the same Indianapolis hospital. WTHR-TV in Indianapolis reported that 22-year-old Charron and Chardee Hampton welcomed their daughters to the world on Monday at St Vincent Women’s Hospital. Charron Hampton was past her due date and went to the hospital to be induced. Shortly after, Chardee Hampton went into labor and rushed to the same hospital. WRTV says both babies were born in an uncommon face-up position and measured 53cm long. The sisters are both engaged and are deciding if they should get married on the same day.
UNITED STATES
Mom charged with murder
A prosecutor in the state of Washington said a 25-year-old woman had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a baby boy born prematurely and found decapitated. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Laura Lynn Hickey was charged on Thursday in Superior Court. Bail was set at US$1 million during a brief court appearance and a lawyer was appointed to represent her. Lawyer Ken Johnson did not immediately return a call for comment. Hickey was arrested on Wednesday after a weeklong investigation, which included a post-mortem examination of the baby by a forensic pathologist. Officer John Panco said the pathologist concluded the 21-week baby was alive at birth, but “suffered fatal injuries by decapitation.”
UNITED STATES
Pothole death compensated
The state of Alabama has paid US$1 million to relatives of a woman who was killed when a chunk of concrete from a pothole flew through the windshield of a vehicle on Interstate 20 almost a year ago. State officials said the money was paid to compensate for the death of Jo Maureen Fisher in the freak accident. Fisher, 33, was traveling through the state with her husband and two young children on their way home to south Carolina. No lawsuit or claim was filed. Instead, the state made the payment in a negotiated settlement with the family.
FLYBY: The object, appears to be traveling more than 60 kilometers per second, meaning it is not bound by the sun’s orbit, astronomers studying 3I/Atlas said Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through the solar system — only the third-ever spotted, although scientists suspect many more might slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. “It looks kind of fuzzy,” said Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation. “It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.” Originally known as A11pl3Z before
Hundreds of protesters marched through the Mexican capital on Friday denouncing gentrification caused by foreigners, with some vandalizing businesses and shouting “gringos out!” The demonstration in the capital’s central area turned violent when hooded individuals smashed windows, damaged restaurant furniture and looted a clothing store. Mexico City Government Secretary Cesar Cravioto said 15 businesses and public facilities were damaged in what he called “xenophobic expressions” similar to what Mexican migrants have suffered in other countries. “We are a city of open arms... there are always ways to negotiate, to sit at the table,” Cravioto told Milenio television. Neighborhoods like Roma-Condesa
‘CONTINUE TO SERVE’: The 90-year-old Dalai Lama said he hoped to be able to continue serving ‘sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma’ for decades to come The Dalai Lama yesterday said he dreamed of living for decades more, as the Buddhist spiritual leader prayed with thousands of exiled Tibetans on the eve of his 90th birthday. Thumping drums and deep horns reverberated from the Indian hilltop temple, as a chanting chorus of red-robed monks and nuns offered long-life prayers for Tenzin Gyatso, who followers believe is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Looking in good health, dressed in traditional maroon monk robes and a flowing yellow wrap, he led prayers — days after confirming that the 600-year-old Tibetan Buddhist institution would continue after his death. Many exiled Tibetans
BRICS leaders are to meet in Rio de Janeiro from today, with the bloc depleted by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who is skipping the annual summit of emerging economies for the first time in 12 years. The grouping meets as its members face imminent and costly tariff wars with the US. Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be dominated by Beijing, which grew much faster and larger than the rest. China has not said why Xi would miss the summit, a first since he became president in 2013. “I expect there
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