UNITED STATES
Body in barrel sparks arrest
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found stuffed inside a plastic barrel that was dumped in front of Sonoma’s City Hall in northern California. Sheriff’s officials said Friday night’s discovery of the blood-stained barrel led detectives to a mobile home where they thought Ronald Sauvageau, 64, was killed. They served a search warrant and arrested Christopher McNatt, 40. An autopsy is to be conducted today to determine the cause of death. Sheriff’s Sergeant Cecile Focha told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that a weapon thought to be used in the killing was recovered, but she declined to elaborate on the type of weapon, the relationship between the men or a motive.
CHILE
Girl drops euthanasia plea
An ailing Chilean girl who made a public plea for permission to end her life has changed her mind, according to her father. Fredy Maureira told reporters on Sunday that his 14-year-old daughter, Valentina, has changed her mind after meeting people who responded to her plea for euthanasia to escape cystic fibrosis. “Yes, she is thinking about it,” Maureira said. The girl told the El Mercurio newspaper that “there are people who have led me to change my way of thinking.” A video in which Valentina asked Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to let her undergo euthanasia gained global attention last month after it was posted on YouTube. Bachelet, a pediatrician, visited the girl and her family, but the government said it could not approve her request.
CHILE
Earthquake rattles north
The US Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.1 earthquake has struck in far northern Chile. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning. The USGS said the epicenter was 33km southeast of Putre at a depth of 128km. It hit at 1:51am yesterday.
GUINEA
Truck accident kills 10
At least 10 people were killed and 11 injured when a truck overturned in the nation’s east, a security source said on Saturday. The accident happened on Friday near the town of Beyla, the source told reporters from the capital, Conakry, adding that the 11 people were “seriously injured.” The truck was headed to a weekly market, but “turned over when the driver approached a turn,” the source said. According to an initial probe, “speeding and reckless driving” appeared to be behind the accident, the source added. It was not clear how many people were on the truck at the time.
THAILAND
Briton shoots self at range
Police yesterday said they were probing the death of a British tourist who apparently shot himself dead at a firing range on Phuket. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the Thalang Shooting Range which appears to show the Briton standing alongside a staff member before turning a gun on himself on Saturday afternoon. The visibly distraught employee is seen walking away from the scene holding his head in his hands. “We are investigating the CCTV images. We have not yet concluded whether it was an accident or suicide,” said police Colonel Chanuchan Chonsuwat of the Thalang district on the island. A spokesman for the British Embassy in Bangkok said it was aware of the incident and providing consular assistance to the family. The spokesman could not immediately provide any further details.
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
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