World - The Salt Lake Tribune

N. Korean envoy delivers letter to China’s president

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:43:02 MDT

N. Korean envoy delivers letter to China’s president

the Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 09:43PM MDT

Beijing • A top North Korean envoy has delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for Beijing’s efforts to coax its unruly ally into lowering tensions. North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae’s three-day visit was seen as a fence-mending mission after Pyongyang angered Beijing with recent snubs and moves to develop its nuclear program. Choe returned to Nort...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos of the day - May 24, 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:42:02 MDT

Photos of the day - May 24, 2013

the Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 24, 2013 09:42PM MDT

A colection of some of the best photos of the day, from throughout the world.

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Oklahoma gets far more than its share of disasters

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:28:03 MDT

Oklahoma gets far more than its share of disasters

by Seth Borenstein The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 09:28PM MDT

Washington • Many states get hit frequently with tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, but Oklahoma is Disaster Central. The twister that devastated Moore, Okla., was the 74th presidential disaster declared in the Sooner state in the past 60 years. Only much-larger and more-populous California and Texas have had more. The state is No. 1 in tornado disasters and No. 3 for flooding, according to a database of presidential disaster declarations handled by the Federal Emergency Management Agenc...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jersey shore eyes record-setting summer post Sandy

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:27:03 MDT

Jersey shore eyes record-setting summer post Sandy

by Wayne Parry The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 09:27PM MDT

Seaside Heights, N.J. • New Jersey used a record-breaking gesture Friday to celebrate its recovery from a record-setting storm, proclaiming to the nation that the Jersey shore is back in business following Superstorm Sandy. Gov. Chris Christie and a host of volunteers carried out a ceremonial ribbon cutting that broke the Guinness World record for the longest such undertaking. The 5.5-mile ribbon symbolically tied together some of the hardest-hit towns by Sandy, and bested the previous record-h...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Soldier’s slaying prompts U.K. security review

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:09:03 MDT

Soldier’s slaying prompts U.K. security review

by Paisley Dodds | The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 08:09PM MDT

London • Both of the suspects accused of butchering a British soldier during broad daylight on a London street had long been on the radar of Britain’s domestic spy agency, though investigators say it would have been nearly impossible to predict that the men were on the verge of a brutal killing. Still, counter-terrorism officials said they are reviewing what — if any — lessons can be gleaned from the information they had leading up to the slaying Wednesday. Authorities in the U.S. have similarl...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Obama’s drone rules leave unanswered questions

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:08:02 MDT

Obama’s drone rules leave unanswered questions

by Julie Pace The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 08:08PM MDT

Washington • President Barack Obama left plenty of ambiguity in new policy guidelines that he says will restrict how and when the U.S. can launch targeted drone strikes, leaving himself significant power over how and when the weapons can be deployed. National security experts say it’s imperative to leave some room in the guidelines, given the evolving fight against terrorism. But civil rights advocates argue too little has been revealed about the program to ensure its legality, even as the pres...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jude: Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office profiled Latinos

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:37:32 MDT

Jude: Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office profiled Latinos

by Jacques Billeaud and Walter Berry The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 07:37PM MDT

Phoenix • A federal judge ruled Friday that the office of America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff systematically singled out Latinos in its trademark immigration patrols, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people. The 142-page decision by U.S. District Judge Murray Snow in Phoenix backs up allegations that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s critics have made for years that his officers violate the constitutional rights of Latinos in relying on race in the...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Obama OKs honor for Birmingham bombing victims

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:21:02 MDT

Obama OKs honor for Birmingham bombing victims

the Associate Press

Published May 24, 2013 07:21PM MDT

Washington • Four girls killed in an Alabama church bombing during the civil rights movement are receiving the highest honor Congress gives to civilians. President Barack Obama signed legislation Friday to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair. The three 14-year-olds and an 11-year-old were killed Sept. 15, 1963, when a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Se...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Trucker bumped I-5 bridge, saw the horror in rearview mirror

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:09:03 MDT

Trucker bumped I-5 bridge, saw the horror in rearview mirror

by Manuel Valdes and Mike Baker The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 06:09PM MDT

Mount Vernon, Wash. • The trucker was hauling a load of drilling equipment when his load bumped against the steel framework over an Interstate 5 bridge. He looked in his rearview mirror and watched in horror as the span collapsed into the water behind him. Two vehicles fell into the icy Skagit River. Amazingly, nobody was killed. The three people who fell into the water escaped with only minor injuries. Officials are trying to find out whether the spectacular collapse of a bridge on one of the ...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Obama: Sexual assault threatens trust in military

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:37:08 MDT

Obama: Sexual assault threatens trust in military

by Nedra Pickler The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 04:37PM MDT

Annapolis, Md. • With a growing sexual assault epidemic staining the military, President Barack Obama urged U.S. Naval Academy graduates Friday to remember their honor depends on what they do when nobody is looking and said the crime has “no place in the greatest military on earth.” The commander in chief congratulated the 1,047 midshipmen graduating at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, telling the 841 men and 206 women that they have proven themselves morally by meeting rigorous standards...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jury foreman says Jodi Arias testimony didn’t help her in trial over boyfriend’s murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:45:02 MDT

Jury foreman says Jodi Arias testimony didn’t help her in trial over boyfriend’s murder

by Brian Skoloff The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 02:45PM MDT

PHOENIX • As jurors in Jodi Arias’ murder trial filed one by one from the courtroom after a dramatic five months of gut-wrenching testimony and gruesome photographs, three women on the panel cried and one looked to the victim’s family, mouthing the word, “Sorry.” The silent gesture toward the loved ones of Travis Alexander offered a glimpse into what was likely a tense few days inside the deliberations room as the jury finally determined it could not agree on whether to sentence Arias to life in...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington blamed on truck hitting span

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:25:49 MDT

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington blamed on truck hitting span

by Manuel Valdes And Mike Baker The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 10:25AM MDT

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. • A truck hauling a too-tall load of drilling equipment hit an overhead bridge girder on the major interstate between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River. All three occupants suffered only minor injuries. It happened about 7 p.m. Thursday on the north section of the four-lane Interstate 5 bridge near Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle and 40 miles south of the Canada border, and disrupted travel in both direction...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

U.K.-bound plane from Pakistan diverted, 2 men arrested

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:09:03 MDT

U.K.-bound plane from Pakistan diverted, 2 men arrested

by Cassandra Vinograd And Danica Kirka The Associated Press

Published May 24, 2013 08:09AM MDT

LONDON • Britain scrambled fighter jets Friday to intercept a commercial airliner carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, diverting it to an isolated runway at an airport on the outskirts of London and arresting two British passengers who allegedly threatened to destroy the plane. A British security official said the situation involving the Pakistan International Airlines flight did not appear terror-related, though police were still investigating, but the incident further rattled the U.K. ...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Video: Follow ‘MJ’ the tabby cat on her Philadelphia bike outings

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:20:33 MDT

Video: Follow ‘MJ’ the tabby cat on her Philadelphia bike outings

by Kathy Matheson The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 09:20PM MDT

For 26-year-old bike courier Rudi Saldia you could say a cat is his co-pilot. Saldia often buzzes around Philadelphia with his year-old feline Mary Jane — nicknamed MJ — perched on his shoulder. Their urban adventures have turned heads on the street and garnered big hits on YouTube. <freeform> <script data-hide-title=”true” data-hide-byline=”true” data-hide-footnotes=”true” type=”text/javascript” src=”http://cdn.spundge.com/embed/stories/3757/”></script><noscript><h1&g...

National briefs from Tribune news services

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:40:03 MDT

National briefs from Tribune news services

Published May 23, 2013 08:40PM MDT

Boston suspect under scrutiny in unsolved grisly triple killing Waltham, Mass. • A year and a half before the Boston Marathon bombing, the man Tamerlan Tsarnaev called his best friend died in a grisly crime: He was one of three men found nearly decapitated in an apartment, their throats slashed ear to ear, marijuana sprinkled over their bodies. Now, in an offshoot of the marathon investigation, authorities are trying to determine whether the now-dead Tsarnaev had a hand in the unsolved triple ...

Brave woman tried to reason with London attackers

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:16:02 MDT

Brave woman tried to reason with London attackers

by Gregory Katz The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 08:16PM MDT

London • A brave scout leader who may have prevented further violence has emerged as an unlikely hero in the apparent terror attack that left one man dead on the streets of London. Ingrid Loyau-Kennett got off a bus and tried to reason with the two attackers after she tried to help the man lying on the street but found he had no pulse and was already dead. The 48-year-old mother kept talking to the two bloody attackers before police came, trying to keep them calm. Loyau-Kennett, who lives in Co...

House immigration group resolves dispute

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:11:03 MDT

House immigration group resolves dispute

by Erica Werner The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 08:11PM MDT

Washington • House members writing a bipartisan immigration bill said Thursday they had patched over a dispute that threatened their efforts, even as they and the rest of Congress prepared to return home for a weeklong recess where many could confront voters’ questions on the issue. The eight lawmakers in the House immigration group have struggled for months to come to agreement on a sweeping bill that would have a chance in the GOP-controlled House while satisfying Democrats’ objectives. Talks...

IRS replaces official in tea party controversy

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:10:02 MDT

IRS replaces official in tea party controversy

by Stephen Ohlemacher The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 08:10PM MDT

Washington • Moving quickly to stem a raging controversy, the new acting head of the Internal Revenue Service started cleaning house Thursday by replacing the supervisor who oversaw agents involved in targeting tea party groups. A day after she refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing, Lois Lerner was placed on administrative leave, according to congressional sources. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said Lerner was asked to resign ...

Military calls U.K. attack victim a model soldier

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:09:02 MDT

Military calls U.K. attack victim a model soldier

the Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 08:09PM MDT

London • The soldier brutally murdered in a suspected terrorist attack in London was a popular 25-year-old ceremonial military drummer and machine gunner, a father and a passionate fan of the Manchester United soccer team, the British military said Thursday. Lee Rigby, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, who had joined the army in 2006, was posted in Cyprus, Afghanistan and Germany before becoming a recruiter, assisting with duties in the Tower of London. “All he wanted to do from ...

Distraught mom becomes face of Oklahoma tornado

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:53:24 MDT

Distraught mom becomes face of Oklahoma tornado

by Sean Murphy The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 07:53PM MDT

Moore, Okla. • A massive tornado was carving its way through town. There was no time to hesitate. LaTisha Garcia had to get to her children. And so she raced against the storm. She had 30 miles to cover from her job in Edmond to Plaza Towers Elementary School, where her 8-year-old daughter Jazmin Rodriguez is a third grader. She lost. The tornado got there first, and the destruction kept her from driving the final few hundred yards. And so she got out of her car and ran, arriving to find little...