Nation, World Briefs: Two-hand transplant patient feels ‘fantastic’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The recipient of a rare double hand transplant said he feels “fantastic” and can wiggle fingers on both his new hands. Richard Edwards made his first appearance on Thursday, about a week after he underwent a nearly 18-hour transplant procedure at a hospital in Louisville. The 55-year-old chiropractor from Edmond, Okla., had his hands severely burned in a fire in 2006. Edwards was the nation’s third double hand transplant recipient. The surgery was performed at Jewish Hospital, the site of the world’s first successful hand transplant in 1999.

Arizona: Thefts from luggage

A man who worked at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was arrested Thursday on suspicion that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items from the luggage of passengers in a case that could include hundreds of victims from around the world. Officers saw Michael Hegstad, 23, take two boxes from a luggage conveyor belt and take out their contents on Aug. 26. He was taken into custody and admitted to repeatedly removing personal belongings from baggage, police said Thursday.

Ohio: Fox News complaint

The Democratic Governors Association has filed an elections complaint in Ohio alleging Fox News Network illegally helped the Republican governor nominee solicit funds during a television appearance. In documents filed Thursday, the association says Fox allowed John Kasich to request contributions from viewers during an Aug. 18 broadcast and displayed the address of his campaign website. The complaint alleges the free publicity is an improper in-kind contribution to Kasich’s campaign.

SUV runs into Amish buggy

Authorities said the driver of a sport-utility vehicle rear-ended a buggy, injuring an Amish woman who was eight months pregnant, her husband and their six children. A nurse at a Cleveland hospital said 31-year-old Barbara Kauffman of Parkman gave birth to a boy Thursday and was in critical condition. The Highway Patrol said Kauffman’s husband was driving the buggy and has non-life-threatening injuries. Two of their children were in stable condition Thursday at a children’s hospital. Four were treated and released.

Canada: Space station boss

Veteran astronaut Chris Hadfield will be the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station when he blasts off in December 2012. Hadfield will be one of six crew members. Hadfield said Thursday at the Canadian Space Agency he is honored to command the International Space Station. Hadfield traveled to the International Space Station in April 2001 to help deliver and install a robotic arm used on the space shuttle and on the station. He also performed two space walks during the 11-day flight.

Mexico: 25 die in shootout

A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug cartel members in left 25 purported gunmen dead Thursday, the military said. A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to Mexico’s Defense Department. When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a gunbattle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, according to the military. Two soldiers were reported injured but none were killed. The military said troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.

France: Retirement protest

Massive street protests planned for next week won’t dent the French government’s resolve to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, the labor minister said Thursday. Unions plan demonstrations and strikes Tuesday and have urged private and public sector employees, the jobless, young people and retirees to join. The plan, which goes before parliament the same day as the demonstrations, aims to cut France’s ballooning deficit and make the money-losing pension system break even starting in 2018.

Brazil: Prison contraband

Police said a 17-year-old was detained after he shot arrows with cell phones attached over the walls of a prison to inmates waiting on the other side. Authorities said the boy was caught after one of the arrows he launched struck a police officer. The officer was not seriously injured because the cell phone was tied to the tip of the arrow and softened the impact. Police said a gang hired the teen, giving him a bow and training him how to use it.

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