WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama personally welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House on Thursday and lauded his goals for the Tibetan people, but he kept their get-together off-camera and low-key in an attempt to avoid inflaming tensions with China. At the risk of angering Beijing, Obama did tell the exiled spiritual leader that he backs the preservation of Tibet’s culture and supports human rights for its people. He also gave encouragement to the Dalai Lama’s request for talks with the Chinese government. Revered in much of the world, the Dalai Lama is seen by Beijing as a separatist seeking to overthrow Chinese rule of Tibet.
Fewer air crashes but more die
Fewer airline crashes occurred around the world in 2009 than during the previous year, but deaths were up, an industry group said Thursday. There were 18 fatal airline accidents last year compared with 23 fatal accidents in 2008, the International Air Transport Association, www.iata.org, said. However, there were 685 fatalities in 2009 compared with 502 the previous year, the association said. Those numbers include both jet and turboprop planes.
Utah: 757 emergency landing
A United Airlines Boeing 757 that made an emergency landing Thursday after a threatening note was found in the galley resumed its flight after seven hours on the ground. Flight 741, carrying 168 passengers and six crew, was en route from Denver to San Francisco when a flight attendant found the note and the pilot decided to divert to Salt Lake City. Police searched the jetliner for explosives. A United spokeswoman said she could not disclose the contents of the note, but said the threat was considered credible by the pilot and crew.
California: Internet sales tax
The state Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would require Amazon.com and other online retailers to charge sales tax on purchases in California, generating an estimated $107 million a year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to veto the measure when Democrats proposed it last year, and it stalled in committee. But Democrats reintroduced it Thursday in a tax enforcement bill that was part of a $5 billion budget package moving through the Legislature. Schwarzenegger has not indicated a change of heart on the issue.
Televangelist’s wife files
The wife of televangelist Benny Hinn has filed for divorce from the high-profile pastor, whose reputation as an advocate of prosperity gospel has attracted millions of followers and criticism from lawmakers and watchdog groups over his lavish lifestyle. Suzanne Hinn filed the papers in Orange County Superior Court on Feb. 1, citing irreconcilable differences, after more than 30 years of marriage. The papers note the two separated on Jan. 26 and that Hinn has been living in Dana Point, a wealthy coastal community in southern Orange County.
W. Virginia: Navy chopper
A Navy MH-60S helicopter crashed Thursday during a training exercise in a remote, mountainous area, injuring several of the 17 aboard, the military said. A National Guard official said the mountainous terrain made it difficult for rescue teams to reach the crash site, but military crews circling overhead were in touch with the aircraft. The Navy said there were “several” injuries. There were no deaths, and the extent of the injuries was still being determined.
Maryland: First cousin ban
A state legislator said it’s time to ban marriages between first cousins and stop playing what he calls “genetic roulette” with their offspring. Henry Heller, a Democratic delegate, said he wants to bring Maryland “into the enlightened world of other states such as West Virginia and Arkansas” that already prohibit unions of first cousins. The bill would make an exception for people who are over age 65 or infertile.
Cuba: Census set for mules
Will all Cuban mules please stand up? Or at least raise a hoof or two. The communist government said it is facing a major mule deficit and has commissioned a census of the beasts of burden to determine how bad the problem is. Authorities tell the government news agency that the island may be facing a deficit of 8,000 in highlands areas alone. Officials will carry out the census between March 1 and 10. The agency praised the animals as “very important for the transportation of food in mountainous areas.”
From Herald news services
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