MERIDA, Venezuela — Investigators searched through the shattered wreckage of a plane that slammed into an Andean mountainside with 46 aboard, working in freezing temperatures Saturday to find clues and recover victims’ remains. Amid the wreckage, searchers recovered the plane’s two “black boxes” — cockpit voice and data recorders that could indicate what went wrong. Investigators say the pilot made no distress call before the crash. The French-made ATR 42-300 shattered on impact and burst into flames Thursday, leaving only its tail largely intact and a swath of blackened ground.
Sweden: Storm knocks out power
An overnight storm battered southern Sweden with hurricane-strength winds, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and causing flooding in the coastal city of Goteborg, officials said Saturday. More than 80,000 households had power outages after the storm, which also caused major traffic disruptions. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries after being trapped between falling trees, a Swedish news agency reported.
Peru: Machu Picchu protests end
Rail service to the famed Inca ruins at Machu Picchu reopened on Saturday after Peruvians ended two days of protests against new laws allowing more development near historic sites. Authorities also restored service at the regional airport of Cuzco, which also had been shuttered since Thursday when protesters stormed the facility and piled rocks and trees onto roads. Leaders called the protests to oppose laws that permit the construction of new hotels and restaurants near archaeological sites.
Spain: Basque bomb explodes
A shoe box-sized bomb exploded next to a television transmitter outside Bilbao on Saturday after a telephone warning in the name of Basque separatist group ETA, Spain’s interior minister said. No injuries were reported. The device had a booby trap attached to it, leading investigators to believe that it was intended to injure bomb squad officers arriving at the scene to deactivate it, an official said.
Cuba: A gift from the Vatican
The Vatican’s No. 2 official unveiled a statue commemorating Pope John Paul II’s historic trip to the island 10 years ago on Saturday, after hinting that Pope Benedict XVI may make a visit of his own. Thousands attending an open-air Mass in Santa Clara applauded as Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, pulled off a white cloth to reveal the bronze likeness of a smiling John Paul, waving with his right hand and holding his papal staff in the other. The statue came from Rome as a gift from the Vatican.
Japan: Princess still recovering
Japan’s crown prince, who turned 48 on Saturday, said his wife needs more time to recover from a stress-induced illness before she can return to official duties. Naruhito, heir to the world’s oldest monarchy, said Crown Princess Masako is making progress but is not quite ready to fully resume her duties and public appearances. The 44-year-old Masako, a former diplomat who married into the royal family in 1993, has opted out of most imperial functions since the end of 2003 because of what is widely believed to be depression.
Saudi Arabia: Deadly bus plunge
A bus plunged over a cliff Saturday in southern Saudi Arabia, killing at least 25 people on board, the state-run news agency reported. The bus, which started its journey from the capital Riyadh, drifted to the side of a mountain road, crashed through a guardrail and landed in a deep valley near the city of Abha, the Okaz newspaper reported. An Egyptian newspaper reported that seven Egyptians were among the victims.
California: Health insurer loses
A woman who had her medical coverage canceled as she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer has been awarded more than $9 million in a case against one of California’s largest health insurers. Patsy Bates, 52, a hairdresser from Lakewood, had been left with more than $129,000 in unpaid medical bills when Health Net Inc. canceled her policy in 2004. On Friday, a judge ordered Health Net to repay that amount while providing $8.4 million in punitive damages and $750,000 for emotional distress. Health Net said it was implementing a freeze on policy cancellations.
New York: A-listers face hepatitis
Hundreds of patrons of a posh Manhattan hot spot, including A-list celebrities who attended actor Ashton Kutcher’s 30th birthday party there, may have been exposed to hepatitis A, health officials said. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene offered free vaccines through today to anyone who had been to Socialista in the West Village during the city’s Fashion Week this month, after a bartender there was found to have the infectious disease. Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ivanka Trump and Madonna reportedly attended the Kutcher birthday party.
From Herald news services
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