Nigerian man charged in Christmas airliner attack
DETROIT (AP) — A 23-year-old Nigerian man who claimed to have ties to al-Qaida was charged Saturday with trying to destroy a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day, as authorities learned his father had warned U.S. officials of concerns about his son. Some airline passengers traveling Saturday felt the consequences of the frightening attack. They were told that new U.S. regulations prevented them from leaving their seats beginning an hour before landing.
Father of Nigerian would-be plane bomber warned US
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. government officials tell The Associated Press that the Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a jetliner came to the attention of U.S. intelligence in November when his father went to the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, to express his concerns about his son. A congressional official said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, popped up in U.S. intelligence reports about four weeks ago as having a connection to both al-Qaida and Yemen.
Airlines: New rules keep passengers in seats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some airlines were telling passengers on Saturday that new government security regulations prohibit them from leaving their seats beginning an hour before landing The regulations are a response to a suspected terrorism incident on Christmas Day.
Storm continues to disrupt travel in Plains, East
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Drifting snow and cold rain that have plagued much of the country for days stranded drivers and airline passengers Saturday trying to get home after Christmas. Storms from Texas to the Upper Midwest that dumped 23.9 inches of snow in Grand Forks, N.D., and 18 inches near Norfolk, Neb., began subsiding, but blowing and drifting snow hampered visibility in many areas.
Israel kills 6 Palestinians in surge of violence
NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — Israeli troops blasted their way into the homes of three wanted Palestinians on Saturday, killing each in a hail of bullets and straining an uneasy security arrangement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's military said the three, affiliated with a violent offshoot of Abbas' Fatah movement, were targeted for killing an Israeli settler in a roadside ambush earlier in the week and had turned down a chance to surrender.
House and Senate look to final health care talks
WASHINGTON (AP) — How many Americans will get subsidized medical coverage — plus who will pay for it — will be front-burner issues when Congress returns next month to complete President Barack Obama's health care remake. Pocketbook concerns join abortion and whether Uncle Sam should peddle insurance as the top bones of contention for negotiators who must resolve difference between the House and Senate bills.
US commander: Iraq must be fair to Sunnis
BAGHDAD (AP) — A top American commander called on the Iraqi government to take care of tens of thousands of unemployed anti-al-Qaida Sunni fighters, saying proper treatment for the men is critical for national reconciliation. The U.S. military's support for Sons of Iraq, who played a key part in subduing al-Qaida, comes at crucial time when a number of checkpoints in Baghdad province manned by the Sunnis will be closed. The U.S. is seeking to ease the group's concerns that the Shiite-dominated government may not honor its pledge to pay them until they are absorbed into national security forces or find civilian jobs.
Monks, tourists, villagers mark Asian tsunami
PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Buddhist monks in orange robes chanted on a Thai beach, an Indonesian mother mourned her children at a mass grave, and a man scattered flowers in now-placid waters Saturday to commemorate the 230,000 killed five years ago when a tsunami ripped across Asia. An outpouring of aid that followed the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami has helped replace homes, schools and entire coastal communities decimated by the disaster. But at Saturday's ceremonies, survivors spoke of the enduring wounds.
Sparse shelves greet post-Christmas deal hunters
Shoppers headed to America's malls Saturday, many with gift cards in hand, hoping to snag after-Christmas discounts. They were greeted with big markdowns — in some cases topping 75 percent off — but often found limited selection. "Everything's been picked over," said Donna Brown, a 52-year-old hairdresser from Seaford, Del., as she sorted through what was left of the fleece pajamas marked down 60 percent to $11.99 at a J.C. Penney store in Salisbury, Md.
Lakers: Artest suffered concussion in fall at home
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest suffered a concussion and injured his left elbow after falling at his home. Artest didn't travel with the Lakers to Saturday's game at Sacramento after tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs at his home on Christmas night, the team said in a news release.
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