8 dead in police helicopter crash onto Glasgow pub

8 dead in police helicopter crash onto Glasgow pub
Chemical watchdog says US to destroy Syria stockpile at sea
Obamacare website faces crucial weekend after technology overhaul
Egypt panel begins vote on draft constitution
Troopers: 4 dead in W. Alaska plane crash
Ukrainian demonstrators converge outside monastery
US offers to destroy Syrian chemical weapons
Sectarian tensions mount in C. African Rep. town
US: American fighters in Syria a security risk
Americans kick off first holiday shopping weekend
Police forcefully break up demonstration in Kiev
Shots heard at clash of Thai political protesters
1 dead in police helicopter crash onto Glasgow pub
China claims victory in scrubbing Internet clean
Egypt's panel begins vote on draft constitution
#WalmartFights sparks a trend on Twitter
Presidential term limits: necessary and right, or bad for democracy?

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 08:53 AM PST

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scottish authorities raised the death toll to eight people Saturday in the crash of a police helicopter into a crowded Glasgow pub, stressing that a rescue and recovery operation is ongoing and it is unclear what they will find when the aircraft's wreckage is moved.

Chemical watchdog says US to destroy Syria stockpile at sea

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:31 AM PST

The United States will destroy the most dangerous of Syria's chemical weapon stockpile on a ship at sea, the world's chemical watchdog said on Saturday. "The neutralisation operations will be conducted on a US vessel at sea using hydrolysis," the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement. "Currently a suitable naval vessel is undergoing modifications to support the operations and to accommodate verification activities by the OPCW," The Hague-based watchdog added. The ship operation will destroy what is known as "priority chemical weapons", the most dangerous of Syria's total arsenal and ones that have to be out of the country by December 31 under an international deal agreed to avert military strikes on Damascus.

Obamacare website faces crucial weekend after technology overhaul

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 07:38 AM PST

The government takes the HealthCare.gov site offline for a long maintenance period extending into Saturday morning.

Egypt panel begins vote on draft constitution

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 08:40 AM PST

CAIRO (AP) — A panel in Egypt tasked with amending the country's suspended constitution began voting Saturday on hundreds of changes to it, the first step in an effort authorities say will move the country toward democratic rule following a July military coup that ousted its president.

Troopers: 4 dead in W. Alaska plane crash

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 09:35 AM PST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A plane crash near the remote western Alaska village of Saint Marys killed four of the 10 people aboard, including an infant boy, an Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman said Saturday.

Ukrainian demonstrators converge outside monastery

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 08:46 AM PST

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — About 10,000 anti-government demonstrators angry about Ukraine's refusal to sign a pro-European Union agreement converged Saturday on a square outside a monastery where protesters driven away in a pre-dawn clash with police were taking shelter. Some opposition leaders called for nationwide strikes.

US offers to destroy Syrian chemical weapons

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 05:03 AM PST

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The U.S. has offered to help destroy some of the most lethal parts of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile at an offshore facility, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical weapons said Saturday.

Sectarian tensions mount in C. African Rep. town

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 08:07 AM PST

BOUCA, Central African Republic (AP) — About a dozen Muslim armed fighters rolled up to the Catholic mission in their pickup truck and delivered an ominous message to the hundreds seeking refuge on church grounds: Leave the premises by morning or face death.

US: American fighters in Syria a security risk

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:32 AM PST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Federal officials say Americans are joining the bloody civil war in Syria, raising the chances they could become radicalized by al-Qaida-linked militant groups and return to the U.S. as battle-hardened security risks.

Americans kick off first holiday shopping weekend

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 07:44 AM PST

Millions of Americans turned out as the holiday buying season started earlier this year on Thanksgiving Day. But there's still a lot of shopping left.

Police forcefully break up demonstration in Kiev

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:05 PM PST

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Police in the Ukrainian capital broke up a large anti-government demonstration in the city center before dawn Saturday, swinging truncheons and injuring many.

Shots heard at clash of Thai political protesters

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 07:13 AM PST

BANGKOK (AP) — Gunshots were heard at the scene of clashes between government supporters and foes in the Thai capital Saturday night as violence took hold for the first time in a week of demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

1 dead in police helicopter crash onto Glasgow pub

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Scottish emergency workers were sifting through wreckage Saturday for survivors of a police helicopter crash onto a crowded Glasgow pub that has killed at least one person and injured more than two dozen. The number of fatalities is expected to rise, officials said.

China claims victory in scrubbing Internet clean

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 01:35 AM PST

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government has declared victory in cleaning up what it considers rumors, negativity and unruliness from online discourse, while critics say the moves have suppressed criticism of the government and ruling Communist Party.

Egypt's panel begins vote on draft constitution

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 06:56 AM PST

CAIRO (AP) — A panel in Egypt has begun voting on a series of constitutional amendments, a milestone in the country's transition to democracy after a July coup.

#WalmartFights sparks a trend on Twitter

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 11:36 AM PST

As Black Friday sparked chaos at Walmarts across the country, a trend started on Twitter.

Presidential term limits: necessary and right, or bad for democracy?

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 11:26 AM PST

The time has come to end presidential term limits, because continuing the restrictions on the length of time one can serve in the country's highest office is bad for the United States, a university professor argued this week.