World 4/14/2011

THURSDAY

A six-square-mile fire that destroyed four houses in Oklahoma City was likely sparked by a brush hog tractor mower that struck metal. Twenty-two fire departments were called to help fight the blaze. Firefighters and a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter raced to at least a dozen different fires that reignited from the menacing blaze of the previous day.

Maine lawmakers made it legal for people with one arm to carry switchblade knives. The bill is designed to prevent amputees from having to open knives with their mouths in an emergency.

The Texas legislature is closing in on approval of a measure that would raise speed limits on Lone Star State highways to 85 miles per hour, the highest posted speed in the U.S. and second-highest in the world. Some motorways in Poland are posted at 140 km, or 86 mph.

With a net worth of $44.1 billion, primarily in gold coins, Scrooge McDuck topped Forbes’ list of the 15 wealthiest imaginary characters.

FRIDAY

Just past the midnight deadline, Democrats and Republicans in Congress clinched a short-term budget deal to keep the federal government running for a week after hammering out an agreement to cut domestic spending by some $38 billion.

Twenty-five workers were evacuated from the Columbia Generating Station outside Richland, Washington’s only nuclear power plant, after a small amount of hydrogen sprang from a pipe and ignited in a six-inch flash. The reactor was shut down at the time for routine maintenance and refueling.

Archaeologists unearthed hundreds of skeletons from a 16th Century burial ground in London’s most notorious psychiatric hospital, “Bedlam.” They were discovered during a survey for a ticket hall for the planned Crossrail project at Liverpool Street Station.

WEEKEND

Egypt’s public prosecutor summoned ousted president Hosni Mubarak on charges of killing protestors and embezzling public funds. Mubarak’s sons Gamal and Alaa were also summoned in the embezzlement probe.

France’s ban on full face veils, a first in Europe, went into force, exposing anyone who wears the Muslim niqab or burqa in public to fines of 150 euros ($216).

Veteran Hong Kong actor Law Lok-lam had an unusual run of bad luck when he set what could be a record by dying in five different soap operas in a 24-hour period.

MONDAY

A panel of U.S. Appellate judges ruled twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss must accept a cash and stock settlement with Facebook valued at $65 million. The Winklevoss brothers charged Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for the social networking web site.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced his state agreed to a $30 million marketing grant from oil company BP, an effort to recover the tourism industry on the region’s beaches after the massive oil spill soaked beaches in the wake of the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig one year ago.

The personal records, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers, of some 3.5 million Texans were exposed after they were placed on a state computer server that was accessible to the public for about a year.

Alaska lawmakers moved to outlaw the use of stun guns like tasers in hunting wild animals.

TUESDAY

About two dozen Civil War re-enactors fired shots on Fort Sumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

For the first time in a century, the 3,700 buffalo from the nation’s last purebred herd will be able to roam from Yellowstone National Park into parts of Montana without facing capture and likely slaughter.

A northern California cat named Max is recovering from surgery after having an arrow removed from his skull. He returned home over the weekend with the arrow poking out of both sides of his head.

WEDNESDAY

Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said it has begun plans to distribute up to $45 billion in compensation to those affected by the crisis.

Israel re-opened a commercial crossing with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip that had been shut because of cross-border fighting for the previous seven days. Israeli trucks delivered animal feed first, with basic food commodities expected to pass through later.

Chinese officials arrested veteran dissident Zhu Yufu on subversion charges, making him the fourth activist to be imprisoned recently.

Compiled by the Gazette from a variety of sources.