Six people died after a crash and diesel fuel spill sparked a massive fire on a Florida interstate Thursday afternoon, highway officials said.
Two tractor-trailer rigs and two passenger vehicles were involved in the wreck on Interstate 75 about 1.6 kilometres south of Alachua, near Gainesville, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The fire was ignited after about 189 litres of diesel spilled onto the highway, authorities said.
Eight others were taken to the hospital, some with critical injuries, the Gainesville Sun reported.
A helicopter landed on scene to search for any victims who may have been in the woods along the crash scene, which Alachua County Sheriff's officials described as "extensive." Authorities extinguished the fire, but the aftermath caused a portion of the interstate to be closed in both directions, causing massive delays Thursday evening.
The Alachua County Sherriff's office tweeted that the crash was in the northbound lanes but that the southbound lanes were ...

6 killed after fiery crash, fuel spill on Florida highway

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A United Nations envoy who was recently ordered to leave Somalia warned Thursday about its "political turbulence," while its UN ambassador admonished the world body to stay out of his country's internal affairs.
Both addressed the Security Council at a regularly scheduled discussion that took on new overtones after Somalia announced Tuesday it was expelling Nicholas Haysom. Somalia's government said Haysom overstepped diplomatic bounds by questioning the arrest of an extremist group defector-turned-political candidate.
The UN has said little in public about the flap. Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Thursday that the world body was seeking "further clarification" on the matter, but that Haysom continues to have the support of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who appointed Haysom in September as special representative for Somalia.
Haysom himself didn't directly address his apparent ouster. But while commending Somalia's progress on various political, economic and security ...

Somalia and ousted UN envoy face off at Security Council

After three-and-a-half days of fighting a mountain of concrete, cold weather and time, rescue teams in an industrial Russian city ended a search for people who were inside an apartment building where an explosion triggered a partial collapse, giving a final death toll Thursday of 39.
The massive operation launched by the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the jumbled maze of rubble where a section of a 10-story building stood in Magnitogorsk until Monday morning combined sophisticated equipment with gruelling manual labour.
Russian officials said from the start that emergency crews were racing to reach survivors before they died of hypothermia in temperatures as low as minus 29 degrees Celsius. Supervisors ordered fans to blow warm air into the wreckage while drones, flexible ocular devices and the hands of hundreds probed for signs of life.
A search dog brought hope to the grim work Tuesday when it pointed to a place where rescue workers would hear the cries of a baby. The 10-month-old .

Final toll from collapsed Russian building: 39 dead

Mexico's foreign affairs ministry has formally asked the United States government through its embassy for a thorough investigation into a January 1 incident in which US agents fired tear gas into Mexico to stop crossing migrants.
In a statement Thursday, the ministry said it lamented any violent acts along its border. It reiterated its commitment to the safety of migrants.
In the first hours of the new year, about 150 migrants attempted to breach the border fence in Tijuana. US Customs and Border Protection said that agents fired gas at migrants throwing rocks. It said it was investigating.
But an Associated Press photographer at the scene only saw rocks thrown after agents fired gas as migrants scaled the fence.

Mexico asks US to investigate tear gas incident at border

A 2,000-year-old building where Roman gladiators in Pompeii trained for combat has opened to the public eight years after its collapse following rainfall.
The Pompeii archaeological site said the public can tour the Schola Armaturarum on Thursdays.
Experts will explain their painstaking restoration of frescoes that decorated the site where gladiators trained before combat in the ancient Roman city.
Its opening was hailed by Italy's culture ministry as the "symbolic place of Pompeii's rebirth," following years of dismaying news that various ruins had crumbled amid modern-day neglect of the sprawling, once-flourishing city that was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
The building, which has been previously excavated some 100 years ago, had also suffered heavy damage from World War II Allied bombing. A few years later, reinforced concrete was used to build a protective cover.
A park statement said prosecutors investigating the 2010 collapse didn't pinpoint ...

Restored Pompeii gladiator building open to public

The US Army's chief of staff made a surprise visit to the capital Kabul where he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to discuss prospects for a peaceful end to the country's 17-year war, the United States' longest.
In a statement late Thursday, Ghani's office said Gen. Mike A. Milley supported Afghan-led talks with the Taliban, although the burden of getting the two sides to the table seems to have fallen to Washington's newly appointed peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
Khalilzad has met several times with Taliban insurgents since his appointment in September.
They have consistently refused direct talks with Ghani's representatives calling the Kabul government U.S. puppets.
Another round of U.S.-Taliban talks are reportedly scheduled for later this month in Doha, Qatar, where the insurgents maintain a political office.

US Army chief of staff makes surprise stop in Kabul

Russian officials ended the search of a collapsed apartment building Thursday and said the rescue crews that raced through concrete rubble found 39 people dead and one survivor in the three-and-a-half days since part of the structure came down while residents slept.
Officials think an explosion triggered by a gas leak caused the pre-dawn collapse Monday in the city of Magnitogorsk.
A 10-month-old boy was the only person found alive in the wreckage. The baby suffered frostbite from lying in the rubble for 35 hours - temperatures were as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 F.)
The number of deaths stood at four for most of the first day, but climbed quickly after two nights of winter weather. Russian authorities acknowledged from the start that the extreme cold gave rescue crews less time to reach trapped survivors.
Hope flared when the injured infant was extracted from the debris Tuesday. He was flown to a Moscow children's hospital for treatment and was listed in stable condition 

Search of Russian building ends with 39 dead, 1 survivor

US businesses added a robust 271,000 jobs in December.
Payroll processor ADP said Thursday that last month's job gains marked a sharp upturn from November's gain of 157,000.
The gains, if backed up by government numbers due Friday, could be strong enough to reduce the unemployment rate.
The burst of hiring last month comes as financial markets are dreading a broader economic slowdown, causing stock prices to collapse. But job growth at December's pace suggest that the US economy is unlikely to fall into a recession, said Mark Zandi, who prepares the ADP report as chief economist at Moody's Analystics
"The job market is key for keeping the economy together and ensuring that the economic expansion goes forward," Zandi said.
Zandi cautioned that an unseasonably warm December might have caused job growth to appear stronger than it actually was, but he noted that the figures were still remarkably healthy given that the economy is in the middle of its 10th year of expansion.
ADP reported a .

Survey: US firms added a strong 271,000 jobs in December

Apple's shock warning that its Chinese sales are weakening ratcheted up concerns about the world's second largest economy and weighed heavily on global stock markets as well as the dollar on Thursday.
In a letter to shareholders on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPhone demand was waning in China and would hurt revenue for the October-December quarter.
In the letter, which was released after the markets closed, Cook said Apple expects revenue of USD 84 billion for the quarter, almost a tenth lower than the consensus expectation in financial markets.
Apple's warning, its first since 2002, deepened concerns about the Chinese economy, which had been showing signs of stress amid a trade war with the United States.
Shares in the company fell 7.6 per cent to USD 146 in after-hours trading and US stock markets were poised for further big falls at the open.
Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures were down 1.4 per cent.
Europe suffered similar declines, with Germany's DAX down 1.3 ...

US stocks set for another big fall after Apple's warning

Turkey's president has reaffirmed support for Iraq's reconstruction following the end of the fight against the Islamic State group and said the two countries would deepen cooperation against terror groups.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Iraq's newly elected president Thursday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would help Iraq rebuild areas harmed by the conflict and support the country's infrastructure and development projects.
Turkey is uneasy over the outlawed Kurdish rebels' presence in northern Iraq. Baghdad, meanwhile, is concerned by Turkish military offensives against the rebels on its territory.
Iraq's President Barham Salih welcomed a Turkish decision to send special envoy to Iraq to discuss water shortages in the country, partly blamed on Turkey which has stopped up the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as it builds dams.

Turkey, Iraq to deepen support against terror groups

Croatia has urged Israel to say whether it can carry out a deal to deliver 12 used F-16 fighter jets or the purchase will be annulled.
Croatia's Defence Ministry said Thursday it needs an answer by January 11.
The tentative USD 500 million deal to buy the upgraded F-16 Barak fighter jets from Israel was made in March last year pending US approval allowing Israel to sell the American-made jets to a third party.
The deal ran into trouble after the US Congress hinted that Israel needs to strip off the upgrades that were added after Israel bought the planes from the US some 30 years ago.
Israel has upgraded the jets with sophisticated electronic systems, which was crucial in Croatia's decision to buy the planes from Israel rather than from the US.

Croatia gives Israel deadline on F-16 jets delivery

Bristol-Myers Squibb is buying Celgene in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about USD 74 billion.
Shareholders of Celgene Corp, based in Summit, New Jersey, will receive one share of the cancer drug maker, plus USD 50 in cash for each share they own.
They'll also receive one tradeable contingent value right for each Celgene share, allowing the holder to receive a payment when future regulatory milestones are hit.
The combined company will have nine products with more than USD 1 billion in annual sales and significant potential for growth in the core disease areas of oncology, immunology and inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
Shareholders of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, based in New York City, would own about 69 per cent of the company, with Celgene shareholders owning about 31 per cent.

Bristol-Myers Squibb buying Celgene in USD 74 bn deal

Authorities in Serbia have arrested the driver of the bus that was hit by a train last month as the number of dead in the crash has risen to seven.
Serbia's state TV said Thursday that prosecutors have ordered a 30-day detention for the driver as soon as he is well enough to leave the hospital.
He's suspected of gravely endangering safety.
The bus was carrying mostly high school students to school when a train slammed into it near the southern city of Nis, practically cutting the bus in half.
Five people were immediately killed in the December 21 crash and scores were injured.
Two more people have died later in the hospital.
The crash has triggered protests and a debate about road and railway safety in the Balkan country.

Serbia arrests bus driver as death toll in crash rises to 7

Apple's $1,000 iPhone is a tough sell to Chinese consumers jittery over an economic slump and the trade war with Washington.
CEO Tim Cook told shareholders Wednesday that iPhone demand is waning, mainly in China. That makes the tech giant the latest global company grappling with Chinese consumer anxiety.
Other brand names from Ford Motor Co. to jeweler Tiffany & Co. already have reported abrupt declines in sales to Chinese consumers.
China's 2018 economic growth is forecast at about 6.5 per cent. But China's tariff fight with the US and tumbling auto and real estate sales are undermining consumer confidence.
The spending slump in the world's second-largest economy is a blow to global industries from autos to designer clothing that are counting on China to drive revenue growth.

Waning iPhone demand highlights consumer anxiety in China

Serena Williams stepped up her Australian Open preparations with a straight-sets victory over Britain's Katie Boulter on Thursday to complete an unbeaten Hopman Cup campaign in singles.
Williams cooled off after a strong start but prevailed with a 6-1, 7-6 (2) victory in 78 minutes to level the tie between the United States and Britain in Group B.
Britain, however, won the tie when Boulter and playing partner Cameron Norrie had a comeback 3-4 (2), 4-3 (4), 4-1 victory over Williams and Frances Tiafoe in the mixed doubles.
The 37-year-old Williams' hopes for a record third Hopman Cup title ended when the United States were eliminated after losses to Greece and Roger Federer-led Switzerland.
Defending champions Switzerland has a good chance to make the final ahead of its clash later Thursday against Greece, which remain a mathematical chance. Hosts Australia and tournament favorites Germany will battle for a place in the decider in Group A action on Friday.
Williams slowly built ...

Serena Williams wins 3rd singles match at Hopman Cup

Norwegian officials say four people from Sweden and Finland are missing after an avalanche in northern Norway but strong winds, heavy snowfall and poor visibility are hampering rescue efforts.
A woman from Sweden and three men from Finland were last heard from on Wednesday afternoon. A search-and-rescue operation was launched after a 300-meter (990-foot) wide avalanche was reported in the Tamok valley, near the northern city of Tromsoe, where the party had gone skiing.
Police spokesman Morten Pettersen says "there was little chance to get a helicopter into the area."
He told a news conference Thursday in Tromsoe that "we cannot take that risk." Baard Rannestad of the University Hospital of North Norway told reporters at the news conference that the skiers' "chances to survive diminish with every passing minute.

4 skiers missing after avalanche in northern Norway

An Afghan official says the Taliban killed eight police in an attack on their post in the provincial capital of the northern Baghlan province.
Safdar Mooseni, the head of the provincial council, says police battled the insurgents for four hours before reinforcements arrived and repulsed the Taliban onslaught, which also wounded two police.
The Taliban claimed the attack.
Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces come under near daily attack by the Taliban, who control nearly half the country.
Afghanistan's generals fear that the partial withdrawal of American troops by the summer will further embolden the insurgents.
Washington's peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, is meanwhile stepping up efforts to negotiate an end to the 17-year war, America's longest.

Taliban kill 8 police in northern Afghanistan

An earthquake has shaken southwestern Japan but there are no immediate reports of damage or risk of tsunami.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says the quake measured a preliminary magnitude 5.0, rattling the Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kumamoto areas in the southwest of the main island of Kyushu. It hit early Thursday evening.
National broadcaster NHK TV warned people to stay calm and watch against dangers such as shaking, mudslides and items falling from shelves.
TV news footage showed that traffic lights and other lights the buildings were working, and pedestrians on city streets were walking about as usual. It was unclear there was any damage, including to two nuclear plants in the region.
Japan is one of the most earthquake- and tsunami-prone areas in the world.

Earthquake rattles southwest Japan, no damage reported

Nancy Pelosi knew this moment would come, even if others had their doubts  or actively worked to stop her.
Pelosi is poised to be elected Thursday as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who will be returning to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago.
The California Democrat has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speaker's job.
"None of us is indispensable," Pelosi told The Associated Press on the campaign trail last fall, "but I do know that I'm very good at what I do." Pelosi remains a highly polarizing figure, vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and caricature of big government. But she is also a mother of five and grandmother of nine who has shattered glass ceilings to become one of the most powerful politicians of the 21st ...

Pelosi poised to become House speaker, making history again

Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders and his chief lieutenants are offering contrition and defiance as they face allegations of sexual harassment that plagued his last presidential campaign and now threaten to derail a second White House bid before it begins.
Sanders apologized late Wednesday "to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately" hours after a New York Times report detailed allegations of unwanted sexual advances and pay inequity on his first campaign.
He said: "Of course, if I run again, we will do better next time." The allegations did not directly involve Sanders or his senior staff.
In the wake of the report, some Democratic activists and operatives complained about the aggressive culture during the first campaign when male staffers and supporters were sometimes labeled "Bernie bros.

Sanders allies contrite, defiant amid harassment allegations

The death toll from the collapse of a Russian apartment building has risen to 37 after more bodies were discovered by crews searching the huge pile of concrete rubble.
State news agency Tass cited an emergencies ministry official on Thursday as saying four people who lived in the collapsed section of the building in Magnitogorsk remain unaccounted for.
The collapse on Monday followed an explosion that officials say likely was caused by a gas leak.
An 11-month-old boy was extracted from the wreckage alive on Tuesday and was flown to Moscow for treatment of injuries including frostbite. Nighttime temperatures in the city 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) southeast of Moscow have fallen to about minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit).

AP

AP

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