Man opens fire, killing 2 police officers and a police dog

LEXINGTON, KY. » Two law enforcement officers were killed and four other officers were shot Thursday night after a man barricaded in his home opened fire with a rifle in Allen, Ky., authorities said.

The Kentucky State Police, which is investigating the shooting, said that another person who is not an officer had also been shot during the episode and that a police dog had been struck and killed. An additional officer suffered an injury unrelated to gunfire, Capt. Paul Blanton of the Kentucky State Police said in an interview.

The law enforcement officers who were killed were identified by authorities Friday as Capt. Ralph Frasure of the Prestonsburg Police Department and Deputy William Petry of the Floyd County Sheriff's Department.

Three of the officers who were shot remained in the hospital Friday.

Police arrested Lance P. Storz, 49, who faces several charges

Summer refreshment: A lion licks at a block of ice to hook a frozen fish at the Oklahoma City Zoo on a hot summer day Friday.

Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states

NEW YORK » The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion, last week. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.

Some Republican-led states will ban or severely limit abortion immediately, while other restrictions will take effect later.

At least one state, Texas, is waiting until after the Supreme Court issues its formal judgment in the case, which is separate from the opinion issued June 24 and could take about a month.

In anticipation of the decision, several states led by Democrats have taken steps to protect abortion access.

The decision also sets up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted.

Landslide kills at least 18, and dozens of people are missing

NEW DELHI » At least 18 people were killed and more feared dead, after days of heavy rainfall set off a landslide in India's remote and mountainous northeastern state of Manipur.

It is the latest tragedy in a country that has been plagued by catastrophic rainfall and flooding in recent months. The extreme weather has destroyed communities, forced evacuations and threatened lives.

On Friday, rescue workers in Manipur were still looking for dozens of people, who were instantly buried under layers of mud and rocks overnight Wednesday, when the landslide occurred in the Noney District. Indian television stations showed rescue personnel carrying mud-covered bodies on stretchers.

Many of the people who died and those still trapped under the rubble had been in the area to work on the construction of a railroad station deep in the mountains. Some were soldiers in the Indian army.

Cups, straws, spoons: Single-use plastic ban planned

NEW DELHI » India banned some single-use or disposable plastic products Friday as part of a federal plan to phase out the ubiquitous material in the nation of nearly 1.4 billion people.

For the first stage, it has identified 19 plastic items that aren't very useful but have a high potential to become litter and makes it illegal to produce, import, stock, distribute or sell them. These items range from plastic cups and straws to ice cream sticks. Some disposable plastic bags will also be phased out and replaced with thicker ones.

Thousands of other plastic products — like bottles for water or soda or bags of chips — aren't covered by the ban. But the federal government has set targets for manufacturers to be responsible for recycling or disposing of them after their use.

Plastic manufacturers had appealed to the government to delay the ban, citing inflation and potential job losses.