Ship that launched ill-fated Titan returns
ST JOHN'S, CANADA >> Escorted to a Canadian coast guard base, the ship that launched the ill-fated Titan submersible returned from international waters to its home port, St. John's, Newfoundland, on Saturday morning, where investigators boarded it looking for answers.
For hours, a procession of about a dozen people — including investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police — boarded or exited the ship, the Polar Prince, which docked at the Atlantic headquarters of the coast guard. Pulling large plastic equipment cases, the transportation safety investigators were expected to look for clues that might explain what went wrong aboard the Titan, a submersible that took wealthy passengers from around the world on $250,000 tours of the Titanic wreck site, 12,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. On Thursday, a search-andrescue effort ended after its remains were found.
Tornado rips through coal mining site; 8 hurt
CAMPBELL COUNTY, WYO.
>> A tornado that ripped through the country's largest coal mining site in northeast Wyoming left eight people injured and halted operations as first responders searched the massive open-pit site for employees and continued to assess the damage, officials said Saturday.
The tornado hit the North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Campbell County around 6 p.m. Friday during a shift change, initially complicating search and rescue efforts. But Peabody Energy, the operator of the mine with headquarters in St. Louis and South Brisbane, Australia, confirmed before midnight that all employees had been accounted for. Six employees were still being treated in hospitals as of 11 p.m. Friday, the company said. No deaths were reported.
Melissa Smith, a meteorologist and hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Rapid City, South Dakota, said a storm system scattered tornadoes throughout three counties.
State GOP reports letters with powder
Republican lawmakers in Montana are sharing that they received letters with white powder as federal agents investigate mysterious substances similarly mailed to GOP officials in two other states.
In a Friday night tweet, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte said he has received “disturbing” reports of anonymous threats sent to legislators. The Montana attorney general posted on Facebook that the local sheriff's office collected evidence after his mother, a state representative, opened one letter with a “white powder substance” sent to her home address.
“PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS about opening your mail,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in the post directed toward legislators.”
Republican officials in Tennessee and Kansas have recently received similar letters. A legislative office building in Nashville temporarily locked down Thursday after multiple Republican leaders got mail with “a white powder.”
Beijing heat wave clouds long weekend TAIPEI, TAIWAN >> Beijing and parts of northern China are experiencing record temperatures, with authorities urging people to limit their time outdoors.
The Nanjiao observatory in southern Beijing on Saturday for the first time recorded temperatures above 104 degrees for a third consecutive day, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
In nearby Hebei province and the port city of Tianjin, temperatures also soared above 104 over the past few days, prompting authorities to issue red alerts for extreme weather.
In China's four-tier weather alert system, red indicates the most severe conditions, ones with potential health and safety hazards.
Other countries in Asia have experienced deadly heat waves in recent weeks, which scientists say are aggravated by rising global temperatures.
Beijing experienced its second-hottest day on record Thursday, when temperatures soared to 106.
Hajj pilgrims perform final rituals in Mecca MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA >> Pilgrims streamed into Mecca's Grand Mosque on Saturday to perform their final rituals before heading to Mina in preparation for the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
They moved through the white marble courtyards of Islam's holiest site to perform the tawaf, the walking circuit around the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure covered in a black, gold-embroidered cloth, their fervent recitations loud.
People on the ground floor closest to the Kaaba shuffled due to the sheer number of participants. Those on the upper floors were able to walk more briskly, even run. Pilgrims raised their hands in supplication, took selfies or video, and phoned their relatives.
They then walked or ran between two hills in a re-enactment of Hagar's search for water for her son, Ismail, a story that occurs in different forms in Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.