hWorkers recover body of 15th victim in rink ruins

hWorkers recover bodyof 15th victim in rink ruins
BAD REICHENHALL, Germany -- A woman and boy set up candles, above, in commemoration of the victims of the collapse of an ice rink in southern Germany. Rescue workers recovered early today the body of a woman believed to be the last person missing in the ruins of a skating rink in this Bavarian resort town, bringing the number of dead to 15. Three days after the roof collapsed on people enjoying their Christmas break, the body a 40-year-old woman was pulled from the twisted, snow-covered skeleton of steel and wooden beams, fire official Rudi Zeif said. Earlier Wednesday, somber rescuers recovered the bodies of three children, all of whom authorities said appeared to have been killed upon impact of the roof, which gave way under the weight of accumulated heavy, wet snow. The children's ages were not released.
Russia, Ukraine reachdeal to restore gas supply
MOSCOW -- Russia and Ukraine reached agreement Wednesday on restoring natural gas supplies to Ukraine, ending -- for now, at least -- a dispute that ripped an even larger chasm between the two former Soviet republics, rattled European consumers of Russian gas and called into question Moscow's reputation as a reliable energy provider to the West. Almost a week after negotiations collapsed amid accusations of blackmail, sabotage and thievery, both Moscow and Kiev claimed victory in the complicated, five-year deal that involves a complex pricing plan, gas from Central Asia and a Russian-Swiss trading business that had been under investigation in Ukraine.
Supreme Court OKs Padilla court transfer
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to let the military transfer accused "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla to Miami to face criminal charges in at least a temporary victory for the Bush administration. The justices overruled a lower court, which had attempted to block the transfer as part of a rebuke to the White House. The high court said it would decide later whether to consider the inmate's argument that President Bush overstepped his authority by ordering Padilla's indefinite detention in 2002. It granted the Bush administration's request for a transfer in a one-page order and said Padilla's broader appeal would be considered "in due course." The former Chicago gang member was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and put in military custody, where he was held without charges and traditional legal rights.
Afghan militants beheadheadmaster of school
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Militants broke into the home of an Afghan headmaster and beheaded him while forcing his wife and eight children to watch, the latest in a spate of attacks attributed to the Taliban that have forced many schools to close. The insurgents claim that educating girls is against Islam and they even oppose government-funded schools for boys because they teach subjects besides religion. Four armed men stabbed Malim Abdul Habib, 45, eight times before decapitating him in the courtyard of his home in the town of Qalat late Tuesday, according to provincial government spokesman Ali Khail and a cousin of the victim, Dr. Esanullah.
Family room at memorialto contain 9/11 remains
NEW YORK -- Family members of Sept. 11 victims will be able to enter a private room in the World Trade Center memorial and look through a window at a chamber storing more than 9,000 pieces of unidentified human remains, development officials said. In a "contemplation room" next door, the public will be able to pay respects to an empty, symbolic vessel. Development officials disclosed more information about the design this week as they sought construction bids for the memorial. The climate-controlled, low-humidity storage chamber for the victims' remains is one of several rooms to be built where the trade center's north tower stood, said Anne Papageorge, who oversees memorial development for the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. The remains will not be visible from the window, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office, said Wednesday.
Associated Press