MINE EXPLOSION IN CHINA KILLS MORE THAN 200

Mine explosion in Chinakills more than 200
SHANGHAI, China -- A gas explosion in a coal mine in China's northeast killed at least 203 miners, the government said today. It was the deadliest such disaster reported since communist rule began in 1949. The explosion Monday afternoon at the Sunjiawan mine in Liaoning province also injured 22 miners and trapped 13 underground, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The cause of the blast, which occurred 794 feet underground, was under investigation, it said.
Tsunami baby gets a name
KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka -- The 4-month-old boy dubbed "Baby 81" now has a name -- Abilass -- and a birth date -- Oct. 19 -- and two loving parents who can't wait to get him back. A Sri Lankan court, relying on DNA tests, ruled Monday that the baby recovered from tsunami debris belongs to the couple who launched an agonizing court battle to claim him. "I am so happy, and I only have to thank God for giving my child back," the boy's joyous father, Murugupillai Jeyarajah, said after the ruling. "We've got the results for all our hardships."
Columbine intriguedmall shooter, officials say
KINGSTON, N.Y. -- A man who opened fire in a crowded shopping mall with an assault rifle, wounding two people, seemed to have a "lurid fascination" with the Columbine High School bloodbath, a prosecutor said Monday. Robert Bonelli Jr., 25, sent shoppers scrambling for safety Sunday after shooting his way into the Hudson Valley Mall, authorities said. He gave up after he ran out of ammunition and mall employees tackled him.
h Underwater wedding
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Barbara Anderson and Jason Skubitz celebrate after they exchanged wedding vows in a shark tank at the Mall of America's Underwater Adventures aquarium. The couple, who were engaged while deep sea diving in Mexico, won the chance for an underwater wedding on Valentine's Day through a radio promotion.
U.S. missile defense fails
WASHINGTON -- A test of the national ballistic missile defense system failed Monday when an interceptor missile didn't get out of its silo, the second failure in as many months. The failed test came less than a week after North Korea declared it had nuclear weapons, giving new attention to a possible threat from that nation. An initial test evaluation blamed equipment at a Pacific island site rather than the interceptor itself. If that assessment bears out, it would come as a relief to defense officials because it would mean no new problems had been discovered with the missile.
Liz Taylor, Diana Ross may take the stand for Jackson
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Michael Jackson's lawyers announced Monday they may call celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross and Kobe Bryant to the witness stand during the pop star's molestation trial. The list of possible witnesses sounded like coming attractions for a major Hollywood spectacle: "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, producer Quincy Jones, actor Chris Tucker and singer Stevie Wonder, along with Taylor, Ross and Bryant. h 'Riot' is best of breed
Lakeland terrier Serious Riot poses for a photo with his handler Gabriel Rangel, right, and William Potter, a judge at the 129th Westminster Dog Show in New York. The dog won best of breed Monday at the show.
Associated Press
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