Woman accused of groping TSA agent

Woman accused of groping TSA agent

PHOENIX

Authorities say a Colorado woman who reportedly groped a female Transportation Security Administration agent at Phoenix’s international airport is facing a felony count of sexual abuse.

Phoenix police say 61-year-old Yukari Mihamae is accused of grabbing the left breast of the unidentified TSA agent Thursday afternoon at an airport checkpoint.

TSA staff say Mihamae refused to go through passenger screening and became argumentative before she squeezed and twisted the agent’s breast with both hands.

Police were called and say Mihamae admitted grabbing the TSA agent and continued to argue with officers before she was arrested.

Troops march in gay-pride parade

SAN DIEGO

About 200 active-duty troops and veterans wearing T-shirts advertising their branch of service marched Saturday in San Diego’s gay-pride parade with American flags and rainbow banners, marking what is believed to be the first time a military contingent has participated in such an event in the U.S.

Many of the active-duty troops said they were moved to come out because it is time to end the military’s ban on openly gay troops. The march comes a day after a federal appeals court re-instated “don’t ask, don’t tell” but with a caveat that prevents the government from investigating or penalizing anyone who is openly gay.

Murdoch apologizes in full-page ad

LONDON

“We are sorry,” the full-page ad began Saturday, as Rupert Murdoch tried to halt a phone-hacking scandal that has claimed two of his top executives with a gesture of atonement and promises to right the wrongs committed by his now-shuttered tabloid, News of the World.

Murdoch is struggling to contain the crisis, which already has forced him to shut down the 168-year-old News of the World, scuttled his bid for lucrative TV broadcaster BSkyB, knocked billions off the value of News Corp. and claimed the jobs of two key aides: Rebekah Brooks, CEO of his British unit News International, and Wall Street Journal publisher Les Hinton.

On Saturday, News Corp. ran an ad in seven British national newspapers with the headline “We are sorry.” Signed by Murdoch, it apologized “for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.”

Tripoli rocked by series of explosions

TRIPOLI, Libya

Tripoli was rocked by a series of explosions accompanied by the sounds of aircraft in the early hours this morning, suggesting new airstrikes by NATO forces.

Libyan television reported the explosions took place in the eastern suburb of Tajoura.

Astronauts fix, haul gear on final flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

Astronauts kept busy fixing and hauling gear aboard the linked Atlantis and International Space Station on Saturday, as the last shuttle flight drew closer to an end.

Atlantis’ pilots got a jammed storage locker open and retrieved air purifiers for the space station.

In more good news, they brought back online a computer that abruptly stopped working two days earlier, the second computer failure in five days aboard Atlantis. NASA wants to run more diagnostic testing, but so far, the computer seems to be working fine, officials said.

Associated Press