166 dead, many trapped in Turkish coal mine

166 dead, many trapped in Turkish coal mine

ANKARA, Turkey

An explosion and a fire Tuesday killed at least 166 workers at a coal mine in western Turkey, and hundreds more remained trapped underground, government officials said as Turkey launched a massive rescue operation.

Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people were inside the coal mine in Soma at the time of the accident, and 363 of them had been rescued so far. He said 76 miners were injured, including one who was in serious condition. The mine is located about 155 miles from Istanbul.

Authorities say the disaster followed an explosion and fire caused by a power distribution unit.

Afghanistan veteran receives top medal

WASHINGTON

It could have been over for Kyle J. White just 30 seconds into the Taliban ambush, when a rocket-propelled grenade knocked him unconscious.

But he came to, and by the time the four-hour firefight in Afghanistan was over, White, reeling from concussions and shrapnel in his face, had saved one comrade’s life and helped secure the evacuation of other wounded Americans.

On Tuesday, White became only the seventh living recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan, the latest reminder of the post-Sept. 11 conflicts and U.S. sacrifices President Barack Obama has sought to bring to an end.

“We pay tribute to a soldier who embodies the courage of his generation,” Obama said.

6 soldiers killed in insurgent ambush

KIEV, Ukraine

An insurgent ambush killed six soldiers Tuesday in eastern Ukraine as Germany moved to jump-start a possible plan toward peace that includes launching a dialogue on decentralizing the government in Kiev.

Ukraine’s leadership appeared cool to the plan, and U.S. officials view its prospects for success skeptically. But some analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin is more likely to accept a deal that doesn’t come from Washington.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is in Ukraine to try to broker a quick launch of talks between the central government and pro-Russia separatists. That would be a first step in implementing a “road map” drawn up by the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe aimed at settling the crisis.

Police: School shooter said he was teased

SPARKS, Nev.

A 12-year-old Nevada boy who went on a deadly shooting rampage at his school nearly seven months ago had been teased by his classmates and was taking a prescription antidepressant, police said Tuesday.

Seventh-grader Jose Reyes opened fire Oct. 21 at Sparks Middle School, killing a teacher and wounding two classmates before committing suicide.

Sparks Police Chief Brian Allen said at a news conference Tuesday that Reyes had told a psychotherapist that other students made fun of him and called him names.

Allen said an investigation into the shootings found signs that classmates did mistreat Reyes, but there wasn’t enough evidence to merit charges.

For instance, he said, police learned one of the students shot during the rampage had teased Reyes about not having muscles during a physical-education class. Other students called Reyes names and accused him of wetting the bed, the police chief said.

Allen said other key findings from the probe were that Reyes had been showing signs of autism and had searched online for videos about the Columbine High School massacre and other school shootings.

Associated Press