Alabama Kidnapping

Alabama Kidnapping, A gunman in the US has shot dead a school bus driver, taken a six-year-old boy hostage and gone to ground surrounded by armed police.

He was thought to be hiding in a homemade bunker in Midland City, Alabama where he fled after shooting the driver when he refused to let the child off.

Police tactical units, negotiators and other officers are at the scene.

“That’s what has been described to me as an underground bunker. Someplace to get out of the way of a tornado,” a police spokesman said.

Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes as a precaution.

“Authorities also confirmed the presence of a child at the scene but are giving no further information at this time,” the spokesman said.

Michael Creel, who lives on the road where the shooting happened, said he went outside after his sister heard gunshots.

“Me and her started running down the road,” he said.

“That’s when I realised the bus had its siren going off. Kids were filing out, running down the hill toward the church.”

The shooting comes as Congress takes up gun control measures for the first time since the shooting of 20 young pupils in Connecticut in December.

The powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, was set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose own divided members reflect the wider debate that gun limits will face on a path through Congress that promises to be difficult.

The hearing comes after president Barack Obama this month proposed a package that includes banning military-style assault weapons, requiring background checks on all firearms purchases and limiting ammunition magazines to 10 rounds.

The US has the world’s highest rate of gun ownership, and gun sales have jumped since the Connecticut shooting, as those who insist on an absolute reading of the constitutional right to bear arms fear that the government somehow will take all their guns away.

Among those testifying Wednesday will be Mark Kelly, the husband of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head while meeting constituents outside an Arizona supermarket in 2011. Six people were killed, and 12 were wounded.

Skogafoss waterfall

Skogafoss waterfall, Skogafoss is a waterfall situated in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. After the coastline had receded seaward (it is now at a distance of about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) from Sk?gar), the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland.

Skogafoss waterfall
The Skogafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country with a width of 25 metres (82 feet) and a drop of 60 m (200 ft). Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days. According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, ?rasi ??r?lfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. The legend continues that locals found the chest years later, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. The ring was allegedly given to the local church. The old church door ring is now in a museum, though whether it gives any credence to the folklore is debatable.

At the eastern side of the waterfall, a hiking and trekking trail leads up to the pass Fimmv?r?uh?ls between the glaciers Eyjafjallaj?kull and M?rdalsj?kull. It goes down to ??rsm?rk on the other side and continues as the famous Laugavegur to Landmannalaugar.

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA) must reimburse passengers for meals, transport and lodging after flight delays caused by a 2010 volcano eruption, the European Union’s highest court said.

Ryanair and other airlines are obliged to “provide care” to passengers whose flight was canceled, the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled today. While the airlines must pay for reasonable expenses, the court said they don’t have to pay statutory compensation to passengers because of the extraordinary circumstances.

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland almost three years ago caused airlines to cancel more than 100,000 flights on concern that glass-like particles spewed into the atmosphere might have clogged aircraft engines. The shutdown of airspace cost carriers at least $1.7 billion, while European transport ministers took five days to agree that airports could open with the dust still in the air.

“An air carrier must provide care to passengers whose flight has been cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances such as the closure of airspace,” the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg said in a statement on today’s ruling. “EU law does not recognize a separate category of ‘particularly extraordinary’ events” that would exempt the airline.

A Ryanair passenger appealed after the airline refused to reimburse her costs for meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation. Ryanair argued the extended closure of the European airspace went beyond even the “extraordinary circumstances” such as a strike or bad weather conditions for which airlines are exempt from compensation under EU law.

The court today said that while airlines are exempt from their obligation to pay compensation for flights cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances, they remain obliged to take care of passengers who find themselves stranded in an airport.

Piaras Kelly, a spokesman for Ryanair, didn’t immediately respond.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest discount carrier, said after a non-binding opinion by the court last year that the dispute is part of a “test case” for future events and the final ruling won’t involve new financial liability. Yves Bot, an advocate general at the EU court, said in the March 2012 opinion that airlines have to reimburse passengers’ costs in such cases.

Ryanair canceled about 9,400 flights during the eruption. It refunded all of the passengers’ tickets and settled all “reasonable expense claims” at a cost of about 32 million euros ($43.4 million), according to a November 2010 regulatory filing.

Denise McDonagh sued Ryanair in Ireland after the airline refused to pay her back about 1,130 euros in costs for meals, accommodation and transport when her flight from Faro, Portugal, to Dublin was canceled. She was stranded for a week, without any care provided by Ryanair, the court said. The Irish tribunal handling the case sought guidance from the EU court in 2011 and will have to give a final decision on McDonagh’s case in line with today’s ruling.

The EU court said that “when an air carrier has failed to comply with its obligation to provide care to an air passenger” the person can be reimbursed only “of the amounts which proved necessary, appropriate and reasonable” and that the national court will have to define what this would be.

Jodi Arias and Trial

Jodi Arias and Trial, A juror at the trial of Jodi Arias has complained to the presiding judge that a reporter approached the juror, the courthouse public information officer reported via Twitter.

“One of the Jurors reported that they were approached by a reporter This is never allowed,” reads a Tweet posted to the official Twitter account for Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona.

The incident apparently happened during the afternoon recess and resulted in an immediate recess upon the jury’s return from lunch.

Middletown Meth Lab

Middletown Meth Lab, Middletown police said they are searching for a man who may have been involved in a methamphetamine operation they discovered Monday night.

Douglas S. Wolf, 34, of Brentwood Street in Middletown, is a person of interest, said Lt. Scott Reeve of the Middletown Division of Police. Wolf is described as 6-foot-3, 160 pounds with brown eyes and hair.

Police said they discovered a “significant active methamphetamine lab” in the basement of a home on Brentwood Street.

Police said an officer stopped a pickup truck with a warrant attached to the license plate as it pulled into the driveway of a home in the 1700 block of Brentwood Street at 3:30 p.m.

Wolf, a passenger, bailed out and fled into the house, police said. The driver, 22-year-old Chelsie Peck, gave officers consent to search the interior of the residence. Once inside, police found the methamphetamine lab, but Wolf had escaped.

The hazardous materials and chemicals were removed Monday night by the Special Operations Unit, with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Middletown fire department.

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