News On The Go January 22, 2013
1. After a four-day hostage siege at a gas plant in Algeria, the government released a list confirming the number of deceased hostages and militants. The dead: 29 Islamist militants, 37 foreign hostages and one Algerian driver at the plant. The number of missing hostages is being disputed by the Algerian government and foreign governments and cannot be confirmed at this time. The living: three Islamist militants, 685 plant workers and 107 foreign workers.
2. A Kansas sperm donor is being sued for child support. This case is drawing a lot of media attention due to the complex questions surrounding the case. The Topeka man answered an ad on Craigslist from a lesbian couple who were seeking a sperm donor. According to state officials, since there was no doctor involved in the artificial insemination, the state is holding the donor financially responsible for the child he fathered.
3. The New Mexico teenager who was accused of killing his parents and three younger siblings had a clean record before the murders. Nehemiah Griego, 15, of Albuquerque, fatally shot his family and is being held in custody. He faces charges of two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. One of the weapons used in the shooting was a semi-automatic assault-type rifle. Police are still unsure about who owned the weapon. Griego is expected to make his first court appearance Jan. 22.
4. Police said one person died after a highway accident on Ohio Interstate 275. The accident, involving at least 85 vehicles, occurred outside of Cincinnati. This accident was one of three Monday. At least 50 cars were involved in a pileup on I-75 near the cities of Middletown and Monroe. The third accident happened near Columbus on I-270. Police have said the pockets of heavy snow could reduce visibility and make the roads slick.
5. Peter Mel, 42, of Santa Cruz, Calif., took home the Mavericks Invitational crown and won a $50,000 prize, which he split with the six other contestants in the surfing competition. The biggest waves reached 25 to 30 feet offshore of Half Moon Bay in Northern California. The wave size did not break any records but the thousands of surfing fans in attendance were not disappointed. Sunday’s contest was the first since 2010, where the lives of two expert surfers were killed by the massive waves.
6. The San Francisco 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans Sunday, Feb. 3 for the title of Super Bowl champions. The Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 28 to 13 and the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 28 to 24.
7. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi stated his opposition to France’s military involvement in Mali. Morsi said that France’s actions will create a “new conflict hotspot” and pledged his support to the Algerian government. Morsi is expected to visit Paris, France on Feb. 1.
8. Britain’s Prince Harry is returning home from Afghanistan after a 20-week deployment. The 28-year-old prince served as an Apache helicopter pilot with the Army Air Corps. Prince Harry is third in line for the throne. He said that he would rather be called Captain Wales than Prince Harry because the “army comes first.”
Contact Maura Zurick at [email protected] .