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RebelfightersinSyriasaythey'veshotdownagovernmentfighterplaneneartheborderwithIraq.Footageoftheattackpostedonlineshowsajetburstintoflamesamidthesoundofheavygunfire.Therebelssaythey'vecapturedthepilot.Anothervideoshowsrebelsquestioningamanwhoidentifieshimselfasthepilot.Syrianstatetelevisionhasconfirmedthecrash,butsaiditwasduetotechnicalproblems.KevinConnollyhasmore.
TheplaneappearedtobeaRussian-builtMiG-23,andexpertssayit'sdeckedoutinthedistinctivemarkingsofaSyrianairforce.Afewsecondsintothefootage,abright,yellowyorangepointofflameappearsonthefuselage,andthen,almostimmediately,blossomsintoahugeballoflight.There'snoindependentverificationoftheimages.PlanesliketheMiG-23havegiventheSyriangovernmentahugeadvantageovertherebels;andifonehasbeenshotdown,thenitisasignificantmomentinthisconflict.
InNorway,anofficialinquiryintothewaypolicerespondedtotheattacksbyAndersBehringBreiviklastyearhasfoundtheycouldhavebeenavoided.Thecommissionsaidcertainsecuritymeasureswerenotheeded,meaningthatBreivikwasabletoplantabombclosetogovernmentbuildingsunnoticed.CarolineHawleyreports.
It'sjustoverayearsinceAndersBreiviksetoffabombatagovernmentbuildinginOslo,andthendrovetothepicturesqueislandofUtoeya,where,dressedinpoliceuniform,hecalmlypickedoffhisvictims.Thepolicethemselvesarrivedontheislandmorethananhourafterthekillingsbegan.Today,theinquiryfoundthatthebombcouldhavebeenprevented.Theinquiryalsofoundthere'dbeencommunicationfailures.IttookthepolicetoolongtoissueadescriptionofBreivikandhisvehicle;andittookthepolicetoolongtogetontotheisland.
TheVaticanhasorderedthatPopeBenedict'sformerbutlershouldstandtrialforstealingsecretdocumentsfromthePope'sprivateoffice.PaoloGabrieleandanotherVaticanemployeearealsoaccusedofstealingacheckworth$100,000.DavidWilleyreportsfromRome.
ThePope'sprivateapartmentonthetopflooroftheApostolicPalaceintheVaticanissupposedtobeoneofthemostsecurelocationsintheworld.Yet,PaoloGabrielemanagedtospiritawayastackofcorrespondentswhichhetookhomeandphotocopied,accordingtoVaticaninvestigators.TheVaticanspokesmansaidinquiriesarecontinuing,andotherpeopleworkinginsidetheVaticanmaybeimplicated.ThethefthasbeenadeeplyembarrassingepisodefortheRomanCatholicChurch.
TheOlympicflaghasarrivedintheBraziliancityofRiodeJaneiro,whichwillhostthe2016SummerGames.TheflagarrivedwiththecityMayorEduardoPaeswhoreceiveditfromhisLondoncounterpartonSunday.ItmarkstheofficialstartofRio'sOlympicpreparationswhichincludethebuildingofseveralsportsvenuesinthenextfouryears.RiowillbethefirstSouthAmericancitytohosttheOlympics.
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Nearly1,000peoplehavefledfromwildfiresononeoftheSpanishCanaryIslands.Fannedbywarmwinds,thefiresonLaGomerahaveengulfedscrublandanddryvalleys,andsentresidentsfleeingfromthewesterntownofValleGranRey.ThefireshavedamagedpartofLaGomera'sGarajonayNationalPark.
PoliceintheUnitedStatessaythreepeoplehavebeenkilledinashootingincidentnearaTexasuniversitycampus.Oneofthedeadwasapoliceofficerwhofirstarrivedonthescene.Thegunman,whowaswoundedduringexchangeofgunfire,hasalsodied.TheshootingwasclosetoA&MUniversitynorthwestofHouston.
ConservationistsinSouthAfricasaythey'vesucceededinreducingtheelephantpopulationafterafive-yearcontraceptionprogram.ThenumberofcubsbeingbornataparkinnorthernKwaZulu-Natalhasnowhalved.Dartscarryingcontraceptivesarefiredfromtheair,avoidingthedistressingprocessofhuntingandcullingtheanimals.Controllingtheelephantpopulationisvitalastheyoftenrampagethroughfarmstofindthevastquantitiesofvegetationtheyneed.Adistrictecologist,CatharineHanekom,saidtheresultswereencouraging.
"Thereally*a*isthat*remoteapplication.Sowewereflyinginhelicopter.Wejostledanimalsfromthe*.The*wereforus,andthat'sbasicallytheimpactthat*haveonthehood."
TheownersofCosmopolitanmagazinesayitslong-timeeditor,HelenGurleyBrown,hasdiedinNewYorkattheageof90.HelenGurleyBrownbecamefamousin1962afterwritingthebestsellerSexandtheSingleGirl–abookofadviceandanecdotesonwhybeingsingleshouldn'tmeanbeingsexless.Widelycreditedwithhelpingtoencouragethefemalesexualrevolution,shewashiredbyHearstwhichownsCosmopolitanin1965toimprovethemagazine'sfortunes.Forthenext32years,shedevelopedastylewhichencouragedreaderstogeteverythingoutoflife.
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