- Toronto Mayor Speaks Out Against Drug Use Allegations
 Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images(TORONTO) -- After a week in virtual hiding and refusing to speak to reporters, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went on the attack vehemently denying he is a drug user.
"I do not use crack-cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack-cocaine. As for a video, I cannot comment on a video that I've never seen or does not exist," Ford told reporters Friday.
Ford's been in the storm of controversy fueling Canadian and international headlines ever since the website Gawker and two Toronto Star newspaper reporters say they saw the video allegedly showing the mayor using drugs.
Two men who claim they sold crack cocaine to the mayor have said they shot the video, according to the Gawker and Toronto Star reports.
According to BBC News, Toronto Catholic District School Board Wednesday dismissed Ford from his role as volunteer head coach of a high school football team, but gave no reason for his removal.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- 8.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Russian Coast
 Jason Reed/Thinkstock(MOSCOW) -- A powerful 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern coast Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake’s epicenter was in the Sea of Okhotsk, at a depth of nearly 374 miles.
No casualties or significant damage was reported.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- UK-Bound Flight from Pakistan Diverted; Two Men Arrested
 Comstock/Thinkstock(LONDON) -- Two passengers aboard a U.K.-bound flight from Pakistan were arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft following an apparent incident over British airspace Friday.
The British Ministry of Defense launched two RAF Typhoon jets to escort the Pakistani International Airways flight to Stansted Airport outside London -- an airport designated for emergencies in the U.K.
Flight PK709, a Boeing 777 carrying 297 passengers, originated in Lahore and was bound for Manchester.
The plane landed at Stansted without incident. Upon its arrival, police boarded the aircraft and arrested two men “on suspicion of endangerment of an aircraft.”
The nature of the incident was not immediately clear.
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- British Airways Aircraft Catches Fire, Makes Emergency Landing
 Oli Scarff/Getty Images(LONDON) -- A British Airways flight from London to Oslo made an emergency landing at Heathrow airport Friday morning after a fire broke out shortly after takeoff.
Video of the Airbus A319 coming in to land showed smoke streaming from one of the engines.
Passenger David Gallagher told ABC News “five minutes after take-off we heard a popping sound. Five minutes after that, the engine was on fire.”
Several eyewitnesses on the ground also described seeing an engine on fire.
Emergency fire crews were scrambled to meet the aircraft when it landed, and passengers evacuated almost immediately using emergency slides. London Ambulance Service said it treated three people for minor injuries.
British Airways told ABC News the aircraft was in the air for approximately 20 minutes.
Both runways at Europe's busiest airport were briefly closed, causing delays to flights.
British Airways says an investigation is under way.
Scotland Yard tells ABC News the incident is not terror related.
The flight was carrying two pilots, three cabin crew, and 75 passengers.
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- US Man Arrested in Murder of Family in Czech Republic
 iStockphoto(WASHINGTON) -- A 20-year-old American named Kevin Dahlgren accused in the grisly murders of a family of four in the Czech Republic has been arrested in the United States.
Czech police had targeted Dahlgren and circulated a picture from his Facebook account to police stations, border posts, immigration counters and media outlets across the country. Authorities in neighboring countries had reportedly been alerted to detain Dahlgren, whose Facebook description says he is from Palo Alto, Calif. Police spokeswoman Petra Vedrova told ABC News the suspect may be armed and dangerous.
"Police took measures to stop him from leaving the country, and we're in contact with all neighboring states," she said.
Neighbors said Dahlgren had been visiting his aunt and uncle, Veronika and Martin Harok, and their two sons, 22-year-old Filip and 18-year-old David. They were all found dead by firefighters who responded to what they believe was an attempt by the alleged killer to cover up his crimes.
"We were originally called to intervene against a fire. On the spot the suspicions arose that a violent crime had been committed. We immediately called the police," firefighters' spokesman Jaroslav Mikoska told ABC News.
Veronika Harok was a Czech language teacher at the local elementary school. Martin Harok and his son Filip were musicians who played several nights a week with a local ukulele orchestra, while the youngest victim, David Harok, was described as very involved with sports.
Bozena Zikuskova, a local restaurant owner, told ABC News that Dahlgren would come every other day and always order the same meal. She noted that Dahlgren's Czech was not even good enough to order a meal.
Karel Herman, the front man of Ukulele Orchestra Jako Brno band in which Martin and Flilp Harok played, said "Dahlgren was just visiting his cousins. He arrived in early May and was a completely normal guy."
Neighbors said the crime had shocked the community.
"It's not something you expect from the neighborhood," said , Jan Kral, 56, who said he had lived in the area for 30 years. His wife, Paulina, agreed. "It's frightening," she said. "Very frightening."
In Washington, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell offered no more information than the Czech authorities, saying, "We are aware of this tragic incident and are working with Czech authorities. For any information about the investigation, we refer you to the Czech National Police."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Syrian Activist Presents Plan to End Long Civil War
 iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) -- Any plan to end the long conflict in Syria is worth considering at this point, no matter how far-fetched it might seem.
Opposition activist Moaz al-Khatib, who once led the Syrian National Coalition, is proposing that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be allowed to step down without fear of repercussions.
In a Facebook posting, al-Khatib outlined his plan, which would give the embattled Syrian leader three weeks from now to accept "a peaceful transition of authority."
When that happens, al-Assad would have a month to hand over the reins of power to either Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi or Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa.
Their rule would only be temporary, under al-Khatib's proposal, as Syria would switch from a transitional to permanent government within 100 days.
While al-Khatib's allies and the West would likely go along with the plan, the major stumbling block is al-Assad himself who has said he would fight to the death rather than give in to his enemies.
Nevertheless, al-Khatib contends his idea is "a practical response to the need of a political settlement ensuring a peaceful transition of authority."
What's more, he said the Syrian president could leave the country with 500 people of his choice to whatever nation will accept them.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Kerry Tries Reviving Israeli-Palestinian Talks
 Matty Ster/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv via Getty Images(JERUSALEM) -- The U.S. and Great Britain are making a new push to restart peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians that have gone nowhere for the past five years.
Secretary of State John Kerry and his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary William Hague, held talks Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Kerry acknowledged the daunting task that lies ahead in getting the two sides to bend after so much intransigence, telling reporters, "I know this region well enough to know that there is skepticism. In some quarters there is cynicism and there are reasons for it. There have been bitter years of disappointment."
Still, the top U.S. envoy is holding out hope that the Israelis and Palestinians will head back to the bargaining table to work out a deal guaranteeing a separate Palestinian state and more security for Israel.
The major obstacle remains the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Abbas wants them stopped before he'll resume talks with Netanyahu while the prime minister says he'll only consider halting construction once peace discussions get underway.
In spite of the long odds, Netanyahu expressed confidence that talks can happen, adding, "Where there is a will, we will find a way."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Southern Iraqi City Invaded by Snakes, 60 Dead
 iStockphoto(SAYID DKHEEL, Iraq) -- The residents of a southern Iraqi city have to worry about more than a war and deadly militants. The city of Sayid Dkheel is also facing an invasion of snakes, many of them venomous.
The snakes, which include cobras, have shown up with the rising temperatures in search of a cooler refuge. Since then, they've reportedly attacked scores of people, leaving 60 dead.
To make matters worse, according to residents, the central government in Baghdad has ignored their requests for medicine and proper equipment to treat the often fatal snake bites. Without medical supplies, bites that could have been treated prove fatal.
As a result, many people have fled their homes while they wait for assistance or until the snakes leave town.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- London Attack: British Intel Knew of Suspects in Hacking Death
 Dan Kitwood/Getty Images(LONDON) -- The two men who allegedly hacked a British soldier to death were known to intelligence services before the Wednesday incident, a British security official admitted Thursday. Still, the men weren't deemed enough of a threat to arrest or monitor.
British intelligence will likely face questions about whether they should have been able to stop the assault near an army barracks as police have now widened their investigation, raiding a suspect's father's home and combing, inch-by-inch, the area around the attack that raised fears of terrorism's return to London.
The soldier who died in southeast London has been identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. "Drummer" is the equivalent of "private" in the Fusiliers, an infantry regiment in the British Army.
He was a veteran of Afghanistan, having served in Helmand in 2009. Before deploying to Afghanistan, he had served as part of the Queen's Guard, standing duty outside London's royal palaces.
One of the alleged attackers was a British Christian who converted to Islam, according to Anjem Choudary, the former leader of the group Al Muhajiroun, a banned Islamist Organization.
He is Michael Adebolajo, who converted to Islam in 2003 and changed his name to Mujahid, meaning one who wages jihad, Choudary told ABC News.
Choudary said Adebolajo was never a member of Al Muhajiroun but he knew him because he attended the group's rallies from about 2005 to 2011.
After 2011, Choudary said, Adebolajo stopped attending rallies. Choudary said he has no idea what Adebolajo has been doing since, and he said that Adebolajo never suggested any antipathy to British soldiers or any willingness to commit violence.
"He was a very peaceful man," Choudary said. "Never saw any kind of violence streak in him. Very quiet, timid man, in fact."
Adebolajo is under arrest in the hospital, recovering from bullet wounds he suffered when police shot him after he allegedly killed the British soldier.
He apparently had no intention of getting away, asking passersby to call the police and inviting them to interview him on their camera phones. He spoke holding two bloody knives and his hands stained deep red, using rhetoric similar to that expressed in martyrdom videos.
"We swear by almighty Allah, we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone, your people will never be safe," Abedolajo said calmly, according to ITV News, which first obtained the video. "Tell them to bring our troops back so we -- so you -- can all live in peace."
British police and politicians are concerned about blowback attacks, especially in the London district of Woolwich, the scene of Wednesday's attack, which has had a past history of racial tensions. A few hundred members of the anti-immigrant and right-wing party, the English Defense League, poured into Woolwich Wednesday night, wearing masks and throwing rocks at police. And police reported two separate attacks on Muslim centers in southern and eastern England.
In response, an additional 1,200 cops are patrolling London on Thursday, according to Scotland Yard, focusing on mosques and religious centers, as well as outside army barracks.
And British Prime Minister David Cameron took pains to appeal to all Britons, emphasizing that the attack wasn't only on a single soldier.
"This was not just an attack on Britain and the British way of life. It was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country," Cameron told reporters.
Police in Essex, east of London, arrested a 43-year-old who was holding a knife outside of a Muslim prayer center Wednesday night. They charged him with attempted arson as well as suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, Essex police told ABC News.
And in Gillingham, Kent, which is south of London, another man was arrested Wednesday night outside a mosque on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage, Kent police told ABC News.
British Muslim organizations were quick to condemn the attack.
"We must come together, isolate those who believe that extremism and violence are acceptable, and work to ensure that they meet the full force of the law," Fiyaz Mughal, the director of Faith Matters, said in a statement. "We as the Muslim community will work against anyone who promotes such hatred."
Still, at a moment when much of the country was upset by a crime clearly designed to shock, there were signs of bravery.
After the attack, a mother of two named Ingrid Loyau-Kennett approached one of the attackers and engaged him in conversation. Loyau-Kennet can be seen in a photograph calmly talking to the man. He was holding a bloody knife, and she appeared unafraid.
"I just talked to him. He looked like a normal guy. He wasn't high, he wasn't on drugs. A normal guy pissed off with the fact [as he said], 'Muslim women and children are dying in their countries by the hand of white men,'" she told ITV's Daybreak. " He was very, very close to me. He was almost touching me ... I asked him, what's the point. [He said] 'war in London.'"
An ITV presenter asked her why she wasn't scared. "Better me than a child," Loyau-Kennet said. "Because, unfortunately, there were more and more mothers with children stopping around. So it was even more and more important that I talk to him and then ask him what he wanted."
Cameron called Loyau-Kennet a hero.
"When told by the attacker he wanted to start a war in London, she replied, 'You are going to lose. It is only you against many,'" Cameron said. "She spoke for us all."
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
- Charles and Camilla’s Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing
 Maarten Holl - Pool/Getty Images(LONDON) -- Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had a mid-air scare Thursday when their helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing.
Charles and Camilla were 15 minutes into their flight from London to the Hay Literary Festival in Powys when a “technical fault” aboard the chopper forced the pilot to divert the flight to Denham Aerodrome in Buckinghamshire, according to the Press Association.
“The pilot carried out a controlled emergency landing after diverting to the airport,” a spokesman for the royal couple said.
An investigation has been opened into what caused the mid-air problem aboard the helicopter, which had as many as five people, in addition to Charles and Camilla, aboard.
Once safely on the ground, the prince and the duchess boarded cars to continue on to Hay-on-Wye as scheduled.
Despite arriving three hours late, Charles and Camilla were greeted by a crowd of several hundred people at the festival, an annual gathering of authors, politicians and celebrities.
“They were unflappable despite what they went through. If anyone else had gone through what they did they would have canceled their day,” one attendee told the Press Association.
Prince Charles was later scheduled to attend the Welsh National Opera’s opening night of Lohengrin at the Wales Millennium Center in Cardiff, according to the BBC.
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