SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – A China-based travel agency acknowledged that an American university student recently detained by North Korea is being held over an unspecified incident at his hotel before he was scheduled to board a flight for Beijing.
North Korea announced his detention in a state media report accusing Otto Warmbier of committing a “hostile act.” Gareth Johnson, the CEO of Young Pioneer Tours, confirmed via email that Warmbier had been staying at Pyongyang’s Yanggakdo International Hotel and was not with other tourists when the incident occurred. The company statement said Warmbier was detained at the Pyongyang Airport.
COMPTON, Calif. (AP) – Authorities have found one human skull and eight containers with potentially more at a Los Angeles-area shop that sells spiritual items. Los Angeles County Sheriff Captain Steve Katz says deputies responded to the Compton business after a woman complained of animal cruelty.
When investigators arrived, Katz says they found a skull inside a pot. He says the coroner’s office collected the skull and eight other pots that may also contain skulls. Katz says there’s no evidence of a homicide and that it appears the skull may have been purchased from a legal source and was being used for a religious ceremony.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Officials say errors by three airmen troubleshooting a nuclear missile in its launch silo in 2014 caused a “mishap” that damaged the missile, prompting the Air Force to strip the service members of their nuclear certification and quietly launch an accident investigation.
In a statement released to The Associated Press, the Air Force declined to provide key additional details or a copy of the report produced last November by the Accident Investigation Board, saying the information was classified and too sensitive to be made public. Under the Air Force’s own regulations, Accident Investigation Board reports are supposed to be made public.