TSA: Passengers on some US-bound flights from overseas may have to turn on electronic devices
WASHINGTON — Passengers at some overseas airports that offer U.S.-bound flights will be required to power on their electronic devices in order to board their flights, the Transportation Security Administration said Sunday.
The TSA said it is requiring some overseas airports to have passengers turn on devices such as cellphones before boarding. It says devices that won’t power up won’t be allowed on planes, and those travelers may have to undergo additional screening.
“As the traveling public knows, all electronic devices are screened by security officers,” the TSA said in the release announcing the new steps.
American intelligence officials have been concerned about new al-Qaida efforts to produce a bomb that would go undetected through airport security. There is no indication that such a bomb has been created or that there’s a specific threat to the U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson recently ordered the TSA to call for extra security measures at some international airports with direct flights to the United States. TSA does not conduct screening abroad, but has the ability to set screening criteria and processes for flights flying to the U.S. from abroad, according to a Department of Homeland Security official, who was not allowed to discuss the changes publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
After setback, pro-Russia rebels regroup in Donetsk, vow to keep fighting Ukraine’s military
DONETSK, Ukraine — Discouraged but defiant, pro-Russia separatists vowed to keep fighting the government in Kiev from the largest city in eastern Ukraine, where they regrouped Sunday after being driven out of a key stronghold.
At a rally in a central Donetsk square, the rebels were cheered on by thousands of supporters waving flags from Russia and the self-proclaimed independent Donetsk People’s Republic. Many urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to quickly come to their aid — but there was no comment Sunday from Russia.
While the rebel withdrawal Saturday from Slovyansk, a city of 100,000 they had held for months, was not a total victory, President Petro Poroshenko said purging the city of the insurgents had “incredible symbolic importance.” It was unclear whether the government — after abandoning a cease-fire last week and going back on the offensive — was now winning the fight that had sputtered for months.
Rebel fighters from Slovyansk could be seen walking through Donetsk on Sunday in groups of 10 to 15. Most were still wearing camouflage, but some sported identical new bright-colored shorts and shirts. It was an unsuccessful effort to blend in with the civilian population, since they still carried automatic weapons.
At one money-exchange office in the city center, about 20 rebels lined up to trade U.S. dollars for Ukrainian hryvnas. The dollar is considered a more stable currency in Ukraine and Russia, but it was not known who had given them to the rebels. They refused to speak with Associated Press journalists and their mood appeared black.
Police officer’s death, shooting in nightlife district underscore violent year in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — The fatal shooting of a decorated police officer this holiday weekend and a gun battle that wounded seven people the same day in a popular nightlife district have underscored what so far has been a violent year in Indianapolis.
Mourners left flowers Sunday on the patrol car of 51-year-old Officer Perry Renn, who had been with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department more than 20 years and was a recipient of the department’s Medal of Bravery.
Police said the suspect in Renn’s shooting Saturday night, 25-year-old Major Davis Jr., was armed with an assault rifle. They said officers wounded Davis when they returned gunfire in an alley after responding to a report of shots fired. He was listed in critical condition Sunday following surgery at an Indianapolis hospital and faced a preliminary charge of murder.
The nightlife district shooting occurred in the early hours Saturday, and police had not made any arrests as of Sunday evening. They said two people bumped into each other in the Broad Ripple entertainment district, apparently setting off a gun battle that left seven people wounded, one critically.
The shootings were the latest in a violent year for Indianapolis, where 72 homicides have happened in just over six months — a pace that could have 2014 rivaling 1998, when the city had its worst year on record with a total of 162 killings.
By wire sources