UK leader: Hostage’s killing underscores need to defeat Islamic State militants
CAIRO — The Islamic State extremists who have beheaded another Western hostage are deaf to reason and must be destroyed, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Saturday as Muslims worldwide were urged to pray for the victim on one of Islam’s holiest days.
Cameron, speaking after a security briefing at his rural retreat Chequers, said Friday’s slaying of 47-year-old English aid worker Alan Henning demonstrated that Islamic State militants were committed to inflicting horror for horror’s sake.
Henning, a taxi driver from the town of Eccles in northwest England, was abducted minutes after his aid convoy entered Syria on Dec. 26. He was the fourth Western hostage to be killed by Islamic State since mid-August, following two American journalists and another British aid worker.
Duvalier, ousted Haiti dictator, dies
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Jean-Claude Duvalier, who presided over what was widely acknowledged as a corrupt and brutal regime as the self-proclaimed “president for life” of Haiti until a popular uprising sent him into a 25-year exile, has died. He was 63.
Duvalier died Saturday from a heart attack at the home of a friend in Port-au-Prince where he had been staying, said his lawyer, Reynold Georges, and several officials in the impoverished nation.
The former leader, known as “Baby Doc,” made a surprise return to Haiti in 2011, allowing victims of his regime to pursue legal claims against him in Haitian courts and prompting some old allies to rally around him. Neither side gained much traction, however, and a frail Duvalier spent his final years quietly in the leafy hills above the Haitian capital.
Hong Kong protesters stage massive rally
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy protesters were defiant in the face of attacks by opponents and warnings by the Hong Kong government to clear the streets, staging a massive rally Saturday evening in the downtown business district they’ve occupied for a week.
“Democracy now! Democracy in Hong Kong!” thousands chanted as speakers from the movement seeking wider political reforms for this former British colony urged them to persist in their campaign. The rally lasted hours, with participants at times clapping and cheering as a stream of speakers and singers addressed them and performed popular songs.
GM recalls some Cadillac, Pontiac sedans
DETROIT — General Motors is recalling more than 60,000 vehicles in North America, the latest round of recalls this year for the automaker.
The company outlined three new recalls Saturday, the biggest of which affects 46,873 vehicles in the U.S.
The recalls are Pontiac G8s from the 2008 through the 2009 model years and 2011-13 model Chevrolet Caprice PPV left-hand-drive sedans imported from Australia.
The ignition switch key may shift from the “run” position when touched by the driver’s knee, GM said.
Another U.S. recall covers more than 10,005 Cadillac CTS-V sedans from the 2004-07 model years and 2006-07 model Cadillac STS-Vs.
On some vehicles, the fuel pump module electrical terminal may overheat, causing the flange material to melt, GM said.
That can lead to a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a stall and fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The automaker also issued a recall for 304 of the 2014 model-year Chevrolet Sonics in the U.S., saying the vehicles may have a loose electrical connection in the steering column that could affect the performance of the driver-side air bag.
By wire sources