SYDNEY – If you had hoped to fly Qantas between Australia and New Zealand, you were out of luck. The national carrier grounded planes after a plume of ash from a Chilean volcano moved over the southern Pacific. But the suspension this past week didn’t leave the island nation entirely cut off: If you booked on Virgin Australia or Air New Zealand, your flight ran as scheduled for much of the week. Stranded Qantas passengers could only watch …
SANTIAGO, Chile – Chilean officials ordered most residents already evacuated from homes near an erupting volcano to stay in shelters and with family and friends Sunday due to the threat of deadly landslides. The ash spread across the Pacific, prompting authorities to suspend flights in Australia and New Zealand. The Cordon Caulle volcano’s activity had diminished, but there was still a threat of deadly landslides containing mud and water a…
SLAVE LAKE, Alberta – Prince William and Kate made a detour from their official itinerary on Wednesday so they could visit the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake, heavily damaged by a wildfire in May. The royal couple landed at the community airport, where they boarded a bus with large windows for a tour of devastated neighborhoods. They saw burned-out cars, blackened trees and the remains of what had once been family homes — now reduced to cha…
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will announce the critical next steps in America’s decade-long war in Afghanistan on Wednesday, outlining both a plan to start bringing thousands of U.S. troops home next month and a broader withdrawal blueprint aimed at giving Afghans control of their own security in 2014. But even as Obama finalizes those plans, there are divisions in his administration, with military leaders favoring only a gradual re…
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – ABC on Monday announced premiere dates for the 2011-12 season that includes super-sized premieres for multiple series. Wednesday comedies “The Middle” and “Modern Family” will both get special one-hour premieres on September 21 leading into new drama “Revenge.” The rest of ABC’s Wednesday night comedy lineup — “Suburgatory” and “Happy Endings…
LOS ANGELES – Optimus Prime and his fellow Transformers are not quite over the moon with their latest box-office count. According to distributor Paramount Pictures, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” took in $37.3 million domestically in its first full day Wednesday. That’s a 40 percent drop from its predecessor, “Revenge of the Fallen,” which pulled in $62 million two years ago on opening day, which also was a Wednes…