Ammar Harris arrested one week after allegedly opening fire on a Maserati in Las Vegas

Ammar Harris, who allegedly opened fire on a Maserati in Las Vegas a week ago, was arrested in North Hollywood on Thursday (February 28, 2013). The 26-year-old man was found in an apartment after a woman answered the door. His surrender ended a manhunt across several US states that began after a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting and spectacular, fiery crash last Thursday. Ammar Harris allegedly opened fire on the Maserati driven by aspiring rapper Kenneth Cherry when it headed north on Las Vegas Boulevard. Cherry was shot in the chest and arm while his vehicle sped forward and crashed into a taxi, killing the driver and a passenger. Don't forget to share this news on Twitter or Google+ if you like my post.

A man killed by a long shark at Muriwai Beach in New Zealand

Muriwai Beach near Auckland has been closed after a long shark killed a swimmer on Wednesday (February 27, 2013). Other beaches nearby have been also closed until further notice. The attack took place around 13:30 (00:30 GMT) when the 47-year-old man was swimming, about 200 meters (650 feet) offshore. Police went out in inflatable surf-lifesaving boats and shot at the shark before it disappeared. The creature is estimated to be 12 to 14 feet long. This is the latest attack since the shark fatality took place in the Bay of Plenty, south-east of Auckland in 1976. Please visit Topsy for more news on shark attacks.

NASCAR fans injured in Daytona International Speedway Crash

At least 28 fans and one driver have been injured by flying debris from a fiery multi-car crash during a Nascar race at Daytona in the US state of Florida on Saturday (February 23, 2013). The 12-car crash happened moments before the end of the Nationwide race. Debris from crash flew into the spectator area and amid chaotic scenes, some fans were taken away on stretchers. According to Ask UK, the wreck occurred when several closely packed cars were jostling for position at top speeds of about 175 mph. They got tangled up, setting off a dangerous chain reaction that ensnared a number of vehicles. At least 14 of the injured were transported to hospitals and more than a dozen others were treated at the speedway, Daytona president Joie Chitwood III said. Track workers finished repairs about 2 a.m. Sunday, having installed a new fence post, new metal meshing and part of the concrete wall.

The NBC.com site is now safe to visit after being hacked

U.S. media company NBC Universal said that its website NBC.com is now safe to visit after it was hacked on Thursday (February 21, 2013). "A problem was identified and it has been fixed," an NBC spokeswoman said. "Users who go on there now are safe." Earlier in the day, security researchers said that the site was tainted with viruses the Citadel and ZeroAccess, which are used for banking fraud, cyber espionage and other computer crimes. They cautioned that visitors should avoid the website altogether. Meanwhile, social network sites such as Facebook and Pinterest also blocked users from accessing the NBC.com site following reports that it was infected with a computer virus.

4 dead, including shooter, in southern California shooting spree

A gunman killed three people before killing himself at the end of a 25-minute shooting spree and carjacking rampage on a freeway in Southern California's Orange County on Tuesday morning (February 19, 2013). The shootings began at 4.45am, when deputies responding to a call found a woman shot multiple times in a house in Ladera Ranch. At least two other people were reportedly wounded during the chaotic rampage, which involves at least three attempted carjackings and six crime scenes. Those victims were receiving treatment at a local hospital. The motive for the shootings is still unclear. It was also unclear if the victims knew each other or the shooter. Police have identified the gunman as Ali Syed, a 20-year-old unemployed part-time student, who lived with his parents at the Ladera Ranch residence where the first victim was slain. Authorities said Syed was taking one course at Saddleback College, a two-year community college. Follow me on Opera and TweetBuzz for more information about the gunman.

Country star Mindy McCready found dead by self-inflicted gunshot wound

US country singer Mindy McCready has died in a suspected suicide on Sunday afternoon (February 17, 2013) at the age of 37. The police said in a statement that she died apparently of a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. An autopsy is pending. The 37-year-old singer, who was noted for a turbulent personal life and her struggles with addiction, was found on the same porch where her boyfriend David Wilson is believed to have shot himself last month. McCready also appears to have shot and killed a dog that belonged to her record-producer man, before shooting herself. The hot-rod blonde woman leaves behind two sons, 6-year-old Zander and 10-month-old Zayne. McCready found fame in 1996 with a series of hits from her first album, Ten Thousand Angels. Her best known track, Guys Do It All the Time, reached number one in the US country charts before personal problems sidetracked her career. Please share this news on social network sites like Google+ or Tumblr if you are her fan.

Frank Lampard signs deal to write books for little Chelsea fans

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has signed a deal with publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers to write books for kids over five. The first book, Frankie Versus The Pirate Pillagers, will debut this summer followed by two more this year and another two in 2014. Lampard revealed in a press release that he came up with the idea for the books while reading to his two daughters. The vice-captain of Chelsea FC, Lampard is out of contract at the west London club at the end of this season. The handsome British soccer player is not the first footballer to write fiction - Arsenal star Theo Walcott has written a series of children's books and former England coach Terry Venables co-wrote a series of crime novels. Please drop a comment here if you want to ask me more about the books.

A Fairfield, Connecticut pair recognized as the longest-married couple in the U.S

Connecticut couple John and Ann Betar are set to be honored as the “longest-married” couple in the United States by the group Worldwide Marriage Encounter and local officials on Saturday (February 9, 2013). The pair were chosen out of hundreds of couples nominated during the project's submission period, which ran from October of last year to January. They will receive a plaque and other gifts from the group at their granddaughter’s home in Fairfield. John and Ann Betar have been happily married for 80 years and this year will mark their 81st wedding anniversary. The Betars tied the knot on November 25, 1932 after they met as children and John often drove Ann to school. The duo now have five children, 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Follow me on Opera for more breaking news.

Tsunami warning for South Pacific after huge earthquake

Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issues alert for south Pacific islands after magnitude 8.0 quake undersea, which hit the Solomon Islands Wednesday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 0112 UTC GMT near the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons at a depth of about 6 kilometers. The region has been affected by tremors during the past week. Solomon Islands Police Commissioner John Lansley said local police patrols had reported that several people were presumed dead, though the reports were still being verified. Smaller waves were recorded in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said tsunami watches were also placed as far afield as Hawaii, and New Zealand was also on guard. But early reports said no threat to Australia was seen. According to You Doze, the waves could be destructive near the epicenter and threaten more distant coasts.

Pakistani school-girl shot by the Taliban is recovering after two successful operations

Malala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban, has successfully undergone two surgeries in a British hospital and is making good progress in her recovery. The schoolgirl criticized Islamists on her blog and defended the right of girls to education. Because of this, she became an enemy of the Taliban militants. The symbol of women's rights had two procedures at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, on Sunday, February 3, 2013, a skull reconstruction and hearing surgery. Doctor staff told Malala is recovering well and will remain in the hospital until she is well enough to be discharged. The teenager drew the world's attention when she was shot by Taliban militants on October 9 on her way home on a school bus in northwestern Pakistan. Four gunmen stormed the school-bus she was on and opened fire. Three other girls also were wounded in that chaos. According to College Slackers, the Pakistani authorities sent her to the United Kingdom for treatment and paid all the costs.

Fireworks truck explosion causes five deaths and highway collapse in China

A truck carrying fireworks before the Chinese New Year celebrations has exploded on an elevated highway in central China, killing at least five people as it sent vehicles plummeting to the ground and causing part of the road to collapse. The explosion occurred on national expressway G30 near the city of Sanmenxia in central Henan Province at about 8:52am. The huge blast destroyed an 80-meter (80-yard) stretch of highway outside the city, and was powerful enough to shatter windows of a nearby truck stop. China National Radio had put the number of dead at 26 but the report appeared to have been removed from websites. Six vehicles were retrieved from the wreckage, Xinhua News agency reported, while search and rescue efforts were continuing at the site. Eight people had been injured. There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion. The government said it was reconsidering its traffic policies. Please follow me on Jeqq if you want to know more about the accident.