US victims found in tree 'stabbed and dismembered'

Three people whose bodies were found in a hollow tree trunk in the US state of Ohio were stabbed to death before they were dismembered, a coroner has said.

Tina Herrmann, son Kody Maynard and her friend Stephanie Sprang were stabbed several times in the back and chest.

The bodies were later cut up, placed inside rubbish bags and lowered into the hollow of a large tree in a wildlife reserve, the coroner said.

The only suspect in the killings is being held on a kidnapping charge.

He is Matthew Hoffman, an unemployed tree surgeon and ex-convict.

The victims died sometime on 11 November and there were no signs of sexual assault, the coroner added.

Mr Hoffman gave information through his lawyers which led officers to the bodies, which were found on 18 November.

He was arrested after Tina Herrmann's daughter, Sarah Maynard, 13, was found bound and gagged in his basement on Sunday, and he is now being held on kidnapping charges.

She was reported missing on 10 November, along with Tina Herrmann, 32, her brother, Kody Maynard, 11, and Stephanie Sprang, 41.

Mr Hoffman, who served time in prison in the state of Colorado for arson and other charges, has not yet entered a plea to the kidnapping charge.

BBC News

Bayern Munich fall further behind leaders Borussia Dortmund

(CNN) -- Bayern Munich's hopes of retaining the German Bundesliga title suffered another blow on Saturday as Louis van Gaal's team were held 1-1 at third-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

The Bavarians now trail leaders Borussia Dortmund by 14 points after 13 rounds, having missed out on the chance to move into the top-five after conceding an equalizer right on halftime.

Germany striker Mario Gomez continued his hot scoring run to put Bayern ahead in the 34th minute from close range after Bastian Schweinsteiger flicked on Thomas Muller's cross.

But Danijel Pranjic brought down Sidney Sam, allowing Arturo Vidal to slot in the resulting spot-kick.

Van Gaal brought on France midfielder Franck Ribery in the 61st minute, but the closest Bayern came to a winner was when Gomez headed Philipp Lahm's injury-time cross over the bar.

"It was bitter to draw, because I could have scored in the last few minutes," Gomez, who has netted eight goals this season and five in the last four games, told AFP.

"Leverkusen were very strong in the second half, so we have to be happy with the point."

Borussia Dortmund came from behind to win 2-1 at Freiburg and maintain the club's seven-point margin at the top.

CNN

Chelsea caught by Manchester United after another defeat

(CNN) -- Chelsea crashed to a second successive English Premier League defeat for the first time in four years on Saturday, allowing Manchester United to draw level on points with the leaders.

The defending champions, beaten 3-0 at home by Sunderland last weekend, lost to lowly Birmingham for the first time since the Premier League's inception in 1992 thanks to a rare goal from the home side's veteran midfielder Lee Bowyer.

The 33-year-old, who last found the net almost a year ago, scored against the run of play in the 17th minute after striker Cameron Jerome headed Sebastian Larsson's right-wing cross into his path.

Chelsea surged forward in search of an equalizer, but Ben Foster pulled off a series off superb saves as the goalkeeper bounced back from his uncertain performance in England's 2-1 midweek defeat by France.

CNN

Beijing awarded top athletics event

(CNN) -- China will host the World Athletics Championships for the first time in 2015, when Beijing will become the fourth Asian city to stage the biennial event.

Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Olympic Games, will follow in the footsteps of Japan's Tokyo (1991) and Osaka (2007), and South Korea's Daegu -- which will host next year's 13th edition.

"To help build up our sport and the culture of athletics in a country of 1.6 billion inhabitants is a great opportunity," International Association of Athletics Federation president Lamine Diack said in a statement on Saturday.

"As we sometimes say, China is not a country, it's a continent. So this is a fantastic opportunity for our sport and for the sport in China".

CNN

Peru's president: Yale agrees to return artifacts

(CNN) -- Peru's president says Yale University has agreed to return artifacts to the South American country -- a move that could end a lengthy dispute over relics excavated nearly a century ago.

A university representative pledged in a meeting Friday to return a massive collection of artifacts collected from the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, Peruvian President Alan Garcia said.

"The Peruvian government is grateful for this decision and recognizes that Yale University conserved these parts and pieces that otherwise would have been dispersed in private collections throughout the world, and perhaps would have disappeared," Garcia said in a statement.

The pieces will be returned at the beginning of 2011 -- in time for the country's celebration of the 100th anniversary of Machu Picchu's re-discovery, Garcia said.

They were first excavated from the site by historian Hiram Bingham in 1912, according to Yale.

Bingham was an adjunct professor of Latin American history at Yale from 1907 and 1915. His collection of archaeological pieces from the site, documents and photographs are housed at the university's Peabody Museum.

After returning to Peru, the relics would be handed over to San Antonio Abad del Cusco University, where investigators will continue studying them, Garcia said.

Peruvian officials have demanded their return for years. And the country had filed a civil lawsuit against the university over the artifacts in U.S. District Court.

Garcia said he hashed out the deal Friday with former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, who currently directs the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.

CNN

Iran's largest-ever war games end

(CNN) -- A series of air defense drills called the "largest-ever" in Iranian history ended on Saturday.

Tehran test-fired a S-200 rocket on the final day of the five-day war games code-named "Defenders of Velayat Skies".

According to a top Iranian military official, the domestically-designed S-200 air defense system has the same capabilities as the Russian-made S-300 system.

"We have developed the system by upgrading systems like S-200 and we have tested it successfully using all our potential and experience in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Army and the Defense Ministry," Brigadier General Mohammad Hassan Mansourian told Press TV.

Air defense units from Iran's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took part in the air maneuvers.

Iranian state media reports that defense units managed to bring down dozens of a mock enemy's drones by using short-range ballistic and artillery systems. Iranian state media outlets called the exercises the "largest-ever" of their kind.

Russia announced in September that it was blocking weapons sales to Iran because of U.N. Security Council sanctions that banned export of armored vehicles, military aircraft, helicopters and ships.

Because of the sanctions, Moscow canceled shipment of its S-300 antiaircraft missile system to Iran.

CNN

Namibian airport official arrested over 'test device' found in luggage

Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- The head of safety at a Namibian airport has been arrested on suspicion of placing a piece of luggage containing a "test device" among the baggage of an Air Berlin flight, the German Interior Ministry said Saturday.

The Windhoek International Airport official, who was not identified, "has confessed," the ministry said in a statement. He was arrested by Namibian police Friday evening.

Lt. Gen. Sebastian Ndeitunga, commander of the Namibian police, said the man was identified from closed-circuit television footage. Police believe the man acted alone, Ndeitunga said.

"His actions have tarnished the reputation of Namibia; it has tarnished the reputation of the Namibian security forces," Ndeitunga said at a news conference Saturday.

He declined to identify the suspect, and said any potential motives were not immediately known. He said the suspect will be formally charged Monday.

The device was found Wednesday in a suspicious piece of luggage that was about to be loaded onto the Air Berlin flight from Namibia. It was identified as a product from a U.S. company that is designed to test security.

Namibian police on Friday warned that whoever is responsible for planting the device would be severely dealt with, saying that Namibia was not to be used as an unauthorized testing ground for aviation security.

CNN

Egyptian police, opposition supporters clash ahead of elections

(CNN) -- Streets in major Egyptian cities appeared calm Saturday, a day after clashes erupted between security forces and opposition supporters, state media and eyewitnesses said.

The clashes with the country's biggest opposition bloc come ahead of November 28 parliamentary elections.

Police used tear gas and rubber bullets, and arrested tens of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, local media reported.

There was no official confirmation on how many people were arrested, but the Muslim Brotherhood website put the number at more than 270.

In Alexandria, 33 people were injured as demonstrators threw rocks at security forces trying to disperse a crowd from one neighborhood, eye witnesses said.

Various opposition groups -- including the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, whose candidates are forced to run as independents -- have accused the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) of using its power to suppress voices critical of President Mubarak's almost-30-year rule.

The ruling party has dismissed the accusations.

Opposition calls for internationalal election monitors are unnecessary, said the ruling party general secretary, Safwat al-Shareef.

CNN

Mexican police arrest suspect in Juarez consulate shootings

(CNN) -- Mexican federal police have arrested a man who authorities say could have been involved in the March shooting deaths of three people with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the country's public safety ministry said.

Jose Guadalupe Diaz Diaz, known as "El Zorro," is also suspected in the slaying of a federal police officer, the ministry said in a statement Thursday.

Authorities are investigating the 32-year-old's "likely participation in the killings of three people linked to the U.S. Consulate" in Juarez, the ministry said.

The statement did not specify how Diaz allegedly participated in the shootings. Thursday's statement from Mexican security officials described Diaz as a leader of the Aztecas gang, a street gang affiliated with the Juarez cartel.

Mexican authorities have arrested several others they accuse of being connected to alleged killing of three people with ties to the Juarez consulate.

The shootings occurred March 13 when consulate employee Lesley Enriquez and her husband, Arthur Redelfs, were gunned down as they left a birthday party in their white SUV.

CNN

Plane carrying donor organ crashes; 2 hurt

London, England (CNN) -- Two men were recovering Saturday after their plane carrying a donor organ crashed in central England, police said.

The private two-seater Cessna crashed and caught fire while landing at Birmingham Airport on Friday, injuring the two men onboard.

As soon as the two men were "secure," the organ was retrieved and escorted by police to a nearby hospital, where doctors successfully carried out a liver transplant, West Midlands Police and the hospital said.

"The recipient is stable, as would be expected at this time," Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham said in a statement. "The transplant team would like to thank the pilot of the light aircraft and his colleague for their bravery. Our thoughts are with the individuals and their families. The team would also like to thank the quick-thinking of the fire and rescue teams at the scene who saved the organ".

Early information indicated the plane had a hard landing and subsequently caught fire, police said.

One of the men was lightly injured and taken by ambulance to a hospital while the other was more seriously hurt and airlifted. The second man was "comfortable in hospital" early Saturday, according to West Midlands Police.

There were foggy conditions at the airport when the crash happened just after 3:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. ET), Britain's Press Association reported.

Authorities shut down the runway pending investigations, but it was due to reopen at noon (7 a.m. ET) Saturday, the airport said.

CNN

Hollywood publicist's killing raises fear and speculation

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Beverly Hills Police Chief David Snowden asked journalists to keep "erroneous information, theories or speculation" out of their stories about the killing of a Hollywood publicist, but his appeal appeared to be a reaction to reports quoting his own mayor.

Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad told reporters Thursday night that the shooting death of Ronni Chasen in a posh residential area early Tuesday appeared to be a planned attack from an SUV.

The 64-year-old public relations veteran died from shots fired into her Mercedes-Benz as she turned off Sunset Boulevard on her way home from a star-studded premiere celebration for the movie "Burlesque".

"The most indication is that it was targeted," Delshad told a Los Angeles TV station Thursday night. "A random killing will not happen like this, five shots in a chest area, and it seems like it wasn't just a random killing".

The mayor, who said he had gotten his information from the police chief, backed away from his comments Friday morning, after a call from the chief. Deputy City Manager Cheryl Friedling, the mayor's spokeswoman, told CNN "it would be wise not to go with the mayor's speculation".

"This type of media coverage can only jeopardize the integrity of the investigation," Snowden said. He urged the news media to be patient while the investigation goes on.

The lack of official information about the case has fueled fear and speculation among wealthy residents.

"I would like to assure the public that this was a rare, isolated incident and that the Beverly Hills community remains one of the safest in the nation," the chief said Friday.

There is no prevailing theory on if the attack was road rage or a planned hit, a police official said.

Detectives are still trying to determine exactly where the shots were fired, Beverly Hills Police Sgt. Lincoln Hoshino said.

Several 911 calls reporting gunfire were placed from homes along a four-block stretch of Sunset Boulevard, he said. The first call came from near the Beverly Hills Hotel, while later calls reporting gunfire came from three or four blocks down the street.

Chasen's car turned off of Sunset Boulevard onto Whittier Drive and came to a stop against a light pole about two blocks away, he said.

Investigators canvassed the neighborhood of expensive homes for video of her car or the attacker, Hoshino said. "Quite a few residents" along the way have security cameras, Hoshino said.

The shots that struck Chasen were apparently fired through the passenger door window, he said. She was the lone occupant of the car.

Chasen left a voice mail at her office just minutes before the shooting, police said, an indication that she was not aware of anything out of the ordinary.

Chasen had been on the red carpet at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, walking with songwriter Diane Warren as she and "Burlesque" star Cher were interviewed about the music in the film.

Warren, who contributed the song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" to the movie's soundtrack, said Chasen also went with her to the after-party at Hollywood's W Hotel.

CNN

Gas prevents New Zealand mine rescue

(CNN) -- Authorities listed the nationalities Saturday of the 29 miners trapped in a New Zealand coal mine and said gas levels inside are still too high to attempt a rescue.

Most of the miners are New Zealanders, but there are also two Australians, two Britons, and one South African, New Zealand Police said.

Air samples taken late Saturday afternoon indicated the gas levels inside the Pike River mine were still high, making the risk for rescuers too great, said Gary Knowles, superintendent of the Tasman Police District, who is heading the rescue effort.

"Further samples will be taken in the morning, when the risks will be reassessed," he said. "It is a very complex situation and there are numerous risks we have to consider. We will continue to work through the night, and constantly reassess the situation".

An explosion rocked the mine, on New Zealand's west coast between Greymouth and Reefton, around 4 p.m. Friday (10 p.m. ET Thursday). Two men walked out with minor injuries, but their colleagues -- ages 17 to 62 -- were trapped as far as 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles) from the tunnel's opening and have not been heard from since.

"Everyone here is totally focused on getting these men out and returning them to their families," Knowles said.

CNN

Nigerian army: Gang leader arrested in kidnappings

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- The Nigerian army has arrested a militant gang leader believed to be behind the kidnapping of 19 people, authorities said Saturday.

Fifty-one of his followers were also arrested, said Lt Col Timothy Antigha, a spokesman for the military taskforce in the Niger Delta.

Nigerian authorities on Wednesday freed the 19 hostages seized in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

They were 12 Nigerians, two Americans, two Frenchmen, one Canadian and two Indonesians.

Nigeria has launched an offensive targeting Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, the largest military campaign in the Niger Delta region since the government offered an amnesty program in 2007.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta is one of several militant groups in the region that has been battling the government for years over the distribution of the country's oil wealth.

CNN