Helicopter Crash over central London:
During London’s morning rush hour Wednesday, a helicopter crash killed two in Vauxhall, an area of London which houses MI6, the UK intelligence service, and is the site of construction for a new U.S. Embassy. The pilot of the craft, Peter Barnes, was one of the deceased. An experienced helicopter pilot for the charter company RotorMotion, Barnes leaves a wife and two children.
There were no passengers aboard the helicopter; however a person on the ground was also killed. The BBC further reports that twelve people were injured. The helicopter reportedly struck a crane on the St. George Wharf Tower and debris fell into the Wandsworth Road below, setting fire to two buildings. The incident caused massive delays in morning traffic and the Vauxhall Tube station and railway station were closed for much of the day. Wandsworth Road remains closed until next week.
Obama Signs 23 Executive Actions on Gun Control:
Just over a month after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Obama signed 23 distinct executive actions on gun control on Wednesday. These actions include a review of the “categories of individuals” unable to legally own a gun, the inception of a “national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign”, and the direction of the Centers for Disease Control to investigate possible causes of gun violence and how to prevent them.
Obama calls for a universal background check for people wishing to purchase guns. The president has further asked Congress to pass laws restoring a national ban on assault weapons and limiting ammunition clips to a ten-round maximum. Interestingly, Republican Congressman Steve Stockman has warned that he may begin impeachment proceedings against Obama for his action on gun control, according to The Washington Post.
A full list of the Executive Gun Control Actions is available here.
Americans Hostage in Algeria:
Dozens of workers were taken hostage after an attack by Islamist insurgents on an instillation for gas production in eastern Algeria early Wednesday morning. The Washington Post reports two deaths. Most of the kidnapped workers were European, but there were also an undetermined number of Americans among them.
British Petroleum is the owner of the facility. The U.S. State Department has labeled the event a terrorist attack against the company. Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack and, according to the Washington Post, “said it was retaliation for Algeria’s decision to allow France to use its airspace to send warplanes to neighboring Mali”.
