Wikinews:Briefs/February 13, 2014

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

77 dead after plane crashes into mountain

The C-130 Hercules aircraft (pictured from file) is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the useful for paradropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.
Image: Tech. Sgt. Howard Blair.

Only one person survived when an Algerian military transport plane that carried 78 people crashed into a mountain on Tuesday. The plane was found by dispatch helicopter on Mount Fortas near the town of Ain Kercha after air traffic controllers lost radio and radar contact with the C-130 Hercules turboprop The survivor, a soldier, suffered head injuries and was flown to a military hospital in Algiers. The Algerian military blamed poor weather on the crash. This was the worst crash in Algeria since 2003 when a Civilian airliner crashed at the end of the runway in Tamanrasset killing 102 people.

Sources

Aomar Ouali and Paul Schemm (AP). "Algeria: Plane crash kills 77 but 1 man survives" — Yahoo News, February 11, 2014
Alissa J. Rubin. "Military Plane Crash in Algeria Leaves Scores Dead" — New York Times, February 11, 2014

American snowboarding legend falls

Shaun White, United States male snowboarder, failed to win a medal at the 2014 Sochi, Russia Olympics, after he pulled out of the slopestyle competition and didn't make it on to the podium in the halfpipe. White was attempting to become the first USA athlete to win three straight gold medals in the Winter Olympics. White won gold in the halfpipe at the 2006 Torino, Italy Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver, Canada Olympics.

Sources

Mike Wise. "Algeria: Shaun White, Olympic moments, and mettle without a color" — Washington Post, February 11, 2014
Lindsay H. Jones. "No medal for Shaun White in Olympic men's halfpipe" — USA Today sports, February 11, 2014

US basketball player LeBron James claims to be one of history's greatest players

US National_Basketball_Association player LeBron James included himself in the metaphorical Mount Rushmore of the professional basketball when asked by a reporter who the four greatest players were of all time. James, a native of Akron, Ohio in the US, has led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals the past three seasons, winning the last two. James also has led the USA men's basketball to a gold medal in the past two Summer Olympics, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

Sources

ESPN.com news servicers. "LeBron: I'll be among greatest" — ESPN, February 11, 2014
Ben Golliver. "Heat’s LeBron James: I will be on NBA’s Mount Rushmore of greats ‘for sure’" — SI, February 11, 2014.com