Surf Cat

Elite climber Gobright dies

MEXICO CITY — California rock climber Brad Gobright reportedly reached the top of a highly challenging rock face in northern Mexico and was rappelling down with a companion when he fell to his death. Climber Aidan Jacobson (pictured) of Phoenix, Arizona, told Outside magazine he was with Gobright, and said they had just performed an ascent of the Sendero Luminoso route in the El Potrero Chico area near the northern city of Monterrey. Jacobson also fell, but a shorter distance, after something went wrong in the “simul-rappelling” descent, the magazine said. The technique involves two climbers balancing each other’s weight off an anchor point. In online forums, many climbers described the technique as difficult and potentially dangerous. Civil defense officials in Nuevo Leon state said Gobright, 31, fell about 328 yards to his death on Wednesday. The magazine account described the fall as 600 feet. Jacobson suffered minor injuries, officials said. Gobright’s body was recovered Thursday. The publication Rock and Ice described Gobright as “one of the most accomplished free solo climbers in the world.” Friends on Friday described him as a dedicated climber who would travel the West Coast, living out of his Honda Civic, following the weather on a diet of gas station food. Jacobson said the pair might not have evened out the length of the 80-meter rope between them, to ensure each had the same amount, because Gobright’s end was apparently tangled in some bushes near a ledge below them. That might have caused Gobright to essentially run out of rope; without the balancing weight of the other climber, both would fall. Jacobson fell through some vegetation and onto a ledge they were aiming for, injuring his ankle.

Iraqi prime minister to resign

BAGHDAD — A day after more than 40 protesters were killed by security forces, Iraq’s prime minister announced Friday that he would submit his resignation to parliament, a step that carried uncertainty for the entire government and stirred fears of a possible political crisis. The move by Adel Abdul-Mahdi came 13 months after he took office and followed calls by Iraq’s top Shiite cleric for lawmakers to withdraw support. At least four protesters were killed in the hours after the announcement in continuing violence in Baghdad and southern Iraq. Word of the planned resignation triggered celebrations by anti-government protesters who have been camped out for nearly two months in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square. Young men and women broke into song and dance under the sparkle of fireworks crackling from every corner of the plaza, the epicenter of their leaderless protest movement, which seeks an end to sectarian government and election and anti-corruption reforms. But amid the mirth, protesters said Abdul Mahdi’s decision was a single victory in the long and difficult war aimed at dismantling the post-2003 political system, a common refrain among demonstrators. “The political system will replace him with someone exactly the same,” said Taif, a 39-year-old protester, as jubilant demonstrators waved flags behind. “Until this sick system is destroyed, we won’t leave.”

Domingo says he’s a gentleman

MADRID — Placido Domingo is disputing allegations of sexual harassment against him, saying he has always behaved like a gentleman but that “gallant gestures are viewed differently nowadays.” The 78-year-old Spanish opera legend told the Spanish online newspaper El Confidencial in an interview published Friday that he feels strong despite the accusations, which he called a “nightmare.” He said he intends to continue performing at least until the end of his planned engagements running through 2021. The AP reported in August and September that more than 20 women who worked with Domingo in the opera world accuse him of sexual harassment or inappropriate, sexually charged behavior, including unwanted touching and sudden attempts to kiss them, and of sometimes damaging their careers if they rejected him. In statements responding to the AP’s reporting, Domingo said the allegations were “in many ways, simply incorrect.” Domingo said at the time he believed his “interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual,” though he noted that “rules and standards” have changed. In El Confidencial interview, Domingo again stopped short of flatly denying what the women allege, but insisted he had never behaved improperly.

Storm disrupts travel weekend

A powerful storm making its way east from California is causing major disruptions during the year’s busiest travel weekend, as forecasters warned that intensifying snow and ice could thwart millions of people across the country hoping to get home after Thanksgiving. The storm caused the death of at least one person in South Dakota and shut down highways in the western U.S., stranding drivers in California and prompting authorities in Arizona to plead with travelers to wait out the weather before attempting to travel. The storm was expected to track east through the weekend — into the Plains on Friday, the Midwest by Saturday and the Northeast on Sunday — pummeling a huge portion of the country with snow, ice or flash flooding. The National Weather Service said travel could become impossible in some places. The weather could be particularly disruptive on Sunday, when millions of holiday travelers head home. Airlines for America, the airline industry’s trade group, expects 3.1 million passengers during what could be the busiest day ever recorded for American air travel.

Houston-area family killed

KINGSTON, Ontario — Five of the seven people who died in a small plane crash in Canada were members of a Houston-area family. Mehmet Basti, a Toronto college instructor, told local news outlets that five of those killed were his friend Otabek Oblokulov of Missouri City, Texas, his wife and his three children, aged 3, 11 and 15. Basti also said the other two aboard were a young couple from Toronto. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the U.S.-registered, single-engine, six-seat Piper PA-32 airplane crashed about 5 p.m. Wednesday in a wooded area of Kingston, Ontario, about 90 miles southwest of Ottawa on the Ontario-New York border. The plane had taken off from an airport in Markham, Ontario, a Toronto suburb and was on approach to Kingston’s airport when officials say it took a steep dive into the wooded area. Kingston Police Constable Ash Gutheinz said the area was under a wind advisory at the time, and while winds may not have been as bad as predicted, it was certainly “blustery.” The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder, nor was it required to have one, said lead TSB investigator Ken Webster. Basti said the Oblokulovs had planned to stop in Kingston to visit his family and friends before proceeding to Quebec City for vacation. “We were waiting for their call when they landed. We waited a long time, so I searched on Google and this showed up,” he said, referring to the crash. He and Zack Balicki, another friend, went to the crash site Thursday.

3 wounded in Hague stabbing

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An assailant stabbed three people Friday night in a busy shopping district in the Netherlands, and police were searching for the suspect, authorities said. The attack came just hours after a man wearing a fake explosive vest stabbed several people in London, killing two, before he was tackled by members of the public and then fatally shot by officers. Police treated it as a terrorist attack. A Dutch police spokeswoman said it was too early to say whether a terror motive was to blame for the attack in The Hague. The victims were all minors. It was unclear whether any of their wounds were life-threatening or whether they might have been hurt when the crowds of holiday shoppers panicked, police said. The stabbing happened about 7:45 p.m., when a man attacked several people on the street. Authorities offered no immediate motive.

Coast Guard flag returned

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A World War II veteran has returned a U.S. Coast Guard flag to its home ship after the flag spent nearly 80 years in a wooden trunk. The Virginian-Pilot reported Thursday that the flag belonged to 96-year-old Alex Obrizok of Selma, North Carolina. He returned it last week to the USS Tampa, a Coast Guard cutter that’s based in Portsmouth, Virginia. During Obrizok’s time in World War II, the USS Tampa escorted merchant ships with soldiers and supplies that were bound for Europe. Obrizok took the ship’s flag home after the war. It stayed in his possession for decades. But he met a woman this fall who recently served on the USS Tampa. That’s when Obrizok decided to return the flag. He said it belonged on the ship.

Man survived collapse, deported

NEW ORLEANS — A construction worker hurt in last month’s collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans has been deported to his native Honduras on Friday. Delmer Joel Ramirez Palma, 38, was flown to Honduras from Alexandria International Airport, which is near several ICE detention facilities in central Louisiana. Border Patrol officers arrested Ramirez Palma two days after he fell several stories as the upper floors of the hotel project caved in on Oct. 12. Workplace safety advocates had hoped he could remain in the United States to facilitate the federal investigation of the collapse, which killed three workers and left dozens more injured. “We’re deeply concerned about the gaping hole this leaves in the investigation into the Hard Rock Hotel collapse,” said Mary Yanik of the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice. She said she believes his arrest was in retaliation for reporting to a supervisor about construction shortcuts before the collapse, and for comments he made to reporters afterward. ICE’s Bryan Cox countered that any such claims “are patently false and irresponsible.” Ramirez Palma had been fighting a deportation order since 2016, and had lost an appeal.

Train hits vehicle stuck on track

COLUMBIA, S.C. — An intoxicated woman was on the phone with 911 when her stuck vehicle was hit by an Amtrak train in South Carolina. Officer P.J. Blendowski said neither Audreyanna Haggins or anyone on the train was hurt in the crash around 1 a.m. Friday near Columbia College. Haggins got out of her stuck vehicle and was on the phone with 911 when the Amtrak Silver Star hit it. Amtrak says the train from New York to Miami was delayed several hours after the crash.

Kite surfer contacts Coast Guard

OCEAN CITY, N.J. — A man who was reported missing after a mishap while kite surfing off the southern New Jersey shore is safe. The man called the Coast Guard on Friday morning to let them know he had returned to shore. A witness had called 911 on Thursday afternoon to report the kite surfer was seen drifting out to sea after falling off a kiteboard about 500 yards off Corson Inlet in Ocean City. That prompted a Coast Guard search with boats and helicopters that lasted 16 hours and covered 550 square miles. The man eventually called the Coast Guard station to let them know he was fine. He said that after his kite malfunctioned, he cut it free and used the board to paddle ashore and return home.

Daughter gets apt middle name

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman who gave birth at an airport in North Carolina has given the baby a name tied to where she was born. Nereida Araujo went into labor Wednesday on a flight from Tampa, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina. American Airlines spokeswoman Crystal Byrd says the flight crew radioed medics who helped deliver the baby on the plane once it landed. Araujo says she named her newborn daughter Lizyana Sky Taylor. She says the middle name Sky was chosen because the girl was born at the airport. Passenger Eric Linne says on Facebook that a crowd burst into spontaneous applause when Araujo and the baby were brought off the plane. Araujo, her husband and two other children had been traveling to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.

Gator interrupts Thanksgiving

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A family refused to make room at their Thanksgiving table for an uninvited guest, who was so angry at being left out that he repeatedly slammed the front door. Chhaa Behary says she peeked through her window to get a good look at the unwanted visitor, and saw what she called a “gigantic” alligator smacking her door with its tail. Why her house, she asked. Did the gator smell turkey? Her fiancee called animal control, which arrived within minutes. The gator did not go gently into the night. Behary said their neighborhood in Fort Myers is surrounded by the alligators’ natural habitat, and it’s a good reminder to be careful with children and pets when walking outdoors in the dark.

Evacuation order lifted

AUSTIN, Texas — Officials lifted evacuation orders Friday for around 50,000 people on the Texas Gulf Coast, determining a massive fire was finally under control at a chemical plant rocked by two major explosions two days earlier. “We are in a position to say it’s contained. We feel comfortable with the efforts that have been made by our firefighters,” Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said at a news conference in Port Neches, about 80 miles east of Houston. But the area around the TPC Group plant remained dangerous. Several isolated fires were still blazing and visible at the facility, which makes chemical and petroleum-based products. Officials said they could not Debris thrown across Port Neches — and potentially neighboring towns — by the sheer magnitude of Wednesday’s explosions also posed risks to families returning home.

2 hikers killed in fall at Arches

MOAB, Utah — A man and woman died Friday morning while hiking in a popular area of Arches National Park in Utah. Chief Ranger Scott Brown said a 65-year-old man and 60-year-old woman died after falling into the bowl area near Delicate Arch. A 30-year-old man who also fell was hospitalized but his current condition is unknown. Brown said the three were related.

Global climate protests due

BERLIN — Protesters in cities across the world staged rallies Friday demanding leaders take tougher action against climate change, days before the latest global conference, which this year takes place in Madrid. The rallies kicked off in Australia, where people affected by recent devastating wildfires joined young environmentalists protesting against the government’s pro-coal stance. Janet Reynolds said she had come to the rally in Sydney after losing everything in an “inferno, an absolute firestorm that raced through my property.” “It’s so unnatural that I started investigating, reading science and really exploring what’s happening with climate change,” she told Australian television. Student Daisy Jeffrey said protesters had come to help raise money for those affected by the fires and to demand action from the government.