LONDON
Large area of Antarctic ice collapses, scientists report
Associated Press
A large Antarctic ice shelf in an area of the giant continent that is warming faster than the global average has collapsed with "staggering" rapidity, British scientists said yesterday.
The shelf designated as Larsen B, 650 feet thick with a surface area of 1,250 square miles, has collapsed into small icebergs and fragments, the British Antarctic Survey said. Before breaking apart, the ice shelf was about the size of Rhode Island.
Yesterday's reported ice shelf collapse was first detected on satellite images earlier this month by Ted Scambos of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado.
"The reason this is worth paying attention to is that we're seeing a very rapid and profound response by the ice sheet to a warming that's been around for just a few decades," Scambos said.
"And we can use this as sort of a guide for what's going to happen if the rest of the Antarctic should begin to warm because of climate change."
LOS ANGELES
California dog mauling trial goes to jury after prosecution makes one last argument
Associated Press
The trial of two San Francisco attorneys in the dog mauling death of a neighbor went to the jury yesterday after the judge threatened to jail a defense attorney for an improper objection.
In his final rebuttal, prosecutor Jim Hammer attacked defense attorney Nedra Ruiz for calling victim Diane Whipple's domestic partner a liar. But he said he wouldn't respond to Ruiz's allegation that he was trying to curry favor with San Francisco's homosexual community.
"I am not going to give Ms. Ruiz the dignity of a response to her charge. ... I think it's all a diversionary tactic," Hammer said.
The panel received the case at midmorning after final instructions from the judge.
Marjorie Knoller, 46, was charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and owning a mischievous dog that killed a person. She could receive 15 years in prison if convicted. Her husband, Robert Noel, 60, faces the latter two charges and could face up to four years. He wasn't home when Whipple was fatally mauled in January 2001.
The defense said the attack was a tragic accident and could not have been foreseen, but prosecutors said the couple's dogs were well known to be dangerous.
PHOENIX
Nation's 8th-largest carrier to recall more pilots, flight attendants
Associated Press
America West Airlines announced yesterday that it will recall another 170 flight attendants and 38 pilots in June to support a projected increase in travel demand.
The Tempe-based carrier said it anticipates recalling all furloughed flight attendants by the end of the year.
However, America West didn't say if it planned to recall all of its furloughed pilots by the end of 2002.
The nation's eighth-largest airline recalled 75 furloughed pilots in February.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast, America West furloughed 179 pilots and 244 flight attendants, eliminated 2,000 positions from its work force and reduced its flight schedule by about 20 percent as a result of the downturn in U.S. travel.
Last week, America West began adding 46 daily departures from its Phoenix hub to 31 markets.
The airline said half of those flights will bulk up service to existing markets to ready itself for the peak summer travel season, while the other half will restore service cuts made after Sept. 11.
America West has brought back more than 1,500 employees, or about 75 percent of those cut last October.
