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Sikorsky S92A helicopters are expected to be grounded until the mounting stud on the main gearbox filter bowl are changed. Following examination of the wreckage from a Canadian helicopter crash, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing an emergency safety directive for operators of similar Sikorsky helicopters to change titanium studs to steel studs before any S-92A helicopters can take to the air again. Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 crashed into the north Atlantic Ocean last Friday, March 13, killing 17 of the 18 p

In an appearance on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Thursday night, United States President Barack Obama told host, Jay Leno, that he had bowled at the White House bowling alley and scored a 129. "It was like the Special Olympics or something," the President said. The Special Olympics is an international organization that promotes self-confidence and social skills for people with intellectual disabilities. It organizes the Special Olympics World Games which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and is similar to the Paralymp

According to the United States Navy Fifth Fleet, two vessels registered to the US Navy collided on Friday in the Strait of Hormuz, located near Iran. Fifteen sailors were reported to have been slightly injured. The two craft involved in the incident were the USS New Orleans, a transporter and the USS Hartford, a nuclear-powered submarine. The New Orleans' fuel tank ruptured upon impact, leaking 90 to 95 thousand litres of diesel fuel. "New Orleans suffered a ruptured fuel tank, which resulted in an oil spill of approximately 25,000 gallons of

New Jersey has reversed its plans for a state-wide ban on bikini waxing after salon owners from across the state spoke out against the proposal. The New Jersey Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling planned to consider a ban on so-called "Brazilian waxes" in response to two women who reported being injured during a wax. But state Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman, who oversees the board, asked them to abandon the ban in favor of reviewing and establishing safeguards for those who provide the service. "Many commentators have noted that t

The United States has said that the African nation of Zimbabwe has "a long way to go" before the former lifts the sanctions it has imposed on the country. This comes after an effort by Zimbabwe to raise international funding for a economic recovery plan, which calls for US$5 billion in construction spending. "To the European Union and the United States, I appeal for the removal of your sanctions which are inhuman, cruel and unwarranted," said Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. "SADC (Southern African Development Community) and the African Uni

The older brother of Christopher Nolan, director of the films The Dark Knight and Memento, has been arrested in connection with an alleged murder in Central America. Matthew Francis Nolan, 40, was arrested last month and is awaiting extradition to Costa Rica to face murder and kidnapping charges. He is currently being held in prison without bond. Nolan is accused of killing Robert C. Cohen, a Florida businessman, in 2005 while trying to recover $7 million Cohen owed to another Florida man. Costa Rican authorities said Nolan posed as a busine

Election analysts for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation have called the Queensland state election for the Australian Labor Party. The ABC lists the seats won as ALP 50; Liberal National Party 29; Others 4; and 5 in doubt. A win for the ALP means that Anna Bligh becomes the first female to be elected premier in Australian history. She is the third female to be appointed premier. The ABC predicted that the ALP will gain 53 of the 89 seats, the LNP 31 with 5 seats going to other candidates. The analysts are predicting that Queensland Gre

Google’s release of Google Street View, which is a panoramic street-mapping tool, has sparked complaints which have forced the company to remove some images. Some of the images that were removed have been said to depict individuals, such as a man entering a sex shop, a person throwing up, and people being arrested. Google has stated that if anyone wanted their picture removed, they would do so. "We've got millions of images, so the percentage removed was very small," said Laura Scott, a spokesperson for Google, to the BBC. "We want this t

A Pennsylvania church that claims to worship through rock music may hold a limited number of concerts under a recent federal court settlement. In the face of complaints from neighbors about noise and traffic problems, the Fayette County zoning department found in 2005 that the Church of Universal Love and Music was operating a music business instead of a church and must shut down. William Pritts, founder of the Bullskin Township church, sued in 2006 under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, claiming the ruling infringed

According to officials, an Airbus A340 jetliner registered to the Emirates airline struck its tail upon the runway as it took off from Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Australia Saturday. More than 225 people were on board. Flight EK407, which had departed for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, had to circle around the airport for 45 minutes, dumping fuel, before making an emergency landing. There were no reports of injuries, although some of the runway lights were knocked out during the incident. "It [the aeroplane] took off very steeply, the tail

UK firm BAA Limited has been told by the Competition Commission that they must sell three of their airports within two years. Gatwick and Stansted airports, both serving London, England, and either Edinburgh International Airport or Glasgow International Airport in Scotland must be sold, in that order. BAA, mostly owned by Spain's Grupo Ferrovial, described the ruling as 'flawed'. Despite challenging a preliminary ruling last year, BAA had also already begun the process to seek a buyer for Gatwick in 2008. Ferrovial, who will still have a Lond

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has awarded two New Zealand pilots with the Polaris Award for their bravery in landing their plane during an attempted hijacking and then confronting the alleged hijacker. Pilot Dion McMillan and co-pilot Ross Haverfield were given the awards at an IFALPA conference in Auckland today. They were flying over New Zealand's South Island in February 2008 when the incident took place. A woman armed with a knife said she had two bombs in her luggage and told them to fly to Austral