John Kerry, 70, who first set foot in Vietnam 44 years ago as a U.S. Navy officer fighting in the war, returned to the country for the first time since he became U.S. secretary of state, offering security assurances and working to promote democratic and economic changes in the communist nation.
Randy Jesus Valdivia, 38, of Surfside, Fla., faces felony drug charges after a traffic stop near State College, Pa., during which police officers said they found 20 pounds of marijuana in boxes wrapped as Christmas presents in his minivan.
Mehdi Jomaa, Tunisia’s 50-year-old industry minister, was chosen by a forum of political parties to become prime minister as part of a plan to replace the Islamist-led government with technical experts to aid the country’s transition to democracy.
Ryan Loskarn, 35, a former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, filed a motion asking a judge to release him from custody and let him live with his parents as he faces federal child-pornography charges.
Vivian Mayo, 57, of Cantwell, Alaska, burned her snowmobile and huddled with her small dog, Elvis, to survive nearly three nights of bitter cold after her snowmobile broke down, stranding her in the state’s interior, and state trooper spokesman Megan Peters called Elvis “a little hero.”
Jeff Fleming, 53, was placed on probation and fined $1,000 for shooting a golfer with a shotgun, causing minor injuries in the man’s arm and both legs, after an errant golf ball broke a bedroom window at Fleming’s home in Reno, Nev.
Robin Johnson, a British judge, chided Prime Minister David Cameron for saying he was on “Team Nigella” during the fraud trial of two former assistants to celebrity cook Nigella Lawson and told jurors at Isleworth Crown Court in London that the comments should “have no bearing on your own views.”
Chaz Stevens, an atheist who wanted to protest a Nativity scene at the Florida Capitol, drove about 450 miles to erect a 6-foot aluminum pole in celebration of Festivus, a fictional nonsecular holiday popularized by the television show Seinfeld.
Hiram Noel Mendez, a New York man who went to check on acquaintance Ronald Cutrone and found him dead at his home, was arraigned on burglary, petty larceny and other charges after being accused of stealing some of Cutrone’s artwork before calling 911.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 12/15/2013