Paris takes steps to curb toxic smog
PARIS – Paris imposed drastic measures Monday to combat its worst air pollution in years, banning around half the city’s cars and trucks from its streets for a day in an attempt to reduce the toxic smog that’s shrouded the City of Light for more than a week.
Cars with even-numbered license plates were prohibited from driving in Paris and its suburbs. Around 700 police staffed 179 control points, giving tickets to offenders. Taxis and commercial vehicles weren’t covered by the ban.
Environment Minister Philippe Martin said lower traffic and favorable weather patterns were having an effect on pollution Monday. He said the alternate-plates measure would be lifted Tuesday.
General accepts deal in sex-assault case
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – An Army general who admitted to improper relationships with three subordinates appeared to choke up Monday as he told a judge that he’d failed the female captain who had leveled the most serious accusations against him.
Hours later, she took the stand to testify about how she can’t trust people and fears her superiors are always going to take advantage of her in the aftermath of the three-year affair.
As he pleaded guilty, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair’s voice halted when telling the judge why he was pleading guilty to mistreating her in a deal that included the dropping of sexual-assault charges.
“I failed her as a leader and as a mentor and caused harm to her emotional state,” Sinclair said, his voice catching as he read from a statement. He asked the judge for a break and took a long drink of water before continuing.
Earthquake rattles Los Angeles basin
LOS ANGELES – A predawn earthquake rolled across the Los Angeles basin Monday, rattling nerves and shaking buildings along a 150-mile swath of Southern California but causing no major damage.
The 4.4-magnitude quake was centered 2 miles from Encino and 15 miles west-northwest of the downtown civic center, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS seismologist Robert Graves called it a “typical” Southern California quake and said expectations were that damage would be slight, if it occurred at all.
Associated Press
