Aircraft catches fire after landing in Denver

DENVER (AP) — A fire on an American Airlines plane after it diverted mid-flight and landed at Denver International Airport sent fleeing passengers to a wing amid billowing smoke. Airport officials say 12 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries. The incident Thursday is the latest in a spate of aviation disasters and close calls stoking fears about air travel, though flying remains a very safe mode of transport. The Federal Aviation Administration says Flight 1006 was headed from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth but diverted to Denver after the crew reported engine vibrations. The FAA says that while taxiing to the gate, an engine caught fire. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Judge formally sentences Adnan Syed to time served in ‘Serial’ podcast case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Maryland judge has formally sentenced Adnan Syed to the time he’s already served in prison. The modified sentence on Friday appears to conclude a long-running legal case that received worldwide attention in the “Serial” podcast. In a written ruling last week, Judge Jennifer Schiffer decided Syed would remain free, even though his conviction in the murder of his ex-girlfriend in 1999, when they were in high school, still stands. Syed’s sentence was modified under a relatively new state law that provides a pathway to release for people convicted of crimes committed when they were minors. The modified sentence includes five years of supervised probation.

Immigration officials arrest second person who participated in pro-Palestinian protests

NEW YORK (AP) — Immigration officials have arrested a second person who participated in Pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, and have revoked the visa of another student. The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from the West Bank, was arrested by immigration officers for overstaying her student visa. Kordia was previously arrested for her involvement in protests at Columbia in April 2024. The Trump administration also revoked the visa of Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen and doctoral student, on March 5 “for advocating for violence and terrorism.”

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not guilty ahead of May sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has returned to federal court in New York City to face the latest iteration of an indictment charging him with two decades of sex trafficking crimes. The 55-year-old Combs stood as he pleaded not guilty Friday. He has been held without bail since his September arrest. His trial is scheduled for May 5 and lawyers came to court Friday to work out some of the details of how that trial will be conducted. Judge Arun Subramanian said questionnaires will be distributed to prospective jurors in late April with would-be jurors being interviewed in court starting May 5. Opening statements will begin the week after.