OREM, UTAH

Police praise man who shot, killed would-be carjacker

Police are hailing a man who shot and killed a would-be carjacker outside a Utah grocery store, saying he did the “right thing” by coming to the aid of the vehicle’s owner.

Investigators say the 31-year-old man with a concealed weapons permit was in Macey’s parking lot in Orem when he heard a woman’s screams as she was being pulled from her SUV by the suspect.

Police Capt. Ned Jackson says he doesn’t think the shooter would face charges because Utah law allows the use of guns for self-defense and to prevent the commission of a “forcible felony,” including an attempted car theft.

Jackson says the man fired his 9 mm pistol after the unarmed 27-year-old male suspect lunged at him in an effort to grab the gun.

SANAA, Yemen

Saudi-led coalition forces make first ground landing

With helicopter gunships hovering overhead, at least 20 troops from a Saudi-led Arab coalition came ashore Sunday in the southern port city of Aden on what military officials called a “reconnaissance” mission, as fighting raged between Iranian-backed Shiite rebels and forces loyal to the nation’s exiled president.

It was the first ground landing by coalition forces since the start of the Saudi-led air campaign against the rebels and their allies, who have captured most of northern Yemen and marched on southern provinces over the past year.

The objective of Sunday’s landing was not immediately clear, but Yemeni officials said the coalition troops would help train forces loyal to the country’s internationally recognized leader, President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has been in exile since he fled Aden in March. They would also try to identify an area that could serve as a “green zone” from which Hadi and his government could operate when they return to Yemen.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Executive order authorizes use of medical marijuana

Puerto Rico’s governor has signed an executive order that authorizes the use of medical marijuana in the U.S. territory in a surprise move following a lengthy public debate.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla says the island’s health secretary has three months to issue a report detailing how the executive order is being implemented, the impact it has had and what future steps could be taken. The order went into effect on Sunday.

Garcia said the government will soon outline the exact uses of marijuana and its derivatives for medical purposes. He noted that medical marijuana is used elsewhere to treat pain associated with multiple sclerosis, AIDS and other illnesses.

Medical marijuana is already legal in 23 states, and a group of U.S. legislators is seeking to remove federal prohibitions on it.

LITTLE FERRY, N.J.

Police say kayaker rescued man attempting suicide

Authorities say a man who attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge into a river was rescued by a passing kayaker.

Police in Little Ferry, New Jersey, say a witness saw the man jump into the Hackensack River about 5 miles west of New York City around 8:20 a.m. Sunday.

When police arrived, they saw the kayaker – who had a dog as his passenger– throw the 55-year-old Garfield man a line, which he grabbed. The kayaker then pulled the man toward the riverbank, and the man eventually stood up and walked ashore, where emergency responders were waiting.

The kayaker continued his trip downriver after the rescue, and authorities were trying to locate him so they could thank him for his assistance.

The man who jumped was being evaluated at a hospital.

– From news service reports

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