SeaWorld built its brand on a leaping and splashing killer whale named Shamu. She was part of its logo, gave her name to stadiums in the theme parks and was the inspiration for rides. The orca image sold T-shirts and soft, stuffed animals for the kids to take home.
With the company phasing out its killer whale program, it is forced to ponder the question: What is SeaWorld without Shamu?
Full StoryBahraini authorities have released Salah al-Khawaja, the brother of human rights advocate Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, after five years in jail in a case related to Bahrain's uprising in 2011.
The al-Khawaja family posted a photo on Twitter Saturday of Salah in a car with family members. The family said they had received a call telling them to pick Salah up in the morning.
Full StoryA Philippine Airlines plane carrying more than 250 people made a safe emergency landing in Manila on Saturday shortly after takeoff on a domestic flight due to suspected smoke in the cockpit, an official said.
The Airbus A340 aircraft was airborne for 10 minutes when its pilot declared an emergency and requested to land back in Manila, said Eric Apolonio of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Full StoryAl-Qaida's North Africa arm has claimed responsibility for a mortar attack on a gas plant in the Sahara jointly operated by Britain's BP and Norway's Statoil, calling it a protest over shale gas extraction.
No one was injured in the attack Friday and Algerian troops fanned out to hunt the perpetrators. The Defense Ministry said two homemade rocket shells fell near the Krechba production site near In Salah, which is overseen by Algerian state company Sonatrach.
Full StoryAt least 19 pilgrims died, all of them Egyptian, and 22 were injured early on Saturday when their bus overturned in western Saudi Arabia, authorities in both countries said.
The tourism ministry in Cairo said 19 Egyptian pilgrims and a child were killed and 15 were injured in the accident.
Full StoryScans of King Tut's burial chamber have revealed two hidden rooms, Egypt's antiquities minister said Thursday — a discovery that could intensify speculation that the chambers contain the remains of the famed Queen Nefertiti.
Mamdouh el-Damaty told reporters that the secret chambers may contain metal or organic material, but he declined to comment on whether royal treasure or mummies could be inside. Analysis of the scans made by a Japanese team showed chambers that would be scanned again at the end of the month to get a better idea of what may lay inside, he said.
Full StoryAn Iraqi military spokesman says a reconnaissance and combat plane has crashed while on a mission over an Islamic State-controlled area in the country's north.
The spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine turboprop crashed on Wednesday while hovering near the town of Hawija, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad.
Full StoryMeir Dagan, a former Israeli general and longtime director of its spy agency, has died. He was 71.
Dagan directed the Mossad from 2002 to 2011. Under his leadership, the Mossad reportedly carried out covert attacks against Iranian nuclear scientists and unleashed cyber-attacks, including the Stuxnet virus that delayed the Iranian nuclear program.
Full StoryManchester City's players trudged off the field. Many fans left early. The final whistle was greeted with only a smattering of cheers.
It was hardly the way the English club envisaged marking progress to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in its history.
Full StoryAtletico Madrid beat PSV Eindhoven 8-7 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the third straight season.
Juanfran scored the decisive penalty for Atletico after Luciano Narsingh struck the crossbar in the previous attempt.
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