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6,600 lbs. of opium seized in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 12 (UPI) -- A joint Afghan and coalition military operation in southern Afghanistan seized 6,600 pounds of opium, officials said.

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The International Security Assistance Force said the joint operation conducted two counter-narcotic missions Tuesday through Thursday in Helmand and Uruzgan provinces, Khaama Press reported Saturday.

An additional 1,320 pounds of poppy seeds and 330 pounds of morphine were netted in the raids, ISAF said. Drug-processing equipment and explosives were also seized, and the drugs were destroyed on site.


3 U.S. students killed in N.Z. car crash

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 12 (UPI) -- Three students from Boston University were killed and another five injured in a road accident Saturday outside the New Zealand town of Taupo, officials said.

The van the eight students were riding in swerved off the road around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, killing three students and injuring the five others, The Boston Globe reported.

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The students were studying abroad in New Zealand, said David Baker, director of the international office that oversees the study abroad program for the University of Auckland.

Two of the students who died were studying at the University of Auckland and the other was at the Auckland University of Technology, Baker said, adding 47 Boston University are currently studying abroad in New Zealand.

Police said they do not know what caused the van to swerve and could not confirm whether the students were wearing seat belts but said some students were thrown from the van, indicating they weren't buckled in.

Those who died were Daniela Rosanna Lekhno, Roch Jauberty, and Austin Brashears, police said.

Three of the injured students were taken to local hospitals, one of whom was in critical condition, police said.


4 dead, 1 survivor in Kansas plane crash

CHANUTE, Kan., May 12 (UPI) -- A young woman was hospitalized in serious condition Saturday, the day after she survived a plane crash in Kansas in which four people died, authorities said.

Hannah N. Luce, 22, of Garden Valley, Texas, suffered burns over 28 percent of her body in the Friday afternoon crash of a twin-engine Cessna 401 near Chanute, Kan., The Kansas City Star reported.

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The Kansas Highway Patrol identified those killed as the pilot, Luke F. Sheets, 23, of Ephraim, Wis.; Austin G. Anderson, 27, of Ringwood, Okla.; Garrett V. Coble, 29, of Tulsa, Okla.; and Stephen J. Luth, 22, of Muscatine, Iowa.

The five were on their way from Riverside, Kan., to a Christian rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa, organized by Teen Mania Ministries, which was founded by Luce's father Ron.

KOTV-DT, Tulsa, Okla., reported Oral Roberts University President Mark Rutland said Hannah Luce, Anderson, Sheets and Luth were graduates of Oral Roberts University, and Coble had taught at the school. Ron Luce is on the school's board of trustees, Rutland said.

The TV station said the plane struck some trees and burst into flames. A friend of Anderson said the former U.S. Marine pulled Luce from the burning wreckage. The two made their way to a nearby road to get help and Anderson died later at a hospital.

The National Transportation Safety Board was investigating the cause of the crash.


2 planes collide in mid-air in Canada

WAKAW, Saskatchewan, May 12 (UPI) -- Two private planes collided in the air near St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, and crashed Saturday, police said

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it received a call about the accident at 8:50 a.m., and responders found one plane submerged in a slough and the second aircraft nearby.

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The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said there was no word on how many people were aboard the two aircraft.


Obama salutes top U.S. cops

WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) -- President Obama praised the nation's top cops at the White House Saturday, saying the courage they displayed in times of danger makes them heroes.

The president told those gathered in the Rose Garden that the winners of the National Association of Police Organizations' Top Cops award "are a pretty humble group" who "just do their jobs," but in his mind they are heroes.

"What else do you call a team that takes down a deranged gunman and saves countless lives? Or a unit that flies a helicopter into dangerous winds, and pulls off a daring nighttime rescue? Or an officer who, after being shot three times, switches her gun from her right hand to her left, so that she can return fire until backup arrives?" Obama asked.

"I guarantee you that when the bullets were flying, when lives were on the line, these men and women weren't thinking about bravery. They weren't thinking of themselves. Instead, they were looking out for their fellow officers, and for the civilians that they swore to protect. And when they return home, they'll go back to being just another member of the team.

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"But they've earned this moment. Today, we celebrate 34 extraordinary individuals, and we recognize the sacrifices they and their fellow officers make."

The president said the nation "will be forever in debt to those who wear the badge; to men and women with a deep sense of duty, and a willingness to serve and sacrifice on our behalf."

"And I think these individuals don't mind me saying that they are representative of the sacrifices and that quiet courage that exists among law enforcement officers all across the country -- and their families, because I know the strains of families in such a difficult job is significant as well," Obama said.

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