Clemency sought for Brink’s robber

David Gilbert went to prison a revolutionary, raising his fist and scorning authorities who prosecuted him for an infamous 1981 armored truck robbery in which a guard and two police officers were killed. Four decades later, advocates for the 76-year-old inmate's release include San Francisco's chief prosecutor, the son left behind at 14 months old when both his parents were arrested. "As long as I can remember, I've known that the most likely scenario is that my father is going to die in prison," said Chesa Boudin, sworn in as district attorney last year. Boudin ran a progressive campaign in which he said visiting his parents Kathy Boudin and Gilbert in prison showed him the criminal justice system was broken. Gilbert is among the last surviving people still imprisoned in the bungled 1981 Brink's robbery north of New York City, often seen as a last gasp of '60s radicalism. The robbery still stirs emotions, especially among local officials and relatives of the slain men who have watched with exasperation as others convicted in the crime, including Kathy Boudin, walk out of prison. As one of many voices lobbying New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Chesa Boudin's support for his father's clemency is personal. But the case also revolves around questions of justice the Democrat and former public defender deals with as a district attorney. "No matter whether my father lives the rest of his life in a cage or whether he's released to spend his few remaining years with family, we can't undo the harm that his crime cost. And we can't bring back the men who were so wrongfully killed that day." he said in a recent interview. "At what point is enough enough? I don't know." Gilbert is serving a 75-year-to-life sentence at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility for the Oct. 20, 1981 robbery of $1.6 million from a Brink's truck at a suburban Rockland County mall. He is eligible for parole in 2056.

Awestruck by descending rover pix

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The world got its first close-up look at a Mars landing on Friday, as NASA released a stunning picture of its newest rover being lowered onto the dusty red surface. The photo was released less than 24 hours after the Perseverance rover successfully touched down near an ancient river delta, where it will search for signs of ancient life and set aside the most promising rock samples for return to Earth in a decade. NASA equipped the spacecraft with a record 25 cameras and two microphones, many of which were turned on during Thursday's descent. The rover is shown in stunning detail just 6 1/2 feet off the ground, being lowered by cables attached to an overhead sky crane, the red dust kicked up by rocket engines. NASA promises more photos in the next few days and possibly also an audio recording of the descent. "This is something that we've never seen before," flight system engineer Aaron Stehura noted at a news conference. "It was stunning, and the team was awestruck. There's just a feeling of victory that we were able to capture these and share it with the world." Chief engineer Adam Steltzner called the picture "iconic," putting it right up there with photos of Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin on the moon, Saturn as seen by Voyager 1, and the Hubble Space Telescope's "pillars of creation" shot.

Kardashian files to divorce Kanye

LOS ANGELES -- Kim Kardashian West filed for divorce Friday from Kanye West after 6 1/2 years of marriage. Sources familiar with the filing but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that Kardashian filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court. The impending end of "Kimye" brings a close to one of the most famous celebrity unions of the 21st century, between a reality TV superstar and a hip hop and fashion mega-mogul. They have four young children: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. The two married in Italy in 2014. It was the first marriage for the 43-year-old West, and the third for the 40-year-old Kardashian. The couple began dating in 2012 and had their first child in 2013. West proposed later that year using the giant screen at the empty waterfront ballpark of the San Francisco Giants, and the two married May 24, 2014, in a ceremony at a Renaissance fortress in Florence, Italy. The beginning of the end of the marriage comes after the September announcement that the show that made her family's name, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," was coming to an end in 2021 after 14 years.

Manson in domestic violence probe

LOS ANGELES -- Detectives are investigating allegations of domestic violence against rocker Marilyn Manson. The incidents reportedly occurred between 2009 and 2011, when Manson lived in the city of West Hollywood. "Our people are just in the very beginning stages of an investigation into this," Lt. John Adams said. He would not describe the allegations or say when the woman came forward. Word of the investigation came less than three weeks after actor Evan Rachel Wood publicly accused Manson, her ex-fiance, of sexual and other physical abuse, alleging she was "manipulated into submission" during their relationship. In 2018, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file charges against Manson over allegations of assault, battery and sexual assault dating to 2011, saying they were limited by statutes of limitations and a lack of corroboration. The accuser in that case was identified only as a social acquaintance of Manson.

New damage at Japan nuke plant

TOKYO -- Cooling water levels have fallen in two reactors at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant since a powerful earthquake hit the area last weekend, indicating possible additional damage. New damage could further complicate the plant's already difficult decommissioning process, which is expected to take decades. Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Keisuke Matsuo said the drop in water levels in the Unit 1 and 3 reactors indicates that the existing damage to their primary containment chambers was worsened by Saturday's magnitude 7.3 quake, allowing more water to leak. The leaked water is believed to have remained inside the reactor buildings and there is no sign of any outside impact, he said. In 2011, a powerful magnitude 9.1 earthquake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima plant's cooling systems, causing three reactor cores to melt and nuclear fuel to fall to the bottom of their primary containment vessels. Since the 2011 disaster, cooling water has been escaping constantly from the damaged primary containment vessels into the basements of the reactor buildings. To make up for the loss, additional cooling water has been pumped into the reactors to cool the melted fuel remaining inside them. The recent decline in the water levels indicates that more water than before is leaking out, TEPCO said.

UN asks Emirates for proof of life

BERLIN -- The U.N. human rights office said Friday that it has asked the United Arab Emirates for evidence that an Emirati princess held against her will for almost three years is still alive. The Geneva-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the case of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum was raised with the UAE's mission to the U.N. on Thursday. Earlier this week the BBC released excerpts from video diaries Sheikha Latifa said were recorded in a locked bathroom inside the Dubai villa where she was being held. She was detained by commandos off the coast of India in 2018 after she tried to flee Dubai in a yacht. "We raised our concerns about the situation in light of the disturbing video evidence that emerged this week," Elizabeth Throssell, a spokeswoman for the U.N. rights office told reporters. "We requested more information and clarification about Sheikha Latifa's current situation." "We did ask for proof of life," she added. Friends of the princess have said say they are concerned for her safety because she hasn't been heard from since she stopped responding to text messages six months ago. The 35-year-old princess is the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the hereditary ruler of Dubai who also serves as prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates.

Disney World to celebrate 50th

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Walt Disney World in Florida turns 50 in October. To help celebrate, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will be wearing flashier threads and iconic structures such as the Cinderella Castle and the golf-ball-like Spaceship Earth are getting new lighting, Disney officials said Friday while unveiling the first details of how the massive theme park resort will mark its milestone anniversary. Plans for the 18-month celebration which starts in October are being made amid one of the toughest stretches the resort the size of the city of San Francisco has faced in its nearly 50 years. Last spring, Disney World closed for two months to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, leading to the temporary furlough of 43,000 workers. Last fall, the company announced layoffs for 28,000 workers from its parks division in Florida and California due to limits on attendance and other pandemic-related issues. Disney officials said last November that revenue at its parks, experiences and products business fell 61% to $2.6 billion. Before the pandemic, Disney World employed around 77,000 workers. "If ever the world needed some pixie dust and a little extra magic from our cast, that time is now -- and we hope you join us in the excitement," said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort.

US back in Paris climate pact

WASHINGTON -- World leaders welcomed the United States' official return to the Paris climate accord Friday, but politically trickier steps lie just ahead for President Joe Biden, including setting a tough national target in coming months for cutting damaging fossil fuel emissions. And even as Biden noted the country's first day back in the climate pact, the globe's dangerous warming was just one of a long list of urgent problems he raised in a video speech to European leaders on Friday, a month into his administration. Before bringing up climate issues, he touched on the global pandemic, sputtering national economies and tense relations with China, among other matters that threaten to impede and delay tackling the nation's status as the world's top carbon polluter after China. Biden said, "we can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change. This is a global existential crisis, and all of us will suffer if we fail."

Protests over delayed election

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Security forces in Somalia's capital fired on hundreds of people protesting the delay of the country's election on Friday as at least one explosion was reported at the international airport and armored personnel carriers blocked major streets. A protest leader said "some have died." The chaos occurred hours after gunfire erupted overnight near the presidential palace in a sharp escalation of political tensions in a country trying to rebuild after three decades of conflict. President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is under pressure as the Feb. 8 election date came and went without resolution of issues related to how the vote is conducted in the Horn of Africa nation.

Harry, Meghan won't be back

LONDON -- Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, will not be returning to royal duties, and Harry will give up his honorary military titles -- a decision that makes formal, and final, the couple's split from the royal family. When Harry and Meghan stepped away from full-time royal life in March 2020, unhappy at media scrutiny and the strictures of their roles, it was agreed the situation would be reviewed after a year. Now it has, and the palace said in a statement that the couple, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have verified "they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family. " It said Queen Elizabeth II had spoken to 36-year-old Harry and confirmed "that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family, it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service." The palace said Harry's appointment as captain general of the Royal Marines and titles with other military groups would revert to the queen before being distributed to other members of the family. Harry served in the British army for a decade, including on the front line in Afghanistan, and retains a close bond with the military. He founded the Invictus Games competition for wounded troops, which first was held in 2014 at London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Meghan, 39, will be stripped of her role as patron of Britain's National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. "While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family," the palace statement said.

Uber drivers to get benefits in UK

LONDON -- Uber drivers in Britain are entitled to benefits like paid holidays and minimum wage, the country's top court ruled Friday, in a decision that threatens the company's business model and holds broad implications for the gig economy. The ruling that the drivers should be classed as "workers" and not self-employed is a big defeat for the ride-hailing giant. And it could inspire similar legal action against other companies who rely on gig workers as well as influence courts in other countries grappling with the issue, experts said. The seven Supreme Court judges who heard the case unanimously rejected Uber's appeal against an employment tribunal ruling that two Uber drivers were "workers" under British law. Yaseen Aslam and James Farrar, the two drivers, cheered the outcome. "This ruling will fundamentally re-order the gig economy and bring an end to rife exploitation of workers by means of algorithmic and contract trickery," said James Farrar said by email. The pair took Uber to the tribunal in 2016, which ruled in their favor. The decision was upheld in two rounds of appeals before it arrived at the Supreme Court. San Francisco-based Uber, which has 65,000 active drivers and 5 million regular users in the U.K., had argued that Aslam and Farrar were independent contractors. The company said it respected the court's decision, which it argued focused on a small number of drivers who used the Uber app in 2016. "Since then we have made some significant changes to our business, guided by drivers every step of the way," Jamie Heywood, Uber's regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said in a statement. "These include giving even more control over how they earn and providing new protections like free insurance in case of sickness or injury." Heywood said the company would consult with its U.K. drivers to understand the changes they want. The ruling clarified that drivers are considered to be on the job when they are logged in to the Uber app in their territory and ready and willing to accept rides, which could be used to calculate minimum wage and holiday pay. Uber had argued that drivers were only working when they were making a journey with a paying passenger.

UK COVID-19 infections falling

LONDON -- Clear evidence emerged Friday that the rate of coronavirus infections across the U.K. is falling sharply, just days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlines a roadmap for potentially easing lockdown restrictions in England following the rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. The Office for National Statistics said one in 115 people tested positive for COVID-19 in England in the week to Feb. 12. In the previous week, the rate stood at one in 80.

Lawyer also tracked Sotomayor

WASHINGTON -- The lawyer who killed a federal judge's son and seriously wounded her husband at their New Jersey home last summer also had been tracking Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. U.S. District Judge Esther Salas said FBI agents discovered the information in a locker belonging to the lawyer, Roy Den Hollander. "They found another gun, a Glock, more ammunition. But the most troubling thing they found was a manila folder with a workup on Justice Sonia Sotomayor," Salas said in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes." The segment is scheduled for broadcast Sunday, but a portion of the interview aired Friday on "CBS This Morning." Authorities have said Den Hollander, a men's rights lawyer with a history of anti-feminist writings, posed as a FedEx delivery person and fatally shot 20-year-old Daniel Anderl and wounded his father, Mark Anderl, in July. Salas was in another part of the home at the time and was not injured. Den Hollander, 72, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound the day after the ambush. Authorities believe he also shot and killed a fellow attorney in California in the days before the attack at Salas' home.