USA

Evidence suggests that the US Airways jetliner that ditched in the Hudson River Jan. 15 hit a soft body even though a visual inspection of the dented left engine, recovered Friday, found no organic matter. Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who was cheered Saturday as a hero in his hometown of Danville, Calif., said the plane hit a flock of birds after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport. Both engines will be torn down to search for organic material not apparent during visual inspection.

The US and Japan entered into closed-door negotiations over the weekend in Hawaii in a US-initiated effort to end a longstanding impasse over whaling limits, according to The Washington Post. The effort, the Post said, is aimed at allowing Japanese whaling in new areas in exchange for a commitment to scale back "scientific" whale hunts in the name of research.

Chrysler LLC should be able to repay government loans by springtime, a company spokesman said Saturday. The prediction was based on restructuring efforts, the introduction of new and improved vehicles, and higher sales due to loosened credit and sweetened incentives for buyers.

Alissa Czisny of Bowling Green, Ohio, won her first US women's figure skating title, in her eighth try, Saturday at the national championships in Cleveland. Above, Czisny is joined by silver medalist Rachael Flatt and bronze medalist Caroline Zhang.

The aunt of late Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh is being held without bail in Chandler, Texas, as an investigation into the stabbing death of Koresh's mother continues. The two women were the only ones in a home where deputies were called Friday. In 1993, a 51-day standoff with federal agents at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas, resulted in a fire that burned it to the ground and killed nearly 80 of Koresh's followers.

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 6.1 shook Alaska's Cook Inlet about 130 miles southwest of Anchorage on Saturday. There were no reports of damage.

Hall of Fame basketball coach Kay Yow, who battled illness for many years, died Saturday in Cary, N.C. She compiled a 737-344 record, mostly during 34 years guiding North Carolina State's women's team. She also coached the US squad to an Olympic gold medal in 1988.

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