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Columbia University student among 5 victims identified in deadly New York tour bus crash

Police identified the five people who were killed in a tour bus crash in western New York on Friday.
New York State Police said in a news release on Saturday that Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India; Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey; Columbia University student Xie Hongzhuo, 22, of Beijing, China; Zhang Xiaolan, 55 of Jersey City, New Jersey; and Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City, died in the crash.
Columbia University said in a statement Saturday: “We are devastated by the death of one of our students, Xie Hongzhuo, in the tragic bus accident near Buffalo on Friday.”
“This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community. We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support,” the statement continued, noting counseling services are available to students. “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy.”
The tour bus, which was traveling from Niagara Falls to New York City, careened out of control and fell on its side along an interstate parkway near Buffalo around 12:45 p.m. Friday.
The bus was carrying 54 people, including the driver and a tour guide. Some of the occupants were ejected from and trapped under the bus, according to authorities.
Dozens of the occupants were hospitalized for their injuries, including several children.
Erie County Medical Center, where 21 passengers were hospitalized for injuries, said that 14 patients remain at the hospital as of Saturday afternoon, but remain in stable condition.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve any other vehicles.
However, they said on Friday they believe the driver, Bin Shao, 55 of Flushing, New York, “became distracted, lost control, and overcorrected.” Shao “had no signs of impairment and the tour bus had no mechanical failure,” according to the news release.
Authorities added that the bus was at “full speed” during the crash, but did not specify how fast the vehicle was driving. The I-90 has a speed limit of 65 mph.
It does not appear that the driver has been accused of or charged with any crimes.
A National Transportation Safety Board team was launched Friday to investigate the crash. The scope of the investigation will include the crash site, the mechanical condition of the bus, highway design, and the driver — including fatigue distraction and qualifications.
At a Saturday news conference the NTSB asked witnesses or anyone with video footage to contact the agency.
The tour company operating the vehicle, M&Y Tour Inc. of Staten Island, has not returned requests for comment.
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Trump ally Charlie Kirk reported shot at Utah college event

Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas.
John Locher | AP
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was reportedly shot on Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University.
“What we know currently is that Charlie Kirk was about 20 minutes into his presentation when we heard shots fired from a nearby building and to the best of our knowledge he was hit and taken with his security team away from the premises, and the courtyard was cleared,” a UVU spokeswoman said.
The university said at least one shot was fired at Kirk.
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote.
FBI Director Kash Patel said, “We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.”
“Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response,” Patel said.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
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Travis Kelce explains ‘frustrating’ collision that resulted in Xavier Worthy injury

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce detailed the “frustrating” play in which he collided with Xavier Worthy and sent the wide receiver to the sideline for the majority of the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers on Wednesday’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast.
“I’m supposed to be running my route at depth for Worthy,” Kelce said. “I was trying to kind of set up my guy to be able to get into position, and it all just happened pretty quick. I just got to be better, man. I’m 13 years in the league, there’s no excuse for me running into my own guys like that.”
Kelce said Worthy “had his guy beat” and if the collision hadn’t happened, “the game starts completely different.” Worthy was ruled out with a right shoulder injury shortly after the play. The Chiefs never led the Chargers in the 27-21 defeat in Brazil on Friday.
“(Worthy’s) one of our best players, he’s going to take that step to be one of the best receivers in the National Football League, and I run into him and all of a sudden one of the biggest pieces of the game plan is out of the game,” Kelce said. “One of the fastest guys in the league — speed kills in this league — now they (the Chargers) don’t have to worry about that.”
On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid said neither surgery nor injured reserve — which would keep Worthy out for at least four weeks — is being considered. Reid said Worthy would not participate in practice on Wednesday and his status is day to day.
“Those two won’t practice today,” Reid said Wednesday, referring to Worthy and rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals. “Both are doing better. They’re working on it and making progress, but not ready to go today for sure.”
Earlier this week, Reid said, “As far as injuries go, I know Xavier’s (Worthy) the big question, and he’s rehabbing and working his shoulder. We’ll just see where it goes.”
Worthy was the Chiefs’ leading receiver last year as a rookie. He entered 2025 as the Chiefs’ top option, especially with Rashee Rice serving a six-game suspension for this role in a March 2024 high-speed crash. Kelce said he owes Worthy “big time,” and he could “barely even f—ing play the rest of that first half.”
“I literally took one of my players out. That’s one of the most frustrating parts, and it’s hard to get your juices back going knowing you just hurt a guy,” Kelce said. “It’s a frustrating way to start out the season. It’s a frustrating way to start out the game. You can take some good from that second half, but at the end of the day, man, we just got to be able to win up front, be accountable on the back end and be able to start fast and finish stronger.”
On Sunday, the Chiefs host the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl LIX.
(Photo: Amanda Perobelli / Reuters via Imagn Images)
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Prince Harry meets King Charles for first time in over a year

Prince Harry has met his father King Charles at Clarence House in London for the first time since February 2024.
It is understood the King had a private tea with his son during a 55-minute meeting this afternoon.
The King travelled down to London from Scotland on Wednesday afternoon – and Prince Harry has been in the UK this week for charity events.
There had been no face to face meeting between father and son since February 2024, with Prince Harry telling a BBC interview in May 2025: “I would love a reconciliation with my family.”
The meeting will be seen as a first step in improving relations between father and son and building trust in what has been a sometimes tense relationship.
The last time that father and son met were together was soon after the King’s cancer diagnosis last year, with Prince Harry flying to the UK for a brief meeting.
There have been visits to the UK by Prince Harry since then, including for court cases, but he had not seen his father, in what had seemed a deep family rift.
Prince Harry arrived back in the UK on Monday and has carried out a series of charity events in London and Nottingham – against a background of questions about whether there would be a meeting with his father.
He will be leaving the UK on Thursday, returning to the US to see Meghan and their children, who did not come on this trip.
Prince Harry has previously voiced his frustration at not being able to talk to his father, particularly when there were concerns about the King’s health.
“There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” Harry said in his BBC interview.
The apparent meeting between the King and Prince Harry comes after rumours of efforts to resolve the family divide.
Representatives of Prince Harry and Buckingham Palace had been photographed together in a meeting in London in July, producing newspaper headlines about a “peace summit”.
But there have been no signs of Prince Harry meeting Prince William during this week, with the brothers carrying out separate arrangements.
On Monday, Prince Harry had laid a wreath at the grave of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her death.
Less than 10 miles away, Prince William and Catherine had attended a Women’s Institute meeting honouring the memory of the late Queen.
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