Briefs package

WASHINGTON

Flight diverted after teen dies

A Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Atlanta was diverted Saturday morning to Spokane International Airport after a 16-year-old boy died on board. Airport spokesman Todd Woodard said the teen suffered a medical emergency on Flight 128 and died, reportedly of natural causes. Delta spokesman Michael Thomas said there were 258 passengers on the Boeing 767. Some passengers were rebooked onto other flights. Delta flew in another crew Saturday afternoon to fly the remaining passengers to Atlanta.

NEW JERSEY

Pearl Harbor tweet draws apology

Campbell Soup apologized Saturday for a tweet by its SpaghettiOs brand that marked the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks with a picture of its smiling mascot jauntily holding an American flag. The Twitter account for the canned pasta brand had sent the message Friday night asking its followers to “Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us.” The cartoon mascot, drawn to look like an O-shaped noodle, sported orange sneakers and was licking his lip, with one hand on his hip. A representative for Campbell Soup Co., which owns SpaghettiOs, said Saturday that the message had been deleted.

MEXICO

Panel proposes opening oil fields

A senate committee on Saturday proposed the most dramatic oil reform in decades that would open the country’s beleaguered, state-run sector to private companies and investment. The Senate proposal would allow the government to grant contracts and licenses for exploration and extraction of oil and gas to multinational giants such as Exxon or Chevron, something that is now prohibited under Mexico’s constitution. It also says that contracts could be made directly with the state, rather than issued by the state-run oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, ending its monopoly on Mexican oil. The proposal gets official committee consideration today.

ROMANIA

Chevron suspends gas exploration

U.S. oil company Chevron has suspended exploration for shale gas in northeastern Romania after hundreds of anti-fracking protesters tore down fences. Chevron won approval to drill exploratory wells in the town of Pungesti, but halted work for a second time Saturday after residents blocked access to the site. Hundreds of riot police couldn’t prevent residents from demolishing fences and breaking into the site. Dozens were detained and 14 were charged with destruction of property and carrying knives.

EGYPT

Court cuts Islamist women’s sentences

Egyptian authorities released two dozen Islamist women and girls Saturday convicted for staging a street protest after an appeals court reduced their harsh penalties, including prison terms of 11 years, to suspended sentences. The 21 defendants, who included seven teenagers, were held in custody for over a month. The 14 women, most in their 20s, were originally sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted in connection to an Oct. 31 protest in support of ousted President Mohammed Morsi.

OKLAHOMA

Earthquake rattles central Oklahoma

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake in central Oklahoma shook residents Saturday, just weeks after the two-year anniversary of the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the state. The earthquake was centered near Arcadia, about 14 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, and was about 5 miles deep, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Keli Cain said no injuries or damage were reported.

WASHINGTON

Ex-aide gets health-care call

President Barack Obama is bringing a former top aide with deep ties to Congress back to the White House to help get his health care overhaul back on track after a bungled rollout. Officials say Phil Schiliro, who as Obama’s top liaison to Capitol Hill helped push the Affordable Care Act through Congress, is taking on a short-term assignment to help coordinate policy surrounding the law. He’ll work with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, other agencies and members of Congress.

GREECE

Lawmakers pass 2014 budget

Greek lawmakers passed the government’s 2014 budget, which forecasts a return to growth after six consecutive years of deep recession, but its revenue and spending targets have been contested by the country’s creditors who have provided more than 240 billion euros ($329 billion) in bailout aid since 2010 to keep heavily indebted Greece from going bankrupt. As expected, the government coalition of conservatives and socialists held up in the Saturday night vote, with 153 lawmakers in the 300-member parliament voting for the budget and 142 voting against.