Nation, world briefs 1/10/2016

Man charged in shooting of officer

PHILADELPHIA -- A man who investigators said claimed he shot and wounded a Philadelphia police officer in the name of Islam was charged Saturday with attempted murder. Edward Archer also was charged with aggravated assault, assault of a law-enforcement officer and several firearms crimes. He is being held without bail. Authorities said Archer, 30, of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, fired at least 13 shots at the officer as he patrolled his usual west Philadelphia beat shortly before midnight Thursday. They say Archer fired repeatedly as he raced toward the officer's car, then reached into the driver's side, still firing, hitting the officer three times. Officer Jesse Hartnett, although seriously wounded, was able to get out of his car, chase the man and return fire, wounding him in the buttocks, police said.

New York cop shot during large fight

NEW YORK -- Authorities say a New York City police officer was shot after exchanging gunfire with a suspect involved in a large fight. New York City Police commissioner William Bratton said 25-year-old officer Sherrod Stuart was shot in the ankle early Saturday morning, the day of his fourth anniversary with the department. Bratton said officers were responding to a fight after a large party in the Bronx about 2 a.m. Five people have been hospitalized with stab wounds. Bratton said a 19-year-old with a criminal history is in custody.

Protests erupt after sex assaults

COLOGNE, Germany -- Women's-rights activists, far-right demonstrators and left-wing counterprotesters took to the streets of Cologne on Saturday to voice their opinions after a string of New Year's Eve sexual assaults and robberies blamed largely on foreigners. Chancellor Angela Merkel's party proposed stricter laws regulating asylum-seekers in the country -- about 1.1 million of whom arrived last year. Police said about 1,700 protesters from the anti-Islam PEGIDA movement were kept apart from 1,300 counterdemonstrators during protests outside the city's main train station. PEGIDA members held banners with slogans such as "RAPEfugees not welcome" and "Integrate barbarity?" and counterprotesters pushed the message "refugees welcome." The attackers were among about 1,000 men at Cologne's central train station, some of whom surrounded women, groping them and stealing their purses, cellphones and other belongings, according to authorities and witnesses. There also were two allegations of rape.

Customer: Fingertip came with salad

PASO ROBLES, Calif. -- A pregnant California woman filed a claim that she found a bloody fingertip in a salad at an Applebee's restaurant in Paso Robles. Cathleen Martin of Atascadero said she was with her husband and child at the restaurant in December, and everyone ate from her Chinese chicken salad. Attorney Eric Traut of Santa Ana said the manager confirmed the fingertip belonged to a cook. An Applebee's spokesman said the cook has volunteered to undergo screening to confirm it. The claim is the precursor to a lawsuit.

-- From wire reports