Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Unification Church leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon speaks during a rally in New York in 2005.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • A swing and a #@%$! 7/20/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008 Nation, World Briefs: Cooler weather assists firefighters in California SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Cooler weather has allowed fire crews to corral most of the wildfires across California, but a handful of stubborn, hard-to-reach mountain blazes Saturday were still keeping residents from their homes. Firefighters were trying to stop a fire in the Shasta Trinity National Forest from spreading to the rural town of Junction City, where an evacuation order was issued for some residents on Friday. Mandatory evacuations remained Saturday for areas of Junction City because of a wildfire that has charred nearly 82 square miles in the far northern part of the state. The blaze was 45 percent contained. Measure would protect hookers A measure that aims to keep prostitutes from facing criminal charges has qualified for the November ballot in San Francisco. The measure would bar authorities from spending money to investigate or prosecute people for engaging in prostitution. The measure, which qualified Friday, would also end a local program that allows those caught soliciting a prostitute for the first time to avoid charges if they attend a class and pay a fine. The Erotic Service Providers Union recently gathered the 12,000 signatures necessary to put the measure on the ballot. Illinois: Airliner slides off runway A Mexicana Airlines jet overshot a runway while landing at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Friday night and struck a safety barrier, injuring a flight attendant, authorities said. Flight 802, an Airbus A320, was arriving from Mexico City just after 7 p.m. when it was stopped by a barrier of lightweight, crushable concrete blocks, authorities said. The safety barrier, known as an arrestor bed, was specifically installed to stop planes that overshoot runways, a Department of Aviation spokeswoman said. Nevada: Hells Angel surrenders A fugitive Hells Angel wanted on murder charges stemming from a 2002 biker gang melee has surrendered to federal authorities. Prosecutors said Frederick Donahue of Rodeo, Calif., turned himself in earlier this month. He appeared Friday in a Las Vegas courtroom where his trial was scheduled for Sept. 8. The 43-year-old motorcycle gang member vanished after indictments were handed down in the deadly brawl inside Harrah's hotel-casino in Laughlin, Nev. Texas: Slim suspect slips away A man charged with murder escaped from jail early Saturday by climbing through an air conditioner vent, authorities said. The vent was less than a foot wide, and authorities said Darryl Layne Norris, 26, had been losing weight since arriving at the Waller County Jail in April. "We just found out he's been slimming down a lot recently," the Waller County sheriff said. The jail noticed the 6-foot, 160-pound man was missing after performing a routine head count. S. Korea: Rev. Moon hurt in crash A helicopter carrying the Rev. Sun Myung Moon crashed into a mountainside Saturday as it attempted an emergency landing, injuring the founder of the Unification Church and 15 others, officials said. Moon, 88, was slightly injured in the crash, a hospital official said. Members of Moon's family, including his wife, were also hurt, and one person suffered a serious back injury, a fire official said. The S-92 helicopter was carrying 16 people, including 13 church members, when it crashed and burst into flames, the transportation ministry said. Iraq: Five-star hotel in Green Zone Iraqi officials say they have approved plans to build a five-star hotel in the Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone. Iraq's National Investment Commission says land for the project is being leased by the Summit Global Group, a U.S.-based investment company. The head of Summit Global, said the 300-room hotel will cost $100 million. He said American and Iraqi investors are involved in the project. Brazil: Stolen Picasso recovered Police have arrested a suspect in the heist of two Pablo Picasso prints from a museum in Sao Paulo and recovered one of the works, police and a museum official said Saturday. An inspector said information obtained through wiretaps of gang members involved in unrelated robberies led police to Ueslei Barros, the suspect in the July robbery. Barros led police to one stolen Picasso print, "The Painter and the Model," hidden in an attic of a building on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, the inspector said. Nepal: Bus plunges into river Police say a bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a river in central Nepal, killing 14 passengers and leaving several more missing. A police official said the bus fell in the river just after midnight Saturday in Khare Khola, about 100 miles west of the capital, Katmandu. Police and soldiers were searching the river for bodies but the river is flooded with monsoon rain, making their work difficult. Another 29 people injured in the accident have been taken to a hospital. From Herald news services

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