PHOENIX — A nun and administrator at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix has been reassigned and rebuked by the local bishop for agreeing that a severely ill woman needed an abortion to survive. The Arizona Republic reports that Sister Margaret McBride was on an ethics committee that included doctors that consulted with the young woman who was 11 weeks pregnant late last year. The woman was suffering from a life-threatening condition that would likely have caused her death if she hadn’t had the abortion at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. Hospital officials confirmed that McBride has been reassigned from her job as vice president of mission integration at the hospital.
New York: Taxi fare scams
Hundreds of New York City cab drivers accused of repeatedly overcharging passengers will face a special tribunal. The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission on Friday issued the results of a monthlong probe into data revealing elevated meter-based charges over the past two years. The agency said 88 drivers each overcharged clients at least 500 times, while 545 more did so 50 to 499 times. Some could lose their licenses, while others with up to 49 overcharges face fines of as much as $5,000.
Hawaii: Stun gun on plane
A Japanese man has been arrested after he allegedly tried to board a Honolulu-to-Tokyo flight with a stun gun in his carry-on bag. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court charges Hiroki Suzuki with carrying a concealed dangerous weapon while attempting to board All Nippon Airways Flight 1051 on Friday. An affidavit said Suzuki hid the stun gun in a small black canvas pouch in his carry-on bag. Suzuki allegedly told FBI agents he bought the stun gun in Japan about a year ago for his personal protection.
Florida: Handgun in baggage
A Florida woman has been arrested after authorities say security screeners found a handgun in her carry-on bag at St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport. Authorities said Kristy Louise Grove, of Fort Myers Beach, was ready to board her flight to Chattanooga, Tenn., Saturday morning when the weapon was found. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said Grove told deputies she had forgotten the gun was in her bag. She was charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
Netherlands: Survivor home
The 9-year-old Dutch boy who miraculously survived a plane crash in Libya returned to the Netherlands aboard an airborne ambulance Saturday and was whisked away to a hospital in his hometown, where he must begin to rebuild his life without his parents or brother. Ruben van Assouw was the sole survivor, pulled unconscious from the wreckage of an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus jetliner that plunged into the desert less than a mile from the runway in Tripoli on Wednesday, killing 103 people. A statement by close relatives said the extended family will care for Ruben.
Russia: Weapons for Syria
The head of Russia’s arms-trading agency said the nation has signed contracts to deliver fighter jets, air defense systems and armored vehicles to Syria. Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation chief Mikhail Dmitriyev said Russia will sell MiG-29 fighter jets, Pantsyr short-range air defense systems and armored vehicles. Previous Russian sales of advanced anti-tank missiles and other weapons to Syria have irked Israel, which said that some landed in the hands of the militant group Hezbollah.
Suriname: Antonov crashes
A small plane crashed in rough weather Saturday in the South American country of Suriname and all eight people aboard are feared dead, officials said. The crash occurred in a thick forest about 200 miles southeast of the capital of Paramaribo, the Air Traffic Services director said. The search for the captain, co-pilot and six passengers will not begin until this morning, he said. The twin-engine Antonov was operated by Surinamese carrier Blue Wing airlines. Blue Wing reported a similar crash two years ago involving the same model.
Mexico: Ambush kills eight
Authorities said gunmen opened fire on a bar in the city of Torreon. Eight people are dead and 20 wounded. Coahuila state prosecutors said at least six gunmen arrived before dawn Saturday at a bar that was being inaugurated in the city of Torreon and started shooting. Drug-related violence in Mexico has claimed more than 22,700 lives President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown against drug traffickers in December 2006.
From Herald news services
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