■ United States
`Wild West' heist foiled
In a confrontation reminiscent of the Wild West, police shot and wounded a man who allegedly took over a freight train with a bow and arrow. Juventino Vallejo-Camerena boarded the Union Pacific train Sunday night as it was stopped for a signal and threatened the engineer and conductor, the only people on board. The crew members escaped and disabled the train by turning off fuel switches, then used a cell phone to call police. Vallejo-Camerena was aboard the train in western San Bernardino County when officers arrived. The man cocked the bow and pointed the arrow at officers, who opened fire. Vallejo-Camerena suffered minor gunshot wounds to his arm, was treated at a hospital, then booked into jail for investigation of train robbery, assault and resisting arrest.
■ Sweden
Academy member resigns
A member of the Swedish Academy, the body which awards the Nobel literature prize, said yesterday he was resigning in protest at last year's selection of Austrian Elfriede Jelinek. The resignation of Knut Ahnlund, a member of the academy since 1983, comes only days before the announcement of the winner of this year's prize. Ahnlund called Jelinek's work "parasitic" and without "a trace of artistic structure." "The 2004 Nobel prize has not only caused irreparable damage to all progressive forces, it has [also] confused the general view of literature as art," Ahnlund said. "After this I cannot even formally remain in the Swedish Academy."
■ United States
`Look and leave' Ninth Ward
Some residents of New Orleans' devastated Lower Ninth Ward will be allowed access to their homes today. Dogs are still being used in the area to check large piles of debris for bodies, and one part of the Ninth Ward is still flooded with about 30cm of water, Terry Ebbert, chief of emergency operations, said. "We're going to have re-entry for a `look and leave' into the Ninth Ward starting on Wednesday into those areas where we don't have the large debris fields," Ebbert said. Residents will be allowed to view their homes and salvage belongings, but cannot stay. Lower Ninth Ward residents are mostly poor and black.
■ Brazil
Amazon drought worst ever
Four Brazilian cities in the Amazon jungle state of Amazonas have been declared disaster areas as the worst drought in 60 years dries up rivers that thousands of families depend on to receive food and medicine, in Manaquiri, Atalaia do Norte, Anori and Caapiranga , where more than 42,000 people live. In Manaquiri, small rivers have all but disappeared. Drinking water has also become scarce. Workers have been sent to dig wells there. "The little water that exists in the rivers is polluted," an official said. The fires used to clear the forest have quickly evaporated the little rain that fell this year.
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