Drug cache found on trawler
Just over 2.7 tonnes of cocaine were discovered aboard a shrimp trawler off the Pacific coast of Chiapas, officials said on Sunday. The navy spotted the Juan Alejandro on Wednesday, and an inspection of the vessel led to the discovery of 3,100 packets of cocaine in a water reservoir, the Attorney General’s office said. The six-member crew was arrested.
■UNITED STATES
Bacon brings in the hogs
Jolee Bacon really sizzles when it comes to hog-calling. She took first place on Saturday in the competition at the Nez Perce County Fair in Lewiston, Idaho. She has raised several champion pigs for 4-H contests. Bacon says she calls pigs every morning and night with her nine-year-old daughter, Jacey. Bacon won the crown over as she started her hog call with a few loud snorts and a long, drawn-out “sooey.”
■HAITI
Mourning period declared
President Rene Preval announced three days of national mourning on Sunday for victims of four hurricanes and tropical storms that have ravaged the nation in recent months. He ordered the flags at government buildings to be flown at half-staff beginning yesterday, while national radio stations were to play somber music. The storms killed 326 people and caused millions of dollars in damage. “By observing the days of national mourning, we will honor the memory of these victims and express solidarity with their suffering family members,” Preval said.
■UNITED STATES
Stevens trial set to open
The corruption trial of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was scheduled to begin on Monday only steps from the US Capitol. Stevens, a Republican, is charged with lying in Senate financial disclosure records about hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and home renovations he received from VECO Corp. On Friday, he urged people to reserve judgment until all the evidence is in: “I have said I am innocent of the charges against me, and I think the trial will show that.” Stevens, 84, says he paid every bill he received and has pleaded not guilty to all seven counts. The senator has pushed to get his trial completed before Alaskans vote on Nov. 4 on his re-election. His trial is expected to last about a month.
■INDIA
Warner Bros loses suit
A New Delhi court yesterday dismissed a petition by Hollywood studio Warner Bros against the makers of Bollywood film Hari Puttar over its title, a lawyer for the Indian producers said. Warner Bros, which owns the rights to the hugely successful Harry Potter movies, took the producers to court over the film’s title, saying it sounded too similar to the name of their young wizard hero. “The case has been dismissed. The court said that Warner Bros had known the title of the film since 2005,” lawyer Pratibha Singh said. The film was due to open earlier this month, but its producers delayed its release due to the legal row. Hari Puttar, a comedy about a 10-year-old Indian boy whose family moves to England.
■UNITED STATES
Sharpton prays with inmate
Georgia death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis, who faces lethal injection today for the murder of a Savannah police officer, prayed with civil rights activist the Reverend Al Sharpton on Saturday night. Sharpton said Davis, 39, was “surprisingly upbeat.” Davis has claimed he is innocent in the shooting death of officer Mark MacPhail, who was killed on Aug. 19, 1989.
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