Ex-astronaut apologizes to other woman in court

Ex-astronaut apologizes
to other woman in court

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lisa Nowak faced her romantic rival in court Friday during a tense day in the NASA love triangle case that was capped with the ex-astronaut apologizing to the other woman for “frightening her in any way.” It was their first exchange of words and looks since Nowak was arrested and charged with trying to pepper spray and kidnap Colleen Shipman after a frantic 1,000-mile drive to confront her over their shared feelings for another astronaut. “The past six months have been very difficult for me, my family and others close to me,” a halting Nowak said after a five-hour hearing in which her lawyers sought to remove the ankle bracelet that tracks her movements and block some of the evidence collected during her arrest. “I know that it must have also been very hard for Colleen Shipman, and I would like her to know how very sorry I am about having frightened her in any way and about the subsequent public harassment that has besieged all of us.”

NASA finds cracks in
insulation on other tanks

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA said Friday that cracks have been found in the insulation of all three space shuttle fuel tanks slated to fly in coming months and could be the reason a chunk of foam debris broke off during Endeavour’s launch. The debris gashed the belly of the shuttle but ultimately didn’t threaten the spacecraft during its recent mission. But NASA wants to prevent that from happening again, and officials outlined their repair plan Friday. The new cracks were found in a layer of insulating cork that lies beneath the foam insulation on fuel tank brackets. Officials said both the cork and foam will be removed and then only new foam will be sprayed on before the next shuttle flight. Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said the extra work should not delay Discovery’s planned liftoff, currently targeted for Oct. 23. However, “We will take the amount of time that we need to get this repair done properly, and we will not rush,” he said.

Man sentenced to death
for raping and killing girl

INVERNESS, Fla. — A convicted sex offender was sentenced to death Friday for kidnapping 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, raping her and burying her alive in his yard. John Evander Couey looked straight ahead as Circuit Judge Ric Howard told him he should be executed for the 2005 crimes that led to new laws in many states cracking down on convicted sex offenders. Sheriff’s deputies hustled the handcuffed inmate out of the crowded courtroom. The girl’s father, Mark Lunsford, teared up as he listened to the judge read a detailed history of the case for nearly an hour. He hugged relatives after the sentence was read. Outside court, Lunsford had a message for Couey: “Skip all these appeals. Take your punishment. Stand up and be a man.” The jury that convicted Couey in March recommended 10-2 that he die for his crimes, but the decision was left to Judge Howard.

Georgian forces fired at
Russian plane, official says

TBILISI, Georgia — Georgian forces fired on a Russian plane flying over Georgian territory earlier this week, a government official said Friday, claiming residents nearby reported an explosion and fire afterward. Russia immediately denied the claim. The dispute came amid heated disagreement between the ex-Soviet neighbors over Georgian accusations of airspace violations by Russian military aircraft. “The day before yesterday, at 22:24 hours, a Russian plane was fired at over Upper Abkhazia,” Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told The Associated Press. He stressed that Georgian authorities could not confirm that the plane crashed but said residents of the remote area reported hearing an explosion and seeing forest land burning. Russia’s Defense Ministry said no Russian military planes were flying in the area at the time, RIA-Novosti news agency reported.

4 Palestinians killed
in clashes with Israel

NABLUS, West Bank — An Israeli raid in search of militants in a West Bank village Friday sparked a firefight that left two Palestinians dead, including an 11-year-old boy, Palestinian officials said. Mahmoud Ibrahim Karnawi, 11, was shot after Israeli troops moved into Saida village in the northern West Bank, witnesses said. They said the troops were trying to arrest his older half-brother, a wanted Islamic Jihad militant. A gunfight erupted as they approached the family’s home. Neighbors said the boy was inside and was hit in the crossfire. Hospital officials said an Islamic Jihad militant not related to the boy also was killed. A member of the Israeli paramilitary border police was lightly wounded and treated at the scene, the army said. In Gaza, meanwhile, the army said it killed two Palestinian militants who fired at soldiers on the Israeli side of the border.

Associated Press