Giuliani supports move of mosque

Giuliani supports move of mosque

NEW YORK

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Thursday joined a growing number of politicians supporting a move of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near ground zero to state-owned land farther from the Sept. 11 attack site.

Giuliani, who led New Yorkers through Sept. 11 and its aftermath and whose opinion on the mosque could carry considerable clout, made his comments as the imam leading plans for the community center toured the Middle East promoting religious tolerance.

Report: FAA to hit airline with big fine

FORT WORTH, Texas

A published report says federal officials are ready to hit American Airlines with a record penalty of $25 million or more for maintenance shortcomings that led to thousands of canceled flights in 2008.

The Wall Street Journal said in a story for today’s editions that the Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t made a final decision or informed American, and a decision could be weeks away.

Saudi judge mulls paralysis penalty

CAIRO

A Saudi judge has asked several hospitals in the country whether they could damage a man’s spinal cord as punishment after he was convicted of attacking another man with a cleaver and paralyzing him, the brother of the victim said Thursday.

Abdul-Aziz al-Mutairi, 22, was left paralyzed and subsequently lost a foot after a fight more than two years ago. He asked a judge in northwestern Tabuk province to impose an equivalent punishment on his attacker under Islamic law, his brother Khaled al-Mutairi told The Associated Press by telephone from there.

He said one of the hospitals responded that it is possible to damage the spinal cord but that the operation would have to be done at a more-specialized facility. Saudi newspapers reported that a second hospital in the capital Riyadh declined, saying it could not inflict such harm.

Jean, Preval meet

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

Haitian President Rene Preval met with presidential hopeful Wyclef Jean for more than two hours Thursday, touching off a new round of speculation as to whether the singer will be allowed to run in Nov. 28 elections.

The singer and several dozen other presidential hopefuls are scheduled to find out today if the country’s electoral council allows them to run for office.

Ex-soldier jailed in theft of rare eggs

LONDON

A former special-forces soldier was jailed Thursday for attempting to sneak out of Britain with a stash of 14 rare peregrine-falcon eggs hidden in socks strapped to his body.

Jeffrey Lendrum, 48, was trying to get to Dubai, where falconry is a national sport and such eggs can fetch $11,000 each on the black market. He was caught when a cleaner spotted him behaving suspiciously in a business-class lounge at Birmingham International Airport on May 3.

Threat grounds jet

SAN FRANCISCO

A hijack threat halted an American Airlines flight just before takeoff Thursday, leaving the New York-bound jet sitting on the tarmac for several hours while it was searched and passengers were removed for extra scrutiny.

The FBI later determined that the telephoned threat wasn’t credible, but in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and a series of airline scares in the past year, the incident still rattled nerves as it played out live on national TV.

Police were investigating who called in the hijacking threat and what his motivation might have been.

Associated Press