Man drowns while taking birthday bet

Man drowns while taking birthday bet

dania beach, fla.

Authorities say a South Florida man who bet $50 that he could swim across a canal behind his house drowned while attempting the feat.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that Timothy Jordan of Dania Beach had been celebrating his birthday when he announced the bet. He would have turned 46 on Tuesday.

Deputies say Jordan was drunk when he stripped down to his boxer shorts and jumped into the canal. He made it about halfway across when he started struggling.

Divers recovered his body just after 4 a.m.

Pakistani minister gives his resignation

islamabad

Pakistan’s federal minister for defense production resigned after being summoned by the prime minister to explain comments he made criticizing the army and accusing it of killing prominent politicians.

Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi accused the army of killing several high-profile Pakistani figures, including former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and ethnic Baluch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani later summoned Jatoi to explain his comments. He told reporters Sunday the minister made his statements “in his personal capacity, and within five or six hours, he resigned.”

Malfunctioning plane lands in NYC

new york

With a flight attendant yelling “heads down, stay down,” passengers cowered and prayed on a tense descent into John F. Kennedy International Airport as malfunctioning landing gear sent sparks flying and left one of the plane’s wings dragging along the tarmac.

No one was hurt Saturday evening when Delta Connection Flight 4951, operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, made its emergency landing on its way to White Plains, N.Y., from Atlanta, said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman.

All 60 passengers exited safely, said Atlantic Southeast Airlines spokesman Jarek Beem. The airline was working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the landing-gear problem, he said.

Leader: Colbert was ‘an embarrassment’

washington

The House’s No. 2 Democratic leader said Sunday that comedian Stephen Colbert’s testimony last week on immigration was “an embarrassment.”

Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California invited Colbert to appear before the House Judiciary Committee.

The committee chairman, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., asked Colbert to leave because the comedian had no expertise in farm-labor issues or immigration policy.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland told “Fox News Sunday” he thought the episode was more of an embarrassment to Colbert than to the House.

Venezuela election too close to call early

caracas, venezuela

Venezuelans turned out in force Sunday to elect all 165 members of the National Parliament as President Hugo Chavez and a revitalized opposition struggle for control of the legislature.

Polls closed at 6:30 p.m. EST and results were expected early today.

Analysts have said the election is too close to call and could hinge on the one-third of voters who went to the voting booth undecided.

Combined dispatches