Kansas

Stovall reveals wedding plans

Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall, who recently pulled out of the Republican race for the governor’s office, on Wednesday announced her plans to marry.

Stovall, 45, said she would marry Larry Steckline, 60, over Labor Day weekend. The Aug. 31 wedding will be in St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Grand Lake, Okla.

Stovall said her decision to drop out of the governor’s race April 15 was partly based on her marriage plans. “I like to think I would have had the courage to get out of the race,” she said. “It wasn’t right for me, even before Larry. It just became more obvious once we started dating.”

West Bank

Compromise reached on Church of the Nativity

Israel and the Palestinians agreed to move all but 13 Palestinians from the embattled Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem sometime early today, an Israeli official said.

A group of 26 suspected gunmen was going to Gaza and about 80 civilians inside would be freed, said Israeli army Capt. Jacob Dallal. Thirteen other suspected militants, slated for deportation, would be left behind in the church for now, he said.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer was discussing the fate of the 13 most wanted with Javier Solana of the European Union.

Washington, D.C.

Military commander chosen

Air Force Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart is President Bush’s choice to head the new military command charged with defending American territory, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday.

The four-star general has been serving as commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD in charge of defending U.S. and Canadian airspace and Space Command, responsible for defending U.S. interests in space.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would head Northern Command, which will begin in October to coordinate the military’s land, air and sea response to threats to the United States, Canada, Mexico and part of the Caribbean.

Florida

Navy jets crash in Gulf

Two Navy jets crashed Wednesday into the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission. Seven crew members are missing.

The twin-engine planes went down about 40 miles south of Pensacola.

Three Coast Guard helicopters and a cutter were searching for the missing crew.

Netherlands

Environmental activist charged in assassination

An environmentalist and animal rights activist was charged Wednesday with murdering a popular anti-immigration politician. Authorities said they were baffled by the assassination of Pim Fortuyn.

Fortuyn traveled the campaign trail with his two King Charles spaniels and environmental issues were not mentioned in his party’s platform.

Prosecutors also brought a charge of illegal possession of weapons against Volkert van der Graaf.

Conviction on the murder charge would carry a maximum 20-year sentence.