New York: Killer of abortion doctor gets maximum sentence

Anti-abortion extremist James Kopp was sentenced in Buffalo to 25 years to life Friday for the sniper slaying of a doctor, declaring without a trace of remorse: “I wish I could do 10 life sentences or 10 death penalties” to save the unborn.

Kopp, 48, received the maximum for the 1998 murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian, 52, an obstetrician-gynecologist and father of four who was cut down by a bullet that came through his kitchen window.

Kopp, a militant known in anti-abortion circles as “Atomic Dog,” told the judge he did not intend to kill Slepian but would do it again.

Washington, D.C.: Former senator dies

Sen. Russell B. Long, a Louisiana Democrat who greatly influenced the nation’s tax laws during more than 32 years in the Senate, died Friday night. He was 84.

Long was brought to George Washington University Hospital by paramedics and was pronounced dead about 15 minutes later, said hospital spokeswoman Marti Harris. She did not disclose the cause of death.

Long was the only person ever preceded in the U.S. Senate by both parents. His father, the legendary Huey P. Long, was assassinated during his Senate term in 1935; Rose McConnell Long served out the remainder of her husband’s term.

Russell Long was first elected in 1948. He retired in 1986 to a Virginia farm and did some lobbying work.

India: Air-to-air missile tested

India test-fired a new air-to-air missile Friday, just before a U.S. diplomat came to New Delhi hoping to improve relations between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan.

The test came even as the two countries already have embarked on a detente. On Thursday, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said India was seeking friendship with its neighbor but would move cautiously toward restoring relations.

The Astra missile tested Friday has a striking range of 15 to 25 miles, the Defense Ministry said. It was fired from Chandipur, in the east coast state of Orissa.

India has said it has a fixed schedule of missile tests and routinely denies they are connected to other events.

Germany: Second 9-11 suspect charged

Prosecutors on Friday charged a Moroccan friend of 9-11 suicide pilot Mohamed Atta as an accessory in the attacks, the second suspected member of the al-Qaida cell in Hamburg to be indicted in Germany.

Abdelghani Mzoudi, 30, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. He was also charged with belonging to a terrorist organization.

Mzoudi has denied any involvement in the attacks, saying that although he knew Atta and others in the cell he knew nothing of their plans. He was arrested in Hamburg on Oct. 10 after a yearlong investigation.

In a statement, prosecutors in Berlin said Mzoudi was accused of providing logistical support for the Hamburg cell and helping its members pass for students to elude authorities. He was charged with 3,066 counts of accessory to murder and membership in a terrorist organization.