Nation briefs 9/16/06

Woman accused in heist in Las Vegas surrenders

LAS VEGAS -- A woman on the FBI Most Wanted list accused in a $3.1 million armored truck heist surrendered Thursday after more than 10 years on the run. Heather Catherine Tallchief is accused of driving an armored truck loaded with cash away from the Circus Circus casino in October 1993. Speaking to reporters before she gave herself up, Tallchief, one of a handful of women ever on the FBI list, acknowledged her role. Her attorney said her boyfriend, also accused in the heist, "brainwashed" her into participating.

Ophelia soaks N.C.; no signs of severe flooding

NEW BERN, N.C. -- Hurricane Ophelia weakened slightly as it crawled along the North Carolina coast at a tortuously slow pace on Thursday, and early indications were that the storm had not caused the severe flooding many feared. The exposed Outer Banks islands of Ocracoke and Hatteras were still at risk as the storm paralleled the shore just to their east. There were no early reports of major damage, but thousands of homes and businesses had no electricity. Ophelia was expected to head back out into the open Atlantic late Thursday or early today after an anticipated 48-hour onslaught of lashing rain and wind.

Tijuana tries to make prostitution safer

TIJUANA, Mexico -- Tijuana is cracking down on prostitutes by requiring them to pass monthly exams to detect sexually transmitted diseases, part of new standards aimed at protecting them and their clients and putting unsafe brothels out of business. The regulations amount to an open, official acknowledgment of what has long been a fact of life in this Mexican border city. Before, the few standards that existed were unwritten, which authorities say made them difficult to enforce. They included requiring prostitutes to submit to regular health exams, including three AIDS tests a year. Inspectors will swipe the cards through hand-held devices to ensure women have passed monthly health exams. The city says it expects to begin issuing the cards later this month, although there's no prototype yet. Dr. Manuel Noriega, who runs the government clinic, says brothel owners have agreed to pay part of the cost. Also under the new standards, brothel owners must cover furniture with rubber or plastic, disinfect the surroundings periodically and change sheets regularly.

Soldier gets discharge, lowered rank for smuggling

FORT BLISS, Texas -- A soldier stationed in Colombia as part of the U.S. war on drugs pleaded guilty Thursday to participating in a scheme to smuggle cocaine into the United States using military planes. Army Staff Sgt. Kelvin Irizarry-Melendez pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wrongful importation of cocaine and a charge related to taking money to Colombia. The judge, Lt. Col. Jeffery Nance sentenced Irizarry-Melendez to six years, reduced his rank to private and ordered a dishonorable discharge. Under a plea deal, Irizarry-Melendez could have been sentenced to no more than 9 1/2 years.

Ohio parents claim cages were built for protection

CLEVELAND -- The parents under investigation for having some of their 11 adopted children sleep in cages defended their actions, saying the homemade "enclosures" were meant to protect youngsters who set fires and injured each other. Michael and Sharen Gravelle, of Wakeman, have denied abusing or neglecting the children, who are ages 1 to 14 and have conditions that include autism and fetal alcohol syndrome. No charges have been filed, and the children, whose situation was discovered last week, now are in foster care. A prosecutor on Thursday said he filed complaints earlier this week against the couple in order to remove the children from the home. A trial was set for Oct. 27 to determine if the removal was justified.

Kidnappers release child of Dutch multimillionaire

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Kidnappers released a Dutch multimillionaire's daughter unharmed, but it was unclear if any ransom was paid to the abductors, who had demanded 660 pounds of cocaine, police said Thursday. Claudia Melchers, 37, walked barefoot into a train station in the town of Arnhem on Wednesday night. Her appearance came 48 hours after two armed men gained entry into her Amsterdam apartment, bound her, bundled her into a plastic crate, and loaded her into a vehicle. "We don't know why she was released," said police commissioner Willem Woelders. He said as far as police know, no ransom was paid and the family didn't have any contact with the kidnappers.

Russia tests 24-hour English news channel

MOSCOW -- Russia launched experimental broadcasts Thursday of a 24-hour English-language satellite TV news channel aimed at polishing its image abroad and presenting foreign audiences with its view of the world. Boasting a staff of 344 people and $30 million earmarked from the state budget, Russia Today kicked off test broadcasts with a British anchor reading news against a pink-and-orange background and dozens of editors and producers busily working on their computers in spacious newsrooms. The channel will be broadcast in North America, Europe and Asia. The channel's founders say Russia Today aims to counter the often negative stereotypes of Russia created by foreign media and present a balanced view of this vast country of 143 million. Critics dismiss the project as Kremlin-funded propaganda launched at a time when President Vladimir Putin is coming under increasing criticism abroad for backsliding on democracy.

-- From wire reports