Nation, world briefs 12/15/15

Bergdahl faces desertion charge

WASHINGTON -- Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held by the Taliban for five years and freed in exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay, will face charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy in a general court-martial, instead of a misdemeanor-level forum, the Army announced Monday. A date for an arraignment hearing at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will be announced later. Bergdahl's attorney, Eugene Fidell, said the convening authority -- a high-ranking officer charged with deciding whether evidence warrants a court-martial -- did not follow the advice of a preliminary hearing officer. Lt. Col. Mark Visger had recommended Bergdahl's case be referred to a special court martial, which is a misdemeanor-level forum. That limits the maximum punishment to reduction in rank, a bad-conduct discharge and a term of up to a year in prison.

Most drones will need registration

Spurred by reports of drones flying near jets and airports, the federal government will require the aircraft be registered to make it easier to identify owners and educate amateur aviators. The move, announced Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration, comes at a time when the agency is receiving more than 100 reports per month about drones flying near manned aircraft. The FAA prohibits drones and model airplanes from flying higher than 400 feet or within 5 miles of an airport. The FAA estimates 1.6 million small unmanned aircraft will be sold this year, with half during the last three months of the year. The drones must be marked with the owner's unique registration number. The FAA said that would let authorities find owners if they violate the rules.

Prosecutor: Teacher lied about IS attack

PARIS -- A preschool teacher who claimed to have been attacked by a masked assailant invoking Islamic State made up the story, French prosecutors said Monday. The attack reported Monday morning by the teacher set off a manhunt in the northern Paris suburb of Aubervilliers. Both the Paris prosecutor's office and the local prosecutor said the teacher was questioned Monday afternoon, and the story about the attack had been based on his testimony. The false report came as France remains under a state of emergency after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris by Islamic State-linked extremists that left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded.

Lawmakers tear-gas Kosovo Parliament

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Opposition lawmakers released tear gas Monday in Kosovo's parliament as they tried to pressure the government into renouncing deals with Serbia and Montenegro. Clouds of smoke from two tear-gas canisters forced lawmakers out of the chamber. The parliamentary session restarted in another room with most opposition lawmakers barred from entering. It had to be suspended temporarily again when another tear-gas canister was opened there, too, after four opposition lawmakers were let in. An opposition political party, the Alliance for Kosovo's Future, said one of its lawmakers, Pal Lekaj, was arrested.

-- From wire reports