Nation, world briefs 7/20/15

Father is arrested after 4 bodies found

MODESTO, Calif. -- A man was arrested Sunday in the deaths of his daughter, two other girls and two women whose bodies were found in a California home, police said. Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves said Martin Martinez, 30, of Modesto, was detained in San Jose, California, early Sunday and booked into a Santa Clara County jail on suspicion of murder. Martinez had a past relationship with one of the women and is the father of one of the girls found dead Saturday afternoon. All the victims are related, and the children's ages range from 6 months to 6 years old, Graves said. Police aren't releasing information about a motive, cause of death or how long the three girls and two women had been dead when they were found, she said.

George H.W. Bush out of hospital

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine -- Former president George H.W. Bush was released from a Maine hospital Sunday, four days after the 91-year-old fell at his summer home and broke a bone in his neck. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said "a very grateful" Bush returned home to Kennebunkport from Maine Medical Center after treatment for a fractured vertebra. "He is in good enough condition that they can continue his recovery at home," McGrath said. Doctors say Bush didn't suffer nerve damage when he fell Wednesday. They said they anticipate the 41st president will recover fully in three or four months.

Japanese company apologizes to U.S. vets

A major Japanese corporation gave an unprecedented apology to a 94-year-old U.S. POW for using American prisoners of war for forced labor during World War II. At a solemn ceremony Sunday with U.S. and Japanese flags projected behind them, POW James Murphy accepted the apology from executives of Mitsubishi Materials. Murphy, who was forced to work in Mitsubishi copper mines under harsh conditions during the war, called the day glorious and historic and said the apology was sincere and remorseful. The event was hosted by the Museum of Tolerance at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. The Japanese government twice has apologized to U.S. POWs for subjecting them to forced labor during the war. But Sunday's apology was the first from a Japanese corporation, according to organizers.

Surfer fights off shark during contest

JOHANNESBURG -- Knocked off his board by an attacking shark, a surfer punched the creature during the televised finals of a world surfing competition in South Africa before escaping. Australian surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark Sunday during the JBay Open in Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape Province but escaped without injuries. On a video on the World Surf League's website, Fanning is seen knocked off his surfboard. As he scans the water, two fins appear, and he disappears under the surface. He next is seen furiously trying to swim to safety before a rescuer pulls him out of the water. Back on land and shaking his head in disbelief, Fanning told spectators he punched the shark.

-- From wire reports