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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Paula weakens on path to Cuba

Havana, Cuba – Hurricane Paula weakened Wednesday on a rain-drenching crawl toward the lush tobacco-growing farmlands of western Cuba, threatening to inundate an area still seeking to recover from three major hurricanes in 2008.

Paula remained a Category 1 storm Wednesday night with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It had been a Category 2 storm earlier in the day.

Getty Museum curator’s criminal trial in Italy ends

Rome – The groundbreaking criminal trial of former Getty Museum antiquities curator Marion True ended in a bureaucratic whimper Wednesday when the judged ended the proceedings, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired on the criminal charges that she had conspired to traffic in looted art.

True was charged by an Italian prosecutor in 2005, marking the first time an American museum official had been criminally charged by a foreign government.

True’s co-defendant Giacomo Medici was convicted on related charges. Robert Hecht, another co-defendant, remains on trial as the alleged head of the conspiracy.

Jonas Brothers cancel Mexico concert

Mexico City – Disney stars the Jonas Brothers have canceled a concert scheduled in the Mexican city of Monterrey because of security concerns.

Concert promoter Live Nation says the Oct. 21 concert was canceled due to “a series of unfortunate events” in Monterrey.

Monterrey is Mexico’s richest city and long one of its safest, but a wave of drug violence has shocked residents. More than 400 people have been killed this year in the state of Nuevo Leon.