Mafia fugitive nabbed
Police captured one of Sicily’s top Mafia fugitives Sunday, dealing a stiff blow to the island’s Cosa Nostra crime syndicate, Italian officials said. Convicted mobster Domenico Raccuglia, who had been on the run for 15 years, faces several life sentences for crimes, including the murder of a rival’s 9-year-old son, whose body was thrown into a vat of acid.
192 killed by floods
Salvadoran authorities say at least 192 people were killed by floods and landslides that swept through the country last week. El Salvador’s Civil Protection agency said 89 of the victims were killed in the state of San Vicente, where days of heavy rains caused mud and boulders to sweep down the side of a volcano.
Clinton: No run for governor
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is waving off rumors she is considering a run for governor of New York. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani says he hasn’t decided whether he’ll run. Clinton told ABC’s “This Week” she is committed to her duties as secretary of state. Giuliani says he’ll decide soon whether to make a bid for governor.
Madoff items hot
Bernard and Ruth Madoff’s belongings fetched several times their estimated values at a New York auction over the weekend for a total of about $1 million. The fallen financier’s blue satin New York Mets jacket with his surname stitched on the back, valued at up to $720, sold for $14,500. Team owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz were among the victims of Madoff’s fraud.
U.S. charities feel pinch
American charities hoping for a holiday miracle probably will see a decrease in year-end generosity. In light of the economic downturn, only 38 percent of Americans say they are likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present this year, compared to 49 percent last year, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive to be released Monday.
