In the news

Charley Wilson, a spokesman for American Airlines, credited the crew of an Orlando-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight for subduing a woman who tried to open an emergency door over one of the wings, diverting the plane to Houston, adding, "There was no issue with safety whatsoever."

Laura Bush, who returned last week from the Middle East, where she promoted breast cancer awareness, told Fox News Sunday that while she has expanded her public profile as first lady in President Bush's second term, "The fact is, I've been involved for a long time in policy, and I think I just didn't get a lot of coverage."

Nicoletta Mantovani, Luciano Pavarotti's widow, denounced as "unseemly" Italian media reports of family and financial problems, including that the tenor had left her $26 million in debt, saying on a talk show that she wanted to set the record straight for the sake ofthe couple's daughter Alice, 4.

Nicholas Restivo, the principal of New York's Long Beach High School, has banned all Halloween costumes a year after three girls showed up as Captain Underpants, the subject of a series of best-selling children's books, which he said made them appear naked, adding that gory costumes could make some students uncomfortable.

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's former prime minister, visited the families of some of the 145 people killed in a suicide bombing attempt on her life, touring a poor neighborhood in a visit kept secret until the last minute to protect her from another assassination bid.

Sen. John McCain, RAriz., said GOP presidential rival Rudy Giuliani is deservedly popular because of his efforts on Sept. 11, 2001, but that it would take more than that to defeat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., telling ABC's This Week that the former New York mayor is out of step with conservatives.

Jerry Feaser

of the Pennsylvania Game Commission disputed Bigfoot enthusiasts' claims that pictures by hunter Rick Jacobs, who said he's "been hunting for years and I've never seen anything like this," show a juvenile sasquatch, telling The Bradford Era newspaper, "There is no question it is a bear with a severe case of mange."

Fidel Castro, 81, compared revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara with Abraham Lincoln, saying in an essay published in state-run newspapers that the Civil War president was "anchored to the just ideathat all citizens are born free and equal."

Rodney L. Rodis, 51, a retired Roman Catholic priest, faces up to 40 years in prison after admitting to embezzling more than $600,000 from two central Virginia churches and wiring at least $515,231 to relatives in his native Philippines.