Nation & world

July 4 partiers in

Ala. fall 3 stories

HOOVER, Ala. - A wooden deck crumpled under a group of Fourth ofJuly partiers in Alabama, killing one person and injuring sixothers.

Seven partygoers plummeted three stories when the deck at anapartment complex in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover collapsedSunday night. Two uninhabited decks below were crushed by thefalling debris.

Hoover Fire Department spokesman Rusty Lowe said one person waspronounced dead at the hospital, another is in critical and threeare hospitalized with serious injuries. Two were treated for minorinjuries and released.

The coroner did not immediately return a call for comment on thedeath.

The cause of the collapse is being investigated.

Lowe said it was fortunate the lower decks were empty. He said:"It definitely could have been worse."

Romanian military

plane crashes

BUCHAREST, Romania - Officials say a Romanian military plane hascrashed in Romania near the Black Sea, killing 10 people andinjuring three.

The Defense Ministry says the Antonov AN-2 plane with 13 peopleon board took off Monday for parachuting training. It says theaircraft crashed soon after takeoff.

Health officials say one of the three injured people is inserious condition.

The cause of the crash was not known, and authorities launched aninvestigation.

Royal family costs

small for Britons

LONDON - Buckingham Palace says the royal family cost Britons 62pence ($0.94) per person last year, 7 pence less than in 2008-2009.

Accounts released Monday show the total cost of supporting themonarchy was 38.2 million pounds in the year to March 31, more than3 million pounds less than the year before.

Britain's public sector is facing cuts as the government tries toeliminate a huge deficit, and Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse,said the royal household "is acutely aware of the difficult economicclimate."

The queen receives 7.9 million pounds of public money each yearto pay for staff and other costs.

The accounts show she also drew an extra 6.5 million pounds froma reserve fund built up over the years by saving portions of herallocated budget.

Fishermen help

catch dumped cars

NEW CASTLE, Del. - A couple of fishing buddies from Delaware havebeen catching more than just bass. They've been helping police reelin cars.

Larry Newirth and Dan Cathell spotted a white BMW 750 sedan onJune 17. Then on Friday, they found a late-model Honda Accord.

Police say the cars were stolen and abandoned. No arrests havebeen made.

Newirth, a 63-year-old retired carpenter, jokes that he andCathell better stop finding cars or the police will think they'rethe ones stealing them.

Cathell, a 44-year-old millwright, says he hopes the thieves stopdumping the cars from the boat ramp so police don't close the dockto the public.

COMPILED FROM WIRE REPORTS