NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Dart Attack Suspect Is Ruled Competent

The man accused of being the "Dart Man" who fired homemade darts into women's buttocks on Manhattan sidewalks was judged mentally competent to stand trial, and prosecutors reduced felony charges against him to misdemeanors. The decision by the Manhattan district attorney's office means Jerome Wright, 33, would face only a year in jail, as opposed to seven years, if convicted on a weapons possession count, a spokeswoman said. Bail has been set at $1,500. Wright has denied making the attacks.