VENEZUELA

A plane crashed into the sea off Venezuela with 14 people on board, including eight Italians and a Swiss citizen. There was no immediate report on casualties.

Search teams fanned out by air and sea to look for the twin-engine plane, which left Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas and hit the sea about 24 miles from Los Roques islands, said Gen. Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's emergency management director.

Rivero said the five Venezuelans aboard included the pilot and co-pilot.

SUDAN

FBI agents to aid in slaying inquiry

Sudanese officials have promised to cooperate with four FBI agents sent to investigate the fatal shooting of a U.S. diplomat, the State Department said.

John Granville, an official with the U.S. Agency for International Development, was being driven home Tuesday when his car was cut off by another vehicle and came under fire, according to the Sudanese Interior Ministry. His driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, was also killed.

A group that monitors militant websites said a message attributing the attack to a previously unknown group had been posted in a chat room, but there was no way to confirm the claim by Ansar al-Tawhid, or Companions of Monotheism.

NETHERLANDS

Brothel loses court fight to stay open

Amsterdam's infamous Yab Yum brothel must shut its doors, a city court ruled. Yab Yum went to court last month after the city decided to withdraw its license based on a law that allows it to close companies that could be involved in criminal activities.

Yab Yum said before the ruling that allegations it was in the hands of the Hells Angels biker gang were "absolutely wrong."

In December, the city of Amsterdam announced plans to clean up its red-light district.

AND FINALLY . . .

Street-racing law nabs 85-year-old

An Ontario law meant to crack down on young Canadian street racers has nabbed an octogenarian in his Oldsmobile.

The 85-year-old man is one of 2,300 drivers to be charged under legislation to combat "street racing, stunts and contests" since it took effect three months ago.

The man was pulled over after allegedly driving 100 mph in a 62-mph zone, Ontario police said. People are charged if driving 31 mph more than the limit.

"It really doesn't matter the age of the person or whether they're trying to race another car," Sgt. Cam Woolley said. "The consequences of the crashes and the laws of physics are always in effect."

From Times Wire Reports