NATION/WORLD BRIEFING

Alabama governor facing impeachment

Montgomery, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley was hit Tuesday with a long-shot impeachment effort in the wake of a scandal involving a former top aide, the latest sign of his growing political troubles.

Republican Rep. Ed Henry introduced the articles of impeachment, saying lawmakers and voters have lost confidence in the twoterm GOP governor.

Bentley last month admitted making inappropriate remarks to his senior political adviser, Rebekah Caldwell Mason, who has since resigned. The admission came after Bentley’s recently fired law enforcement secretary accused the governor of having an affair with Mason and of interfering with law enforcement investigations. Bentley has denied both accusations.

Student killed in model rocket blast

Los Angeles — An explosion that killed a Thousand Oaks High School student Monday evening and sent another student to the hospital was apparently caused by a “homemade model rocket,” school officials said Tuesday.

Bernard Moon, 18, of Thousand Oaks, suffered critical injuries and later died at Los Robles Hospital following the explosion, according to the Ventura County medical examiner.

The second student, who has only been identified as a 17-year-old, remains hospitalized in stable condition, authorities said.

Moon, a chemistry buff who had placed second in the Ventura County Science Fair last year, was handling a small propane cylinder at the time of the accident, according to Ventura County fire officials.

Syrian kill 14, capture pilot

Beirut — Syrian insurgents shot down a government warplane in the north of the country Tuesday and shelled a predominantly Kurdish neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, killing at least 14 people, monitoring groups and state media said.

State TV said the warplane was shot down with a surface-to-air missile while on a reconnaissance mission over the northern province of Aleppo, adding that the pilot ejected and “work is ongoing to rescue him.”

Opposition activists said the warplane was shot down near the village of al-Ais, which was captured Saturday by insurgents spearheaded by members of the Nusra Front — alQaida’s branch in Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the pilot was taken by the Nusra Front to one of its offices.

Iran to be banned from using U.S. banks

Washington — A senior Obama administration official says Iran will not be given access to the U.S. financial system as part of the sanctions relief granted under the landmark nuclear deal.

Testifying Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Thomas Shannon of the State Department said reports that Iran would be allowed to deal directly with U.S. banks are not true.

Shannon, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, said the U.S. is clarifying regulations that allow Iran to access money being made available to it after the sanctions were lifted when implementation of the deal began.

From Journal Sentinel wire reports