In the news

■ Christine Peters had just said yes to Stephen Martin’s proposal on a hot-air balloon floating near Edmonton, Alberta, when the balloon and its gondola, holding nine other people. fell, hitting trees before hitting the ground in a crash that injured no one.

■ Paul West, 50, angry that the concession stand at a Clarksville, Tenn., movie theater had closed, threw an empty popcorn container at a worker and then punched and bit a police officer as he was taken into custody, police said.

■ Paul LePage, the governor of Maine, said during a radio call-in show that he’s considering commuting the sentences of female prison inmates to help ease a worker shortage as the state’s tourism season gets underway during record low unemployment.

■ Selket Taylor, 27, stuck out his tongue, closed his eyes and crossed his arms posing for a mug shot after being arrested on several drug charges by police in Hampstead, N.H., who said that while recreational use is now allowed in neighboring Massachusetts, it’s still illegal to possess pot in New Hampshire.

■ Kirsi Haru, spokesman for the Finnish Committee of UNICEF, said an anonymous Finn has donated the largest private cash gift ever to UNICEF, $6.7 million, after being moved by photos and news reports depicting the horrible living conditions for people in Syria.

■ Ida Ferreira, owner of a pet store in Mineola, N.Y., said a stolen, 12-weekold Goffin’s cockatoo worth $1,800 needs to be fed formula through a medicine dropper and pleaded with thieves caught on security cameras stuffing the bird into a bag to not let it die.

■ Yousef Youkhaneh, 82, of San Jose, Calif., fought with a woman 30 years his junior who had just attacked his wife with a wooden object outside their home, and then held on to her by the ankle to prevent her escaping until sheriff’s deputies arrived to make the arrest.

■ Charles Michel, the prime minister of Belgium, was seen grimacing in pain on Sunday after Princess Astrid, standing beside him, fired the starting gun for a footrace in Brussels a little too close to his ears, forcing Michel to rework his schedule to fit in a trip to the doctor.

■ Jean Wolfman was beaten with the hula hoop he uses for New York City subway performances when he tried to calm a three-person dance troupe that became angry when they didn’t receive any tips from riders for a dance routine, police said.