Surging Red River crests

FARGO, N.D. — Fargo’s fears of a catastrophic flood eased Saturday with word that the surging Red River apparently crested at lower-than-expected levels, and now weary residents turned their attention to ensuring their hastily built levees hold up against an onslaught of ice-choked water expected to stay high for at least a week.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Hudson said the Red River began receding Saturday morning, surprising residents who were bracing for a crest on Sunday. But the river can still fluctuate up to a foot and may remain at dangerous levels for a week, meaning people will still have to wait several days before they are completely safe.

Ground zero owners drop ‘Freedom’ from WTC tower

NEW YORK — Even without the name, the symbolism of the Freedom Tower as an American response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks was hard to miss.

The original architect designed a twisting form he wanted to imitate the Statue of Liberty, with a spire that rose to the deliberate height of 1,776 feet to recognize the year of American independence. Politicians called the tower proof of the country’s triumph over terrorism.

Lights dim worldwide for Earth Hour 2009

BONN, Germany — From an Antarctic research base to the Great Pyramids of Egypt and beyond, the world switched off the lights on Saturday for Earth Hour, dimming skyscrapers, city streets and some of the world’s most recognizable monuments for 60 minutes to highlight the threat of climate change.

Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to dim nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Protests draw thousands demanding jobs

LONDON — Thousands of people marched through European cities Saturday to demand jobs, economic justice and environmental accountability, kicking off six days of protest and action planned in the run-up to the G20 summit next week in London.

In London, more than 150 groups threw their backing behind the “Put People First” march. Police said around 35,000 attended the demonstration, snaking their way across the city toward Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park. Protest organizers said they wanted leaders from the world’s top 20 economies to adopt a more transparent and democratic economic recovery plan.

Latest eruption at Mt. Redoubt spews ash cloud

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska’s Mt. Redoubt has erupted again, spewing an ash cloud 50,000 feet up into the air.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage says the volcano had a significant eruption at 1:20 a.m. Saturday. The ash is expected to move north toward the Alaska Range, missing Anchorage which is about 100 miles from the volcano.

The observatory says after the eruption, it detected strong seismic activity lasting 20 minutes or more followed by an hours-long low-level tremor.

–The Associated Press