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ther, Hafez, who ran the country for 30 years. Previously, Assad and his father have been elected in single-candidate referendums in which voters cast yes-or-no ballots.
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• BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) -- All seven people aboard a private plane that crashed in a Massachusetts air field and erupted into a fireball were killed, authorities said Sunday.
• The Gulfstream IV crashed as it was leaving Hanscom Field about 9:40 p.m. Saturday for Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the air field.
• "There were no survivors," Brelis said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people on board and their loved ones."
• The names of the victims were not immediately released, and officials didn't say if they were traveling as a group to Atlantic City, a popular casino resort spot on the Atlantic coast.
• Officials also did not speculate on what they think caused the crash. They said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and determine what happened.
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• SEATTLE (AP) -- Six climbers on Mount Rainier likely fell thousands of feet to their deaths in what would be among the worst alpine accidents ever on the iconic Washington mountain.
• A helicopter crew on Saturday spotted camping and climbing gear in the avalanche-prone area. It is believed the group fell 3,300 feet from their last known whereabouts of 12,800 feet on Liberty Ridge, Mount Rainier National Park spokeswoman Patricia Wold said in a statement.
• "There's not a viable chance of survival," park Ranger Fawn Bauer told The Associated Press.
• Air and ground searches were suspended late Saturday afternoon. The danger of falling rock and ice in the area where searchers picked up the pings prevents a ground recovery effort.
• "It would expose our rangers to pretty extreme conditions," Bauer said. "And, in

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