NATION BRIEFS

WASHINGTON/Volkswagen vans recalled

Volkswagen AG is recalling nearly 16,000 Routan minivans to address fire concerns involving latches on the sliding doors. The German automaker said Friday the recall affects 2009 minivans, jointly developed with Chrysler Llc and built at Chrysler's Windsor, Ontario, plant. Chrysler recently announced a recall of nearly 285,000 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans because of fire concerns inside the sliding doors. Volkswagen spokesman Kerry Christopher said the automaker was aware of "a couple of incidents" indicating overheating in the minivans. No injuries or crashes have been reported.

CALIFORNIA/Teen sailor's trip ends

A California girl, 16, awaiting rescue in the Indian Ocean aboard her storm-damaged yacht, will likely give up on her dream of sailing solo around the world, a family spokesman said Friday. A French fishing boat was expected to reach Abby Sunderland, of Thousand Oaks, early Saturday morning after a search plane launched from Australia's west coast made radio contact with her Friday morning, said Jeff Casher, the spokesman. Sunderland set off a distress beacon when her sailboat became damaged by 30-foot waves. Her father, Laurence Sunderland, rejected criticism that it was too dangerous to allow a 16-year-old to sail around the world by herself.

ARIZONA/Small plane hits school

A small plane nosedived into a high school in eastern Arizona Friday afternoon and exploded, but there were no reports of injuries on the ground, with classes out for the summer. The Cessna circled the area two or three times before it suddenly crashed into the main building at Round Valley High School in Eagar at about 2 p.m., Apache County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Guinn said. Officials do not know who was flying the plane, but Guinn said there was no sign it was anything but a normal flight. There was no indication that anyone was inside the school when the plane crashed. Guinn did not know how many people may have been on the plane, but there was no sign of survivors.