ATLANTA — Three people have been charged in connection with a Thursday fire that resulted in the collapse of an elevated span of Interstate 85, a major Atlanta thoroughfare that connects five states.

Basil Eleby is charged with first-degree arson and first-degree criminal damage to property, a felony. His bail had been set at $200,000. Sophia Bruner and Barry Thomas were charged with criminal trespass, and investigators said more charges could be pending.

The three had gathered under the bridge to smoke crack, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eleby told investigators that he regularly passes through the area on the way to his job at a nearby tire shop, according to the affidavit. Although Eleby denied setting the fire, Thomas allegedly said he watched Eleby place a chair on top of a shopping cart and ignite it.. Then they scattered.

The fire was “maliciously set,” a spokesman for the Atlanta Fire Department told The Washington Post. Investigators spoke with the suspects Friday night but have not released more details on what the trio was doing before the fire broke out. Investigators say they think Eleby set the fire, which quickly grew out of control as the flames consumed PVC pipes stored under the elevated highway.

Eleby made his appearance before a judge Saturday. He has a lengthy arrest record, according to the Journal-Constitution — 19 arrests since 1995, mostly for drug offenses. Investigators say they believe he and the two other people arrested are homeless.

South Africa’s new finance minister vows radical change

PRETORIA, South Africa — South Africa’s new finance minister said Saturday he is aware of the “climate of sharp disagreement and mutual suspicion” as his predecessor’s firing deepens a split in the country’s ruling party, and he promised to “radically transform” the economy to reach out to people long marginalized.

Malusi Gigaba briefed the media a day after President Jacob Zuma fired the widely respected Pravin Gordhan and set off an outcry by many in the ruling African National Congress and opposition parties.

The currency of one of Africa’s biggest economies has slipped amid concerns about corruption at top levels of government. Many South Africans are now concerned that the economy could be downgraded to junk status by credit ratings agencies.

Paraguay’s president fires interior minister, police chief

ASUNCION, Paraguay — President Horacio Cartes fired Paraguay’s interior minister and top police official Saturday after the killing of an opposition party leader and overnight clashes sparked by a secret Senate vote for a constitutional amendment to allow presidential re-election.

Dozens of people, including a police officer, were arrested Friday in demonstrations.

Early Saturday, Rodrigo Quintana, 25, was shot and killed at the headquarters of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party. Anti-riot police had stormed the headquarters. Police commander Crispulo Sotelo identified a riot police agent responsible for Quintana’s death and said he had been arrested. Later Saturday, Cartes said he had accepted the resignations of Sotelo and Interior Minister Tadeo Rojas.

Landslide in central Indonesia buries more than 2 dozen

PONOROGO, Indonesia — Rescuers on Saturday searched for more than two dozen people who were missing after a rain-triggered landslide struck a village on Indonesia’s main island of Java. One body was found before the search was suspended as rain started to fall.

The landslide hit some 23 houses and farmers harvesting ginger on a hillside in Banaran village in East Java province’s Ponorogo district, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Nugroho said the discovery of one dead victim left at least 26 villagers missing.

The local army chief said that, according to villagers, 38 people were buried by the landslide — 22 in their houses and 16 while harvesting crops.

Dylan finally gets his Nobel Literature Prize

STOCKHOLM — Bob Dylan finally has his hands on his Nobel Literature diploma and medal.

Klas Ostergren, a member of the Swedish Academy, said the 75-year-old American singer-songwriter received his award during a small gathering Saturday afternoon at a hotel next to the conference center where Dylan was performing a concert later that night.

Ostergren said the ceremony was a small, intimate event in line with the singer’s wishes, with just academy members and a member of Dylan’s staff attending.

“It went very well indeed,” he said, describing Dylan as “a very nice, kind man.”

Dylan had declined the invitation to attend the traditional Nobel Prize banquet and ceremony on Dec. 10 — pleading other commitments.

Carbon monoxide leak at hotel pool kills 1, hurts 13

One child was killed and more than a dozen other people were injured in southwest Michigan on Saturday after a carbon monoxide leak in the indoor pool of a hotel in Niles.

The leak was discovered Saturday morning at the Quality Inn & Suites after staff members glanced through the window of the hotel’s indoor pool and saw several children unconscious, lying on the deck, according to a local report.

First responders rushed the children to local hospitals; some of the rescuers were overcome by the noxious gas in the attempt, South Bend, Ind., NBC-affiliate WNDU reported.

Carbon monoxide readings in the hotel’s enclosed pool area were 16 times higher than normal levels, the fire department told the news station.

Mormons meet: Mormon leaders meeting in Salt Lake City reminded church members Saturday about the importance of ceremonial baptisms for dead ancestors who didn’t receive the ordinance while alive — a practice that came under fire in the past from Jews who discovered Holocaust victims were being baptized.

Myanmar vote: Voters went to the polls Saturday for 19 by-elections in Myanmar, in the first test of the popularity of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy since it formed the government a year ago.

Results are not expected until Sunday at the earliest. No incidents of violence were reported.