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'Whitey' Bulger trial juror: Sickened by 'tainted' testimony
A juror in the James "Whitey" Bulger trial said Tuesday that testimony revealing deep-seated corruption in the FBI and government during the mobster's heyday left her disgusted with the judicial system.
Janet Uhlar, speaking to CNN's Deborah Feyerick in her first interview since the federal jury on Monday convicted Bulger on 31 of 32 counts, called him an "old man" and said he may not have been a government informant.
The jury found Bulger guilty of counts including extortion, money laundering, drug dealing and weapons possession. It held Bulger responsible for the murders of 11 people.
Bulger, 83, faces a maximum sentence of up to life plus 30 years in prison.
FULL STORY5 killed in Illinois village shooting; suspect slain in shootout
Five people were killed and a 6-year-old girl was taken to a hospital after a shooting in a tiny western Illinois village early Wednesday, officials said.
A suspect in the slaughter in Manchester, Illinois, was killed following a chase and shootout with police hours later, authorities said.
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Guatemalan court begins to untangle genocide trial standstill
A week ago, the genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt appeared headed to a historic conclusion. Today, it is at a standstill, the result of procedural missteps that have cast uncertainty over the process.
The country's Constitutional Court on Tuesday began to answer some of the legal questions that are holding up the trial. But the biggest one - whether the trial proceedings will be annulled - remains to be clarified.
FULL STORYDeath penalty sought in theater shootings
Prosecutors said Monday they will seek the death penalty for Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes despite his offer last week to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding a death sentence.
FULL STORYCops: New York couple's abduction a hoax
An apparent abduction involving a couple in New York City was a hoax, part of a surprise birthday party, New York police said Monday.
The people involved came forward, police said. Since a police report was never filed, there will be no charges, police spokeswoman Sophia Tassy said.
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Lebanon's government resigns
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced the resignation of his government Friday amid what his spokesman said were disputes among his cabinet over preparations for parliamentary elections and the future of a top Lebanon security official.
Mikati, who led a coalition government for the last two years, made the announcement live on Lebanese TV.
FULL STORYSnowy car pileup causes 100 injuries
About 100 people suffered minor to moderate injuries in a multi-vehicle crash Thursday south of Edmonton, Canada, Alberta Health Services said on its Twitter feed.
According to official road reports, a snowstorm has made the roadways extremely dangerous. The snowy conditions and smoke from multiple crashes caused by those conditions have resulted in delays of six hours or more, reports say. Snow plow trucks have been pulled off of the roadway because of poor visibility.
Alberta Health Services, Alberta's provincial health authority, lowered its initial estimate of 300 injuries in the pileup in Leduc, south of Edmonton. Most of the injuries were minor, it said, with six considered moderate and one serious.
S. Korea: Hacking traced to IP address in China
The suspected cyber attack that appeared to target South Korean banks and broadcasters Wednesday originated from an IP address in China, South Korea's Communications Committee said in a statement Thursday.
The attack damaged 32,000 computers and servers of media and financial companies, the committee said.
South Korean officials are analyzing the cause and are working to prevent any further damage, the committee said.
The attack infected banks' and broadcasters' computer networks with a malicious program that slowed or shut systems down, officials and the semiofficial Yonhap News Agency said.
FULL STORYMilitary names 7 Marines killed in accident
The U.S. Marine Corps has released the identities of the seven Marines killed in Monday's explosion at the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada. They are:
• Pfc. Joshua M. Martino, 19, Clearfield, Pennsylvania;
• Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, Polk City, Florida;
• Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., 23, Fairfield, Connecticut;
• Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Taylor, 21, Marietta, Ohio;
• Lance Cpl. Mason J. Vanderwork, 21, Hickory, North Carolina;
• Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV, 21, Anne Arundel, Maryland;
• Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda, 26, Madison, Illinois.
The cause of the Monday night blast was a 60 mm round that detonated inside a mortar tube, Brig. Gen. James W. Lukeman, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division, told reporters.
The Marines said in a statement Tuesday evening that all 60 mm mortar rounds and tubes used to fire them are being pulled pending an investigation.
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Jury recommends death for 'Craigslist killer'
A jury on Wednesday unanimously recommended Richard James Beasley be sentenced to death for killing three men who had answered a Craigslist ad for work on an Ohio cattle farm.
Summit County Judge Lynne Callahan set sentencing for Tuesday.
FULL STORYSenate OKs bill to keep government running
The U.S. Senate approved legislation on Wednesday aimed at funding the government through the end of September and avoiding a partial federal shutdown, while also softening the blow of sweeping forced spending cuts. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives.
FULL STORYObama, Netanyahu exchange assurances on Iran, Syria, Palestinians
President Barack Obama is visiting Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank for the first time since he became president. He and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a joint news conference Wednesday evening in Jerusalem.
[Update 3:16 p.m.] The news conference has concluded.
[Update 3:15 p.m.] Netanyahu said the United States and Israel have a "common assessment" on Iran's progress in developing a nuclear weapon.
[Update 3:09 p.m.] Obama said that he "purposely did not want to come here and make some big announcement that might not match up to the reality" on the ground regarding the Middle East peace process.
[Update 3:04 p.m.] "I think there is time to resolve this issue diplomatically," Obama said about tension over Iran's nuclear program.
[Update 2:56 p.m.] Obama said that "all options are on the table" regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, adding that "we will do what is necessary in preventing Iran from getting the world's worst weapons."
Netanyahu said he was "absolutely convinced" that Obama is "determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon."
[Update 2:52 p.m.] Obama said he has ordered an investigation of whether the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people, adding he was "deeply skeptical" of any claim the opposition had used them.
"Once we have established the facts, I have made clear that the use of chemical weapons is a game-changer," Obama said, stopping short of saying what he would do if Syria had crossed his "red line" for stronger action.
[Update 2:49 p.m.] Obama said the Syrian government's "use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people would be a serious and tragic mistake," adding that Damascus "will be held for accountable for the use of chemical weapons or their transfer to terrorists."
[Update 2:45 p.m.] Obama said he and Netanyahu discussed extending U.S. assistance for Israel beyond the 2017 deadline of the current agreement between their countries.
[Update 2:42 p.m.] Netanyahu said Wednesday that he hoped the visit by Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry can "help us turn a page in relations" with Palestinians seeking their own state.
[First post 2:38 p.m.] Netanyahu said Wednesday that diplomacy and sanctions have not stopped Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon so far, adding that a peaceful solution also requires a clear and credible threat of military action.
Report: French hostage killed in Mali
A French hostage held in Mali has been executed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Mauritania's ANI news agency reports.
The agency attributed the information to an AQIM spokesman.
Six other French hostages are still being held in Mali.
French and allied forces, including Malian and Chadian troops, have made significant inroads in recent weeks combating Islamist extremist fighters.
Islamist extremists carved out a large haven in northern Mali last year, taking advantage of a chaotic situation after a military coup by the separatist party MNLA. The militants banned music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television. They also destroyed historic tombs and shrines.
French involvement in the conflict began on January 11, the day after militants said they had seized the city of Konna, east of Diabaly in central Mali, and were poised to advance south toward Bamako, the capital.
FULL STORYObama takes off for Israel, West Bank
President Barack Obama departed Joint Base Andrews Tuesday evening aboard Air Force One for his first visit to Israel and the West Bank since he became president in 2009.
Iran is the top issue as Obama heads to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The prime minister has at times voiced concerns Washington has a less urgent view than Israel of Iran's progress toward developing a nuclear warhead. But Netanyahu has welcomed the administration's more muscular language of late that "all options" are on the table and that its policy is to prevent - not contain - a nuclear Iran.
FULL STORYHouse intel chair: 'High probability' Syria used chemical weapons
There is a "high probability" that Syria used chemical weapons during fighting with opposition forces, though a final verification is needed, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.
"I have a high probability to believe that chemical weapons were used," Rogers, R-Michigan, told CNN. "We need that final verification, but given everything we know over the last year and a half, I would come to the conclusion that they are either positioned for use, and ready to do that, or in fact have been used."
Rogers and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, struck ominous tones in an interview on CNN's "Situation Room" about the possibility that Syria had crossed what President Barack Obama has said was a "red line" that could lead to the United States' getting involved militarily in the conflict.
FULL STORYLockdown ends at Indiana college
A lockdown imposed Tuesday afternoon at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been lifted, according to the school's Twitter account.
Students and staff at the university had been asked to take shelter earlier Tuesday afternoon while police investigated a report of an armed person on campus.
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Statue of Liberty to reopen
The Statue of Liberty will reopen to the public by the Fourth of July, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Tuesday afternoon during a conference call with reporters.
The World Heritage Site was damaged during Superstorm Sandy in October and has been closed to the public since.
Carnival cancels Triumph cruises through May
Carnival Cruise Lines announced Tuesday afternoon that an additional 10 cruises have been canceled for the Carnival Triumph while repairs are made to the fire-damaged ship.
The Carnival Triumph, which was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for several unpleasant days in February, is now slated to return to service on June 3, Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said.
FULL STORYSyrian opposition group selects leader
The main Syrian opposition umbrella group, meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, has chosen a U.S.-educated Kurdish businessman to head its provisional government, an opposition activist who attended the vote said Monday.
Ghassan Hitto, an information technology executive who went to college in Indiana and lived for many years in Dallas, was elected Monday to lead a government whose specific role may be spelled out at a planned news conference Tuesday.
Hitto was born in Damascus and is a member of the board of the Syrian American Council, the council said in a news release after the vote.
FULL STORYPolice in Tenn. town must take polygraphs
After a series of problems that included a police officer using a racial slur, the new police chief in a Tennessee town is trying to clean up his department's image by requiring all applicants to take a polygraph test.
"I felt that it would help me to select people with good moral character to be police officers," Chief Shane Sullivan told CNN on Saturday. "The town's had enough bad happen to it, and I want to rebuild the department and give them professional law enforcement."
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