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Huffington Wires | AP

12 Indonesian soldiers on trial over prison attack

June 20, 2013 04:53 AM EST | AP


YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Soldiers from Indonesia's elite special forces have gone before a military court charged with storming a prison and killing four detainees on the main Java island.

The 12 soldiers of Kopassus were put on four separate trials Thursday in Yogyakarta province, facing premeditated murder charges that could result in the death penalty.

Attorneys meet to discuss Jodi Arias case

June 20, 2013 04:49 AM EST | AP


PHOENIX — Attorneys in the Jodi Arias case head back to court to discuss future plans for a potential retrial of the penalty phase after jurors deadlocked on whether to sentence her to life in prison or death.

A status conference was set for Thursday morning.

'Masterpiece' prepping 'Breathless' medical drama

June 20, 2013 04:47 AM EST | AP


NEW YORK — "Masterpiece" is prescribing a new drama set in a London hospital in the early 1960s.

The series, "Breathless," will put medical practice at the brink of the tumultuous `60s. Set in a busy gynecology unit, it inhabits a world where abortion is illegal and the new contraceptive pill is only available to married women.

Fire blazes at Dutch firelighting block factory

June 20, 2013 04:46 AM EST | AP


AMSTERDAM — Authorities in the Dutch city of Oisterwijk say a fire has broken out at a factory that makes firelighting blocks for barbecues and campfires.

The city of Oisterwijk, in the southeast of the Netherlands, said on its website that the fire is proving difficult to extinguish.

Birth control shots could alter life in poor areas

June 20, 2013 04:37 AM EST | AP


LOS ANGELES — A decade ago, the Rosebud Sioux Indians in South Dakota were paying people to catch and shoot wild dogs.

Because animals are such an important part of Indian history and culture, tribal leaders called spay and neuter expert Ruth Steinberger. In the next eight years, they worked together to sterilize 7,000 dogs, moving 1,500 of them to other parts of the country for adoption.

Italy film fest dedicates homage to Gandolfini

June 20, 2013 04:32 AM EST | AP


ROME — Organizers of the Taormina, Sicily, Film Festival are scrambling to put together a tribute to U.S. actor James Gandolfini, who had been expected to attend the festival's closing ceremony this weekend.

Organizers Mario Sesti and Tiziana Rocca said that instead of receiving an award from the resort city of Taormina on Saturday, Gandolfini will instead be honored with a tribute "remembering his career and talent."

Ex-manager Torre's daughter catches falling baby

June 20, 2013 04:29 AM EST | AP


NEW YORK — The daughter of former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre made a quick-thinking save Wednesday when she caught a baby who had tumbled off of a second-floor Brooklyn apartment's fire escape, the baseball great has confirmed.

Cristina Torre did not respond to a request for comment.

France threatens Google with privacy fines

June 20, 2013 04:29 AM EST | AP


PARIS — France is giving Google three months to abide by the country's data privacy laws or be fined.

The chief of the French agency that regulates information technology says that five other European countries are taking similar steps in a staggered offensive against Google's privacy policy between now and the end of July.

Regulators order lenders to raise more capital

June 20, 2013 04:11 AM EST | AP


LONDON — British regulators are ordering its biggest banks to bolster their balance sheets by 27. 1 billion pounds ($42.1 billion) to prevent a repeat of the 2008 banking crisis.

The Prudential Regulation Authority says Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland account for much of the shortfall. Barclays must boost its capital by 3 billion pounds and state-backed RBS and Lloyds must find 13.6 billion pounds and 8.6 billion pounds respectively.

Analysis: Obama prods, gets share of pushback

June 20, 2013 03:34 AM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — Over the past two weeks, President Barack Obama has argued with Chinese President Xi Jinping over cybersecurity, consulted with world leaders over Syria and trade, declared his desire to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, and embraced the uncertain steps toward reconciliation in Afghanistan.

In each case, the president is aligning himself with a process that has a distant goal and is fraught with possible failure.

AP EXCLUSIVE: Taliban offer to free US soldier

June 20, 2013 03:29 AM EST | AP


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Afghan Taliban say they are ready to hand over a U.S. soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.

A Taliban spokesman, Shaheen Suhail, says U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl "is as far as I know in good condition."

Texas auction house to sell John Brown leg irons

June 20, 2013 03:27 AM EST | AP


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The leg irons that restrained abolitionist John Brown after his failed 1859 raid on a federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry are being sold Saturday in Texas.

But officials with two historical parks dedicated to his legacy can't afford to bid.

5 things learned in Game 4 of Stanley Cup finals

June 20, 2013 03:27 AM EST | AP


BOSTON — Five things learned in the Chicago Blackhawks' 6-5 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night:

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Blackhawks beat Bruins 6-5 in OT, tie series 2-all

June 20, 2013 03:26 AM EST | AP


BOSTON — The Blackhawks are heading back to Chicago having regained home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup finals and with a renewed faith in an offense that took more than 120 minutes to push a puck past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

"It's time to put all those other games behind us, the games where we struggled to score," captain Jonathan Toews said after contributing to Chicago's most prolific output of the playoffs in a 6-5 victory over Boston in Game 4 on Wednesday night.

Boehner dances between GOP, Dems on immigration

June 20, 2013 03:18 AM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — The immigration protesters advanced on the news conference, poking signs that read "Do Not Reward Criminals" and "No Amnesty!" over the heads of Republicans who had just finished speaking about finding a civilized tone in the year's most difficult debate.

As the politicians ducked out of camera range, one Hispanic pastor who had appeared with them, Becky Keenan, instead turned toward the protesters and took a photo. They began to yell at her. Keenan ignored them, quietly explaining why House Speaker John Boehner is bothering to pursue agreement on the headache that is immigration reform.

Medical care lags behind Afghan military growth

June 20, 2013 03:16 AM EST | AP


FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHINWAR, Afghanistan — This year, as Afghans fight on their own or with limited help from international forces, the Afghan National Army is largely responsible for caring for their combat wounded. But that army is struggling with a doctor shortage as well as logistical and equipment problems.

The Afghan National Army has only 632 medical doctors – 72 short of its goal – to care for about 177,000 soldiers nationwide. The shortage means small bases such as Forward Operating Base Shinwar in Nangarhar have to rely on medics and a dentist to care for wounded in a two-room clinic.

Conservative conference highlights murky tax laws

June 20, 2013 03:13 AM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — Organizers insist the Faith and Freedom Coalition's recent conference was not focused on politics.

But last week's gathering of religious conservatives offers an example of the murky rules and lax enforcement surrounding the expanding network of nonprofit groups working to influence politics even as Congress probes the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups.

Developer: Kan. caverns could preserve human race

June 20, 2013 03:12 AM EST | AP


ATCHISON, Kan. — A California developer says an underground shelter he's creating in a vast limestone cave in eastern Kansas could be the human race's best chance to survive a nuclear attack or the impact of a wayward meteor.

Robert Vicino recently bought a large portion of a former U.S. Army storage facility on the southeast edge of Atchison along the Missouri River about 50 miles north of Kansas City, Mo. He says there's room inside for more than 1,000 recreational vehicles and up to 5,000 people to ride out any potential earth-changing catastrophe.

Youth leagues try to rein in 'bad news parents'

June 20, 2013 03:04 AM EST | AP


BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — The new signs at youth baseball fields in this Chicago suburb are small, not much more than gentle reminders for parents, coaches and other adults in the stands. Still, the message is clear: Behave.

They begin: "This is a game being played by children. If they win or lose every game of the season, it will not impact what college they attend or their future potential income.."

Bernanke clarifies Fed plan to cut bond purchases

June 20, 2013 03:02 AM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — A muddled message from the Federal Reserve has rattled investors for weeks.

So Chairman Ben Bernanke tried to set the record straight Wednesday about the Fed's plans to shrink its bond-buying program later this year and end it entirely in 2014 if the economy continues to improve.

Jewish educator who survived Soviet Gulag dies

June 20, 2013 03:02 AM EST | AP


JERUSALEM — Rabbi Moshe Greenberg, a religious educator who survived a brutal Gulag in Siberia and secretly taught Judaism under an oppressive Soviet regime, has died in Israel. He was 84.

The Hasidic Chabad Lubavitch movement in which Greenberg was a member says he died on Tuesday.

Quotations of the day

June 20, 2013 03:00 AM EST | AP


— "We're on the verge of doing something dramatic on the border. What we're trying to do is put in place measures that to any reasonable person would be an overwhelming effort to secure our border. This is a key moment in the effort to pass the bill." – Sen. Lindsay Graham, after key senators expressed optimism were closing in on a bipartisan agreement to toughen the border security requirements in the immigration legislation.

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Bulger trial: The hit man of Country Club Lane

June 20, 2013 02:53 AM EST | AP


MILFORD, Mass. — Some neighbors of a former mob hit man were shocked to learn about his past during his testimony against James "Whitey" Bulger this week.

John Martorano has admitted to 20 killings and previously spent 12 years in prison in exchange for his cooperation with authorities.

SKorean nuclear operator raided in cable probe

June 20, 2013 02:50 AM EST | AP


SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's sole nuclear operator says investigators raided its offices as part of a probe into nuclear plant cables.

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. spokesman Lee Yoon-dong said Thursday prosecutors seized documents and computer hard drives from offices including its headquarters in southeastern Korea. Prosecutors could not be reached for comment.

AP PHOTOS: Bangladesh collapse left many amputees

June 20, 2013 02:47 AM EST | AP


SAVAR, Bangladesh — It was the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. When the Rana Plaza factory building crashed down in April, 1,129 people were killed. But many others had to sacrifice their limbs to survive.

Arms and legs were trapped under the building rubble, forcing rescuers with no medical training to perform amputations on the spot to free the victims. No anesthesia was available. Some of the rescuers used butchers knives or hacksaws to cut through the flesh and save the trapped workers. Many of those freed are still recovering.