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James Holmes 'guilty plea' rejected

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 31 Maret 2013 | 20.24

28 March 2013 Last updated at 21:53 ET

Prosecutors in the case of the Colorado cinema massacre have said they will not accept a plea offer from the suspect unless they have more information.

In a court filing, they accused defence lawyers for James Holmes of violating a gag order by making the offer public.

Mr Holmes is accused in the July attack that killed 12 and wounded dozens at a midnight film premiere.

On Wednesday, his lawyers said he would be willing to plead guilty in order to avoid the death penalty.

As they rejected the offer, prosecutors had not said whether they would pursue a capital punishment sentence as part of a trial.

An announcement on the death penalty is expected on Monday from George Brauchler, the Arapahoe County district attorney.

Mr Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the 20 July attack, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

Prosecutors said the defence has repeatedly refused to give them the information they need to evaluate the plea offer, so the offer cannot be considered genuine.

They did not say what information the defence refused to give them, but the case has been marked by arguments about access to Mr Holmes' mental health records.

They added anyone reading news stories about the plea offer would inevitably conclude "the defendant knows that he is guilty, the defence attorneys know that he is guilty, and that both of them know that he was not criminally insane".


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US ex-soldier 'fought in Syria'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 22:22 ET

A former US soldier has been charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say.

Eric Harroun, 30, served in the US Army from 2000-2003, and allegedly fought in Syria with the al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra is deemed a terror group by the US as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

As the US calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, it has also expressed concern about militant groups fighting in Syria.

If convicted, Mr Harroun would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was arrested as he returned to the US on Wednesday.

'Days are numbered'

According to a criminal complaint, Mr Harroun is accused of crossing into Syria in January 2013 and fighting alongside members of Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) against Mr Assad's forces.

He is specifically charged with "conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States", a law that applies to US nationals anywhere in the world.

He allegedly fought as part of a group using rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and is not charged with providing material support to a terror group.

Mr Harroun was medically discharged from the Army in 2003 after a car accident and lived in Phoenix, Arizona. He never served overseas, according to an Army spokesman.

Prosecutors allege that he was trained to use the RPGs by members of al-Nusra and participated in attacks organised by the group. He also allegedly posted on social media photographs of himself carrying RPGs and other weapons.

Mr Harroun also appeared in two videos about military action in Syria with rebel forces, saying on one: "Bashar al-Assad, your days are numbered... Where you go, we will find you and kill you," the affidavit says.

He previously appeared in at least three media articles as the photographs and videos gained attention, including an interview with FoxNews.com and the website of Foreign Policy magazine by the same set of writers.

In March, the FBI spoke to the former soldier in three voluntary interviews at the US consulate in Istanbul - officials say he told them he wanted to fight with the Free Syrian Army against the Assad regime and allegedly confirmed he had been fighting with al-Nusra.

According to the court records, Mr Harroun said he initially was fighting with the Free Syrian Army but jumped on an al-Nusra truck after a joint attack on a Syrian army camp.

In an interview on Wednesday as he arrived at an airport outside Washington, Mr Harroun allegedly said that he knew the al-Nusra Front had been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

"Harroun said... al-Nusra fighters would ask him why the United States designed them as terrorists," the complaint said.

He appeared before a US judge for the first time on Thursday and officials said a lawyer would be appointed for him.

Last year, the public defenders' office in the district where Mr Harroun will be tried represented a man who pleaded guilty to spying on US-based Syrian dissidents on behalf of the Assad regime.

In the case, Mohamad Soueid said he was motivated to help the Syrian government because of his fear that Islamist extremists would take hold in Syria if the government regime were overthrown.


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Amazon buys book recommendation site

28 March 2013 Last updated at 23:57 ET

Online retailer Amazon has said it will buy Goodreads, a book discovery and recommendation website.

San Francisco-based Goodreads was founded in 2007, has 16 million members and is one of the most prominent online communities for readers.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is expected to be completed in the next quarter.

Amazon's electronic book service competes against a number of rivals including Google and Apple.

Goodreads is a social network for readers, where they can recommend, review and discover books. Users can also buy books from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

"Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading," Russ Grandinetti, vice-president for Kindle content at Amazon, said in a statement.

Goodreads co-founder, Otis Chandler, said the deal would allow the company to move faster in bringing its user experience to more people around the world.


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'HIV risk' for US dentist's patients

29 March 2013 Last updated at 12:26 ET

Health officials in the US state of Oklahoma have warned 7,000 patients their dentist may have exposed them to HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Patients of Dr W Scott Harrington's practice in Tulsa were advised to test themselves at a free clinic set up by the state, health officials said.

Health inspectors found rusty dental instruments and poor hygiene standards at the clinic.

Dr Harrington has voluntarily closed the practice, officials said.

"Although we do not know whether you were personally exposed to blood-borne viruses," the state health department wrote to patients, "there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to infectious material."

The letters are being sent to patients treated since 2007, but health officials have said they do not know who may have been seen by the dentist before that.

'It looked clean'

The Tulsa Health Department is setting up a clinic to carry out free blood tests for people who may have been exposed.

Former patient Joyce Baylor, 69, who had a tooth removed by Dr Harrington about 18 months ago, said the office looked clean.

"I'm sure he's not suffering financially that he can't afford instruments," she told the Associated Press news agency.

The investigation into the dental practice began after a patient tested positive for both hepatitis C and HIV despite having no associated risk factors.

Officials determined the patient had received dental treatment about the time the exposure was believed to have occurred.

The dentist has voluntarily given up his licence, closed his practice and is co-operating with investigators, the Tulsa Health Department said.

Dr Harrington faces a hearing on 19 April and could have his licence revoked permanently.


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US lawmaker 'sorry' for racial slur

29 March 2013 Last updated at 13:18 ET

The Republican congressman representing the state of Alaska has apologised for using a derogatory word for Hispanic workers in a radio interview.

Don Young, 79, said he "meant no disrespect" when he referred to Hispanic labourers on the California farm where he grew up as "wetbacks".

The remark drew immediate condemnation.

It comes as Republicans are trying to improve their standing among Hispanic voters, who overwhelmingly backed Democrats in November's poll.

The Republican leader in Congress, John Boehner, said Mr Young's comments were "offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds".

Continue reading the main story

I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays"

End Quote Don Young Alaska congressman

"There's no excuse and it warrants an immediate apology," Mr Boehner said.

During a discussion of the US labour market on an Alaska radio station on Thursday, Mr Young said of his father's farm: "We used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes."

"It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It's all done by machine," he added.

In a statement later, the congressman said: "I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays" even though it was in common use when he was a child.

Mr Young, who has been in Congress since 1973, added that in the interview he had expressed compassion for the workers.


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Obama promotes infrastructure plan

29 March 2013 Last updated at 15:37 ET

US President Barack Obama has appealed for increased private investment in infrastructure, saying it will create jobs and boost the US economy.

Mr Obama outlined his plans at Port Miami, which is undergoing a $2bn (£1.3bn) upgrade and tunnel project.

Among his proposals was $4bn in new infrastructure loans and grants.

He also repeated a call for a $10bn "infrastructure bank" to attract investment for projects that will have the greatest impact on the economy.

The Obama administration is proposing tax breaks for foreign pension funds that invest in US infrastructure, and bonds designed to attract investors in larger projects.

"There are few more important things we can do to create jobs right now and strengthen our economy over the long haul than rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and our economy," Mr Obama said in Miami.

'Work to be done'

The upgrades at Port Miami - including a tunnel under the bay designed to link a highway with the port - are being funded by taxpayers as well as private investors.

Mr Obama noted that the involvement of several jurisdictions, as well as private companies whose payments were tied to performance, meant "construction workers are on the job digging this tunnel, doing great jobs, getting good pay".

"What are we waiting for?" Mr Obama said, turning his attention to the wider US. "There's work to be done, there are workers who are ready to do it."

All of Mr Obama's proposals require Congressional action, including the "infrastructure bank", a proposal he introduced in his first term that was never acted upon.

But the turn toward private funding is driven in part by Republican opposition to increased government spending, analysts say.

Republicans have been reluctant to support additional projects since Mr Obama and the Democrats passed a $787bn stimulus plan in 2009 that included infrastructure funding.

And Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott has criticised Mr Obama for being "late to the party", arguing Florida taxpayers have had to pick up too much of the tab for the Miami and other port projects because the president was slow to support them.

In a conference call with reporters on Friday, a senior Obama administration official said the proposals would not add to the federal budget deficit, saying details would be spelled out in the president's budget, expected to be released on 10 April.

After touring the tunnel project at the port, Mr Obama said that such projects should draw support from both Republicans and his fellow Democrats, noting that both union groups and the pro-business US Chamber of Commerce agreed on the need for increased infrastructure spending.

"I know that members of Congress are happy to welcome projects like this in their districts," he said. "I know because I've seen them at the ribbon-cuttings.

"If you think it's good for your district, then it's probably good for other districts, too."


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US 'pregnant man' refused a divorce

29 March 2013 Last updated at 16:33 ET

An Arizona judge has refused to grant a divorce to a transgender man who gave birth to three children.

The judge said there was insufficient evidence that Thomas Beatie was male when he married; the state bans same-sex marriage.

In 2008, Mr Beatie, who had lived as a man for decades, gave birth to a girl, the first of three pregnancies.

He is legally male but kept his female reproductive organs and bore children because his wife was infertile.

A spokesman for Mr Beatie, Ryan Gordon, said Maricopa County Family Court Judge Douglas Gerlach's comments came as a shock. He said his client, who hopes to marry his current girlfriend, planned to appeal the ruling.

"It's unfortunate that the judge out here doesn't recognise marriage in another state,'' Mr Gordon said.

'Whole ball of wax'

In his ruling, Judge Gerlach wrote that the couple had failed to prove Mr Beatie was a male when they were married.

"The decision here is not based on the conclusion that this case involves a same-sex marriage merely because one of the parties is a transsexual male," he wrote.

Mr Beatie began taking testosterone in 1979 and underwent a double mastectomy in 2002. His birth certificate was changed to male at the same time.

He and his wife Nancy married a year later in Hawaii.

Mr Gordon said Mr Beatie, 39, was legally married as a man and never was required to disclose that he retained female reproductive organs when applying for the birth certificate in Hawaii as a man.

Mr Beatie halted testosterone treatments so he could give birth to his children after the couple found out his wife could not get pregnant.

"I'm clearly a man: socially, legally, psychologically, physically - the whole ball of wax," Mr Beatie told the Arizona Republic in December.

Nancy Beatie's lawyer David Higgins said Judge Gerlach's decision was thorough but not the one she had hoped for.

"He still sees a same-sex marriage, but he gave us all the rulings that we're asking for as far as the children,'' Mr Higgins said.


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Third US legal official shot dead

31 March 2013 Last updated at 04:52 ET

A district attorney has been shot dead in Texas, the third justice official to be killed in the US in recent weeks.

Mike McLelland and his wife were found dead on Saturday in Kaufman County. Kaufman's Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was killed in January.

Last week a suspect in the killing of the head of Colorado's department of corrections died in a shootout with police in Texas.

Authorities are investigating whether any of the cases may be linked.

White supremacist group

No arrests have been made over Mr Hasse's killing but police are reportedly looking into a link between his death and the killing on 19 March of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements.

Speaking of the latest killing, Kaufman Police Chief Chris Aulbaugh told the Dallas Morning News: "It is a shock. It was a shock with Mark Hasse, and now you can just imagine the double shock and until we know what happened, I really can't confirm that it's related, but you always have to assume until it's proven otherwise.''

The lead suspect in Mr Clement's shooting, Evan Spencer Ebel, died in a shootout with police in Decatur, around 135km (85 miles) from Kaufman, on 21 March.

Ebel, 28, was a former Colorado prison inmate and was linked to a white supremacist group in prison called the 211 Crew.

Kaufman County district attorney's office had been one of several agencies involved in the investigation of two members of another white supremacist group on racketeering charges earlier this year.

Mr McLelland had previously had a 23-year career in the army, according the biography on his website, and had five children.


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Apple denied iPad Mini US trademark

31 March 2013 Last updated at 07:34 ET

Apple has been denied a trademark for the popular iPad Mini by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

The trademark application for the tablet was turned down because the name was "merely descriptive" and did not create a unique meaning, it said.

But Apple still has until July to persuade the Patent Office that the smaller tablet differs sufficiently from its iconic sibling.

Apple has been involved in a series of patent disputes with rival firms.

It won a landmark case against Korea's Samsung last year but this month, a judge in the US ordered the $1bn (£660m) in damages awarded to Apple be cut by 40% and set a new trial to assess the level of damages.

The award was the biggest in a series of global legal fights between the two companies over patents.

The Patent Office issued the letter in January, although it has only just emerged.

In it, it said the "applied-for mark merely describes a feature or characteristic of applicant's goods".

The terms "mini" and "pad" and the prefix "i-" were all descriptive, it decided.

Neither as individual terms nor as a composite result - iPad Mini - did they "create a unique, incongruous, or non-descriptive meaning in relation to the goods being small handheld mobile devices comprising tablet computers capable of providing internet access".

In its last quarter to January, Apple said that it sold a record 22.9 million iPads and iPad Minis.


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Tributes for producer Phil Ramone

31 March 2013 Last updated at 08:08 ET

Music stars have paid tribute to US producer and compact disc pioneer Phil Ramone, who has died at the age of 79.

Singer Tony Bennett said on Facebook: "Phil Ramone was a lovely person and a very gifted musician and producer... it was a joy to have him work with me."

Ramone is regarded as one of the most successful music producers in history.

He won 14 Grammy awards and worked with stars such as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Paul McCartney.

Ramone had been in hospital for several weeks, where he was being treated for an aortic aneurysm.

Confirming his death, his son Matt Ramone said he was "very loving and will be missed".

Phil Ramone's last Grammy came in 2012, when he won best traditional pop vocal album for producing Bennett's album Duets II.

"He had a wonderful sense of humour and a deep love of music. Phil had the admiration and respect from everyone in the entertainment industry and his passing is a great loss," Bennett added in his statement.

Other artists took to Twitter to pay tribute.

Gloria Estefan tweeted: "Sending prayers & good thoughts 2 the loved ones of our dear friend & colleague, the unequalled Phil Ramone. RIP friend, we will miss u always!"

Singer-songwriter Josh Groban tweeted: "I'm filled with sadness at the news of Phil Ramone's passing. He was a great friend and made music the right way."

Michael Wood of the LA Times

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Michael Wood from the LA Times said Phil Ramone spent his career ''working with A-list singers for almost half a century''

Julian Lennon also took to Twitter, saying he was "deeply saddened to hear the news of my dear friend & first-ever producer, Phil Ramone's passing."

Ramone produced the first major commercial release on CD, Billy Joel's 1982 album 52nd Street.

Some of his awards were for soundtracks to TV shows, films and stage plays.

A native of South Africa, Ramone learnt the violin at the age of three,

He became a US citizen at 12, and opened his own recording studio in 1958.

He produced three records that won Grammys for album of the year - Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years in 1976, 52nd Street and Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company in 2005.

"My career as an engineer and producer coincided with one of the most profound periods in pop music history: that of the contemporary singer-songwriter," he wrote in his 2007 book Making Records: The Scenes Behind the Music.

Ramone also won Grammys for soundtracks to Flashdance, the Broadway musical Promises, Promises, and an Emmy for a TV special about jazz great Duke Ellington.

He was known for bringing artists together for duets, producing efforts by Frank Sinatra and Bono, and Tony Bennett and Paul McCartney among others.


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US lawmaker 'sorry' for racial slur

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 30 Maret 2013 | 20.24

29 March 2013 Last updated at 13:18 ET

The Republican congressman representing the state of Alaska has apologised for using a derogatory word for Hispanic workers in a radio interview.

Don Young, 79, said he "meant no disrespect" when he referred to Hispanic labourers on the California farm where he grew up as "wetbacks".

The remark drew immediate condemnation.

It comes as Republicans are trying to improve their standing among Hispanic voters, who overwhelmingly backed Democrats in November's poll.

The Republican leader in Congress, John Boehner, said Mr Young's comments were "offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds".

Continue reading the main story

I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays"

End Quote Don Young Alaska congressman

"There's no excuse and it warrants an immediate apology," Mr Boehner said.

During a discussion of the US labour market on an Alaska radio station on Thursday, Mr Young said of his father's farm: "We used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes."

"It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It's all done by machine," he added.

In a statement later, the congressman said: "I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays" even though it was in common use when he was a child.

Mr Young, who has been in Congress since 1973, added that in the interview he had expressed compassion for the workers.


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US growth is faster than expected

28 March 2013 Last updated at 10:42 ET

The US economy grew at a faster than expected 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012, the Department of Commerce has said.

The annualised figure was better than an earlier estimate of 0.1% growth, reflecting increased investments in plant and equipment.

However, despite the upwards revision, the department warned that the economy remained "sluggish".

The latest figures were a marked slowdown from the previous quarter.

An acute fall in defence spending and government expenditures hurt economic output, said the department.

"While non-residential fixed investment is higher than previously estimated, the revision to GDP [gross domestic product] has not changed the general picture of the economy," said a statement.

The October-December figures came amid hopes that the US economic recovery is gathering steam, following a string of recent data showing rising home sales and an improving labour market.

Wall Street shares opened flat on Thursday, with the S&P 500 index hovering near its all-time closing high.

"Fundamentally, the economy is improving and we are getting good earnings," said Jack DeGan, chief investment officer of Harbor Advisory.

BMO Capital Markets economist Jennifer Lee described the revised fourth quarter rate as "still disappointing", but said that the investment bank was expecting US GDP to increase by 2.2% this year, the rate at which the economy grew last year.

In a report last week, the US Federal Reserve said that the economy had strengthened "moderately" but still needed stimulus measures to underpin recovery.

The Fed has said it would keep its policy of buying $85bn a month of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities in order to lower borrowing costs for households and businesses.

Although US joblessness has fallen, the Fed said it wanted to see signs of a long-term trend of falling unemployment.


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Canada 'leaves UN drought treaty'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 16:58 ET

Canada is leaving a drought treaty, becoming the only UN member to do so, Canadian media report.

The cabinet issued the order last week, but did not announce the move, ahead of a convention in Germany next month.

The decision seems to have surprised the UN, which apparently only became aware of it when informed during a phone call by the Canadian Press.

Canada ratified the treaty to fight global drought in 1995, along with 154 countries and the European Union.

The cabinet order "authorises the minister of foreign affairs to take the actions necessary to withdraw, on behalf of Canada, from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in those countries experiencing severe drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa".

Canada's withdrawal comes ahead of a major convention in Bonn, Germany, "to carry out the first ever comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of desertification, land degradation and drought", the UN Environment Programme said.

'Little benefit'

At the meeting, member countries will also for the first time be required to submit data on poverty and land cover in areas impacted by desertification.

Woman in Mexico

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A look at the impact of rising food prices in Argentina and Mexico

The UN secretariat in Bonn said Canada had not officially informed them of their plan to leave, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

A spokesman for Canada's International Co-operation Minister, Julian Fantino, told the newspaper that membership of the convention had been expensive while yielding little benefit.

But critics say Canada is isolating itself by withdrawing and the decision should have been publicly announced.

Canada's conservative-led government has adopted policies in recent years that have dismayed aid groups.

Canada left the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases in 2012, becoming the first country to do so. Japan, Russia and New Zealand have since opted out, too. The US never joined the treaty.

Last year, the Ottawa government also announced plans to cut 7% out of its foreign aid budget by 2014-15.


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Boston mayor stops after two decades

28 March 2013 Last updated at 19:06 ET

Boston's longest-serving mayor, Thomas Menino, has announced he will not run for re-election after almost 20 years in the city's top office.

"I will leave the job that I love," Mr Menino, 70, told a crowd of hundreds, including staff and supporters.

Mr Menino became mayor in 1993 after his predecessor left to become ambassador to the Vatican.

His decision not to run sets the stage for the most competitive mayor's race in decades.

City Councillor John Connolly announced his candidacy for the city's top job last month, but Mr Menino was still a strong favourite. A poll once found that half of the city's residents said they had personally met him.

In a statement, President Barack Obama praised Mr Menino.

"Boston is the vibrant, welcoming and world-class city it is today because of Tom Menino," Mr Obama said.

"For more than two decades, Mayor Menino has served the city and every one of its residents with extraordinary leadership, vision and compassion."

'Full tilt'

The Boston mayor was in hospital for eight weeks in 2012 with a respiratory infection and a blood clot that was complicated by a spinal fracture and diabetes.

On Thursday, he said he was on the mend, but not enough to keep up with his famously whirlwind schedule.

"I'm back to a mayor's schedule, but not a Menino schedule," he said. "Spending so much time in the neighbourhoods gives me energy... it may not be the only way to lead Boston, but it's the only way for me."

"So I am here with the people I love, to tell the city I love, that I will leave the job that I love."

Earlier, he told a local radio station he plans to go "full tilt" until his last day in office.

Mr Menino said he would not be involved in the campaign to replace him, but asked that "you choose someone who loves this city as much as I have".

When the previous mayor, Raymond Flynn, left office in 1993 after being named ambassador to the Vatican, Mr Menino, then president of the City Council, was automatically elevated to the mayor's job.

He won re-election in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009, mostly by wide margins.

Mr Menino became known for attending to the everyday matters of the city: helping to fix potholes, cleaning streets and changing parking policy, leading to his nickname of the "urban mechanic".

He also created a political machine for allies that handily defeated challengers, including helping Senator Elizabeth Warren campaign across the city.

On Thursday, Sen Warren called him "the best mayor in America" and "the best friend to the neighbourhoods and people of Boston".


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James Holmes 'guilty plea' rejected

28 March 2013 Last updated at 21:53 ET

Prosecutors in the case of the Colorado cinema massacre have said they will not accept a plea offer from the suspect unless they have more information.

In a court filing, they accused defence lawyers for James Holmes of violating a gag order by making the offer public.

Mr Holmes is accused in the July attack that killed 12 and wounded dozens at a midnight film premiere.

On Wednesday, his lawyers said he would be willing to plead guilty in order to avoid the death penalty.

As they rejected the offer, prosecutors had not said whether they would pursue a capital punishment sentence as part of a trial.

An announcement on the death penalty is expected on Monday from George Brauchler, the Arapahoe County district attorney.

Mr Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the 20 July attack, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

Prosecutors said the defence has repeatedly refused to give them the information they need to evaluate the plea offer, so the offer cannot be considered genuine.

They did not say what information the defence refused to give them, but the case has been marked by arguments about access to Mr Holmes' mental health records.

They added anyone reading news stories about the plea offer would inevitably conclude "the defendant knows that he is guilty, the defence attorneys know that he is guilty, and that both of them know that he was not criminally insane".


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US ex-soldier 'fought in Syria'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 22:22 ET

A former US soldier has been charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say.

Eric Harroun, 30, served in the US Army from 2000-2003, and allegedly fought in Syria with the al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra is deemed a terror group by the US as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

As the US calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, it has also expressed concern about militant groups fighting in Syria.

If convicted, Mr Harroun would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was arrested as he returned to the US on Wednesday.

'Days are numbered'

According to a criminal complaint, Mr Harroun is accused of crossing into Syria in January 2013 and fighting alongside members of Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) against Mr Assad's forces.

He is specifically charged with "conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States", a law that applies to US nationals anywhere in the world.

He allegedly fought as part of a group using rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and is not charged with providing material support to a terror group.

Mr Harroun was medically discharged from the Army in 2003 after a car accident and lived in Phoenix, Arizona. He never served overseas, according to an Army spokesman.

Prosecutors allege that he was trained to use the RPGs by members of al-Nusra and participated in attacks organised by the group. He also allegedly posted on social media photographs of himself carrying RPGs and other weapons.

Mr Harroun also appeared in two videos about military action in Syria with rebel forces, saying on one: "Bashar al-Assad, your days are numbered... Where you go, we will find you and kill you," the affidavit says.

He previously appeared in at least three media articles as the photographs and videos gained attention, including an interview with FoxNews.com and the website of Foreign Policy magazine by the same set of writers.

In March, the FBI spoke to the former soldier in three voluntary interviews at the US consulate in Istanbul - officials say he told them he wanted to fight with the Free Syrian Army against the Assad regime and allegedly confirmed he had been fighting with al-Nusra.

According to the court records, Mr Harroun said he initially was fighting with the Free Syrian Army but jumped on an al-Nusra truck after a joint attack on a Syrian army camp.

In an interview on Wednesday as he arrived at an airport outside Washington, Mr Harroun allegedly said that he knew the al-Nusra Front had been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

"Harroun said... al-Nusra fighters would ask him why the United States designed them as terrorists," the complaint said.

He appeared before a US judge for the first time on Thursday and officials said a lawyer would be appointed for him.

Last year, the public defenders' office in the district where Mr Harroun will be tried represented a man who pleaded guilty to spying on US-based Syrian dissidents on behalf of the Assad regime.

In the case, Mohamad Soueid said he was motivated to help the Syrian government because of his fear that Islamist extremists would take hold in Syria if the government regime were overthrown.


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Amazon buys book recommendation site

28 March 2013 Last updated at 23:57 ET

Online retailer Amazon has said it will buy Goodreads, a book discovery and recommendation website.

San Francisco-based Goodreads was founded in 2007, has 16 million members and is one of the most prominent online communities for readers.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is expected to be completed in the next quarter.

Amazon's electronic book service competes against a number of rivals including Google and Apple.

Goodreads is a social network for readers, where they can recommend, review and discover books. Users can also buy books from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

"Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading," Russ Grandinetti, vice-president for Kindle content at Amazon, said in a statement.

Goodreads co-founder, Otis Chandler, said the deal would allow the company to move faster in bringing its user experience to more people around the world.


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'HIV risk' for US dentist's patients

29 March 2013 Last updated at 12:26 ET

Health officials in the US state of Oklahoma have warned 7,000 patients their dentist may have exposed them to HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Patients of Dr W Scott Harrington's practice in Tulsa were advised to test themselves at a free clinic set up by the state, health officials said.

Health inspectors found rusty dental instruments and poor hygiene standards at the clinic.

Dr Harrington has voluntarily closed the practice, officials said.

"Although we do not know whether you were personally exposed to blood-borne viruses," the state health department wrote to patients, "there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to infectious material."

The letters are being sent to patients treated since 2007, but health officials have said they do not know who may have been seen by the dentist before that.

'It looked clean'

The Tulsa Health Department is setting up a clinic to carry out free blood tests for people who may have been exposed.

Former patient Joyce Baylor, 69, who had a tooth removed by Dr Harrington about 18 months ago, said the office looked clean.

"I'm sure he's not suffering financially that he can't afford instruments," she told the Associated Press news agency.

The investigation into the dental practice began after a patient tested positive for both hepatitis C and HIV despite having no associated risk factors.

Officials determined the patient had received dental treatment about the time the exposure was believed to have occurred.

The dentist has voluntarily given up his licence, closed his practice and is co-operating with investigators, the Tulsa Health Department said.

Dr Harrington faces a hearing on 19 April and could have his licence revoked permanently.


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Obama promotes infrastructure plan

29 March 2013 Last updated at 15:37 ET

US President Barack Obama has appealed for increased private investment in infrastructure, saying it will create jobs and boost the US economy.

Mr Obama outlined his plans at Port Miami, which is undergoing a $2bn (£1.3bn) upgrade and tunnel project.

Among his proposals was $4bn in new infrastructure loans and grants.

He also repeated a call for a $10bn "infrastructure bank" to attract investment for projects that will have the greatest impact on the economy.

The Obama administration is proposing tax breaks for foreign pension funds that invest in US infrastructure, and bonds designed to attract investors in larger projects.

"There are few more important things we can do to create jobs right now and strengthen our economy over the long haul than rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and our economy," Mr Obama said in Miami.

'Work to be done'

The upgrades at Port Miami - including a tunnel under the bay designed to link a highway with the port - are being funded by taxpayers as well as private investors.

Mr Obama noted that the involvement of several jurisdictions, as well as private companies whose payments were tied to performance, meant "construction workers are on the job digging this tunnel, doing great jobs, getting good pay".

"What are we waiting for?" Mr Obama said, turning his attention to the wider US. "There's work to be done, there are workers who are ready to do it."

All of Mr Obama's proposals require Congressional action, including the "infrastructure bank", a proposal he introduced in his first term that was never acted upon.

But the turn toward private funding is driven in part by Republican opposition to increased government spending, analysts say.

Republicans have been reluctant to support additional projects since Mr Obama and the Democrats passed a $787bn stimulus plan in 2009 that included infrastructure funding.

And Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott has criticised Mr Obama for being "late to the party", arguing Florida taxpayers have had to pick up too much of the tab for the Miami and other port projects because the president was slow to support them.

In a conference call with reporters on Friday, a senior Obama administration official said the proposals would not add to the federal budget deficit, saying details would be spelled out in the president's budget, expected to be released on 10 April.

After touring the tunnel project at the port, Mr Obama said that such projects should draw support from both Republicans and his fellow Democrats, noting that both union groups and the pro-business US Chamber of Commerce agreed on the need for increased infrastructure spending.

"I know that members of Congress are happy to welcome projects like this in their districts," he said. "I know because I've seen them at the ribbon-cuttings.

"If you think it's good for your district, then it's probably good for other districts, too."


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US 'pregnant man' refused a divorce

29 March 2013 Last updated at 16:33 ET

An Arizona judge has refused to grant a divorce to a transgender man who gave birth to three children.

The judge said there was insufficient evidence that Thomas Beatie was male when he married; the state bans same-sex marriage.

In 2008, Mr Beatie, who had lived as a man for decades, gave birth to a girl, the first of three pregnancies.

He is legally male but kept his female reproductive organs and bore children because his wife was infertile.

A spokesman for Mr Beatie, Ryan Gordon, said Maricopa County Family Court Judge Douglas Gerlach's comments came as a shock. He said his client, who hopes to marry his current girlfriend, planned to appeal the ruling.

"It's unfortunate that the judge out here doesn't recognise marriage in another state,'' Mr Gordon said.

'Whole ball of wax'

In his ruling, Judge Gerlach wrote that the couple had failed to prove Mr Beatie was a male when they were married.

"The decision here is not based on the conclusion that this case involves a same-sex marriage merely because one of the parties is a transsexual male," he wrote.

Mr Beatie began taking testosterone in 1979 and underwent a double mastectomy in 2002. His birth certificate was changed to male at the same time.

He and his wife Nancy married a year later in Hawaii.

Mr Gordon said Mr Beatie, 39, was legally married as a man and never was required to disclose that he retained female reproductive organs when applying for the birth certificate in Hawaii as a man.

Mr Beatie halted testosterone treatments so he could give birth to his children after the couple found out his wife could not get pregnant.

"I'm clearly a man: socially, legally, psychologically, physically - the whole ball of wax," Mr Beatie told the Arizona Republic in December.

Nancy Beatie's lawyer David Higgins said Judge Gerlach's decision was thorough but not the one she had hoped for.

"He still sees a same-sex marriage, but he gave us all the rulings that we're asking for as far as the children,'' Mr Higgins said.


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Buffett to increase stake in Goldman

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 29 Maret 2013 | 20.24

26 March 2013 Last updated at 12:40 ET

Warren Buffett is to become a top 10 shareholder of Goldman Sachs after he agreed to amend the terms of his 2008 investment in the bank.

In September 2008, Mr Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway fund invested $5bn (£3.3bn) in Goldman at 10% interest.

In addition to the interest, Berkshire was given the opportunity to buy billions of additional shares in the future.

Goldman is now giving Buffett shares for free to limit diluting its stock.

In return, the deal means Berkshire does not have to spend billions of dollars up front.

Under the 2008 deal, Berkshire had the right - called a warrant - to buy a further 43.5 million shares for $115 each on 1 October this year.

The $115 figure compares with Goldman's $147.43 share price in early Tuesday trading.

Instead of buying the shares, Berkshire will now get additional Goldman shares equivalent in value to the difference between $115 and the average closing price of Goldman's shares for the 10 trading days before 1 October.

According to estimates, this will make him the bank's ninth-largest shareholder.

Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein said: "We are pleased that Berkshire Hathaway intends to remain a long-term investor in Goldman Sachs."

Mr Buffett, one of America's most celebrated investors, last month bought the Heinz food products business for $28bn.

The 2008 investment in Goldman came at the height of the global financial crisis.

It attracted much media attention, specifically surrounding the generous 10% interest the bank agreed to pay Berkshire.

Analysts said this reflected Goldman's need for the funds, and the lack of other potential investors either willing or able to put the money forward.


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China and Brazil sign currency deal

26 March 2013 Last updated at 21:20 ET

China and Brazil have signed a currency swap deal, designed to safeguard against future global financial crises.

The pact, first announced last year, will allow their central banks to swap local currencies worth up to 190bn yuan or 60bn reais ($30bn; £20bn).

Officials said this will ensure smooth bilateral trade, regardless of global financial conditions.

Along with being the world's second-largest economy, China is also Brazil's biggest trading partner.

"If there were shocks to the global financial market, with credit running short, we'd have credit from our biggest international partner, so there would be no interruption of trade," said Guido Mantega, Brazil's economy minister.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the fifth Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit being held in Durban, South Africa.

Continue reading the main story

The purpose of this swap is that, independent of the conditions prevailing in the international financial market, we will have $30bn available"

End Quote Alexandre Tombini Governor, Brazil Central Bank
'Guarantee normal trade'

Trade between China and Brazil has grown robustly over the past few years, with volumes rising from $6.7bn in 2003 to nearly $75bn in 2012.

A large chunk of this growth has been driven by growing Chinese demand for Brazil's resources, such as iron ore and soy products.

Meanwhile, Brazil has also become a key export market for goods manufactured in China.

Brazil's Central Bank governor Alexandre Tombini said the swap agreement would ensure that trade volumes between the two nations did not suffer if a financial crisis in the future hurt global liquidity.

"The purpose of this swap is that, independent of the conditions prevailing in the international financial market, we will have $30bn available which would represent eight months of exports from Brazil to China and 10 months of imports to Brazil from China," he said.

"This is sufficiently large to guarantee normal trade operations."

Bigger yuan role

China has been pushing for a more international role for its currency, the yuan. It has been trying to promote the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar as a global reserve currency.

As part of that push, it has signed a series of swap deals with some of its key trading partners.

Such agreements not only allow central banks to swap currencies, but can also be used by firms to settle trade in local currencies rather than in US dollars, as happens now, since China's currency is not fully convertible to other currencies.

Earlier this year, the Bank of England said that it was in negotiations with its Chinese counterpart to finalise a three-year swap agreement.

Last year, China signed a swap deal with Australia worth up to A$30bn ($31bn; £20bn) to promote bi-lateral trade and investment.

It is also looking at currency pacts with Hong Kong and Japan.


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US growth is faster than expected

28 March 2013 Last updated at 10:42 ET

The US economy grew at a faster than expected 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012, the Department of Commerce has said.

The annualised figure was better than an earlier estimate of 0.1% growth, reflecting increased investments in plant and equipment.

However, despite the upwards revision, the department warned that the economy remained "sluggish".

The latest figures were a marked slowdown from the previous quarter.

An acute fall in defence spending and government expenditures hurt economic output, said the department.

"While non-residential fixed investment is higher than previously estimated, the revision to GDP [gross domestic product] has not changed the general picture of the economy," said a statement.

The October-December figures came amid hopes that the US economic recovery is gathering steam, following a string of recent data showing rising home sales and an improving labour market.

Wall Street shares opened flat on Thursday, with the S&P 500 index hovering near its all-time closing high.

"Fundamentally, the economy is improving and we are getting good earnings," said Jack DeGan, chief investment officer of Harbor Advisory.

BMO Capital Markets economist Jennifer Lee described the revised fourth quarter rate as "still disappointing", but said that the investment bank was expecting US GDP to increase by 2.2% this year, the rate at which the economy grew last year.

In a report last week, the US Federal Reserve said that the economy had strengthened "moderately" but still needed stimulus measures to underpin recovery.

The Fed has said it would keep its policy of buying $85bn a month of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities in order to lower borrowing costs for households and businesses.

Although US joblessness has fallen, the Fed said it wanted to see signs of a long-term trend of falling unemployment.


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Newtown gunman 'had weapons arsenal'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 12:59 ET

The young man who killed 27 people in a massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, owned an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, court papers show.

More than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, a bayonet, several swords and knives were among the items found in a search of Adam Lanza's home.

Details of the searches were publicised after a court seal lapsed on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old first shot his mother, before killing 26 people at Sandy Hook elementary school in December.

The mass shooting - which ended when Lanza shot himself - shocked the United States and revived debate over how to curb gun violence.

President Barack Obama, who called the day of the shootings the worst of his presidency, launched a campaign to tighten gun laws in the wake of the attack.

On Thursday he stood alongside parents of Newtown's young victims and urged senators to approve gun control measures in votes due next month.

Mother's gun gift

Lanza managed to shoot all his victims and kill himself within five minutes of making his way into the school, said state prosecutor Stephen Sedensky, in a statement accompanying Thursday's release of the search warrants.

The 20 children and six staff members were all killed with a Bushmaster .223-calibre rifle.

The gun Lanza turned on himself was a Glock 10mm handgun, Mr Sedensky said.

Lanza also had a loaded 9mm Sig Sauer handgun with him in the school and three 30-round magazines for the rifle.

Obama speaks in front of mothers who have been victims of gun violence

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Obama: Shame on us if we've forgotten Newtown

At the scene, investigators found 154 used .223 casings.

One more weapon - a 12-gauge shotgun with 70 rounds - was discovered in the Honda Civic that Lanza drove to the school.

Although the description of the gunman in search warrants suggests he was found wearing military-style clothing and a bullet-proof vest, prosecutors said on Wednesday Lanza was not wearing such a vest.

In the gunman's two-storey family home, investigators found a bayonet, a gun safe in Lanza's bedroom, three samurai swords and about 10 knives, according to search warrants.

Several guns were retrieved: a .323-calibre Enfield Albian bolt-action rifle, a .22-calibre Savage Mark II rifle, a BB gun and a .22-calibre Volcanic starter pistol, according to the papers.

The documents showed the gunman's mother, 52-year-old Nancy Lanza, had written a cheque for her son to buy a weapon and placed it in a holiday card.

NRA certificates

Police found her body in bed with a fatal gunshot wound to the forehead, and a rifle on the floor nearby.

Investigators also discovered a news clipping about a 2008 school shooting at Northern Illinois University.

In that attack a formerly successful student, 27-year-old Steven Kazmierczak, killed five people and injured 21 others before turning the gun on himself.

Among the items listed by investigators in the Lanza home were two books, "Look me in the eye: My life with Asperger's" and "Born on a blue day: Inside the extraordinary mind of an autistic savant".

Friends of the Lanza family had described the gunman as having Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism.

National Rifle Association certificates and a guide to pistol shooting by the gun lobby group, together with a smashed computer hard drive and gaming console were among the other items police found at the home.

One witness reportedly told police Lanza was a keen gamer who regularly played games, such as Call of Duty, and rarely left his home.

Some details, such as the name of a witness, telephone numbers and serial numbers, were redacted from the cache of documents.

The papers were made public at the request of Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, who expressed concern about information that had been leaked to the press.


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Canada 'leaves UN drought treaty'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 16:58 ET

Canada is leaving a drought treaty, becoming the only UN member to do so, Canadian media report.

The cabinet issued the order last week, but did not announce the move, ahead of a convention in Germany next month.

The decision seems to have surprised the UN, which apparently only became aware of it when informed during a phone call by the Canadian Press.

Canada ratified the treaty to fight global drought in 1995, along with 154 countries and the European Union.

The cabinet order "authorises the minister of foreign affairs to take the actions necessary to withdraw, on behalf of Canada, from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, in those countries experiencing severe drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa".

Canada's withdrawal comes ahead of a major convention in Bonn, Germany, "to carry out the first ever comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of desertification, land degradation and drought", the UN Environment Programme said.

'Little benefit'

At the meeting, member countries will also for the first time be required to submit data on poverty and land cover in areas impacted by desertification.

Woman in Mexico

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A look at the impact of rising food prices in Argentina and Mexico

The UN secretariat in Bonn said Canada had not officially informed them of their plan to leave, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported.

A spokesman for Canada's International Co-operation Minister, Julian Fantino, told the newspaper that membership of the convention had been expensive while yielding little benefit.

But critics say Canada is isolating itself by withdrawing and the decision should have been publicly announced.

Canada's conservative-led government has adopted policies in recent years that have dismayed aid groups.

Canada left the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gases in 2012, becoming the first country to do so. Japan, Russia and New Zealand have since opted out, too. The US never joined the treaty.

Last year, the Ottawa government also announced plans to cut 7% out of its foreign aid budget by 2014-15.


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Boston mayor stops after two decades

28 March 2013 Last updated at 19:06 ET

Boston's longest-serving mayor, Thomas Menino, has announced he will not run for re-election after almost 20 years in the city's top office.

"I will leave the job that I love," Mr Menino, 70, told a crowd of hundreds, including staff and supporters.

Mr Menino became mayor in 1993 after his predecessor left to become ambassador to the Vatican.

His decision not to run sets the stage for the most competitive mayor's race in decades.

City Councillor John Connolly announced his candidacy for the city's top job last month, but Mr Menino was still a strong favourite. A poll once found that half of the city's residents said they had personally met him.

In a statement, President Barack Obama praised Mr Menino.

"Boston is the vibrant, welcoming and world-class city it is today because of Tom Menino," Mr Obama said.

"For more than two decades, Mayor Menino has served the city and every one of its residents with extraordinary leadership, vision and compassion."

'Full tilt'

The Boston mayor was in hospital for eight weeks in 2012 with a respiratory infection and a blood clot that was complicated by a spinal fracture and diabetes.

On Thursday, he said he was on the mend, but not enough to keep up with his famously whirlwind schedule.

"I'm back to a mayor's schedule, but not a Menino schedule," he said. "Spending so much time in the neighbourhoods gives me energy... it may not be the only way to lead Boston, but it's the only way for me."

"So I am here with the people I love, to tell the city I love, that I will leave the job that I love."

Earlier, he told a local radio station he plans to go "full tilt" until his last day in office.

Mr Menino said he would not be involved in the campaign to replace him, but asked that "you choose someone who loves this city as much as I have".

When the previous mayor, Raymond Flynn, left office in 1993 after being named ambassador to the Vatican, Mr Menino, then president of the City Council, was automatically elevated to the mayor's job.

He won re-election in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009, mostly by wide margins.

Mr Menino became known for attending to the everyday matters of the city: helping to fix potholes, cleaning streets and changing parking policy, leading to his nickname of the "urban mechanic".

He also created a political machine for allies that handily defeated challengers, including helping Senator Elizabeth Warren campaign across the city.

On Thursday, Sen Warren called him "the best mayor in America" and "the best friend to the neighbourhoods and people of Boston".


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James Holmes 'guilty plea' rejected

28 March 2013 Last updated at 21:53 ET

Prosecutors in the case of the Colorado cinema massacre have said they will not accept a plea offer from the suspect unless they have more information.

In a court filing, they accused defence lawyers for James Holmes of violating a gag order by making the offer public.

Mr Holmes is accused in the July attack that killed 12 and wounded dozens at a midnight film premiere.

On Wednesday, his lawyers said he would be willing to plead guilty in order to avoid the death penalty.

As they rejected the offer, prosecutors had not said whether they would pursue a capital punishment sentence as part of a trial.

An announcement on the death penalty is expected on Monday from George Brauchler, the Arapahoe County district attorney.

Mr Holmes is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the 20 July attack, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

Prosecutors said the defence has repeatedly refused to give them the information they need to evaluate the plea offer, so the offer cannot be considered genuine.

They did not say what information the defence refused to give them, but the case has been marked by arguments about access to Mr Holmes' mental health records.

They added anyone reading news stories about the plea offer would inevitably conclude "the defendant knows that he is guilty, the defence attorneys know that he is guilty, and that both of them know that he was not criminally insane".


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US ex-soldier 'fought in Syria'

28 March 2013 Last updated at 22:22 ET

A former US soldier has been charged with using a weapon outside the US as he fought against Syrian government forces, prosecutors say.

Eric Harroun, 30, served in the US Army from 2000-2003, and allegedly fought in Syria with the al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra is deemed a terror group by the US as an alias of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

As the US calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, it has also expressed concern about militant groups fighting in Syria.

If convicted, Mr Harroun would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was arrested as he returned to the US on Wednesday.

'Days are numbered'

According to a criminal complaint, Mr Harroun is accused of crossing into Syria in January 2013 and fighting alongside members of Jabhat al-Nusra (the Nusra Front) against Mr Assad's forces.

He is specifically charged with "conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States", a law that applies to US nationals anywhere in the world.

He allegedly fought as part of a group using rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and is not charged with providing material support to a terror group.

Mr Harroun was medically discharged from the Army in 2003 after a car accident and lived in Phoenix, Arizona. He never served overseas, according to an Army spokesman.

Prosecutors allege that he was trained to use the RPGs by members of al-Nusra and participated in attacks organised by the group. He also allegedly posted on social media photographs of himself carrying RPGs and other weapons.

Mr Harroun also appeared in two videos about military action in Syria with rebel forces, saying on one: "Bashar al-Assad, your days are numbered... Where you go, we will find you and kill you," the affidavit says.

He previously appeared in at least three media articles as the photographs and videos gained attention, including an interview with FoxNews.com and the website of Foreign Policy magazine by the same set of writers.

In March, the FBI spoke to the former soldier in three voluntary interviews at the US consulate in Istanbul - officials say he told them he wanted to fight with the Free Syrian Army against the Assad regime and allegedly confirmed he had been fighting with al-Nusra.

According to the court records, Mr Harroun said he initially was fighting with the Free Syrian Army but jumped on an al-Nusra truck after a joint attack on a Syrian army camp.

In an interview on Wednesday as he arrived at an airport outside Washington, Mr Harroun allegedly said that he knew the al-Nusra Front had been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.

"Harroun said... al-Nusra fighters would ask him why the United States designed them as terrorists," the complaint said.

He appeared before a US judge for the first time on Thursday and officials said a lawyer would be appointed for him.

Last year, the public defenders' office in the district where Mr Harroun will be tried represented a man who pleaded guilty to spying on US-based Syrian dissidents on behalf of the Assad regime.

In the case, Mohamad Soueid said he was motivated to help the Syrian government because of his fear that Islamist extremists would take hold in Syria if the government regime were overthrown.


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Amazon buys book recommendation site

28 March 2013 Last updated at 23:57 ET

Online retailer Amazon has said it will buy Goodreads, a book discovery and recommendation website.

San Francisco-based Goodreads was founded in 2007, has 16 million members and is one of the most prominent online communities for readers.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is expected to be completed in the next quarter.

Amazon's electronic book service competes against a number of rivals including Google and Apple.

Goodreads is a social network for readers, where they can recommend, review and discover books. Users can also buy books from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

"Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading," Russ Grandinetti, vice-president for Kindle content at Amazon, said in a statement.

Goodreads co-founder, Otis Chandler, said the deal would allow the company to move faster in bringing its user experience to more people around the world.


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Morning business round-up

29 March 2013 Last updated at 07:36 ET
Business Headlines

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Business headlines

What's making the business news in Asia and Europe this morning? Here's our daily business round-up:

Continue reading the main story

Cyprus has no intention of the leaving the European single currency, the country's president says.

President Nicos Anastasiades said: "In no way will we experiment with the future of our country."

He said the financial situation was "contained" following the 10bn euro bailout deal with the EU and IMF.

Banks opened on Thursday for the first time in nearly two weeks amid severe new rules imposed as part of the bailout deal.

Queues formed as people tried to access their money, but the mood was generally calm.

The S&P 500 index closed on Thursday night at a record high of 1,569, up 6 points or 0.4%. The last time it broke into new territory was on 9 October 2007 when it closed at 1,565.

The Dow Jones index was also up 0.4%, with a rise of 52 points taking it to a record 14,578.

The Nasdaq joined in the upbeat mood created by the smooth reopening of banks in Cyprus and generally positive economic news. It rose 11 points, or 0.3%, to close at 3,268.

The S&P has been near its record high for several weeks, despite the still sluggish performance of the US economy. This means it finishes the quarter 10% higher than its level at the beginning of the year and more than double its low point during the financial crisis.

Online retailer Amazon has said it will buy Goodreads, a book discovery and recommendation website.

San Francisco-based Goodreads was founded in 2007, has 16 million members and is one of the most prominent online communities for readers.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it is expected to be completed in the next quarter.

Amazon's electronic book service competes against a number of rivals including Google and Apple.

The head of Italy's centre-left bloc has failed to form a coalition cabinet after week-long talks with other political leaders.

Speaking in Rome, Pier Luigi Bersani said some parties' objections and conditions were "unacceptable".

His Democratic Party narrowly won the elections last month but lacks the upper house majority needed to govern.

President Napolitano will hold a new round of all-party talks on Friday in an attempt to break the deadlock.

The latest Business Daily podcast from the BBC World Service takes a look at capital cities around the Eurozone. Is the crisis really over or are recent events in Cyprus a stark reminder of how fragile the region is?


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US cuts 'hit consumer sentiment'

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 28 Maret 2013 | 20.24

26 March 2013 Last updated at 10:48 ET

US consumer confidence fell sharply this month, a closely-watched report has suggested.

The Conference Board's index of consumer attitudes fell by 8.3 points to 59.7 in March.

The research group primarily blamed the fall on the US federal budget cuts that came into force at the start of this month.

Separate data on Tuesday from the Commerce Department was more positive, showing a rise in durable goods sales.

Sale of such long-lasting factory products rose by 5.7% in February, the biggest increase in five months.

Yet the Commerce Department also said that sales of new US homes fell in February.

Sale of new residential properties fell to a seasonally adjusted 411,000 in February, 4.6% lower than the 431,000 sold in January, which had been a five-year high.

The government cuts - called the "sequester" cuts - came into force earlier this month. They were due to the federal government running out of funds before a new budget was finally agreed by the US Senate on 20 March.

"This month's retreat was driven primarily by a sharp decline in expectations, although consumers were also more pessimistic in their assessment of current conditions," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's economic indicators.

"The recent sequester has created uncertainty regarding the economic outlook, and as a result consumers are less confident."


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Condom row at US Catholic university

27 March 2013 Last updated at 12:46 ET

A Boston Catholic university has warned that students distributing condoms on campus may face disciplinary action.

Students running "safe sites" in dorm rooms providing condoms and advice may be violating Boston College's religious mission, administrators told them.

But a student spokeswoman has said the students offer a service not otherwise available at the university.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has said it may take legal action against the school.

In a letter sent to students on 15 March, Paul Chebator, dean of students, and George Arey, dean of residence life, said the distribution of condoms conflicted with the "responsibility to protect the values and traditions of Boston College as a Jesuit, Catholic ­institution", the Boston Globe newspaper reported.

Continue reading the main story

This letter was very war-mongering and threatening"

End Quote Lizzie Jekanowski BC Students for Sexual Health

"While we understand that you may not be intentionally violating university policy, we do need to advise you that should we receive any reports that you are, in fact, distributing condoms on campus, the matter would be referred to the student conduct office for disciplinary action by the university," the deans wrote.

Lizzie Jekanowski, chairwoman for the BC Students for Sexual Health, said the university had been aware of the programme but had never before warned it would take action, the newspaper reported.

"We were very disappointed that the signatories of the letter never contacted us beforehand," Ms Jekanowski said.

"We've had a very open relationship, and it's been very positive. This letter was very war-mongering and threatening."

Meanwhile, the local chapter of the ACLU said the university's warning was inappropriate and may even violate the law.


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US airlines merger gets approval

27 March 2013 Last updated at 17:11 ET

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways has been approved by a US judge, moving the two companies one step closer to forming the world's largest carrier.

The deal had to be approved by the judge because American Airlines has been in bankruptcy protection since November 2011.

The merger was first announced in February.

It still needs approval by the Justice Department and US Airways shareholders.

They are expected to back the deal before the end of the year.

"The merger is an excellent result. I don't think anybody disputes that," said Judge Sean Lane.

While loss-making American Airlines has spent the past 14 months protected from its creditors, US Airways has been profitable in recent years. The two combined airlines will have 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40bn (£26.5bn).

The majority of the merged company will be owned by American Airlines' creditors, but the chief executive will be the current US Airways boss, Doug Parker.


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US cinema killer 'may plead guilty'

27 March 2013 Last updated at 18:10 ET

Lawyers for the man accused of killing 12 cinema-goers last July in Aurora, Colorado, say he is prepared to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.

The attorneys said in a court motion that James Holmes, 25, was "currently willing to resolve the case".

Prosecutors are expected to announce next Monday whether they will pursue capital punishment.

The attack, at a midnight screening of Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, was one of America's worst mass shootings.

The accused is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.

A judge entered a not guilty plea for Mr Holmes on 12 March after lawyers said he was not ready to plead.

Prosecutors say the defendant planned the massacre for months, amassing a small arsenal and rigging explosive booby-traps in his apartment.

"Mr Holmes is currently willing to resolve the case to bring the proceedings to a speedy and definite conclusion for all involved," the lawyers wrote in the motion, as reported by the Denver Post.

They added that the prosecution had not yet responded to the plea deal, and their attempt to seek the death penalty would be the "only impediment to a resolution of this case".

Defence lawyers had previously raised questions about the accused's mental health, leading analysts to believe Mr Holmes would plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

At the 12 March hearing, they said a plea would not be ready until May or June. The trial is currently scheduled for August.

In the motion, lawyers for Mr Holmes said they would "vigorously present and argue any and all appropriate defences" if the offer was rejected.


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New York marks decade of smoking ban

27 March 2013 Last updated at 18:44 ET

New York City is marking 10 years since its ban on smoking in indoor public places, with officials saying the move has prevented 10,000 premature deaths.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that "fewer New Yorkers are smoking" and "we are living longer".

He added that critics' fear that the ban would hurt the restaurant and bar business had proved to be groundless.

However, the mayor's recent drive to ban the sale of large sugary drinks has been blocked by a court.

Earlier this month, the court describe the measure as "arbitrary and capricious", after industry groups sued the city.

Mr Bloomberg has since vowed to appeal against the ruling.

New initiative

"Ten years ago when New York City prohibited smoking in restaurants and bars, many predicted the end of the hospitality, restaurant and tourism industries," the mayor said in a statement on Wednesday to mark the introduction of the Smoke-Free Air Act in 2003.

"Yet 10 years later, fewer New Yorkers are smoking, we are living longer, our industries are thriving and nobody longs for a return to smoke-filled bars and restaurants."

A report released by New York's health department said the number of adult smokers fell to 15% in 2011 from 21.5% in 2002, but officials warn that smoking is still the main cause of preventable deaths in the city.

Earlier this month, Mr Bloomberg unveiled plans to require shops to hide cigarettes and tobacco products from public view, saying this would help to further cut the number of smokers, especially among the youths.

The mayor also wants to restrict access to cheap and illegal cigarettes.


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US justices criticise anti-gay law

27 March 2013 Last updated at 21:08 ET
Same-sex marriage supporters outside US Supreme Court

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Hot tempers and dance parties outside US Supreme Court

A US law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman only has been sharply criticised by Supreme Court justices at a landmark hearing.

A judge considered the court's swing vote joined four liberal colleagues in questioning the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma).

Legal analysts speculated that the law, which denies various federal benefits to gay couples, may be struck down.

A ruling on the case is expected by the end of June.

At the same time, America's highest court is expected to issue a decision about California's gay marriage ban, which it debated a day earlier.

For nearly two hours on Wednesday, the nine justices in Washington DC grilled lawyers on the constitutionality of Doma, with five of them making sceptical remarks about the 1996 law.

'Skim-milk marriage'

Doma denies married gay and lesbian couples the same federal rights, such as tax breaks and welfare benefits, granted to heterosexual couples.

Continue reading the main story

A first look at the justices' comments indicates a classic liberal-conservative split. The four liberal justices seem to lean toward overturning Doma on legal equality grounds - that it is discriminatory.

The conservatives seem more concerned about why the Obama administration is not defending a federal law. And in the middle, as is so often the case, is Justice Anthony Kennedy. His beef with Doma appears to be that it intrudes too deeply into states' rights. He has warned of the "risks" of federal overreach into what is the states' prerogative.

There is still a chance that the court will decide it has no business hearing the case. But if the four liberals are joined by Justice Kennedy, Doma will bite the dust. It may not be the prettiest judgement intellectually, but for same-sex marriage campaigners, it will do.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, seen as the swing vote between liberal and conservative justices, said he was "troubled" by how the law appeared to intrude on states' authority to define marriage as they saw fit.

"The question is whether or not the federal government under a federalism system has the authority to regulate marriage," he said.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal, suggested the law created a two-tiered system of wedlock.

"There are two kinds of marriage: full marriage and the skim-milk marriage," she said.

Her colleague, Elena Kagan, said Doma was "infected by animus, fear and dislike".

Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked: "What gives the federal government the right to be concerned at all about what the definition of marriage is?"

The Obama administration refused to defend Doma in court, having deemed it unconstitutional. Instead, a group of House Republicans hired a lawyer to argue in favour of the law.

Chief Justice John Roberts questioned why President Obama did not have "the courage of his convictions" to stop enforcing the law.

Signed by President Bill Clinton, Doma has already been ruled unconstitutional by several lower courts.

The case against Doma was originally brought by New Yorker Edith Windsor, 83, who was required to pay more than $350,000 (£220,000) of federal inheritance taxes after the 2009 death of her wife, Thea Spyer.

Outside the court on Wednesday, Ms Windsor said: "The justices were gentle, I didn't feel any hostility. I think it's going to be good."

On Tuesday the Supreme Court heard arguments in another gay marriage case, on the legality of a California constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions.

Proposition 8 was approved by California voters in a referendum in 2008.

Supporters of gay marriage are hoping the court could erase bans on same-sex marriages nationwide.

But legal analysts say the justices' comments on Tuesday did not seem to promise such a sweeping ruling.

Currently, nine US states and Washington DC permit same-sex marriage. Twelve other states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships that provide varying degrees of state marriage benefits.

Recent opinion polls have shown a steady rise in support for same-sex marriage in the US, together with declarations in favour of it by political figures such as Hillary Clinton.


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Protest over Chicago school closures

27 March 2013 Last updated at 22:00 ET

Nearly 130 Chicago school teachers and other supporters have reportedly been detained as they protested against plans to shut 54 city schools.

At a rally before the march, which drew hundreds of supporters, the leader of the Chicago Teachers Union was quoted as labelling the closures "racist".

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the move was necessary to tackle a $1bn (£660m) school budget shortfall.

City schools and teachers unions have clashed before over contract issues.

The Chicago Teachers Union launched a seven-day strike in September over teacher evaluations and pay.

Gang concerns

On Wednesday, police in the Illinois city briefly detained and ticketed 127 people who had participated in a sit-in, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Continue reading the main story

Let's not pretend that's not racist"

End Quote Karen Lewis Teachers' union leader

At a rally before the sit-in and march to the Chicago Public Schools headquarters, demonstrators said the closures were not a done deal, whatever Mayor Emanuel said.

Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis said: "On the first day of school you show up at your real school. Don't let these people take your school."

The closures will primarily affect minority neighbourhoods, and there are concerns that students will have to cross gang-lines to get to a new school.

"Let's not pretend that when you close schools on the South and West Sides the children affected aren't black," said Ms Lewis, according to the Tribune. "Let's not pretend that's not racist."

Chicago Public Schools and Mr Emanuel, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, say the cuts will save the district $560m over 10 years in capital costs and an additional $43m per year in operating costs.

About 30,000 students, almost all of them in primary schools, would be affected by the decision, which is due to take effect on the first day of the 2013-14 school year.

The city board of education, whose members were all appointed by Mayor Emanuel, will take a final vote on the proposals in May.


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Snowplough joyrider cleared of death

27 March 2013 Last updated at 22:11 ET

A Canadian jury says a Toronto man who stole a snowplough and killed a policeman with it is not criminally responsible because of mental illness.

Richard Kachkar took the machine while barefoot in 2011, destroying vehicles and a luxury car dealership before striking Sgt Ryan Russell, 35.

Prosecutors argued Mr Kachkar, 46, had targeted Russell to avoid arrest, but psychiatrists said he was psychotic.

Russell's widow told reporters she was "very disappointed" by the verdict.

"There is zero closure in a verdict of not criminally responsible," said Christine Russell.

During the trial, three psychiatrists testified that Mr Kachkar was in a psychotic state during the snowplough joyride.

The court also heard from paramedics that Mr Kachkar had feared they were trying to poison him or implant microchips into his body.

He was also yelling about the Taliban and the Chinese, and that "it's all a Russian video game".

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair paid tribute to the 11-year police veteran and father of one.

"We lost a man and a family lost someone very, very dear to them and he was very dear to us," he told reporters.

"But we understand the nature of the verdict. It was a tough case."

As a result of the verdict, Mr Kachkar will be committed to a mental institution, to be decided by a review board within 45 days.


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New light shed on Giffords shooting

27 March 2013 Last updated at 22:45 ET

Authorities in Arizona have made public almost 3,000 documents on the deadly shooting that left former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded.

The files detail the police investigation into the attack in Tucson in 2011 in which six people were killed and Ms Giffords was shot in the head.

She said they show the "mentally disturbed" shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, should never have had access to a gun.

The documents were held back despite media requests to ensure a fair trial.

He was sentenced last November to seven life terms plus 140 years in jail.

Loughner, 24, killed six people and wounded 13 others at an outdoor political meeting in January 2011.

The 2,700 pages of records, released by Pima County sheriff's department, include police reports and interviews with witnesses and shed new light on how the shooting happened as well as his motive for the attack.

'Outcast'

They also detail his purchase of the gun used in the Tucson attack and growing concern about his mental health in the months leading up to it.

Ms Giffords resigned from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery from serious injury. She has become a prominent campaigner for tighter gun controls in the US.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ms Giffords said: "The details released today regarding the shooting in Tucson reaffirm what this country already knew: the mentally disturbed young man who shot me and murdered six should never have had access to a gun."

In the aftermath of the shooting, Loughner's father Randy told detectives his son was an "outcast" who worried that police were out to get him.

Mr Loughner said his son did not get a mental health evaluation recommended by Pima Community College after it expelled him in October 2010.

"I tried to talk to him, but you can't, he wouldn't let you," the father said.

On the recommendation of college officials, he says he took away and locked up a shotgun belonging to his son.

Delusions

About six weeks later, Loughner bought the Glock semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting.

At another shop, staff refused to sell him ammunition because his behaviour was so erratic.

His one-time friend Zachary Osler told investigators of Loughner's increasing isolation and delusional behaviour.

"He would say he would dream and then control what he was doing when he was dreaming," Mr Osler said.

After his arrest at the scene, the gunman was polite and co-operative with police, the documents show.

Loughner was initially deemed unfit for trial because he suffered from schizophrenia and delusions, but that ruling was reversed after more than a year of treatment in prison.

The released documents also detail the bloody chaos of the gun attack, as Loughner approached the event outside a shop, where Ms Giffords was meeting constituents, and opened fire without warning.

Media organisations, including the Arizona Daily Star, campaigned to have the documents released, arguing that they were important to a national debate on gun violence.

Analysts say the details could influence discussion on whether such shootings can be stopped by armed resistance or happen too fast to be prevented in that way, and to what extent people with mental illness should be prevented from buying guns.


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Blackberry reports 1m Z10 sales

28 March 2013 Last updated at 08:20 ET

Mobile phone maker Blackberry says it has sold one million of its new Z10 smartphones.

In better than expected results the company said it made profits of $98m (£65m) in the quarter, after posting a big loss for the same period last year.

The Z10 handset is seen as crucial to the future of Blackberry, which has struggled to keep up with new Apple and Android handsets.

It has been on sale for a month in the UK, Canada and other markets.

It went on sale with little fanfare a week ago in the United States, Blackberry's most important market.

The figures do not include US sales.

In total, Blackberry said it shipped a total of around six million handsets in the three months to early March.


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Prison for shining laser at aircraft

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 27 Maret 2013 | 20.24

26 March 2013 Last updated at 07:58 ET

A 19-year-old California man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for shining a laser pointer at two aircraft.

In March 2012 Adam Gardenhire aimed a green laser pen at a business jet and then shone it at a Pasadena police helicopter sent to find the source.

He is the second person in the US to be sentenced for aiming a laser at an aircraft.

The act has been considered a federal crime in the US since February 2012.

Gardenhire pleaded guilty in October.

Commercially obtained laser pointers project just a tiny beam, but its diameter grows much bigger as the distance increases and can result in temporarily blindness if shone in someone's eyes.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the high intensity light can dazzle pilots during the crucial phases of take-off and landing.

The pilot of a Cessna Citation plane preparing to land at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank suffered "vision impairment that lasted for hours" after the incident, according to a statement from the Office of the United States Attorney Central District of California.

The helicopter pilot, who had been wearing protective eye gear, was uninjured.

Glenn Stephen Hansen, of Saint Cloud, Florida, was sentenced to six months in prison for a similar offence in August 2012.

Laser pen attacks on aircraft seem to be on the rise in many places around the world. In the past three years, there have been more than 4,500 reports of pilots being targeted by lasers.


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Knox to fight 'wrongful' allegations

26 March 2013 Last updated at 13:37 ET

US student Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after an Italian court overturned her acquittal for killing Briton Meredith Kercher.

Miss Knox and former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a new trial over the 2007 killing in Perugia.

They were freed on appeal in 2011 after four years in jail, but Italy's Supreme Court on Tuesday re-opened the case.

Miss Knox does not have to return from the US for the case, but if found guilty she could face extradition.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

The prosecution argued successfully that the appellate court's decision to quash the original convictions had been made by a judge who had "lost his bearings".

Sloppy forensic investigations by police are frequently cited in Italian murder trials and some high-profile cases, like the murder of the British student, are never fully solved.

The reasons for the latest decision will not be made public for another three months.

The clinching argument for a retrial appears to revolve around another accused, Rudy Guede, who is serving 16 years for the murder. "He didn't have an ectoplasm for an accomplice," the prosecutor argued.

Mr Sollecito, 29, will not have to return to jail while the new appeals process goes ahead.

Both deny killing UK student Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found stabbed to death in the flat she shared with Miss Knox in Perugia in November 2007.

The case has drawn intense media interest in Italy, the UK and the US and put the Italian police and justice system under great scrutiny.

In a statement, Miss Knox, now a 25-year-old student in Seattle, described the court decision to reopen the case as "painful news".

"The prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair," she said.

"No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity," she added.

'Illogical'
Continue reading the main story

Kercher murder: Timeline

  • 1 November 2007: Kercher is killed at her apartment in Perugia. Police find her a day later.
  • 6 November 2007: Kercher's US housemate Knox is arrested, along with Sollecito and Congolese national Patrick Diya Lumumba.
  • 20 November 2007: Rudy Guede detained in Germany and extradited to Italy. Mr Lumumba released without charge
  • 28 October 2008: Guede sentenced to 16 years. A judge rules Sollecito and Knox will face a murder trial
  • 4 December 2009: Knox and Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual violence, and jailed for 26 and 25 years
  • 3 October 2011: Knox and Sollecito acquitted
  • 26 March 2013: Re-run of appeals ordered. Acquittals overturned

Meredith Kercher's family has welcomed the decision.

"Whilst we are not happy about going back to court, and it will not bring her back, we have to make sure we have done all we can for her," Miss Kercher's older sister Stephanie said.

Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca said it was "an important day for the Italian legal system".

Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for murdering and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher.

The Leeds University student was found with more than 40 knife wounds on her body, including a deep gash to the throat.

Prosecutors believe she died in a brutal sex game that went wrong.

Another man - Rudy Guede from Ivory Coast - was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years for the killing.

In 2011 Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito were acquitted on appeal, largely on the grounds that DNA evidence was flawed.

But that decision has now been overturned by the Supreme Court after prosecutors argued that it was "contradictory and illogical".

Stephanie Kercher

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The court has not yet given a full explanation for its ruling on the appeal, but will announce its reasons within 90 days.

The new trial will be held in Florence rather than Perugia, where the original trial and appeal took place, although the date has not yet been set.

After her release in 2011, Miss Knox returned to the US.

Both she and Mr Sollecito - now a student in Verona - have written books about the case.

Mr Sollecito's was published last year.

Miss Knox's book - titled Waiting to be Heard - is due out on 30 April.


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US state gets toughest abortion law

26 March 2013 Last updated at 15:34 ET

North Dakota has banned abortion once a foetal heartbeat can be detected - as early as six weeks - in the most restrictive law of its kind in the US.

Governor Jack Dalrymple signed a second law banning abortions based on genetic abnormalities.

He approved a third law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have hospital-admitting privileges.

Correspondents say the laws are in part an effort to close the state's only abortion clinic, in the town of Fargo.

The measures, which take effect on 1 August, make no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother.

Gov Dalrymple said: "Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v Wade."

Legal challenge

In that landmark 1973 case, the US Supreme Court ruled abortion was legal until the foetus could survive outside the womb.

The governor said that the court has allowed states to adopt stricter abortion measures, and has never before considered a measure like this one - leaving the constitutionality of the bills an "open question".

Gov Dalrymple added the state should put money aside to pay for legal challenges to the laws.

Under the North Dakota bills, women would not be prosecuted for having an abortion after a foetal heartbeat could be detected, but doctors could face five years in prison and a $5,000 (£3,300) penalty.

Pro-choice advocates vowed to challenge the legislation.

Sarah Stoesz, president of Planned Parenthood, said: "This sweeping package of bills will not stand up to constitutional scrutiny.

"But as a result of North Dakota's leaders' disregard for women's health, the state will endure months and years of drawn-out litigation costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars."

In addition, North Dakota's Republican-dominated legislature last week set up a voter referendum for November 2014 which seeks to amend the state constitution to define life as beginning at conception.

The amendment would grant full legal protection to embryos and foetuses and could outlaw some forms of birth control, stem-cell research and possibly in vitro fertilisation.

Earlier in March, the Republican-controlled legislature in the state of Arkansas enacted tough abortion laws, banning the procedure after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Scientists generally agree that foetuses become "viable" or able to survive outside the womb at about 22-24 weeks.


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