



A judge called the plot to hide the shooting of unarmed residents crossing a bridge a "despicable" scheme that immeasurably compounded Hurricane Katrina's damage. Jeffrey Lehrmann pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, meaning he knew about the crime and didn't report it. He faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake capable of tremendous damage struck central Chile early Saturday, shaking the capital for a minute and a half and setting off a tsunami.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)Across the country, cash-strapped cities are coming up with novel ideas for raising money — imposing new charges on everything from sodas and plastic bags to library late fees and emergency-response services. With at least two more years of bad budgets ahead, look for cities to turn to niche taxes.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
The Senate Banking Committee chairman plans to offer his own financial regulation bill without GOP support after a month of talks with Republican Sen. Bob Corker found some common ground but didn't yield agreement on consumer protections and other sticking points.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that Pakistan has a key role to play in peace talks with the Taliban, a possible attempt to quash speculation that his government was trying to sideline its neighbor.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)A series of strong aftershocks from last month's devastating quake rocked Chile on Thursday as a new president was sworn into office and immediately urged coastal residents to move to higher ground in case of a tsunami.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)Greek police fired tear gas to disperse protesters throwing rocks and firebombs outside Parliament as tens of thousands of people marched through Athens to protest measures to cut the country's debt. The strike grounded all flights and brought public transport to a halt.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. American exports also fell, a potential blow to hopes that the economic recovery will be aided this year by U.S. sales abroad.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)Preliminary election results show Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki leading in the mainly Shiite provinces of Babil and Najaf, while a coalition led by his top secular rival, former Premier Ayad Allawi, was ahead in the former Sunni insurgent strongholds of Diyala and Salahuddin. But the chaotic vote count was marred by accusations of fraud.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment benefits slipped by 6,000 last week. But the four-week average of claims climbed, reflecting a sharp increase in claims last month.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
)