NATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS DIGEST: N. Korea backs off

N. Korea backs off

YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea

North Korea backed off threats to retaliate against South Korea for military drills Monday and reportedly offered concessions on its nuclear program — signs it was looking to lower the temperature on the Korean peninsula after weeks of soaring tensions. But Pyongyang has feinted toward conciliation before and failed to follow through.

Pedophilia-book author faces charges

PUEBLO, Colo.

A Colorado man who wrote a how-to guide for pedophiles was arrested Monday and will be extradited to Florida to face obscenity charges, after deputies there ordered a copy of the book that has generated online outrage.

Officers arrested Phillip R. Greaves at his home in Pueblo on Monday on a warrant that charges him with violating Florida’s obscenity law. During a brief court appearance, Greaves waived his right to fight extradition to Polk County, Fla., where Sheriff Grady Judd claimed jurisdiction because the author sold and mailed his book directly to undercover deputies.

The book caused a flap when it showed up on Amazon in November. The book later was removed from the site.

FCC poised to pass net-neutrality rules

WASHINGTON

New rules aimed at prohibiting broadband providers from becoming gatekeepers of Internet traffic now have just enough votes to pass the Federal Communications Commission today.

The rules would prohibit phone and cable companies from abusing their control over broadband connections to discriminate against rival content or services, such as Internet phone calls or online video, or play favorites with Web traffic.

Iraqi PM submits new Cabinet

BAGHDAD

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki submitted his new Cabinet on Monday, clearing a hurdle to seating a government more than nine months after national elections even though serious disputes with one of his key allies remained.

Nearly one-third of the nominees were only acting ministers, an attempt to buy time to work out disagreements over some of the posts with the hard-line Shiite faction loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Executions decline

WASHINGTON

The number of executions in the United States dropped 12 percent in 2010, and the number of people sentenced to die is nearing historic lows, a report from an anti-capital punishment group says.

The Death Penalty Information Center attributed the reductions to changing attitudes toward capital punishment but acknowledged there have also been problems with the availability of chemicals used in lethal injections.

Study: Echinacea no help for a cold

NEW YORK

Got the sniffles? The largest study of the popular herbal remedy echinacea finds it won’t help you get better any sooner.

The study of more than 700 adults and children suggests the tiniest possible benefit — about a half-day shaved off a weeklong cold and slightly milder symptoms. But that could have occurred by chance.

For most people, the potential to get relief a few hours sooner probably isn’t worth the trouble and cost of taking the supplement, researchers said.

Associated Press