Afghan soldier kills 3 British troops

Afghan soldier kills 3 British troops

kabul, afghanistan

An Afghan soldier killed three British service members with gunfire and a rocket-propelled grenade in the dead of night, a betrayal that highlights the difficulties in rapidly building up Afghan security forces so that foreign troops can go home.

The soldier fled after carrying out the attack in southern Afghanistan early Tuesday, leaving his motive unclear.

But the Taliban claimed that he was a militant sympathizer who was taken in by insurgents after the assault — one which could further weaken support in Britain for an unpopular that has now taken the lives of 317 Britons.

Top bosses among 305 arrested in Italy

milan

Anti-mafia prosecutors claimed a major victory over the powerful and growing ’ndrangheta crime syndicate, infiltrating intimate weddings, baptisms and other events to gather information that led to the arrests Tuesday of 305 people, including top bosses, and the seizure of more than $76 million in cash and property.

One of the most significant revelations to emerge from the investigation was that the Calabrian mob had a tight hierarchal structure like that of the Sicilian Mafia, and wasn’t just an association of clans as previously believed.

Recall for cadmium children’s jewelry

About 137,000 pieces of imported children’s jewelry sold at two stores popular with preteen girls — Justice and Limited Too — were recalled Tuesday for high levels of cadmium, the latest in a series of recalls involving the toxic metal.

The voluntary recall, announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, was the sixth callback since The Associated Press first released findings of an investigation into cadmium in children’s jewelry.

The latest recall involved 19 different styles of necklaces, bracelets and earrings imported and distributed by Tween Brands, based in New Albany, Ohio.

In addition to the two sets of retail stores, the items were sold online at www.shopjustice.com.

More cops charged

new orleans

In a case that rocked a city already torn by the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, four police officers accused of gunning down two unarmed people in the storm’s chaotic aftermath could face death themselves.

The officers who could face the death penalty were charged along with two others in a 27-count indictment unsealed Tuesday.

Five former New Orleans police officers already have pleaded guilty to helping cover up the shootings on the Danziger Bridge that left two men dead and four wounded just days after the August 2005 hurricane.

In one instance, a mentally disabled man was shot in the back and stomped before he died.

Lew nominated as budget director

washington

President Barack Obama nominated Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget Tuesday, charging him with putting the nation on a fiscally responsible path.

If confirmed by the Senate, Lew would assume the Cabinet-level post with the administration facing a deficit already exceeding $1 trillion for the first three quarters of the fiscal year.

Lew is no stranger to the job, having served as budget director for almost three years at the end of the Clinton administration.

Associated Press