Defense: Blagojevich isn’t a criminal

Defense: Blagojevich isn’t a criminal

CHICAGO

Rod Blagojevich is insecure, he talks a lot and he’s a bad judge of character — but he is not a criminal, the ousted Illinois governor’s defense attorney told jurors at his corruption trial Tuesday during a theatrical closing argument.

Sam Adam Jr. told jurors that he did not call Blagojevich to testify, as he had promised when the trial started, because the government did not prove its case.

In its rebuttal, the prosecution said Blagojevich is not the bumbling, naive victim portrayed by defense attorneys. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Schar told jurors Blagojevich is a smart man and experienced politician who knows better than to explicitly ask for money or other favors.

Kerry to pay tax on yacht docked in RI

boston

Sen. John Kerry moved to end a controversy over his decision to base his new $7 million yacht in tax-free Rhode Island, informing the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on Tuesday that he would “promptly” pay taxes as if the vessel were docked in his home state.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the Democrat said, “As we’ve said from the beginning, we have always complied with tax laws and we always will. ... The payment is being made promptly.”

The 2004 Democratic presidential nominee has been dogged by charges of tax evasion since last week, when the Boston Herald first reported about his decision to dock the 76-foot sloop Isabel in Newport, R.I.

Africa readies troops for Somalia

kampala, uganda

African leaders are pledging thousands of new troops for Somalia to fight al-Qaida-linked militants responsible for the twin World Cup bombings that killed 76 people, and the U.S. says it will help bankroll the military campaign.

But internal documents obtained by The Associated Press show that that African Union forces and Somali troops don’t trust one another, and that Somalia’s government “lacks consistency, coherence and coordination,” raising questions about whether more AU troops can solve the Somali impasse.

Convictions reversed for polygamist leader

salt lake city

The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the convictions of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs and ordered a new trial, saying a jury received incorrect instructions before considering his role in the 2001 nuptials of a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin.

Jeffs, 54, was convicted in 2007 of two counts of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice. He is serving two consecutive terms of five years to life in the Utah State Prison.

Officials: Gassing caused panda’s death

beijing

They sent army doctors, the police and hand-selected veterinarians to rescue her, but after three hours at the hospital, nothing could save Quan Quan, the beloved giant panda of the Jinan Zoo in Shandong province.

On Tuesday, six days after Quan Quan’s death, officials announced that poisonous gas had killed the 21-year-old panda, dubbed a “heroic mother” by state media for having birthed seven cubs over the years.

An autopsy revealed that Quan Quan, who was about 70 in panda years, died after inhaling carbon monoxide and chlorine coming from a former air raid shelter that was being disinfected. The fumes, the medical report said, caused her lungs to collapse.

Combined dispatches