Nation & World Digest | 4 convicted in NYC temple-bomb plot

4 convicted in NYC temple-bomb plot

NEW YORK

Four men snared last year in an FBI sting were convicted Monday of plotting to blow up New York City synagogues and shoot down military planes with the help of a paid informant who convinced them he was a terror operative.

A jury in federal court in Manhattan deliberated eight days before finding alleged mastermind James Cromitie and three co-defendants guilty of charges including conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles to kill U.S. officers and employees.

Sentencing was set for March 24, when the defendants could face up to life in prison.

Megachurch files for bankruptcy

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.

Crystal Cathedral, the megachurch birthplace of the televangelist show “Hour of Power,” filed for bankruptcy Monday in Southern California after struggling to emerge from debt that exceeds $43 million.

In addition to a $36 million mortgage, the Orange County-based church owes $7.5 million to several hundred vendors for services ranging from advertising to the use of live animals in Easter and Christmas services.

Cybersecurity wins amid British cuts

LONDON

Britain unveils a package of spending cuts this week — the harshest since World War II — but counterterrorism and cyber-attack prevention were among areas expected to get funding boosts.

Terrorism and cyber warfare have been identified as the two most-serious threats facing Britain, and a higher priority than preparing for another international military conflict, according to Britain’s national security strategy — a detailed plan that spelled out the country’s security priorities Monday.

J&J recalls Tylenol caplets

TRENTON, N.J.

Tylenol caplets again are being recalled by Johnson & Johnson after some consumers were sickened by ingesting the pills or smelling a musty or moldy odor on the bottles.

Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit received complaints from people who reported nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea after taking the pills, a spokeswoman said Monday.

This makes 13 recalls in barely a year by the health-care giant, mostly for more-serious problems with its nonprescription drugs, contact lenses, blood-glucose test strips and hip implants.

French strikes disrupt daily life

PARIS

Airlines flying into France were ordered to slash schedules — and to bring enough fuel for the trip out. Gas stations ran short or dry, while truckers jammed highway traffic Monday by driving at a snail’s pace, a tactic known in French as “operation escargot.”

Strikes over the government’s plans to raise the retirement age to 62 from 60 disrupted daily life and a wide swath of industry — from oil refining to travel to shipping — as protesters fought a proposal they say tampers with the near-sacred French social contract.

Earthquake rattles New Zealand city

WELLINGTON, New Zealand

An earthquake rattled the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch today, cutting power and phone service and sending some residents running into the streets just weeks after a more-powerful quake caused extensive damage.

New Zealand’s geological agency GNS Science said today’s magnitude-5.0 quake was centered six miles southwest of the city and just five miles below the surface.

Associated Press