2nd teacher at LA school is arrested

2nd teacher at LA school is arrested

LOS ANGELES

A second teacher at an inner-city elementary school where a teacher is accused of committing lewd acts on 23 children was arrested Friday on suspicion of fondling two girls in his classroom.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker said Martin B. Springer, 49, of Alhambra was arrested four days after allegations surfaced against the first teacher, but there was no known connection between the two cases. Springer was being held on $2 million bail.

The expanding case has shocked the nation and thrown a chill into its second-largest school district, with 650,000 students across hundreds of campuses.

Iranian leader warns US, Israel

TEHRAN, Iran

Iran’s supreme leader pledged Friday to aid any nation or group that challenges Israel and said any military strikes over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program would damage U.S. interests in the Middle East “10 times over.”

The nationally broadcast comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei staked out a hard line in apparent replies to suggestions that military strikes are an increasing possibility if sanctions fail to rein in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Muslims seek ouster of NYC police brass

NEW YORK

Muslims and their allies are stepping up pressure to get Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne to resign and make the New York Police Department more accountable.

About 200 people showed up for a rally outside One Police Plaza, chanting “Kelly and Browne, out of this town.” They were joined by city-council members. Muslim groups hope to create allies among city-council members and other minorities who have complained of unfair treatment by the NYPD.

On Thursday, The Associated Press revealed an NYPD report from 2006, which recommended putting thousands of Shiite Muslims under surveillance as a way to find Iranian terrorists — most Iranians practice the Shia faith. The document also encouraged focusing on Palestinians.

Activists: 200 killed by Syrian forces

BEIRUT

In a barrage of mortar shells, Syrian forces killed 200 people and wounded hundreds in Homs in an offensive that appears to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said today.

The assault in Homs, which has been one of the main flashpoints of opposition during the uprising, comes as the U.N. Security Council prepares to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar Assad to give up power.

Illnesses point to raw-milk popularity

WASHINGTON

An outbreak of bacterial infections on the East Coast illustrates the popularity of raw, unpasteurized milk despite strong warnings from public-health officials about the potential danger.

An outbreak of campylobacter illness is a reminder of the potential hazards, however. Raw milk from a dairy in Pennsylvania is linked to 38 cases in four states, and the farm has suspended sales temporarily. Campylobacter can cause diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever and can be life-threatening if it spreads to the bloodstream.

Consumers who want unpasteurized milk have to work to find it. It’s against federal law to transport it across state lines, and most states don’t allow it to be sold in stores off the farm. Twenty states prohibit raw- milk sales altogether.

Combined dispatches