Official: LA arson suspect cursed US

Official: LA arson suspect cursed US

los angeles

Harry Burkhart watched as his mother was arrested last week on fraud charges from their native Germany, and a day later he exploded in an expletive-laced rant against the U.S. at her court hearing.

That’s when, authorities believe, Burkhart, angry over his mother’s legal troubles, went on a nighttime rampage of arson attacks that terrorized LA and caused $3 million in damage.

Court documents unsealed Tuesday said Dorothee Burkhart, who is in her 50s, was charged with 19 counts of fraud in Frankfurt, including failing to pay for a 2004 breast-augmentation surgery and pilfering security deposits from renters.

Iran ends naval maneuvers in Gulf

dubai, united arab emirates

Iran closed out naval war games in the Gulf on Tuesday much the way they began last month: striking a tone of military defiance while Western powers rallied behind tougher oil and financial sanctions as a crippling tool against Tehran’s nuclear program.

The standoff atmosphere — less than a week after Iran warned it could block one of the world’s key oil tanker sea lanes in response to economic pressures — appeared to deepen further with an Iranian general suggesting a U.S. aircraft carrier is not welcome to return to the Gulf.

In Paris, meanwhile, France’s foreign minister said there is “no doubt” that Iran is moving toward a nuclear weapon and urged Europe to match America’s tighter sanctions set in motion last week.

Israelis, Palestinians to resume dialogue

amman, jordan

The first meeting between Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators in more than a year ended without any significant breakthroughs Tuesday, but in a small sign of progress, the sides agreed to continue the dialogue, officials said.

Resumption of any kind of contacts would be an important achievement, though Israel and the Palestinians remain far from agreement on key issues to resolve their decades-long conflict.

The 15-month breakdown in negotiations has seen a progressive souring of the atmosphere, and earlier Tuesday, the Palestinian president had warned of taking tough measures against Israel if talks don’t resume by Jan. 26.

Taliban to open office for peace talks

kabul

The Taliban announced Tuesday that the group will open an office in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar to have talks with the U.S., an unprecedented step toward a peace process that might lead to a winding down of the 10-year war in Afghanistan.

Although U.S. and Taliban representatives have met secretly several times over the past year in Europe and the Persian Gulf, this is the first time the Islamist insurgent group has publicly expressed willingness for substantive negotiations.

Police: Body found is dispatcher’s

little rock, Ark.

A police dispatcher last seen alive leaving a party with her boyfriend shortly before Christmas was slain, authorities said Tuesday after confirming that a body found in the wilderness over the weekend was hers.

Dawna Natzke’s death has been ruled a homicide, but investigators haven’t determined exactly how or when she was killed, said her former boss, Hot Springs Village Police Chief Laroy Cornett.

Natzke was a 46-year-old mother of three who had recently separated from her husband.

Associated Press