Sandusky appeals to Pa. high court

Sandusky appeals to Pa. high court

HARRISBURG, Pa.

Jerry Sandusky wants Pennsylvania’s highest court to take up his appeal of a 45-count child sex abuse conviction, saying in a petition released Friday that the trial judge should have instructed jurors regarding the length of time it took his victims to come forward.

The new filing also repeated other arguments that were rejected a month ago by the mid-level Superior Court, including a claim that Sandusky’s lawyers lacked sufficient time to prepare and that a prosecutor improperly referred to Sandusky’s decision not to testify.

Obama hosts Iraqi PM al-Maliki

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama pledged Friday to help combat an increasingly active al-Qaida in Iraq but stopped short of announcing new commitments of assistance sought by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki came to the Oval Office requesting additional aid, including weapons and help with intelligence, to fight insurgent violence that has spiked in Iraq since American troops left in 2011.

Al-Maliki declined to discuss the details of his request for U.S. assistance but said the meeting was “very positive.”

Egypt TV station halts satire show

CAIRO

A private Egyptian TV station has stopped the airing of the latest episode of a widely popular political satire program after it came under fire for mocking the ultranationalist, pro-mililtary fervor gripping the country.

Minutes before the program, “El-Bernameg,” was to air Friday night, CBC announced that it would not be shown because satirist Bassem Youssef and his producer violated its editorial policies.

The weekly program is pre-recorded. Last week, Youssef returned to air after a four-month hiatus and strongly mocked the wave of popular mania for the military, including its chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, since a popularly backed coup removed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Ex-headmaster in child-porn case

WILMINGTON, Del.

The former headmaster of an elite private school in Wilmington, Del., has surrendered to state police to be charged with dealing in child pornography.

Authorities said 53-year-old Christopher Wheeler turned himself in Friday afternoon, one day after authorities said they were searching for him.

Wheeler stepped down as headmaster of Tower Hill School last week after the attorney general’s office searched his home and school office as part of a child-abuse investigation.

Authorities say an examination of computers that were seized during the searches recovered multiple images of child pornography.

Hillary Clinton launches initiative

PHILADELPHIA

Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a new initiative Friday called “No Ceilings” to empower women and children around the globe. The project could serve as the basis of a recurring campaign theme if she decides to run for president again.

Clinton said the initiative, launched through the Clinton Foundation, will look at the progress made by women and chart a path toward full participation in the economy and society. The former secretary of state said at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women that too many women face ceilings “that hold back their ambitions and aspirations.”

Polls have shown Clinton as the leading Democratic contender for president in 2016 if she decides to run.

Associated Press