Fidel Castro silent amid thaw in Cuba-US relations
HAVANA — Everyone in Cuba is talking about the startling turn in relations with the United States, with one notable exception: Fidel Castro.
So far, the larger-than-life retired Cuban leader has made no public comment on the biggest news in years — that the U.S. and his island nation will restore diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of hostility.
His brother, President Raul Castro, announced the historic shift in a surprise television appearance Wednesday and there was speculation he could address it again during the Cuban National Assembly, which started one of its twice-annual sessions Friday.
Parents of Colorado theater shooting suspect plea for his life
DENVER — The parents of Colorado theater shooter James Holmes begged Friday for his life to be spared through a plea bargain — a move that rekindled the long-running, emotional debate about whether the horrific details of the mass killing should be played out at his upcoming trial.
The statement released by Robert and Arlene Holmes emphasized a key legal issue in the tortured history of the case — Holmes’ mental state when he killed 12 people and injured 70 others, and whether he should die if convicted of the crime.
“He is a human being gripped by a severe mental illness,” the parents wrote.
Woman arrested for murder in deaths of 8 children in Australian home
SYDNEY — An Australian woman was arrested for murder in the deaths of eight children, seven of whom are believed to be her own, police said Saturday. The children were found dead inside the woman’s home.
The 37-year-old woman, who is recovering in a hospital from stab wounds, was under guard and speaking with police, Queensland Police Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar said. She has not yet been charged.
Police haven’t said how the children died. But Asnicar said they’re examining several knives in the home that may have been the weapon used to kill them.
The children ranged in age from 18 months to 14 years, Asnicar said. The woman is thought to be the mother of seven of the children. The eighth is believed to be her niece.
Queensland police were called to the home in the Cairns suburb of Manoora on Friday morning after receiving a report of a woman with serious injuries. When they got to the house, they found the bodies of the children.
Pakistan executes 2 militants after reinstating death penalty
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan hanged two convicted militants Friday in the country’s first executions in years, while warplanes and ground forces pounded insurgent hideouts in a northwest region bordering Afghanistan — part of a stepped-up response to the Taliban slaughter of scores of schoolchildren.
Unchastened by criticism from all corners of the globe, the Taliban threatened earlier Friday to kill more children if executions were carried out as promised.
By wire sources