Combined briefs

CALIFORNIA

Released vet says he was threatened

The 85-year-old U.S. Korean War veteran who was detained for weeks by North Korea said Monday that the videotaped confession in which he apologized for killing North Koreans during the war was given involuntarily and under duress. In a written statement, Merrill Newman said he tried to show that the words he read on the recording were not his own by emphasizing the apology’s awkward phrasing and poor English grammar. The former Army lieutenant said that while the North Koreans treated him well during his detention at a Pyongyang hotel, an interrogator told him repeatedly that if he did not apologize for his alleged crimes during the Korean War and during his visit to the communist nation, he would be sentenced to 15 years in jail for espionage.

POLAND

Court approves crucifix in parliament

A Polish appeals court on Monday rejected a complaint by lawmakers that the presence of a Roman Catholic crucifix in parliament violates their right as nonbelievers. Judge Edyta Jefimko ruled against members of the small opposition Your Movement party, finding that the crucifix is not just a religious symbol, but also one of “culture and natural identity” in the predominantly Catholic country. Opponents vowed to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

UTAH

Church explains ban on black pastors

The Mormon church is providing an extensive explanation about the faith’s past exclusion of blacks from the priesthood. The statement on the church’s website says an era of great racial divide influenced the church, and it pins the ban on an 1852 announcement from church president Brigham Young. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints barred men of African descent from the priesthood until 1978. “The Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else,” the statement reads.

CANADA

Government plans North Pole claim

Canada intends to extend its seabed claims in the Arctic to include the North Pole in a bid to assert its sovereignty in the resource-rich region, the country’s foreign affairs minister said Monday. John Baird said the government has asked scientists to work on a future submission to the United Nations claiming that the outer limits of its continental shelf include the pole, which so far has been claimed by no one.

FLORIDA

Film prompts Sea World cancellations

The rock bands Heart and Barenaked Ladies along with country singer Willie Nelson have canceled their planned performances at SeaWorld in Florida, citing the recent documentary “Blackfish,” which raises questions about the effects of captivity on whales. Joan Jett on Monday also joined the list of recording artists distancing themselves from the marine park when she sent a letter to SeaWorld President Jim Atchison asking that the park stop using her song “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” as the opening music for its “Shamu Rocks” show.

FLORIDA

Whales suffered from malnutrition

Necropsies performed on the 11 whales found dead in the Florida Keys show that they were emaciated and suffering from malnutrition, federal officials said Monday. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stranding coordinator Blair Mase said the whales’ empty bellies could be a result of disease or of being out of the deep, cooler waters that form their natural habitat. A fisherman found the 11 whales lying near each other Sunday in Snipe Point, on an island chain near Key West.

FLORIDA

Girlfriend backtracks on charges

George Zimmerman asked a judge on Monday to change the terms of his bond so he can have contact with the girlfriend he’s accused of assaulting. Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend that says she doesn’t want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. In the signed affidavit, Samantha Scheibe — referring to Zimmerman as “my boyfriend” — said that detectives misinterpreted what she said and that she hasn’t been coerced into the request. Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a call to 911 of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside.

NEW JERSEY

Princeton begins meningitis vaccinations

Princeton University has begun vaccinating nearly 6,000 students to try to stop an outbreak of type B meningitis in an unusual federal government-endorsed administration of a drug not generally approved for use in the United States. Seven students and one prospective student who was visiting campus have been stricken by potentially life-threatening type B meningococcal disease since March. None of the cases has been fatal. The vaccinations were recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine is being made available to all undergraduates, as well as graduate students who live in dorms and employees with certain medical conditions. Taking it is voluntary.

MARYLAND

Academy chief explains assault decision

The U.S. Naval Academy superintendent said Monday that he decided to court-martial two midshipmen in a sexual assault case against a military judge’s recommendation because it is his duty to make sure the charges are fully examined. Vice Adm. Michael Miller decided in October to court-martial Midshipman Eric Graham on a charge of abusive sexual contact and Midshipman Joshua Tate on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a female midshipman during an off-campus party last year. A military judge had recommended that the cases not move forward. While the investigating officer found reasonable grounds to believe offenses may have been committed, he said heavy damage done to the alleged victim’s testimony made it difficult “if not impossible” to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.