Combined briefs

Fort Hood suspect will use “defense of others”

The Army psychiatrist charged in the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage said Monday that he’ll use a “defense of others” argument when he represents himself at his upcoming murder trial. Maj. Nidal Hasan did not elaborate when announcing his strategy Monday, shortly after a military judge agreed to allow him to represent himself. Hasan, who was set to deploy to Afghanistan with some of the troops killed that day on the Texas Army post, likely will try to show that he was trying to defend Muslims against U.S. troops in a war that he believes is illegal and immoral, military law experts said.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston fire chief resigns, citing bomb criticism

Boston’s fire chief announced his resignation Monday, saying public criticism from his deputies for the way he responded to the marathon bombings has made it impossible for him to do his job. Chief Steve Abraira said in a letter that his resignation is effective Friday. Thirteen of the department’s 14 deputy chiefs complained to Mayor Tom Menino in a letter 11 days after the April 15 bombings that Abraira’s failure to take command of the scene was indefensible and part of a pattern of shirking leadership. Abraira has said his command staff had the bombing scene under control and he acted according to national standards.

ILLINOIS

Gene flaws common in blacks with breast cancer

Gene flaws that raise the risk of breast cancer are surprisingly common in black women with the disease, according to the first comprehensive testing in this racial group. The study found that one-fifth of these women have BRCA mutations, a problem usually associated with women of Eastern European Jewish descent but recently highlighted by the plight of Angelina Jolie. The study may help explain why black women have higher rates of breast cancer at young ages and a worse chance of survival. “We were surprised at our results,” said the study leader, Dr. Jane Churpek, a cancer specialist at the University of Chicago.

AFGHANISTAN

Bomb kills nine children, two U.S. troops

A suicide bomber targeting U.S. troops outside an Afghan government office killed nine children walking home from school and two of the Americans on Monday, the latest sign that this year’s fighting season could be one of the deadliest of the 12-year-old war. A bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives in the eastern province of Paktia, Gen. Zelmia Oryakhail said. A U.S. military delegation had just attended a security briefing at the district administrative office, and the bomber appeared to have been waiting for the delegation. A local school had just let pupils, between 10 and 16 years old, out for the day.

OHIO

Jury finds for teacher fired while pregnant

A teacher who sued a Catholic archdiocese for firing her after she became pregnant through artificial insemination won her anti-discrimination lawsuit Monday and was awarded more than $170,000. A federal jury found that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati discriminated against Christa Dias by firing her in October 2010. Her attorney, Robert Klingler, had argued that Dias was fired simply because she was pregnant and unmarried, a dismissal that he said violated federal and state laws. The jury said the archdiocese should pay $51,000 in back pay, $20,000 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages.

MISSISSIPPI

Man indicted in poisoned letters case

A federal grand jury has indicted a Mississippi man suspected of sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other officials. The five-count indictment made public Monday charges 41-year-old James Everett Dutschke with developing, producing and stockpiling the poison ricin, threatening the president and others and attempting to impede the investigation. If convicted on the charges, he could face life in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Dutschke, who was arrested April 27 at his home in Tupelo, has denied any involvement.

CALIFORNIA

Containment of fire doubles to 40 percent

Firefighters working in darkness doubled containment of a massive wildfire north of Los Angeles to 40 percent overnight, as cool, moist air moved in Monday to replace torrid weather. The fire expanded to more than 46 square miles but moved out of rugged mountains of the Angeles National Forest and onto the floor of the high desert Antelope Valley, where it became easier to fight. “The fire moved into an area where vegetation changed from real dense to real sparse,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Matt Corelli said. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Three firefighters had minor injuries, but no one else was hurt.

RUSSIA

Cat detained on illegal mission at prison

Inmates at Russia’s prisons have been known to bribe guards to obtain cellphones, but this may be the first time they have used a cat as an accomplice. Guards patrolling a prison colony in Russia’s north saw a cat on the fence and it seemed to be carrying something. On a closer look, they found a few cellphones and chargers taped to the cat’s belly. The federal prison service said Monday that this happened Friday at the Penal Colony No. 1 near the city of Syktyvkar in the Komi province, some 600 miles northeast of Moscow. It wasn’t clear how the cat was supposed to drop off its loot.